The NHL's First Sweater Advertisements Have Been Revealed

The NHL has been transparent about its need to discover new ways of generating revenue, and not every decision has been well-received. For example, the NHL basically sold its divisions to sponsors, which is not an egregious decision, but it was a corny decision. Next came helmet ads, which weren't so terrible. Got to do what you got to do.

The next step in the natural evolution is sweater advertisements, and fans have mixed reviews about it. NHL sweaters have a certain traditional value to them, so polluting that with sponsorships has not gone off without a hitch. That said, ESPN's Greg Wyshynski dug up the first batch of jersey ads for 2022-23:

Two-for-two for the Sportsbook & Casino industry. Ultimately they look fine, I guess. I really do not have a strong opinion, as long as these decisions get the NHL's salary cap up sooner. The flat cap era is the real enemy here, so if the NHL has to sell space on its jerseys to drum up new money, so be it.

That said, I firmly understand why traditionalists would be upset over selling real estate on these iconic sweaters, especially to intrinsically parasitic enterprises such as sportsbooks. I get that.

When it is all said and done, what matters is whether or not this is good for the game. And I do not there is a strong case that this is a poor step for the game. More money in and around hockey makes the game more exciting, breeds opportunities for better talent development -- at both the pro and amateur levels -- and increases player purses. Nevertheless, a handful have been released, and they look pretty clean.

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