Which company will replace Adidas as NHL’s official uniform partner from 2024-25 season?

Fanatics will replace Adidas as the NHL's official jersey partner from the 2024-25 season.

The deal between the NHL and Fanatics will reportedly run for ten years, but the exact amount involved in the deal is yet to be made public.

The Fanatics brand has been the official retail partner of the NHL for nearly two decades. The new partnership will mark the first time Fanatics will have their branding logo on jerseys of NHL players, having not made game jerseys before.

Following the announcement of the deal, National Hockey League commissioner Gerry Bettman expressed his excitement at working with Fanatics and the new era of innovation and performance it will bring. He said (via ESPN):

"This expansion of our partnership with Fanatics is a reflection of our shared commitment to innovation, performance, and serving our players and fans."

The statement continued:

"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, our players and fans should look forward to what Fanatics will bring to the best uniforms in all of sports."

Fanatics has experience of manufacturing sports jerseys, doing so for the MLB and NFL under the Nike brand logo, which can be purchased online and from select stores.

According to ESPN, when the NHL learned that Adidas was planning to cut ties, league officials decided to create a strategy to fill the void. Fanatics presented its unique and innovative ideas to the executive body members, who were impressed.

It did not need to take much for Fanatics to secure the partnership, as they're a fairly well-known manufacturing firm in the e-commerce sector.

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How has NHL community reacted to Fanatics partnership?

Following the announcement of the deal, fans are not pleased with the National Hockey League's decision. Many are concerned that Fanatics will not be able to provide the same quality as Adidas.

While many have claimed that Fanatics would provide a limited selection of specific team jerseys, especially if that player is not very popular. The lack of customization and unproven track record are the other concerns expressed by fans.

They believe Fanatics will not be able to provide the same level of customization as Adidas in terms of supporting their favorite team and players. That's because Fanatics is still in the process of establishing itself as a major player in the field of jersey manufacturing.