Maple Leafs C Auston Matthews had the "top-selling jersey among NHL players" for the '17-18 season, passing last year's leader, Penguins C Sidney Crosby, according to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.com. Matthews was fourth in jersey sales last season, when he "won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year." One factor in Matthews' taking the top spot was the Leafs' "participation in an outdoor stadium series," where Matthews was the "featured player on the specially designed white road sweaters." Outdoor games "typically increase the sales of jerseys for players who participate in them." Rangers RW Mats Zuccarello (7th), Capitals RW T.J. Oshie (12th) and Sabres C Jack Eichel (13th) had all "participated in either the Winter Classic or Stadium Series, and all made the top jersey sales list after missing the cut last season." Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane (8th) and C Jonathan Toews (9th) "fell out of the top three, having placed there each year" since '14, after the Blackhawks did not play in an outdoor game this season and "missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade" (ESPN.com, 4/20). There are "some surprises on the list," notably Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin coming in at a "middling sixth." Oshie came in at 12th, "ahead of major stars" like Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy and Penguins C Evgeni Malkin. Surprising omissions include Jets RW Patrik Laine and Predators D P.K. Subban (CP, 4/20).
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TOP-SELLING NHL JERSEYS FOR '17-18 SEASON
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RANK
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PLAYER
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RANK
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PLAYER
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1
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Maple Leafs C Auston Matthews
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9
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Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews
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2
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Penguins C Sidney Crosby
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10
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Blues RW Vladimir Tarasenko
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3
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Oilers C Connor McDavid
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11
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Bruins C Patrice Bergeron
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4
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Knights G Marc-Andre Fleury
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12
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Capitals RW T.J. Oshie
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5
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Rangers G Henrik Lundqvist
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13
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Sabres C Jack Eichel
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6
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Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin
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14
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Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy
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7
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Rangers RW Mats Zuccarello
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15
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Penguins C Evgeni Malkin
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8
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Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane
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