There's a good reason why I'm willing to pay almost double for authentic jerseys and not buy the replicas. I think that fanatics could have some really good creative ideas, but im very concerned about the products quality and some of their other aspects
I’m so worried what this means as fans. I would assume that there will be a jersey option for consumers other than the Breakaway line to replace the Adidas indo jerseys but nothing has been said about it yet. I also am bummed that the Capitals likely won’t get a 50th anniversary jersey now (considering how there were no 3rds in Adidas’ first year). I also hate how their Mitchell and Ness jerseys are but I’m expecting that to be the quality we see in the future. Guess we just have to wait for now
I can’t see why there wouldn’t be third jerseys in 2024-25 since Fanatics won’t have to set up a new template with the factory like Reebok (Edge) and Adidas (Adizero) both had to. But like you said, we’ll just have to wait and see to know for sure.
I agree to what you are saying. Their Michell and Ness jerseys appear nice online. In person, garbage! Not remotely worth the asking prices, in my opinion.
Their current replica line is a giant downgrade from the previous manufacturers like ccm, koho and reebok. The fact that the quality of them will never likely improve for the likely future is freaking tragic
Honestly get in contact with your favourite team’s lockeroom guy. Plenty of NHL organizations sell team issued blank jerseys directly from the team. I have like 17 team adidas mic jerseys. In Winnipeg I’m lucky that our team directly sells home away and both heritages for around 400 cad. It’s so worth it to wear the issues jersey. When fanatics comes around highly recommend switching over to authentic on ice jerseys
Preach it, I'm here for all the Fanatics call outs. I hope they hear you loud and clear and get better. Otherwise we must let them hear with our wallets
Hopefully the creative direction continues as it did under Adidas. They weren’t all winners, but they were taking chances when the teams let them. And you should keep dumping on Fanatics quality so long as it is warranted. When this channel and the other preeminent voices in hockey jerseys continue to professionally and constructively use their platform as a megaphone for these issues, it will move the needle. After all, the press release says they are listening to the fans.
It’s a great point, Gregg. And while I may have said I was done dumping on them for this particular video, trust me, I’ll have more to say if Fanatics doesn’t show us some improvement next year. Unfortunately, they aren’t accountable to press releases, but they will be to their bank account. We need to make sure we aren’t spending our money on low-end products.
@@icetheticsas a jersey collector, and seeing, and feeling, the Fanatics breakaway line, I've said that I'd rather buyone of those Chinese counterfeit jerseys over one of those
I liked the video... ONLY to help the channel. The news is garbage. You did a great job explaining the garbage however! Thanks for the amazing coverage, as always Chris
bought a U of M t-shirt a while back that was completely crooked. Fanatics told me they couldnt replace it because it was out of stock, but they could send me a return label for 10 bucks. after that, I'm pretty much all out on buying from them.
Just a heads up for the Nike Baseball jerseys. The Game Issued/Authentic baseball jerseys from NIKE are still made in Easton, PA. Yes I work at that facility for Fanatics/Nike/Majestic. The only Union run warehouse that Fanatics owns (Thanks to MLB and MLBPA). The replica jerseys that you see in stores are imported to our warehouse to put Players names and numbers on them. My thoughts on the NHL jerseys being made my Fanatics. I hope they are up to the test because I dont have many NHL jerseys that are made by Fanatics in my closet. its mostly CCM, KOHO, Rebok, and Adidas. I never really cared for the Breakaway fanatics jersey since they feel cheap to wear.
@@icethetics or you can keep eye on the sales! Some of the Adidas teams' gear has been on sale for the past few weeks. Fanatics has sales all the time too. Orielly's jersey is $70 since he isn't with the Blues anymore.
I hope they prove me wrong but creativity and technology wise I just don’t think they have what it takes to pull off a special series of jerseys like the Reverse Retro line from Adidas which was very well done.
I do hope that Fanatics actually sells the Made in Canada jersey's. I know I am not the only person to say this by any means, but it was one of Adidas major missteps in my opinion, mostly because of the confusion created by the fact that the Made in Indonesia retail authentics are technically not even on ice authentic like many buyers would expect. I get that they are of low quantity, but even making them available for people willing to pre-order and wait would really make fans with deeper pockets happy and maybe start to create some good will amongst consumers.
@Jared the Rabbit they most likely won't, but they sell mlb on field jerseys that's made in usa to fans for $350-$400. I do not know who's choice that was, since nike license fanatic to make the jerseys.
Fanatics doesn't exactly scream 'quality' but I'm fairly certain that the on-ice jerseys will be fine, especially in the first few years when they, ahem, 'borrow' Adidas's gear. What I really want to know is will there still be authentic jerseys available for retail and if so, what level of quality they'll be. Made in Canada jerseys are probably out of the question but authentics can always be better.
I like the Adidas jerseys a lot so I need to buy 6 or 7 more before June 2024. Luckily the ones I want are still available, not chasing any reverse retros which might not get reissued, who knows. I need to stock up for the next ten years. I hope that if Atlanta and Houston are joining the league that they get jerseys next season but that seems too optimistic. Adidas has one last hurrah with the stadium series for next year and the All-Star jerseys. I wish I got an All-Star jersey from this year! One more thing to note is I thought I would get a Rangers jersey for their hundredth anniversary in 2026 but by that time Fanatics will have really sunk their teeth into the NHL.
My sister's fiancee got her a Marleau jersey when he returned to San Jose. Fanatics shipped it out with the number 12 on the left shoulder as it should have been, but on the other shoulder, the number 21... incredible. My buddy has an Anaheim jersey that says "AAAHEIM" on the shoulder patch.
Totally agree about Fanatics merchandise. I only order from them when there is no other choice. Only rarely, am I happy with the purchase after the fact. Quality of merchandise, Printing irregularities, and support of the company dealing with these issues, is ATROCIOUS, at best. Fanatics mentions that they "use consumer input" to better the company. Really? I've never been contacted once when I give negative reviews of my experience. So much for that.
I had all this excitement about the future and it was quickly and soundly crushed. It would’ve been awesome to see an NHL authentic CCM Quicklite jersey. Oh well.
I own a few game used one made for the AHL and would have loved if they made the NHL jerseys too but we will see how this plays out. I think if the one ice quality is sub par like the products they currently sell who knows maybe the NHL might terminate the contract early and find a better supplier. However we have to only wait and see how this turns out
I knew someone who used Fanatics Jerseys to play hockey on ice when Adidas took over . They got 2 panthers Jerseys about a year apart the Red & Gold colors where different from one in other .
My opinion: this is a make or break for FANATICS. Fanatics has a huge market and a lot of capital, and for them to step up for the first time is a make or break. They can either use the distrust from fans and create good products and by doing that, surprising everyone (almost just like adidas did) or they can continue being poor and this will be horrible press for the NHL. Fanatics basically functioned as a dropshipping company, now that they have to step it up in order to satisfy one of the most demanding fans on the us and canada, i think they will do a good job
I personally haven't had an issue with the MLB jerseys, but I've only bought 2 since Nike took over and one just has a number on the back. Still, I'm not crazy about Fanatics getting this deal. Hockey more than any other sport needs a company that specializes in hockey. It's tough to see when CCM is right there supplying the AHL and ECHL.
Thank you as always for an amazing video Chris! I will say, I have ordered A LOT of things from Fanatics and its various storefronts for over 5-6 years and have been EXTREMELY LUCKY to not have been bitten that badly… That being said, from personal experience, I have been sent the wrong product a couple of times and have been very fortunate to have been refunded on both occasions (albeit it did take quite a long time for the whole mess to get sorted) and a couple of the older shirts that I’ve bought (with Fanatics branding on them) have their screen printing started to fade (but it has been 3-4 years since I originally bought the shirt in the first place) So I completely agree, there is much trepidation to be had and I’m definitely airing on the side of concern until they can prove me wrong on the retail/consumer side of things!
Didn't know about the MLB jerseys and that makes me a little less worried about quality, but my biggest concern is that the authentic pricing is going to shoot way up.
Yep, but keep in mind that while Fanatics runs the factory, Nike still oversees design and quality control. With the new NHL deal, there’s no middleman ensuring that quality between the teams and the factory except for Fanatics. So it will be a true test for them. Not saying they aren’t up to it, but we’ll see.
I had somehow convinced myself the NHL wouldn't be this dumb to kick Fanatics being fully aware of their reputation and knowing the NHL is constantly just taking the money whether it hurts them long term or not. I should of known I was just fooling myself.
Whitelabeling Is also known as toll manufacturing, and if whitelabeling contracts are similar to toll manufacturing ones, fanatics has to adhere to strict instructions and qc.or risk heavy fines or loss of contract
I've had a few disappointing things from that brand. One product looked good online, but in reality, the look, material & (lack) of craftsmanship was very evident. So unless they really step up their game, we can expect not too much. Also because they deal with other sports , they won't notice the lack of hockey fans support. This may turn out to be a real problem soon.
Your video production is leading the pack of all NHL youtubers. I know this channel is based on the fashion/design/aesthetics of the NHL, but have you thought of making documentaries like 30 for 30 but for NHL lore?
Glad you’re enjoying my work, but documentaries like 30 for 30 aren’t made by one guy sitting in his office-like this channel. Those projects require big production teams with proper budgets. (I know because I do work like that IRL!) If someone’s willing to pay, I’m willing to produce!
When I heard that Adidas would not extend their contract with the NHL I thought 'on the plus side, at least we won't have to put up with those Fanatics jerseys anymore...' As I said in a comment on your post on the changeover, I'm hoping that their authentic jerseys will be at least somewhat close to Adidas quality, while I'm sure that the replicas will remain the garbage that they are. One thing that is sure is that I'm not taking any chances, I'm gonna have to see and feel the jersey itself before buying it because I don't trust this company one bit, and for me that means I have to fly abroad
As a CBJ fan that was looking forward to a potential rebrand, this absolutely sucks. I also don't understand why it's a decade long deal. I feel like it should have been a shorter deal so that the NHL could get out of the deal if (when) the product doesn't meet expectations.
The NHL loves locking down long-term deals. Its indicative of their broadly conservative approach at the root of many fan frustrations... Long-term deals = security, no change, lack of need/desire to adapt, and stifled innovation
I bought a Kraken jersey when they were released for someone I know from Seattle and had it personalized with their name and favorite number. They flipped the 8 upside down but at least they spelled the name right. When they contacted Fanatics they told me all Fanatics said was "return it for a full refund or keep it. Due to the fact all Kraken jerseys are sold out we won't make a new one" They coulda given me a partial refund but I'm not shocked they didn't. I am expecting the worst and hoping for the best. But I have a feeling at least the consumer jerseys are going to not improve
"67 McDavid" is telling everything we need to know about quality standards. I bought one, had it shipped all the way to France and felt disapointed.Unfortunately there are no authentic NHL jerseys to be found in sports shops around here got to go on the net and cross fingers
I'm happy we all hockey jersey fans are from the same opinion being worried about Fanatics. And honestly even if they changed their minds and create dcent material, they don't deserve ANYTHING since they have literally (IMO) "scammed" a lot of buyers selling crap before with their "breakaway" items. BTW Another great video 🌟
I bought a fanatics breakaway because I didn’t know how unrealistic they were. I got it, it was kinda nice but I didn’t like the plasticness of the crest and the fabric didn’t feel like a hockey jersey. Then, I bought an Adidas. Oh, man. As a player myself I appreciated the realism so hard, even if it is slightly different than what they wear on the ice. I also bought a fanatics player shirt (Roope Hintz). The name and number quickly shredded into thousands of weird rubbery pieces despite my best research and effort to take care of it properly. Basically, I’ve boycotted fanatics and I’m concerned about the realism and quality of me buying an “authentic” game jersey when this takes effect.
Good vid. One of the better in depth videos I’ve seen about the Fanatics apparel taking over. Usually it’s just a guy bitching about how bad everything’s going to suck and wishing it was Nike instead.
Anyone remember when the NHL took more money from the Outdoor Network rather than ESPN? This exactly the same route, the NHL with zero foresight goes for the big money rather than an established manufacturer. Fanatics is the true representation of what's wrong with sports merchandising, myself I'm done with NHL jersey collecting for now, moving on to the minor and junior leagues.
Dropping a like because you put out really good quality videos, but not the fact of the news that Fanatics is the new jersey maker. I have a few Fanatics jerseys that I wanted but didn't want to spend the bigger bucks for adidas ones, and boy do I wish they were Adidas instead. They aren't terrible for being out and about, but I can definitely feel the difference and I just don't like to wear them as much as my adidas ones because of that
Well... they own Mitchell & Ness and Majestic. Those 2 do make good products -- Majestic is where that MLB jersey contract with Nike comes from. But, yeah. That T Shirt example is exactly how I feel about them overall. Anything with that brand marking I see as very suspect. If you can't make a half-assed t shirt, and they can't, I'm not going to be trusting a 250 dollar authentic jersey.
When I was younger, and my budget wouldn't allow for anything more than an unnamed, unnumbered, CCM or Koho jersey, my budget was what drove choices and maybe I would have made do with a Fanatics jersey because that's all I could manage. The alternative being no jersey at all... But with slightly more means now as an adult, I've always wanted the authentic jerseys to look feel and, if necessary, fold like the real on-ice product. I'm concerned this means a very distinct step back in quality. Any manufacturer can make errors (I have a customized jersey for my daughter bought direct from RealSports in Toronto that has 13 on the arms but 31 on the back...) but the frequency and severity of the errors from Fanatics just goes beyond reason. And why the heck is the deal 10 years? Gary Bettman looooooves his long deals, maybe to avoid having to answer for them too frequently. But this could go poorly very quickly. Thanks for the great video trilogy - I love your work and the analysis!
Very disappointing. My plan is to get the new home and away Flyers jerseys in adidas before the switch. The only good thing Fanatics sells is hoodies. Everything else is garbage. Ps. Keep up the great work on the videos! They are very informative and have amazing production!
I've had issues with the quality of Fanatics screen printing on their ts. The few hats of theirs I own, have been fine. The jerseys though, are a different ballgame. Their current ones are low end. If they keep the budget line then they need to have a tier system like Nike does for football.
On the point of Nike "white labeling" to Fanatics for jersey production, probably not a big stretch there in terms of manufacture, design, material quality since Fanatics had bought Majestic who were the license holder for MLB prior to Nike. And I know you express hope for the On Ice/Authentic product and that makes me wonder if their replicas are so terrible in the hope fans will now have to shell out more for a decent garment LoL (from the 1st instalment on this topic I take it they may be a bit before your time, but I'm still fond of the CCM/Maska Air-Knit-550 model replicas I collected in my teens). Keep up the good work Icethetics!
I heard someone make the following comment, so it's the one thing I'm clinging to. If Fanatics wants to aim higher for a future deal with MLB, NBA or NFL in the future, they can't afford to botch this up. Like many others I was bummed about the news. I've never invested in anything made by fanatics that I couldn't buy in-person and inspect for QA (except the jerseys, those I've seen and know how cheap they are). They better step up big time because they're already in an uphill climb when it comes to consumer confidence.
Only issue I had with fanatics was 2 times I ordered jerseys and they sent the wrong size. I ordered an adult large and they sent an XL. Then another time they sent me a youth L even though I ordered an adult large. They fixed it but that’s it
So how did you resolve it? They sent me the wrong size shirt. And I wasted probably a hour on the phone wading through useless automated crap before finally getting in touch with someone to get what I was supposed to get. I'm not paying to ship something back when I wasn't the one that slipped up.
@@fantasticvoyage262 surprisingly easy. We emailed support and they replied same day with a label to return the wrong one and sent the right one at the same time. Oddly surprised they were cool about it
College teams that use addidas now are unlikely to go with fanatics I bet. It will be interesting to see what happens. It's a black eye for the nhl brand, again.
The NHL wins financially, yes. Fanatics only wins if we, the fans, hand over our money. The key is to hand it over only if they make significant improvements.
Hey Chris, maybe this is old news; or maybe i remember it wrong but i had a question for you. Have you seen the USFL PITTS team logo? Is that not one of the teams logos from one of your design decided vids? Maybe Hamilton or the Florida blockbusters. Sure looked stolen at first glace. You see it? They have good pics on sportlogos
I just got into hockey and can say that while disappointed, I just got my customized Adidas Pastrnak Winter Classic jersey with the A on it. Last of its kind, sadly.
Great stuff, Chris! Am I wrong in getting the feeling this upcoming season (23-24) will be the last one teams make changes or new designs for quite a while? That was the vibe I was getting by the release. Am I misreading it?
Lmaooooo. Imagine wearing Fanatics. Adidas has some drip. Also I want to apologize to everyone believing that I was going to make all of the NHL jerseys next year. I was in communication with the league but they did not like my dad jokes and funny fortnite memes. Thank you for your understanding
CCM (😅of which SPi is a supplier)still makes and will continue to make the MiC sweaters anyway. The on-ice products will stay the same, except the logo. But for those that like and buy the Indos, the concerns are genuine.
I’m just imagining them screwing up the first uniform roll out and a bunch of players starting out the 2024-25 season in the adizero jerseys for the first couple weeks
I see this going two ways. Fanatics gets it right, either by learning from the factory combined with the creative team coming in or by pure accident and luck, and they earn their 10-year deal, or they continue being who they are, doing what they do (hoping for different results...how does that saying go?) and the NHL regrets what they have done. At the moment, I can't imagine it going any other way. It almost makes me wonder if allowing the teams to chose their own outfitters might be a better option.
Par for the course. It is 2023 and we can’t have nice things. MLB rule changes, fanatics “authentic”, dodge killing the v8 muscle car, really what should have expected, betman to listen to the fans (lol).
I've honestly got the wonder if the NHL originally had Fanatics produce jerseys as their "budget" option, considering the price difference. If so, it may be the case that they'll find a new budget jersey produced and will ask Fanatics to step up their quality.
If the consumer "Authentics" keep a similar quality to Adidas, I most certainly won't complain. If they act like their Breakaway line, we're in big trouble.
@@icethetics I'm grateful that we have an 18 month lead time for this. This, theoretically, should given them enough time to get their ducks in a row. Key word, "theoretically"
I personally will not buy a Fanatics jersey unless quality improves. Almost every item I have bought from them has had some defect eventually happen despite me following all washing and care instructions. Also, I will never forget how many of the Caps Stanley Cup Champions hats had either a crooked or missing weagle. Luckily, I picked mine up in-store the night they won, so I didn't have that issue. Anyway, Fanatics Sucks!
I'm not too worried. Why? because this is their time to shine. All eyes on them. Jerseys will need to be made with good materials that the players will like. If the players hate them, that will be a huge negative. The main point of emphasis is the fans. We don't know the figures but jersey sales are most likely the most sold merch. If the fans hate it, they won't buy and if they don't buy the league looses revenue and a huge chunk of revenue from merch sales. That's what's going to make the league turn its back on fanatics. 10 year deal on a company that is unproven is risky. I feel they must have added an out clause somewhere or something like that for security
Everyone's worst nightmare has come true. I can't believe this has happened. We as fans need to boycott if this terrible quality continues. Buy up all those Adidas jerseys while you can!
I’m just hoping that Auston Matthews is named captain next year so I can buy his jersey with the C on it and then I probably won’t buy another jersey for a decade. I have done it before and I can do it again.
I have a few of the fanatics jerseys that i've gotten as gifts from my younger brother since he didn't want to pay as much for the adidas ones which I totally understand. I never looked at them too closely so I can't speak to their quality but the one thing that bugged me with them is that stupid tag they have on the front the jersey it just looks stupid and awful
