Report: NHL Teams to Feature Ads on Jerseys for 2022-23

The NHL will reportedly add advertisements to its jerseys for the 2022-23 season.

The NHL will add advertisements to its jerseys for the 2022-23 season, according to a report from Sportico.

Per Sportico, the league's board of governors unanimously voted to approve the new policy, allowing teams to start negotiating with potential partners. The league has yet to publicly comment.

The move will see ads fit inside a 3-inch-by-3.5-inch rectangle, similar to what is done in the AHL. The decision comes after the NHL allowed teams to sell advertisements in lieu of team logos on helmets. Back in March, commissioner Gary Bettman said the move helped teams retain $100 million in revenue. Giant tarps also adorned with company logos in closed-off sections of arenas during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hockey fans have always been protective of NHL uniforms, especially with European teams seemingly draping themselves in advertisements. NHL teams won't stoop to that level, instead utilizing a smaller space, but will it go farther than that in the future?

According to Sportico, the NBA’s move to allow advertising patches was estimated to boost revenues by $150 million annually. With jerseys being one of the biggest selling tools a sports team can have, especially in the NHL with the large surface area required to cover hockey equipment, this could be a big benefit for clubs, big and small.