Advertisements on jerseys are a a growing trend in the NHL, and the Oilers are one of the teams to hold out the longest before adding a sponsorship to their jerseys. Needless to say, fans don't love seeing their favourite jersey get an advertisement on it. Play Alberta is currently the province's only legal online gambling service.
Across all forms of social media, plenty of fans are rejecting the change to the jersey. The Oilers have one of the cleanest and most classic jerseys in the league, and to see it with a big ad on it is a little eyesore to an otherwise perfect jersey. It's especially hard to see it be a gambling company, as many fans feel like the gambling industry has encroached on the sport too much too quickly.
It's obviously a disappointment that the Oilers caved to place advertisements on their classic jerseys, but it's just a reality of the modern NHL business landscape. Other major teams, like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens have already released jersey sponsorships in the past. The Oilers and ownership are clearly looking to capitalize on the major hype around the team at the moment. If they can find a way to re-sign Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard after locking up Leon Draisaitl, fans won't be too stressed about the jersey ad.
Source: Edmonton Oilers NHL.com
RELEASE: Oilers & Play Alberta extend partnership
POLL | ||
9 SEPTEMBRE | 205 ANSWERS Edmonton Oilers announce advertisement partner on home jerseys Do you like the advertisement on the jersey? | ||
I don't mind it | 32 | 15.6 % |
Don't like it at all | 106 | 51.7 % |
Who cares, everyone does it | 54 | 26.3 % |
See Results | 13 | 6.3 % |
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