For fans of the National Hockey League (NHL), owning an official jersey is a must. Whether you're cheering from the stands or watching from home, a jersey connects you to your favorite team and players. Over the years, various companies have held the rights to manufacture NHL jerseys, each bringing its own style and quality to the ice and the retail market.
This guide explores the differences between various NHL jersey brands, models, and materials, helping you make an informed decision when purchasing your next piece of hockey memorabilia. From sizing and fit to quality and historical context, we'll cover everything you need to know.
The Evolution of NHL Jersey Manufacturers
Over the years, the NHL has granted NHL jersey rights to different companies.
- CCM: Began manufacturing NHL jerseys in 1983 and underwent many changes along the way.
- Starter: First started manufacturing NHL jerseys in 1995 for the newly relocated Colorado Avalanche.
- Nike: Manufactured jerseys for select NHL teams beginning in 1996 including the Blackhawks, Flyers, Maple Leafs, and Mighty Ducks.
- Reebok: Manufactured NHL jerseys from 2005-2017, but didn't begin making replica jerseys until 2007. There was a major change in 2017 with Adidas replacing Reebok as the official supplier of Replica, Premier and Authentic jerseys.
- Adidas: Adidas first released their Adizero jerseys for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, with the NHL completely converting to the Adidas Adizero jerseys for the 2017-18 season.
- Fanatics: Last year, the NHL and Fanatics announced a new, expanded partnership which, beginning with the upcoming 2024-25 season, sees Fanatics become the official outfitter of the NHL’s on-ice uniforms for the next 10 seasons.
Fanatics NHL Jerseys: A New Era
Much skepticism surrounded the NHL’s decision to partner with Fanatics as the league’s exclusive jersey manufacturer. Fanatics had previously made retail jerseys but they were of notoriously bad quality and they were infamous for spelling players’ names wrong. Jersey collectors tended to steer clear of Fanatics at all costs up until this season, but it’s now the only option for new jerseys. Thankfully for collectors, Fanatics seems to have raised its expectations in terms of quality. Fans have flooded social media with positive reports, saying that the top two tiers of jerseys match the quality of the ones that Adidas had produced for the previous seven seasons.
Now that the new Fanatics NHL jerseys are hitting shelves for the first time, let’s explore all the tiers they offer.
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Fanatics Jersey Tiers
There are four different types of jersey available:
- Fanatics Practice: This is a retail version of the practice jerseys that the players wear. Note that although they look the same, these jerseys are of lower quality than the ones that the players wear. They cost $120 and are not available with names and numbers.
- Fanatics Breakaway: The fabrics used for these jerseys are much lighter than those used in proper jerseys and they’re tailored more as shirts than jerseys. These cost $135 for a blank jersey and $175 with a name and number.
- Fanatics Premium: These jerseys are $180 when blank and $230 with a name and number. The second-highest tier is the Fanatics Premium, which is similar to the retail jerseys that Adidas offered. In fact, Fanatics actually bought the factory in Indonesia that made the Adidas jerseys, so they are very comparable.
- Fanatics Authentic Pro: These go for $425 blank and they do not come with the option of customization. Finally, the Fanatics Authentic Pro is exactly the same jersey as the ones that the players wear. These are made of stiffer fabric than any of the other publicly available jerseys and so they’re much harder to tear. They are made in the same factory in Quebec that has made the NHL’s on-ice jerseys for more than 50 years.
The Authentic Pro jerseys, the highest-quality ones, have the same “base construction” as that of the authentic Adidas jerseys, according to an NHL press release, but they also made “some slight design and performance adjustments.”
Sizing and Fit: Finding the Right Jersey for You
You won't be able to fully enjoy the gameday experience if your NHL sweater is too loose or too tight. Below, you'll find both the Adidas hockey jersey sizing chart and the Fanatics NHL jersey size chart. These charts, which are based on information from the official NHL shop, will help you find the right fit.
How to wear a hockey jersey depends on several factors. For the Adidas jerseys, the NHL recommends ordering one size smaller than what you normally wear for everyday use. Conversely, if you will be wearing equipment or multiple clothing layers beneath your jersey, order a size larger than normal.
Many people have asked us about the correct method for getting their jersey measurements. For shoulder width, measure across the back (shoulder blades) between the two points where the shoulder meets the top of the arm.
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TL;DR: Most hockey jerseys fit about one size big.
Sizing Considerations for Different Brands
- CCM 4th gen/Koho: Koho and 4th gen CCM replicas fit slightly larger than 3rd gen (fits a full size+ large).
- Reebok Premier: They fit a size+ larger than a typical t-shirt.
- Nike NHL replica jerseys: Made in Canada from about 1996-1999, the Nike NHL replica jerseys fit a size+ large.
- Fanatics: The Fanatics Breakaway jerseys are replica style jerseys of jerseys from 2017-present. Both fit about one size large.
Hockey jerseys are supposed to fit loose, so they generally give a little more room in the waist than in the upper body. Fanatics jerseys are the same size all the way down, so if you have any sort of belly (or hips for that matter) the fit will not be flattering. It’s sort of like the “skinny jeans” of jersey cuts, slimming for people who are already slim but brutal for anyone else.
Adidas NHL Jerseys: Adizero and Primegreen
Adidas first released their Adizero jerseys for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, with the NHL completely converting to the Adidas Adizero jerseys for the 2017-18 season.
Adidas Adizero vs. Primegreen
For the 2021-22 season, all NHL teams began wearing "Primegreen" jerseys instead of Adizero. Primegreen jerseys are made with a minimum of 50% recycled content and supposedly have more detailed embroidery on the crests and shoulder patches.
MiC (Made in Canada) vs. Retail Authentic
Adidas really did a great job with the quality, but unfortunately, Adidas MiC jerseys are all team issued, and are very rarely available for retail purchase. The jersey material is much more sturdy than a retail authentic (aka Indo-authentic) Adidas jersey.
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Retail authentic Adidas jerseys (also known as "Indo-Adidas" jerseys) are made in Indonesia, and are of a lower quality than the Made in Canada (MiC) Adidas jerseys. The retail authentic Adidas jerseys have a fight strap, as well as stitched crests, shoulder patches, and customization. However, factory customization is often stitched single layered vinyl, instead of the typical stacked or kiss cut twill that is on the on-ice versions.
Here's a quick comparison:
Key Differences Between MiC and Retail Authentic Adidas Jerseys
- Material: MiC jerseys use a sturdier material.
- Dimples: MiC jerseys have deeper shoulder dimples.
- Fight Strap: MiC jerseys have a different fight strap.
- Customization: Retail authentic jerseys often have single-layered vinyl stitching.
Vintage Jerseys: A Look Back in Time
Go old school with a vintage NHL jersey that showcases Blackhawks team legends such as Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Daryl Sutter and Glenn Hall. NHL throwback jerseys are made of 100% polyester fabric with a heavyweight mesh body.
Below are some helpful comparisons and general observations of some of the different replica jerseys sold on Grail Snipes. This section describes the characteristics and fit of each CCM jersey "generation". The CCM logo on the back also differs between the generations. Below you can see that the CCM logo is located on the back hem of the gens 1-3 jerseys.
CCM Jersey Generations
- 1st Gen (Maska): Made in the 80s and early 90s in the USA and Canada. Fits about to size [i.e. a size large jersey would fit about the same (perhaps slightly baggier) than a large t-shirt]. This is the smallest fit of any CCM jersey. Sleeves are on the shorter side.
- 2nd Gen: Made from about 1995 to about 1998, these jerseys have the blue rink CCM tag with a white size tag beneath it, and are generally made of an air-knit jersey material. Fits slightly larger than the 1st gen. Sleeves are on the shorter side.
- 3rd Gen: Made from about 1998-2000, these jerseys have a blue and black CCM tag with the size tag beneath it. Fits one size large (i.e. a size medium jersey would fit like a typical large t-shirt).
- 4th Gen/Koho: Fourth generation CCM was made from about 2000-2007, while Koho was made from about 2001-2004. Koho and 4th gen CCM are the exact same aside from the branding.
CCM Vintage, Team Classics, and Heroes of Hockey: Very similar to the 4th gen and koho jerseys in terms of fit, material, and quality. These jerseys are made of an air-knit material (Team Classics and Heroes of hockey may be just a slightly thinner jersey material). Team Classics and Heroes of Hockey CCM jerseys are virtually identical except Team Classics are usually blank, whereas all Heroes of Hockey are customized. Some CCM Vintage jerseys have a V logo as a patch on the front of the jersey.
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Reebok NHL Jerseys: Edge Series
Reebok Edge 1.0 jerseys were first used in the 2007 NHL All star game, with the league completely converting to Reebok Edge 1.0 jerseys the following season. However, NHL Players wore Edge 1.0s for only about the first half of the 2007-08 season, with only a select few players continuing to wear Reebok Edge 1.0 jerseys thereafter. Many players disliked the heavier ultrafil jersey material on the Edge 1.0s because it trapped heat more easily.
Reebok Edge 2.0 jerseys are made of mostly an air-knit material, with ultrafil on only a few select parts of the jersey. Other differences included reinforced elbows on the 2.0s, but not on the 1.0s as well as a slight widening of the sleeve and chest areas on the 2.0s. Additionally, the NHL shield on the collar insert changed slightly due to some players complaining the points on the top of the shield was digging into their necks.
Reebok Indo-Edge jerseys were similar to Reebok Edge 2.0 jerseys, but were made in Indonesia, and were slightly worse quality (although arguably still better than Edge 1.0s).
Other NHL Jersey Brands
Besides the major players like Fanatics, Adidas and Reebok, other brands have also contributed to the NHL jersey landscape.
- Starter: Starter first started manufacturing NHL jerseys in 1995 for the newly relocated Colorado Avalanche.
- Pro Player: After Starter lost their license to produce NHL hockey jerseys in 1999, Pro Player (which was a subsidiary of Fruit of the Loom) stepped in to manufacture jerseys for teams including the Bruins, Coyotes, Mighty Ducks, Blackhawks, and Oilers.
- Nike: Nike manufactured jerseys for select NHL teams beginning in 1996 including the Blackhawks, Flyers, Maple Leafs, and Mighty Ducks.
- Bauer: Bauer (who is a subsidiary of Nike) manufactured the Nashville Predators jerseys in their inaugural season of 1998-99.