Built over the pads, not under them
Hockey: a jersey that has to hang right over three layers of padding
A hockey jersey is the only garment we make that is fitted over a full set of upper-body protection. That changes its length, its sleeve, its collar and its weight, and it is why a jersey graded up from a soccer pattern looks wrong the moment a player pulls it over shoulder pads.
It is also one of the few garments where a stitched number still competes with a printed one on merit, because boards and blades are hard on a surface print.
Why the pattern starts from the pads
Shoulder pads add width at the top and depth through the chest. Elbow pads add girth at the arm. A jersey has to clear all of that without pulling at the neck, so the body is cut wider and the sleeves are cut fuller than any other jersey in the range, and the hem is dropped so the garment still reaches the pants when a player crouches.
That is why we do not quote a hockey jersey from a general sports-shirt block. The block is drafted for the padded silhouette from the start, and the youth version shortens the sleeve rather than scaling the whole garment down, because a young player wears the same pads.
It also means the sizing conversation is different. A player who is a large in a hoodie is often an extra-large in a hockey jersey, and a roster measured without pads produces a run that rides up. Our guide to measuring a squad in three sizes has a note on measuring over equipment for exactly this reason.
Three constructions, three prices for the same reason
Every hockey jersey we make is one of these. The price is the same because the body is the same; what differs is how the design goes on.
- Sublimated
- The design is dyed into the polyester before the panels are cut. Any number of colours, no added weight, nothing to peel. The default for a full-panel design.
- Tackle twill
- Numbers and lettering cut from twill and stitched to a plain-dyed body. Heavier, more traditional, and the one that shrugs off board contact best.
- Printed
- A screen-printed crest and numbers on a stock-colour jersey. The fastest turnaround and the right answer for a rec league that changes its roster every season.
- Goalie
- Same construction, different block: wider through the body and longer in the arm to clear chest and arm protection.
- Practice
- One or two colours, no names, on the game-jersey body so the fit is familiar. Usually the largest quantity in a hockey order.
- Socks
- Knitted stripe socks ordered with the jersey, from the same dye batch, so the stripe colour actually matches.
Where a hockey jersey wears out
The forearm and the elbow, from the boards. The lower hem, from the pants. The collar, from being pulled on and off over a helmet. A jersey that is going to last two seasons has a heavier knit at the forearm than at the body, and a collar that is bound rather than simply hemmed.
Lace-up collars are a request on about half the hockey jerseys we make. They are a real construction, with a reinforced placket behind the eyelets, rather than a printed imitation. A printed lace-up looks fine in a mockup and looks like a print on the ice.
What to send with a hockey order
Sizes measured over pads
Or the pads themselves, which is easier than it sounds. Three players in three sizes is enough to grade the rest.
Home and away together
Most leagues want a light and a dark. Ordering both at once puts them in one dye batch, which is the only way the crest colour matches across the pair.
The number rule for your league
Height and placement of the back number vary by league. Send the rule or the league name, and we will lay the panel out to it.
Practice quantities
Practice jerseys are worn four times a week. Order more than you think, in the middle sizes.
What we make for hockey, and what it costs
Prices are per piece and include the design work. Every garment has a minimum of 10 pieces; sizes can be mixed within it. A garment marked quoted is priced per order, because its cut and design coverage change the work.
| Garment | What it is | Per piece | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Sublimated Hockey Jerseys | Full-panel colour dyed into the knit, with the lace-up or V collar and the dropped hem a hockey jersey needs over pads. | $40.99 $47.99 | 10 pcs |
| Tackle Twill Hockey Jerseys | Stitched twill numbers and lettering on a plain-dyed body — the traditional look, and the one that survives board contact best. | $40.99 $47.99 | 10 pcs |
| Custom Printed Hockey Jerseys | Screen-printed crest and numbers on a stock-colour jersey. The fastest and cheapest of the three. | $40.99 $47.99 | 10 pcs |
| Youth Hockey Jerseys | The same three constructions graded to youth sizes, with the sleeve length shortened rather than the whole pattern scaled. | $40.99 $47.99 | 10 pcs |
| Hockey Goalie Jerseys | Cut wider through the body and longer in the sleeve so it clears chest and arm protection without riding up. | quoted | 10 pcs |
| Hockey Practice Jerseys | One or two colours, no names, the same body pattern as the game jersey so the fit is familiar. | quoted | 10 pcs |
| Reversible Hockey Jerseys | Two colours in one garment for scrimmage and small-club programs that cannot carry two sets. | quoted | 10 pcs |
| Retro & Vintage Hockey Jerseys | Heritage stripe layouts, laced collars and felt-look lettering reproduced in sublimation or twill. | quoted | 10 pcs |
| Custom Hockey Socks | Knitted-stripe socks in the jersey colours, ordered with the jersey so the dye batch matches. | quoted | 10 pcs |
Hockey questions
How much is a custom hockey jersey?
$40.99 a piece for a sublimated, tackle twill or printed jersey, with a minimum order of ten. The regular price is $47.99. Goalie and specialty jerseys are quoted separately.
Is the price the same for sublimated and tackle twill?
Yes. The body is the same garment; the decoration method differs. Twill runs a few days longer because the lettering is stitched after the body is made.
Do you make goalie jerseys in the same design?
Yes, on a wider block. Send the goalie’s measurements over their chest protector, because that is what the jersey has to clear.
Can you match our existing jersey?
Send one to us rather than a photograph. We colour-match from the garment and reproduce the stripe layout from measurements, which is far more accurate than a screen.
Can we get a lace-up collar?
Yes, as a real laced placket with reinforced eyelets, in the collar colour of your choice.
Do youth sizes cost the same?
Yes. Youth jerseys are graded from the same block with the sleeve shortened, and they are priced per piece the same as adult.
Can the socks match the jersey stripes?
They can if they are ordered together. Socks are knitted rather than printed, so we match the yarn to the jersey dye batch at the time of the order.
How long does a hockey order take?
Sublimated and printed jerseys ship in two to three weeks from artwork approval; twill adds a few days. Rush production is possible for a surcharge when the roster is final.
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