Canada’s women open the world championship Friday against Sweden in Denmark. As of Wednesday, Hockey Canada still hadn’t seen the jersey its players will wear. The Associated Press reports that both Canada and the United States will wear generic uniforms after a dispute with the International Ice Hockey Federation over who controls the commercial rights to their national team sweaters.
From TSN: “Sources tell The Athletic that both Canada and the U.S. believe they hold the commercial rights to their own jerseys on account of statute 24.3 in IIHF bylaws that states Member National Associations “retain all rights related to their national team logo, emblem and uniform design.”
The IIHF announced that True Hockey would become its exclusive uniform supplier starting this season. Hockey Canada already has a deal with Bauer, and USA Hockey has one with CCM. Both federations have challenged the IIHF in Swiss court. The federation’s own bylaws give it final approval over jersey designs while reserving rights to team logos, emblems and designs for the national associations.
Canada debuted its new Bauer sweaters last week during pre-tournament not-so-friendlies with the Americans in Windsor. Imagine getting to wear your new Team Canada jersey in an exhibition game, then having to wait to find out what you’ll pull over your head at the world championship. That’s quite a dress code.
Both teams should tell the IIHF to go to hell. Without these two powerhouse countries involved, the IIHF becomes a feckless bunch of greedy nobodies left holding a bucket of pucks and an avalanche of fans demanding full refunds.
