Fanatics and the NHL on Monday debuted the Hometown Remix program, a collection of uniforms and apparel spanning all 32 teams, with each jersey's design built around the club's home city and fan base.
The launch marks the first time Fanatics has designed and developed a league-wide jersey program for one of its league partners, a group that includes the NFL, NBA and MLB. In some of those leagues, the company manufactures the jerseys fans buy in stores, other consumer products and even sideline apparel for coaches, while a different company produces what players wear in games. For the NFL, that company is Nike, and in MLB, Fanatics manufactures player jerseys that Nike designs.
Fanatics has partnered with the NHL since 2005, largely in retail and e-commerce. When the league's jersey deal with Adidas lapsed in 2023, Fanatics broadened the relationship to cover on-ice uniforms and authentic jerseys. That arrangement began with the 2024-25 season and put Fanatics branding on an official player jersey in a professional game for the first time.
Andrew Low Ah Kee, CEO of Fanatics Commerce, the company's merchandise arm, called the new collection a "giant step forward in our partnership with the NHL." He added: "What's exciting to me about it is that not only is it all 32 teams, it's actually that Fanatics is singularly responsible and accountable for the design and execution of the program in partnership with the [NHL] and the clubs."
Low Ah Kee said work on the collection began when the expanded NHL deal took effect in 2024, with the company's design team collaborating across the league, its teams and its players. Fanatics had previously designed jerseys with the league and individual clubs for showcase events such as the Winter Classic, the Stadium Series and the 4 Nations Face-Off, though not every team took part in those events.
He said executing the program in the NHL, which he described as having the "most complex construction of any sports jersey out there," while layering in design elements tied to each team's fans and local culture, was a major moment for the company. "I don't think this will be a capstone, but this is certainly a big milestone in the relationship that we have," he said.
Brian Jennings, the NHL's senior vice president and chief partnerships and club strategy officer, said the league respects the legacy that hockey jerseys, often called sweaters, carry with fans, while welcoming a league-wide platform celebrating local team culture. "Each market and city is unique … we love to celebrate that uniqueness," Jennings said. Each team will wear its jersey for a set of games over the remainder of this season, and while the program is planned for the 2026-2027 season, Jennings said the league and Fanatics would be open to teams folding elements into future alternate jerseys or other products.
Jennings said the collection also lays the groundwork for future league-wide projects. "In an ideal world, we'll start to ideate immediately around what is another version," he said, adding that the league wants to keep design integrity high while learning what resonated. He declined to give sales targets but pointed to the lift the league sees from special event jerseys, along with follow-on effects on ticket sales and sponsorship activation around theme nights and special jersey matchups.
Low Ah Kee said Fanatics is "very aware" the program arrives just ahead of the holiday shopping season, and noted the jerseys are "limited supply." Prices vary slightly from traditional NHL jerseys because of unique production features: Hometown Remix jerseys with custom lettering and numbering cost $275 for a premium version and $500 for authentics matching what players wear on the ice.
Both executives acknowledged the unpredictable fan response that comes with redesigning beloved jerseys, with Jennings arguing the details, from the hockey socks to embossed and raised elements, will win respect. The on-ice versions carry the Fanatics flag brand, which Low Ah Kee said reflects accountability for quality, manufacturing and design. "The protagonists in the story are the fan and their team; we're the supporting actor, and we know that," he said. "Hometown Remix we hope is going to be a really great way for fans to express their love of their cities, their clubs and their markets overall, and we hope people have fun."
