Could Trump's tariffs spell the end of Canadian-made NHL jerseys?

Douglas Gelevan · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 12 hours ago

Like the names of Hall of Fame players successful an NHL arena, dozens of retired SP Apparel Inc. employees' names bent from the rafters of the company's factory.

The fig connected the backmost represents however galore years that worker dedicated to making jerseys for the NHL. They spell each the mode up to 42.  

The NHL and the radical of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., person a long-running relationship. Every authentic NHL hockey jersey that has deed the crystal oregon been purchased by fans since 1975 has travel from Quebec. 

But now, U.S. President Donald Trump's commercialized warfare is threatening the agelong contented of Canadian-made NHL jerseys, and the jobs of the 250 SP Apparel employees that marque them. 

"We are susceptible due to the fact that the terms is benignant of similar an elastic," said SP Apparel Inc. CEO Steve Berard. "How agelong tin you agelong that elastic earlier [it snaps] and crashes into your face?" 

With 25 of the NHL's 32 teams based successful the U.S., astir 80 per cent of everything made for the league successful Saint-Hyacinthe could beryllium deed with tariffs, raising the terms of a jersey that already sits astatine a precocious terms point. 

An authentic pro jersey connected the NHL Shop website, which is tally by the American institution Fanatics and has a licensing woody for each NHL authoritative merchandise, starts astatine $499.99 Cdn. For a customized authentic pro jersey that includes a sanction and number, they commencement astatine $579.99 Cdn.

The jerseys are composed of about 100 idiosyncratic pieces that are stitched unneurotic by manus successful Saint-Hyacinthe. The yarn for the cloth is sourced from the U.S., and the NHL squad logos travel pre-made from China. The remainder is wholly made connected site. 

"We telephone it haute couture, it's not a wide accumulation line," said vice-president of income for SP Apparel, Mike Quinn. "The labour is the large constituent due to the fact that you're paying Canadian dollars, you're paying Canadian labour rates and these radical person 20, 30 years of experience." 

The cheaper authentic replica jerseys disposable connected NHL Shop are not made successful Canada. 

WATCH | How tariffs tin interaction accumulation of NHL jerseys: 

Concerns astir moving accumulation to debar tariffs

Berard worries the NHL's supplier, Fanatics, volition see moving accumulation retired of Quebec to debar paying immoderate tariffs. 

"We don't person the capableness to sorb that 25 per cent and the lawsuit doesn't person the capableness [for] that 25 per cent increase either," Berard said. 

Last year, the declaration done Fanatics to nutrient the authentic pro NHL jerseys and socks accounted for 70 per cent of SP Apparel's business.

Economists accidental the tariffs are designed to enactment the compression connected companies similar SP Apparel. 

"Trump each on said, 'we privation those jobs to travel backmost to the U.S., similar they were successful the 1970s and 1980s,' and this is 1 of those [industries] that's easy mobile," said Moshe Lander, economics prof astatine Concordia University. 

Lander is not convinced that the NHL would basal successful the mode if Fanatics decided to relocate its production, adjacent if Canadian fans objected oregon adjacent boycotted buying American-made jerseys.  

"It mightiness beryllium thing wherever they permission a reduced footprint successful Canada, possibly lone to bash licensing for the 7 NHL teams up present and the different 25 determination to the U.S. broadside of the border, but I don't cognize that this is the benignant of happening that is going to truly marque the NHL intermission beyond that this is simply a concern decision," Lander said.  

SP Apparel says erstwhile the NHL picks its supplier, it's not up to the league to determine wherever the jerseys get made — it's up to its partner, Fanatics. SP Apparel says Fanatics has yet to bespeak any plans to marque a alteration and emphasizes that it maintains a large narration with the NHL. 

"They truly admit the information that [the jerseys] are made successful Canada," Berard said. 

Neither the NHL nor Fanatics responded to CBC's petition for comment. 

"I've mislaid a batch of sleep," Berard said, adding his employees are connected borderline and disquieted astir their jobs.

"I consciousness similar I'm driving a car, but I don't person my hands connected the wheel."