Everyone is making fun of the generic jerseys Canada's hockey team is being forced to wear
Canada’s women’s hockey team will look a little different when they take the ice at the IIHF Women’s World Championship this weekend. And hockey fans aren’t exactly impressed with the new look.
The jerseys the Canadian players will be wearing in Denmark have officially been revealed, and they’ve already become a pretty big talking point online.
Rather than the familiar Hockey Canada crest and traditional Maple Leaf design, the new red sweaters feature a relatively plan “CANADA” across the front, with a small outline of the country appearing near the collar.
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It’s certainly a different look, and fans on Reddit have wasted little time sharing their thoughts.
“Who sent that into production,” one fan questioned.
“Unlicensed videogame looking-a** sweaters,” another joked.
Others weren’t as gentle in their wording, with one fan describing the jerseys as “absolute dogsh*t.”
There were a few people willing to defend the design, though, with one Reddit user saying they actually liked the map of Canada featured near the collar.
The unusual uniforms are the result of an ongoing dispute between Hockey Canada and the IIHF over commercial rights to national team jerseys.
The IIHF has an agreement with TRUE Hockey to supply uniforms for international competitions, while Hockey Canada has an exisiting partnership with Bauer that runs through the 2033-34 season.
@IIHFwomen/Instagram
As a result, Canada has been instructed to wear the IIHF-designed jerseys rather than the new Bauer uniforms they recently unveiled.
The United States is facing the same situation, with its players also being forced to wear generic-looking jerseys instead of their usual CCM designs.
@IIHFwomen/Instagram
Canada begins its pursuit of another gold medal on Friday, Nov. 6 against Sweden, with the tournament running through Nov. 16.
At least the players won’t have to worry about what the jerseys will look like once the puck drops.
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