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Devils, Capitals among first NHL teams to unveil ads on helmets

Devils, Capitals among first NHL teams to unveil ads on helmets

The rumors are true: NHL teams will put ads on helmets during the 2020-21 season. The New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals rank among the first NHL teams unveiling ads on helmets on Tuesday.

As of this writing, it’s unclear how many NHL teams will follow the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals in sticking ads on helmets. (Considering the COVID-era financial restraints around the league, it would be surprising if any NHL team sits this out, though.)

At first blush, these seem ... mostly inoffensive?

Capitals, Devils among teams unveiling ads on NHL helmets

As you can see from this post’s main image, the Devils provided mock-ups of what the Prudential ads may look like on helmets. Meanwhile, they also shared one take on how they’ll look with a home setup, this time with Kyle Palmieri instead of Nico Hischier.

palmieri

From the Capitals’ end, it was Tom Wilson sporting the Capital One logo:

Again ... it could be worse? But, yes, this could also be the beginning of plastering more and more ads on hockey players, including more dreaded tampering with jerseys. It’s fair to worry about the creeping increase in ads on various types of equipment over time.

Predators also add decals

Again, expect plenty of NHL teams to follow suit. Take the Predators, for example. The team announced the addition of Bridgestone’s logo to their helmets:

forsbergb

How do you feel about this change overall? Do they bother you? If so, how much?

James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.