It’s been something that fans have been dreading, but it appears inevitable at this point. Just two months ago, it was reported that Gary Bettman and NHL owners had decided against allowing corporate sponsors to have real estate on NHL jerseys. Hockey fans breathed a collective sigh of relief. However, buried in that report, was this ominous quote:
"Gary (Bettman) and owners like the money, but they don’t want to be first out of the box with this in North America," the person told TSN. "They’ll wait for the NBA or baseball to do it and then be second or third."
Just a few months later, it appears that Bettman’s patience has run thin, as this bombshell was dropped earlier today:
NHL COO John Collins: Jersey sponsorship in the NHL is both "coming and happening".
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) November 6, 2014
It doesn’t say when it will happen, but considering none of the other Big 4 American sports has made an announcement about it, it appears the NHL will be the pioneer. It was projected that each team could earn an additional $4 million dollars for having a sponsor’s logo on NHL jerseys. One key date to remember in this timeline is that the NHL’s contract with Reebok runs out in 2016. One would have to think that in the next jersey deal, with Reebok or another company, corporate sponsorship will absolutely be included in the terms.
NHL Jerseys & Corporate Logos: What Will It Look Like?
Sponsored game jerseys will likely look similar to sponsored practice jerseys
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