Ovechkin's sweater is America's best-selling. Russian star is incredibly popular, despite politics
No matter how hard the author of the famous anti-Russian hysterics Czech Dominik Hasek tries to spoil the popularity of the Russian NHL star Alexander Ovechkin, no one can do it. Recently, the American broadcaster ESPN shared some interesting information that it was Ovechkin's jersey that became the best-selling sweater in the entire NHL. Neither McDavid, nor Stamkos, nor Kane could compete with the Russian, who had a good season, collecting a decent number of records.
Ovechkin set records for single-team goals, career goals on the road, and 40-goal seasons. On December 23, 2022, Ovechkin overtook Gordie Howe for second place on the all-time scoring list, behind only Wayne Gretzky. It is clear that such records could not be ignored, and Ovechkin's sweaters became the most popular in North America for the second year in a row. Ovechkin's sweaters have been high in sales throughout his career, but now it's worth noting the competent management. The Capitals had two new kit designs this season: their retro jerseys in blue, black, and bronze colorways, and their white "Stadium Series" jerseys also contributed to popularity. True, Ovechkin did not play in the outdoor match due to the death of his father, but his T-shirts were on sale.
Top Selling Player Jerseys, Regular Season:
1. Alexander Ovechkin
2. Sidney Crosby
3. David Pastrnak
4. Jack Hughes
5. Austin Matthews.
Top Selling Team Jerseys, Regular Season:
1.Boston Bruins
2."New York Rangers"
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
4."Washington Capitals"
5. Colorado Avalanche.
Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin's lifelong rival, was second in jersey sales among NHL players, with Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak third. New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes became the most progressive hockey player in terms of merchandise popularity and saw a surge in sales. Hughes entered the top five with a fourth-place finish as his team made the playoffs for the first time since 2018. But Toronto's Auston Matthews took fifth place, which is somehow frail for the leader of the most popular team in the world.
True, according to merchandise manufacturer Fanatics, Matthews was the best-selling jersey in the playoffs - all thanks to the Maple Leaves winning the series for the first time since 2004. Hughes was second in the cup sales rankings, and Colorado Avalanche's Nathan McKinnon was third. He was followed by Pastrnak and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.
Among NHL teams, the Bruins had the best-selling jerseys as the Bears set regular season records for wins (65) and points (135). The top five best-selling teams were also the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, Washington, and the 2022 Stanley Cup winner Colorado. In the playoffs, the Boston team jersey was also the leader, but the opening of the Stanley Cup draw, Seattle took fourth place.
Sales of NHL merchandise in the first round of the playoffs are up 45% compared to 2022, according to Fanatics. In a word, we can safely say that the pandemic for the overseas hockey industry is finally behind us.