It’s no secret that NHL players can be notoriously picky about the gear they use and wear.
Sidney Crosby has always been particular about the blade of his stick.
Several seasons ago, X (then known as Twitter) account GeerGeek.com noted that Evgeni Malkin had changed sticks well over 100 times during the course of his career.
Most players will go to just about any lengths to ensure every aspect of their gear collection is tailored to perfection.
The NHL changing who produces player jerseys seems like something that would appear on the radar of those wearing them every night, yet in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ locker room, reactions were of indifference or non-interest.
“It has been a non-issue,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “I was not even aware of that. The jersey looks the same to me — it’s black and gold.”
Starting this season, Fanatics is now the official provider of on-ice NHL jerseys, beginning a 10-year agreement with the league.
Fanatics takes over from Adidas, which was NHL’s supplier for the past seven years.
From 2005-06 through 2016-17, it was Reebok.
“If you took two different jerseys and had me try them on, I couldn’t tell the difference,” said forward Rickard Rakell. “To me, it feels exactly the same.”
Added first-year defenseman Matt Grzelcyk: “Feels pretty similar to how they have been. I know that just visually, they look a little different. They have a little patch on the shoulders, so that feels normal, but I think that was the only big difference at first.
“Never really thought about it to be honest with you. The NHL’s always done a good job of making good jerseys. I think they’ve felt more and more comfortable as the years have gone. I haven’t noticed a difference at all.”
Fanatics’ segway into producing hockey gear has gotten off to an exponentially better start than its work with MLB uniforms earlier this spring.
Based in Jacksonville, Fla., Fanatics had purchased the previous manufacturer of MLB’s jerseys, Majestic Athletic, in 2017.
In coordination with Nike, which designs MLB’s uniforms, the 2024 season saw the debut of a noticeably different style of jersey, entitled Nike Vapor Premier.
From the jump, MLB players grumbled about the changes to their uniforms.
“I don’t really like the way they look or feel, just touching them,” left fielder Bryan Reynolds told TribLive during spring training. “It’s like literally mesh. The names are smaller. The numbers are smaller.”
As Fanatics and Nike dealt with a broadside of criticism, corrective measures for 2025 were agreed upon with MLB and its players association.
Suffice to say, in the NHL, no such drama over players’ sweaters from their perspective has materialized.
“Feels pretty much the same, honestly. No difference, really,” said forward Anthony Beuavillier.
A significant factor in players being unable to detect much if any difference in the Fanatics-made sweaters is that the same Canadian factory that churned them out under Adidas and Reebok is being utilized.
SF Apparel, located in St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, outside of Montreal, is approaching 50 years of making all the NHL’s game-worn jerseys.
Aside from players noticing a visual difference between Fanatics’ logo now being patched on the jerseys instead of Adidas’, the new era of NHL jersey production gas gotten off to a smooth start.
“I’m very easy with my stuff — I’m not particular at all,” said forward Michael Bunting. “I don’t even notice the difference. All I see is a different logo. I think they use the same material from what I’ve heard, so I think it’s very similar to last year.
“I have no problem with any of the switches. Everything feels good, no complaints.”
Justin Guerriero is a TribLive reporter covering the Penguins, Pirates and college sports. A Pittsburgh native, he is a Central Catholic and University of Colorado graduate. He joined the Trib in 2022 after covering the Colorado Buffaloes for Rivals and freelancing for the Denver Post. He can be reached at jguerriero@triblive.com.