Access to Classic jerseys wearing out fan patience
Leafs fans threw the NHL in the penalty box after learning the league’s online store couldn’t ship custom Centennial Classic jerseys to Canada.
Leafs fan Chris Gumbert said he tried to order a Mitch Marner Classic sweater from a page on shop.nhl.com, billed as the Toronto team’s “official shop.” After entering his Hamilton mailing address, Gumbert was confronted with an error message telling him his order “contains manufacturer direct items that cannot be shipped to addresses outside of the continental United States.”
NHL customer services confirmed to the Star that the jersey, which will be worn by the Leafs when they take on the Detroit Red Wings in a Jan. 1 outdoor game at BMO Field, could not be mailed to Canada. Canadian fans have been getting the sweaters shipped to border states like Michigan, then driving down to pick them up, one representative said.
“This is ridiculous,” Gumbert said.
“I live in one of the largest cities (in Canada) aside from Toronto, and I can’t see how that’s very accommodating to Canadian fans.”
When Gumbert made his order, only Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly jerseys were available readymade on the NHL’s site. Sweaters bearing the name of any other Leafs player had to be customized. On Friday, after the Star brought Gumbert’s complaint to the NHL’s attention, the customizable jerseys were taken off the site.
The NHL has now pulled all customizable Leafs Centennial Classic jerseys from its online store.
“There was one version of the Centennial Classic jersey that required decoration that was mistakenly outsourced to a vendor that unfortunately was unable to ship to Canada,” NHL spokesperson Nirva Milord said in an email. “That jersey has been removed from the site.”
Milord said Fanatics, the NHL’s merchandise partner, is now working to add player names and numbers to Centennial Classic jerseys so that Canadian fans can order them ready-made. The league is hopeful the jerseys will be ready for sale early next week, Milord added.
Visitors to the Leafs’ official website, which is hosted by the NHL, are redirected to shop.nhl.comfor memorabilia and apparel.
Dave Haggith, spokesperson for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, recommended fans get their customized Classic jerseys through Real Sports Apparel, a retailer with a bricks-and-mortar shop in the Air Canada Centre. Real Sports’ online store, shop.realsports.ca, ships to Canada, Haggith said.