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Blake Wheeler Against Advertisements on NHL Jerseys

By Diana Driscoll

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The NHL’s jerseys have become a big story lately as it was announced earlier this week that Adidas won NHL jersey rights beginning in the 2017-18 season. With the new alignment people have wondered if this is the second step in the NHL’s plan to implement on-jersey advertisements (the first step is the NHL supposedly putting advertisements on jerseys for the World Cup of Hockey).

Well, if it is, Blake Wheeler is sure going to be one unhappy camper.

Thank you Blake Wheeler!

I hope other NHL players start to speak up and deter the NHL from doing anything drastic. I personally don’t care if the jerseys have Adidas’ three-stripe logo. Whatever, that’s fine. They got the contract and are paying BIG money; they should be able to sport their logo on the jerseys.

What I won’t be OK with is if the NHL decides to take this any further. I for one, if corporate advertisements start making their appearance on jerseys, will NOT purchase another NHL jersey. We are all walking advertisements for different brands—I get that. I just don’t want to be a walking billboard when wearing a hockey jersey.

It’s not only that the advertisements make the jerseys ugly and distracting, but it is also taking away from the organization’s history. It defiles the sweater that players and fans wear proudly.

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Jerseys with advertisements are also an example of how the NHL is a business. And I get that as a business the NHL is always looking to make money. But can’t they come up with another way?

For me, this situation is all about integrity. I believe that the NHL can pass up some money for its integrity. But I guess the league doesn’t feel that way because with a business you have to leave emotion out of it.

I know that teams across Europe have advertisements on their jerseys and it’s not the end of the world, but just Google Real Madrid’s jersey and see if you want the NHL’s teams’ logos to be that small. If you look at the jersey all you see is Fly Emirates. Thanks for the input Real Madrid, I will be sure to take that into consideration. I mean, it’s not a jersey; it’s an advertisement. Really, let’s call a spade a spade and say what it really is.

I don’t believe that Wheeler is the only NHLer who feels this way and I hope he isn’t the only one that is willing to voice his opinion.

The NHL wants to expand—go for it. The NHL wants to bring back the World Cup of Hockey—I’m all for it. I’m not against the NHL changing or looking for ways to get more money, as long as it doesn’t mess with the integrity of its product. Me, well I believe that these jersey advertisement rumors do just that.

Next: Adidas Coming to NHL

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