Where to Save and Where to Spend
- Save on — your first hockey jersey. Breakaway, home colours, one size down from your t-shirt size.
- Save on — a jersey for a child. Premier is genuinely the better garment for a small body: lighter and cooler.
- Spend on — a jersey you will wear to the rink three times a week. Authentic Pro's heavier knit survives that.
- Spend on — Reverse Retro on release day, if you want it at all. Waiting does not work in this category.
- Never spend on — a player jersey right after a trade. Wait ten days and the price and stock both settle.
One more worth stating: hockey jerseys are the most durable in fan apparel. A Breakaway worn weekly lasts longer than any football or basketball jersey — so the cost per wear ends up lower than the sticker price suggests.
Why Hockey Jerseys Cost More
A hockey jersey is the heaviest garment in fan apparel. The fabric is a thick air-knit, the crest is layered embroidery rather than a print, and the whole thing is built to survive contact on ice. That costs money to make, which is why the entry point sits around $60 and the real thing costs $180.
It also means a cheap hockey jersey is usually a bad hockey jersey — the weight and the crest are the product, and those are the first things to go at the low end.
The Three Tiers
| Premier | Breakaway | Authentic Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $60 – $70 | $80 – $90 | $180 + |
| Fabric | Lighter polyknit | Mid-weight air-knit | Heavyweight air-knit |
| Crest | Embroidered, flatter | Embroidered, raised | Layered embroidery |
| Fit | Roomy | Roomy, one size large | Biggest, up to two sizes large |
| Buy it if | Kids or hot rinks | The default for adults | You want the on-ice garment |
Breakaway is the answer about 75% of the time. It has the raised crest and the right weight, and it costs a third of Authentic Pro.
Home, Away, Alternate, Reverse Retro
Home colours outsell away roughly two to one, and for good reason — you wear your colour. Beyond that: the alternate if your team has a good one, and Reverse Retro on release day if you want it at all, because those runs are produced once and never discounted.
Sizing Over Pads, In Short
Hockey jerseys are patterned to fit over shoulder and elbow pads, which makes them the largest-cut jersey in sport. One size down from your t-shirt size for a normal fit over a tee; true to size to wear over a hoodie, which is how most people actually wear them. Full chart in our NHL size guide.
The Shortlist, Ranked by Tier
Auston Matthews Toronto Maple Leafs Fanatics Home Breakaway Jersey - Blue$85.99SHOP NOW →
Connor Bedard Chicago Blackhawks Fanatics Home Breakaway Player Jersey - Red$85.99SHOP NOW →
David Pastrnak Boston Bruins Fanatics Home Breakaway Jersey - Black$85.99SHOP NOW →
Jack Eichel Vegas Golden Knights Fanatics Home Breakaway Jersey - Gold$85.99SHOP NOW →
Nathan MacKinnon Colorado Avalanche Fanatics Home Breakaway Jersey - Burgundy$85.99SHOP NOW →
Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers Fanatics Home Breakaway Jersey - Royal$85.99SHOP NOW →
When to Spend More
- Buying one jersey you will wear for years — Breakaway. Spend the difference on a second jersey.
- Buying a gift for a serious fan — Authentic Pro if they already own a Breakaway, otherwise Breakaway.
- Buying for a child — Premier. They will outgrow it and the weight difference is real for a small body.
- You sit close to the ice and want the real drape — Authentic Pro. It hangs differently and you can tell.