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Fanatics replacing Adidas as NHL's official jersey supplier
Fanatics will become the NHL's third on-ice jersey supplier since 2005, supplanting Adidas, which took over from Reebok in 2017.
The NHL and its 32 teams are about to get a makeover.
Sports apparel brand Fanatics is set to replace Adidas as the league's official supplier of on-ice uniforms and authentic retail jerseys beginning in the 2024-25 season, the NHL announced on Tuesday.
Fanatics is the third company to make and supply official jerseys for the league since 2005. Reebok handled uniform duties for 12 seasons, while Adidas has been the official outfitter since 2017. The new deal with Fanatics is a 10-year agreement set to run through the 2033-34 campaign. Financial terms of the new deal were not disclosed.
"This expansion of our partnership with Fanatics is a reflection of our shared commitment to innovation, performance, and serving our Players and fans," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a release.
"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 — including 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.”
It's the first time the Fanatics branding will be featured directly on in-game uniforms for one of the four major North American men's pro sports leagues. Fanatics has, however, created and supplied uniforms for Major League Baseball since 2017 for Majestic and Nike, something Fanatics vice chairman and CEO of commerce Doug Mack says helped prepare the company for this next move.
"Our philosophy is we don’t need to reinvent wheels," Mack said. "We’re not going to make change for the sake of change."
Mack added that among the company's early steps will be gaining feedback from NHL players and equipment managers. He also said Fanatics — which currently supplies NHL replica jerseys and apparel such as hats and hoodies — has selected the same factory in Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., to produce the authentic uniforms that Adidas currently uses.
The NHL has indicated, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, that new fabrics and innovations surrounding player safety — such as increased protection against skate lacerations — could be among the first significant changes Fanatics plans to implement by the 2026-27 campaign.
ESPN reported last summer that Adidas was planning to end it's reign as the league's official supplier once the seven-year deal ran out in 2024.
