The NHL is pushing back the launch of sleeker new jerseys for at least a year, following complaints from the NHLPA that players did not have enough input in the new designs.
The league and Reebok were set to roll out new form-fitting jerseys next season that would radically change the look of players and the sport, showing off players’ physiques more and offering some new performance elements.
But the NHLPA complained that the union and players were not involved enough in the development process and that offseason testing is needed.
“This is a fundamental change for us,” said Ken Kim, the NHLPA’s senior director of business. “We want to make sure it’s right, and that everyone feels like they were a part of the change.”
He said the offseason is the ideal time to do that testing, and that using the Olympic break for that purpose was not a real possibility because the top players were competing and the rest were taking that time off.
The new jerseys were developed over the last several years by Reebok subsidiary The Hockey Co., and have sometimes been called “Super Hero” jerseys because of the way they will hug players’ bodies. The league had gotten approval of the new jerseys from notoriously conservative general managers, and several players under contract with The Hockey Co. were involved in the testing and development process. But with players locked out last season, there was no official input from the NHLPA when the final designs were being completed.
“We certainly wanted to get broader player feedback,” said Brian Jennings, group vice president of consumer products marketing at NHL Enterprises. “We’ve been trying to get them a place at the table here for quite some time.”
Jennings said that with former NHL player Mike Gartner recently elevated to the position of director of affairs at the NHLPA, he thinks communication will now be smoother. “He will have a lot of input to the project, which we welcome,” Jennings said.
The jersey issue arises at a time when NHLPA executive director Ted Saskin is still facing questions from a group of players and agents who say he is too cozy with management, and all player-league issues are viewed through that guise (see related story, page 5).
Licensing and merchandise is an area where Saskin has been assertive with the league, signing an exclusive video game contract with EA Sports over the league’s objections and now delaying the launch of the new jerseys.
Some league and team officials whisper that Saskin and the NHLPA are looking to put up obstacles for the league, to prove to players that the union leadership is not under the league’s control.
But Kim stressed that the union’s obligation is to make sure players are comfortable on the ice, and a decision to alter a look that players have grown accustomed to through their entire lives just can’t be taken lightly — especially when most are satisfied with what they have now.
“We are committed to offering new jerseys for ’07-’08,” he said, “But our jerseys are very popular. We want to try to stay ahead of the curve, but our consumers and fans aren’t telling us anything is broken.”
