The Montreal Canadiens today announced they will be wearing an advertisement on their historic rouge, blanc, et bleu sweaters throughout 2022-23, the 114th season of the franchise.
The bleu, blanc, et jaune advertisement is for RBC, the Royal Bank of Canada; it measures 3.5″ tall by 3″ wide and will appear on the upper right corner of the Habs’ home red sweaters during all exhibition, regular season, and playoff games when the reds are worn. The team has not yet announced a jersey sponsor for their white road uniform.
This is a multi-season deal, the full terms of which were not made available in the initial media releases.
“We are proud to partner with such an iconic brand as RBC,” said France Margaret Belanger, President of Sports and Entertainment for Groupe CH, in the press release. “There are very few organizations which, like our own, have a heritage that dates over a century and a legacy of making a difference in the lives of those across generations. We’d be hard-pressed to find a more appropriate association than the one we can formally unveil today.”
RBC has announced they will donate $20 to the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation for each official jersey with the RBC logo sold on-site at the team’s official store.
The patch goes where the Guy Lafleur memorial logo once was. The white “10” on a black circle was only worn for four games as Lafleur’s death came so late in the season.
Fans looking to purchase an ad-free Habs jersey can rest easy; the sweaters sold through retail will not contain the patch unless it is specifically requested (or if buying a game-worn jersey). The team has said fans who want to add the RBC patch to their existing jersey can do so for free (free advertising!) at the team store.
Last year, the National Hockey League announced teams would be permitted to add an advertisement to the front of their jerseys beginning with the 2022-23 season (here we are!); since that announcement, the Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Arizona Coyotes have all revealed their plans for wearing an ad on their uniforms.
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