NHL Makes Deal with Adidas

News broke a couple days ago that Adidas has won a long-term contract to make uniforms for all 30 NHL teams, starting the 2017-2018 season...Adidas will be taking over for Reebok, a brand owned by Adidas...

The current deal with Reebok annually brings in the NHL $35 million...The new rights deal with Adidas will bring in double that...Adidas beat out Under Armour and Bauer Hockey for the deal...

This deal has many Hockey traditionalists worried about what type of changes Adidas will make to NHL jerseys...Myself, I would hate to see them fuck up the traditional look that so many of the teams have...Many fear that Adidas will add their signature three stripe style to the jerseys...I hope they will respect tradiotn, like they did with Notre Dame...Adidas was with Notre Dame Athletics for many years, and stuck with the traditional look...They added the signature three-stripe to practice jerseys, but game day gear was basically left alone...

Adidas sales dropped 7% last year, and they are looking to make a big turnaround...Future star Connor McDavid has already done a commercial promoting the brand...And talks have begun with Sidney Crosby, who's endorsement deal with Reebok will expire at the end of this month...

But there is another fear about Adidas and the NHL getting into bed together...Will this move bring what many have feared for years, but have seen coming...Advertising on the jerseys...We have seen it in junior hockey...We have seen it in European hockey leagues...The AHL...And many NHL teams have had an advertiser on their practice jerseys...But game jerseys...It just doesn't seem right...

Listen it seems natural in auto racing...As far back as I remember, and before me, ads were on race cars...But not on Hockey Jerseys...I'm sure Holy Hell would be raised if MLB tried it...

But the NHL wants to grow...And they want to line their pockets more...NHL officials project that ads on jerseys could bring in $4 million per team each year...

What's the saying?  Money talks and Tradition walks...Something like that!

Hey, I like India Reynolds in Adidas...

I'm not sure if I'll like hockey in it...


Then again, We like India Reynolds in or out of Adidas!