What Adidas Can Do for the NHL

At the start of the 2017-2018 season, the NHL will begin to wear jerseys created and manufactured by Adidas, not Reebok.  Reebok has been outfitting the league since 2007.  Along with Reebok, Bauer controls the largest portion of the market share.  If Reebok and Bauer have the best history and the most of the market share, then the new choice of Adidas is a questionable decision by the NHL.  Adidas does not have a history in Hockey, so we have to wonder what changes may come for the league and the company’s connection to hockey.  It seems likely that they may stay focused on jerseys and not venture too far into equipment manufacturing.  On the other hand, if Adidas were to enter the hockey equipment world, it is beginning to build its brand name and brand equity within the market.

         

   Adidas does not have the most experience in hockey, but it does have some.  It has been making jerseys for college hockey teams for a couple of years, like the University of Michigan (left), and it is not too uncommon for them to be making jerseys on a larger scale.  This large scale began in August of 2016.  The first sighting of the Adidas hockey jerseys were at the World Cup of Hockey.  The new styles of jerseys were very modern and it seemed to meet expectations.  The NHL could probably use a make over with their logos and jerseys, and it seems that Adidas has the smarts and style to be the company to do so.

            A glimpse into what some logos and jerseys may look like in the future could be the new look of the Florida Panthers.  The team released their new logo and jerseys at the end of last season.  It consists of a fresh and modern take on their old logo.  The new look resembles more of the jerseys that we saw at the World Cup of Hockey than it does the rest of the league’s current jerseys. 

            Something that we should be on the lookout for with the new jersey provider is the possibility of ads on the jerseys like many European leagues.  In recent news, the NBA has decided that next season, it will allow companies to buy a part of the jersey for promotion.  This new opportunity for advertising may begin to spread throughout the other three major sports leagues in the United States.  The change in jersey providers for the NHL could be a large step in that direction.  The NHL is becoming more popular and it would make sense for the league to make use of their growth in viewership and fandom to create a new avenue for profit. 

            Adidas could use this new partnership for a brand extension into the hockey market.  If the jerseys were to become more modern, like the Florida Panther’s or World Cup of Hockey jerseys, then it would be a great platform for the NHL and Adidas to create more profit for both organizations.  The new business partnership between the NHL and Adidas is unexpected and the changes to come may also be surprising.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/report-adidas-wins-rights-to-nhls-jerseys-big-changes-coming/