BREAKING - The NHL Has Officially Announced a New Jersey Provider and It's Embarrassing

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Skyler Walker
March 21, 2023 (9:13)

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The National Hockey League (NHL) has made a momentous announcement in the sports merchandise industry. The league has disclosed that it will be teaming up with Fanatics, a renowned sports retailer, as its official jersey provider for the 2024-2025 season. This decision signals a significant departure from the NHL's merchandising strategy, one that is anticipated to yield positive financial results in the long run. However, there are some concerns about Fanatics' product quality and their accuracy in printing player names and numbers on jerseys.

Despite Fanatics' recent emergence as a major player in the sports apparel and merchandise industry, their reputation has been tainted by criticism of the quality of their products, including misspelled player names and numbers. Furthermore, the partnership will result in the company's "F" logo being prominently displayed on the front and back of the NHL jerseys, potentially alienating fans who prefer the traditional NHL jersey design without any additional branding.

Although the NHL and Fanatics' partnership is projected to bolster the league's profits, it remains to be seen how fans will respond to the new NHL jersey design.

The move is expected to boost sales of NHL merchandise, but also deliver a much cheaper product, fans who have purchased Fanatics jerseys in the past are aware of the awful quality of their product.

Fans have also purchased jerseys from Fanatics in the past, and they have been delivered with incorrect spelling of players names and jerseys numbers, or lopsided name patches.

«We had the opportunity to become not just the brand behind the scenes but the brand in front of the scenes,»

said Michael Rubin, the chief executive of Fanatics.

"This expansion of our partnership with Fanatics is a reflection of our shared commitment to innovation, performance, and serving our Players and fans,» said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, «Fanatics is a sports industry market leader and with its proven track-record in e-commerce and retail operations, licensed fan merchandise and performance gear. This includes the popular NHL replica jerseys and Authentic Pro performance and training products. Our Players and fans should look forward to what Fanatics will bring to the best uniforms in all of sports.»

«This is a seminal moment in the history of Fanatics, and a testament to the hands-on, collaborative relationship with the NHL that we've built over the years,» said Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. «In addition to our tireless commitment to super serving sports fans around the world, Fanatics has equipped athletes, coaches and team staffs with performance products across many sports for years. Everything we do as a company pushes the boundaries to create more highly engaged experiences and revolutionary products for fans, athletes, and partners, and I can't wait to see our brand on official on-ice uniforms for the first time.»