NHL Fans Are Not Happy With the League's New Jersey Company

• The NHL announced a 10-year deal with Fanatics this week.
• The sports apparel company will replace Adidas as the league's on-ice jersey outfitter. 
• Fans have had a field day with the announcement, lambasting Fanatics over its product quality. 

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NHL jerseys are switching from Adidas to Fanatics, and fans aren't happy about it. 

The NHL announced Tuesday that it chose sports apparel brand Fanatics as its official on-ice uniform partner, replacing Adidas. The new uniforms will hit the ice in 2024, and the deal with Fanatics will last 10 years, according to the company. 

"Coming 2024: NHL 🤝 Fanatics," the league wrote on Twitter this week. 

But the news has been met with backlash from many NHL fans who have taken to Twitter to voice their distaste with Fanatics, and joke about the brand's quality. 

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"The NHL going from Adidas jerseys to Fanatics jerseys," one user quipped above a photo of a poorly drawn horse. 

One user slammed the NHL and Fanatics as a natural partnership because they're both "fan unfriendly, low quality, and cheap."

Insider reached out to Fanatics for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. 

According to ESPN, the league knew the new partnership with Fanatics would be met with some hostility. 

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"I understand there may be, initially, some trepidation, but I do have a lot of confidence in the team at Fanatics," NHL executive vice president of marketing Brian Jennings told ESPN. "I look back at the history with our locker room, at what they're doing with other leagues, and I do think that they will be able to do this."

Users sounded the alarm with claims and pictures that — while unverified — mocked Fanatics with a misprinted New York Rangers T-shirt that said "Islanders," or a misspelled player name.  

Adidas was the NHL's jersey partner for seven years before the recent announcement. Adidas chose not to renew the partnership, ESPN reported. 

But it could be an uphill road before fans gain some trust in Fanatics. 

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"Everyone be safe out there. I had a Fanatics NHL jersey in my car and someone broke into my car and left two more," a Seattle Kraken fan account wrote on Twitter. 

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