LAS VEGAS — When Macklin Celebrini gets summoned to the stage inside the Las Vegas Sphere on Friday night, the sweater the presumptive first-overall draft pick pulls over his head will have a new logo stamped on the back collar.
Fanatics, which kicks off its 10-season uniform partnership with the NHL this week, has taken over from Adidas as the league’s official outfitter.
And the subtle but thoughtful alterations Fanatics made to 2024-25’s sweaters were made with player input — and to give diehard fans a chance to purchase the authentic thing for the first time in more than a decade.
“Fanatics did a great job designing these jerseys,” Auston Matthews said. “They feel comfortable and look breathable, which is important during games. Any little detail that can help us perform at our best makes a difference.”
From a functional standpoint, the greatest difference sprung from the advice given to Fanatics by NHL trainers, who noticed the previous versions wearing down around the elbows due to “board burn.” A cigarette-like burn hole would develop in the lower arm due to battles along the board, and the sweater would need to be replaced.
Fanatics reinforced that area without impeding fit and encouraged stars such as Connor McDavid, Nikita Kucherov and Aleksander Barkov to test-drive its protypes in summer skates before heading to mass production.
“I love the jerseys,” Quinn Hughes said. “The Canucks logo really pops on them, and the fabric feels airy and breathable. They’re really just beautiful jerseys.”
The brand also removed the embossed dimpling on the shoulders and updated the NHL shield on the front neck with a hologram finish.
Other than that, it’s essentially the same sweater as last season’s — produced by the same manufacturer, respected Quebec-based SP Apparel, which has crafted NHL unis for nearly 50 years.
The players’ unanimous feedback?
“We don’t feel anything different,” said Keith Leach, vice-president and GM of the NHL business at Fanatics.
“The reaction has been strong. Quite honestly, it’s almost a reaction of relief. And the fact that they’re seeing something that’s not a major departure from the basis of what they’ve been in, but also the fact that some of the things we did came from insights of areas that they would have liked to see improved.”
Pro athletes can be picky about their gear, so the “relief” sprung from Fanatics’ willingness to work with the players on the fit and feel so they didn’t simply show up at training camp with a surprise hanging in their stall.
Fanatics, of course, was dealt a public-relations nightmare when its logo adorned 2024’s much-criticized see-through MLB uniforms, later revealed to be the fault of a Nike and MLB design flaw.
Makes sense, then, that the brand wants to begin its NHL deal by winning over the players first, then the fans.
(This reporter has already seen and felt them. They’re slick. Sadly, no free samples.)
“We want to defy expectations,” Leach said. “A lot of our strategy is, we want to make a product that works for the player, because that’s where it starts. We want to make a product that is of the highest quality of the craftsmanship.”
Then, beginning September, offer that quality to the fan in the marketplace.
Fanatics will bring three tiers of sweater to stores: the top-of-the-line Authentic Pro sweater is the exact one McDavid & Co. uses, fight strap and all; the Premium is tighter fitting, without the added room for pads; and the more affordable Breakaway model is made from softer fabrics.
Adidas didn’t make the Authentic Pro available to consumers, but Fanatics wants to fill the demand of hardcore collectors who aren’t afraid to shell out $400 for the real deal.
The brand had already been supplying training apparel, such as zip-ups, hats and T-shirts, to the NHL clubs since 2018. The jersey deal is a major step in expanding its connection to hockey.
“You’re gonna get the best of the best. We’re giving you the opportunity to buy a high-quality product,” Leach assured. “Because to date, they’ve seen Fanatics as more of a fan brand, and we want to make sure that they’re seeing us in the lens of an athlete premium performance brand.”
Fanatics is already working behind the scenes on its 2025 Winter Classic and Stadium series sweaters, and news of the 4 Nations Face-Off uniforms is around the corner.