The NHL will try to cash in on the retro jersey craze next season, with some teams even sporting infamously "ugly" jerseys of their pasts in an effort to boost retail sales in the league's vintage category to as much as $250 million.
Matchups between the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues will feature both teams playing in retro-style jerseys. The games will be part of theme nights that will feature music, alumni appearances and even some pricing that harks back to eras gone by.
"The story of vintage or retro isn't new, but we feel it's going to be our turn in the cycle," said Brian Jennings, group vice president of consumer product marketing at NHL Enterprises.
 |
| Vintage sweaters from the Kings (top left), Blues (top right), Rangers (bottom left) and Canucks (bottom right) will reappear. |
He referred to the success that the NBA and MLB have had in the last two years with vintage jerseys, which have been deemed fashionable after being sported by hip-hop artists and other celebs.
"We figure that we're going to be in a good position to capture some of the inner-city urban youth trends as well as what we're currently getting, [purchases by] the baby boomer and core fan who remembers these uniforms," Jennings said.
In all, he predicted the vintage category will produce $200 million to $250 million in retail sales for the NHL next season, including jerseys and other products such as T-shirts and jackets.
The league's consumer product marketing department developed the retro theme nights, primarily to support licensees The Hockey Co. and Mitchell & Ness. The Hockey Co. has a license for replica and authentic retro jerseys, while Mitchell & Ness produces high-priced authentic-style jerseys with the names of retired players.
The Bruins and Rangers will wear styles both briefly wore in the 1970s, as will the Canucks and Canadiens. The Blues and Kings will sport original uniforms from 1967, when the teams broke into the league.
Teams will make an entire event of the retro theme, even doing some "turn-back-the-clock" pricing. The Kings are considering a promotion where anyone born in 1967 will be able to buy a ticket for $19.67. They'll also honor the 50 or so season-ticket holders who've been with the team since day one.
One proposal being considered is having players wear 1970s-style wigs in pregame warm-ups.
The NHL last had teams wear vintage jerseys in 1991, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the league. That program featured original styles from the 1920s, but this time the emphasis is on the more recent history.
Peter Capolino, owner of Mitchell & Ness, said styles like these will be a hit in the inner-city market.
"What will drive the sales is the look of the jerseys and interesting graphics," he said, predicting that what he called the "ugly" Canucks jersey will actually be the company's top seller, along with the Rangers.
 |
| Mitchell & Ness distributes to specialty fashion stores and licensed-product specialists. |
Mitchell & Ness sells NHL jerseys at retail from $225 up to $350 and limits distribution to specialty fashion stores and licensed-product specialists. It became an NHL licensee a year ago but just started signing players and won't make a strong push around the line until next season. Capolino predicts $5 million in sales for the NHL retro jerseys for the 2003-04 season.
The company as a whole generated $25 million in sales in 2002 and already has reached that mark this year.
The Hockey Co., the NHL's primary licensee, sells retro jerseys at lower price points and to a wider array of retailers, including NHL team stores.
Clubs participating in the vintage program are stocking their stores, anticipating a rush in sales.
Kurt Schwartzkopf, director of marketing and promotions of the Kings, said the team's purple and gold original jerseys have always sold well, but that putting them back on the players for a night could help take the phenomenon to another level. The club has asked the league for permission to wear the jerseys during additional games beyond the matchups with the Blues.
