Two in the Box

I had the opportunity to head to Vegas during draft weekend to get an up-close look at the new Fanatics Authentic Pro jerseys that will be worn in the NHL next season. 

It was a surreal experience that included a trip to the Sphere for the first round of the draft and an afternoon spent with some other influencers, bloggers and podcasters in the hockey space, viewing the new jerseys in a suite alongside Fanatics leadership, including CEO Michael Rubin. 

We had a chance to walk through the suite to view and handle the jerseys and they look really great. As previously reported, there has been little change in design or material from the Adidas uniforms we’ve seen over the last several years ,with the exception of the dimpled shoulders. I’d grown fond of the Adidas shoulder design but removing them gives the jerseys a very clean and classic look, which is a net positive. The additional details on various crests (think the detailing on the Sabres bison) also carry over from the Adidas era, which provide every jersey a very rich appearance, especially up close. Anyone who had concerns about the look and quality of the jerseys in the shift to Fanatics can allay those fears.

A portion of the session included a conversation between those of us who had been invited, Rubin and others in Fanatics leadership. Rubin shared a number of remarks before opening the floor to questions. One of the more interesting pieces of information that Rubin himself shared was that he and the Fanatics team had just finished meeting with 50 NHL players to continue gathering insights on what the players want in the uniforms moving forward. This was one of the most encouraging aspects of the meeting as continuing to use player feedback to inform decisions should keep Fanatics’ stewardship of the NHL’s uniforms on the right track. They used the reinforced elbows and lower arms as an example of the design choices that were informed by those sessions.

I think that’s a valuable piece of information to have as it became very evident very quickly that Nike didn’t do enough of that legwork when overhauling Major League Baseball’s uniforms for this year. Of the many topics Rubin and other Fanatics leaders discussed openly, the beating they took due to their connection to those jerseys was a prominent one. Future sessions with players ought to prevent Fanatics from encountering the same issues as Nike did in the spring. 

I suspect that this year will go well for Fanatics if for no other reason than they made so few changes to the jerseys. Sticking with the same general design features and manufacturing (which made for a really great promo), should eliminate virtually any risk in the product suffering. Where it could get hairy is when it comes time for Fanatics to put their stamp on the uniforms. We’ve seen prior attempts at “revolutionizing” hockey jerseys go sideways. The first iteration of the Reebok (then RBK) Edge uniforms were infamous for dumping sweat into players’ skates and gloves. In fact, the very first Edge jerseys were excessively tight due to the design features of the new-age uniforms. The jerseys loosened up a bit when they were released to the rest of the league, but they couldn’t escape the sweat wicking issues that necessitated an in-season change. The Nike Swift jerseys were designed with performance in mind and suffered their fair share of criticism upon their debut. 

This was something I asked during the session with Fanatics as the potential for making changes for the sake of changing it, or making a change in the name of performance could be a pitfall. For example, were embroidered patches on MLB’s jerseys replaced with flat, printed patches because they actually improve a player’s performance? Or does that just make the jerseys cheaper to produce? How Fanatics opts to put their stamp on the NHL’s uniforms when the time comes will have a lot to do with how fans as a whole view this relationship, which led me to ask about to their future plans. 

There wasn’t much for Fanatics to share on that front, probably because they’re still a ways out from making a lot of those determinations, but it’s certainly one area I’ll be watching closely. Will shoulder patches remain embroidered? Will the Blackhawks logos continue to be chain stitched? When it comes to new fabrics or design features, are they effective? Are they necessary? In some respects that sort of thing doesn’t really matter, as creating an effective on-ice product is one thing, translating that quality to the consumer is an entirely different animal. But when it comes to decisions that do trickle down to the fan level, it’s worth eyeing. One thing that may excite fans is that Fanatics will be putting their own spin on an alternate jersey program akin to the Reverse Retro or City Connect programs. They didn’t give away too much on that front as it’s still a few years away, but they did tease that they have something in the works.

One definite win is Fanatics’ decision to sell the made in Canada, on-ice authentic uniform in stores. Introducing the Authentic On-Ice as a third tier of jersey available at retail will benefit fans. Many people won’t care about the difference between the pricier, made in Canada jersey and the current authentic jersey, which is a retail-specific product, but it’s a benefit for the segment of fans who chase game worn jerseys or products of that ilk. It shows, to me, that Fanatics is aware of fan sentiment and are working to target areas where they can win favor through improved products and service. 

As someone who has been vocal in their distaste for Fanatics, it’s safe to say it was something of a surprise to get this invitation. Fanatics’ reputation among sports fans for their aggressive expansion and oft criticized product quality was a subject of conversation throughout the event and in the lead up to it. Many of us in attendance discussed the issues that follow Fanatics and, to their credit, Fanatics addressed the issues head on during our time with them. Certainly some of the talking points were just that, talking points. It was the sort of crafted damage control any large company would or should employ. But other aspects of it felt far more genuine. For example, Rubin openly criticized the quality of Fanatics’ headwear, specifically their on-ice Stanley Cup Champions hats, which were front and center just days earlier. 

That sort of transparency was refreshing. Not only taking ownership, but highlighting areas where they are trying to make gains – listening to consumer feedback, removing poorly rated products and other efforts designed to shape their reputation and performance in the eyes of the consumers. That’s a tall hill to climb. You don’t need to look far on the internet to get a sense of how sports fans feel about Fanatics and the only way that’s fixed is through a significant amount of work. We’ll see if they’re up to that challenge. Sifting through some of the PR speak, I found it refreshing to hear that Fanatics has even taken on replacing products that they receive complaints about even if it wasn’t one of their products, or one that they’ve sold. That’s a gesture of goodwill they don’t need to take on, but it’s the sort of thing that could help to shift the conversation that surrounds their products. I still have plenty of reservations about shelling out cash for a Fanatics branded shirt or hoodie, but I do have a level of optimism about the work they’re set to take on with the NHL’s uniforms. 

One thing that was evident during our group meeting is that Fanatics have people in decision-making positions who have an intimate relationship with hockey. They’ve also assembled a design team that is second-to-none. Brian Gundell is a supremely talented designer and among the many passionate and talented members of the design team is Eric Bodamer, previously of Adidas hockey and the mind behind the Sabres 2018 Winter Classic jerseys, Heritage Classic uniforms, and Buffalo’s redesigned home and away uniforms, among several other excellent uniforms seen around the league. That combination of skilled designers,  informed, passionate team leaders and keeping manufacturing in the Saint-Hyacinthe is more than enough reason to be optimistic about what’s to come.