Toronto Maple Leafs Jerseys to be Tainted by Advertisements

It’s a dark day in the NHL for jersey purists. It has been reported that NHL’s board of governors voted to approved advertisements to be added to hockey sweaters as early as the 2022-23 season. At this time, there’s no reason to expect the Toronto Maple Leafs to opt out from taking part in this profitable opportunity.

There may be some hopeful Toronto Maple Leafs fans who will hang onto the idea that the franchise they love won’t sell out to advertisers.

NHL owners were surveyed and the majority of them were in favor of selling space on the front of jerseys in order to further line their pockets.

Since individual teams and owners weren’t named, it does leave the possibility that Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) was opposed to the change, though it isn’t likely.

Toronto Maple Leafs Jerseys to be Tainted by Ads

The Toronto Raptors, an MLSE team, adopted an advertiser’s patch as soon as they were able yp. This would suggest that the organization as a whole, prioritizes the monetary windfall above the sanctity of an ad-free sweater.

If the Toronto Maple Leafs did choose to sell space, it would mean that the highest bidder would have their logo featured in a rectangular patch on the jersey’s chest. The available space measures 3-inches-by-3.5-inches, which is larger than the 2.5-inches-by-2.5-inches square space available to NBA teams.

The Raptors’ jersey advertiser is Sun Life. Their patch can be seen above the left breast of the players on all game jerseys. The value of the deal was never publicly released but it has been speculated that the sponsorship deal in place has been paying the Raptors $5 million annually. If that figure is accurate, then the Maple Leafs should be able to command a far greater fee due to the team’s immense popularity, which exceeds that of its sister team.

There will no doubt be multiple businesses looking to get their names on Toronto Maple Leafs players’ chests. Now that the approval has passed, it seems as though it is inevitable that Toronto will be one of the clubs that makes it happen. Even if they aren’t one of the early adopters, it is very difficult to see the organization making the decision to turn down millions of dollars in additional annual revenue.

Hockey sweater purists can hold out hope that the Maple Leafs feel the same way they do but they shouldn’t be surprised if the names “Rogers” or “Bell” were added in 2022-23. Expect an announcement by this time next year.