Canada, U.S. to wear generic jerseys at women's hockey worlds
The International Ice Hockey Federation mandated the change amid an unresolved court dispute over commercial rights.
The Canadian and American women's hockey teams will wear generic jerseys at the world championship in Denmark, which begins Friday. The International Ice Hockey Federation mandated the change, which stems from an unresolved court dispute over commercial rights. A photo from Thursday's media day shows Canadian goaltender Kayle Osborne in a red jersey with the word "Canada" in white block letters across the chest. The jersey features a white collar with a red map of Canada and red and black stripes near the bottom.
The IIHF announced an agreement with True Hockey last October making the company the exclusive supplier of uniforms for all member national associations starting in the 2026-27 season. However, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have existing apparel contracts with Bauer and CCM, respectively, and have challenged the IIHF arrangement in a Swiss court. A Zurich court rejected Hockey Canada's bid to temporarily block the deal on Sept. 16.
Why are the teams wearing generic jerseys?
The court noted the proposed generic jersey did not use any of Hockey Canada's protected trademarks. The Maple Leaf appears in 11 of the 12 trademarks cited in the case and in eight of the organization's official marks. The court also noted the IIHF had promised not to use those marks without permission and said Hockey Canada could take part in the design process. The ruling dealt only with interim measures, leaving the broader commercial rights dispute unresolved. IIHF bylaws state that it has final approval on all jersey designs.
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What does the new Hockey Canada jersey look like?
The recently released Hockey Canada jersey designed by Bauer features the national body's logo, which is a silhouette of a hockey player skating in front of a red and black Maple Leaf. The generic jersey players will wear in Denmark lacks that iconic symbol. It has a simple design with "Canada" in block letters, a map of Canada on the collar and striped accents on the sleeves and torso. Canada opens the tournament Friday against Sweden. The team is in Group B alongside Japan, host Denmark and Finland. The United States, in Group A, will face Czechia, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The top four teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals on Nov. 13, with the final scheduled for Nov. 16.
What is the state of the Canadian team?
Canada enters the tournament with a new-look roster after hiring general manager Danièle Sauvageau and coach Kori Cheverie following a loss to the U.S. in the Olympic final last winter. The roster includes only 13 players from that Olympic squad, with seven set to make their world championship debuts. The team split a pair of pre-tournament games against the U.S. last week, winning 5-3 before losing 4-0. Canada will be without captain Marie-Philip Poulin, who is recovering from surgery for a torn ACL and meniscus. This marks the first world championship without Poulin since her debut in 2009. Veteran forward Sarah Nurse is also absent after being unable to attend training camp. Star forward Sarah Fillier is considered "day by day" after appearing to injure her shoulder or arm in a game last Friday, though general manager Danièle Sauvageau said she is on "a positive track" and is expected to play in the tournament.
With files from The Globe and Mail, Sportsnet and CBC News