[<a href="//storify.com/cbccommunity/nhl-jersey-ads-coming-cbc-readers-not-fans" target="_blank">View the story "NHL jersey ads are coming and CBC readers are not impressed" on Storify</a>]<h1>NHL jersey ads are coming and CBC readers are not impressed</h1><h2>Already common in European leagues</h2><p>Storified by <a href="https://storify.com/cbccommunity">CBC News Community</a>&middot; Thu, Nov 06 2014 23:22:07 </p><div>mt.nm.cbc.ca</div><div>The National Hockey League gets an A+ for managing to monetize everything from an adult onesie...</div><div>mt.nm.cbc.ca</div><div>...to women&apos;s wedge pumps with your favourite team&apos;s logo...</div><div>mt.nm.cbc.ca</div><div>...to <a href="http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=53032">game-used</a> jerseys, if you&apos;re desperate to own the pungent scent and sweat of your favourite player.</div><div>In fact, the NHL has successfully learned to monetize anything and everything tangentially related to its product. Given the latter, it&apos;s surprising that only in recent months are we learning the NHL plans on pasting players&apos; jerseys with advertisements.</div><div>NHL chief operating officer John Collins said in an interview posted Thursday by <a href="http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2014/11/06/SMT-Conference/John-Collins.aspx">Sports Business Daily</a> that jersey sponsorship is &quot;coming and happening.&quot;</div><div>The European professional hockey leagues have been using player jerseys to promote sponsors for years. When it comes to the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation), <a href="http://www.volkswagenag.com/content/vwcorp/info_center/en/news/2014/09/ice.html">&#x160;KODA</a> has been the main sponsor of the World Championships since 1992, making this the longest main sponsorship in the history of sports world championships. </div><div>North American professional leagues obviously have sponsors, such as Nike, Reebok and Bauer, but jerseys aren&apos;t currently pasted with sponsors&apos; logos.</div><div>The National Basketball League is also considering allowing ads on its jerseys in the regular season. NBA commissioner Adam Silver called it <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/commissioner-adam-silver--advertisements-on-nba-jerseys--inevitable----most-likely--in-next-5-years-171853393.html">&quot;inevitable&quot;</a> within the next five years as the league looks to increase its revenues. And the National Football League permits <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d810a0413/article/texans-selling-sponsorship-space-on-their-practice-jerseys">small patches</a> of advertisements on practice jerseys.</div><div>mt.nm.cbc.ca</div><div>Most CBC readers are calling Collins&apos; plan for putting advertisements on jerseys a total cash grab with no payback for fans:</div><div>It's a cash grab wast of resources and money they want to put ad's on jersey's while there are people starving in the streets with no shelter and ticket prices will go up alot someone has to pay for new jerseys up to the patrons to split that billDaniel Joseph Gallant</div><div>This is the worst news i have ever heard of involving hockey; Unless ticket prices come down significantly. And we all know that is not happening.Steve Swerhun</div><div>You mean to tell me the owners don't make enough money? Or will the extra money from advertisers help the lower. Income players (because $3 million a year is enough to live off of) within the league? Sadly, money talks and the onwers will be all over this and will continue to raise ticket prices and concessions within the arenas.Philip Hebbes</div><div>It seems that every single time a business finds a way to make a few more dollars people get up-in-arms calling it a &quot;cash grab&quot;. Their job (by law) is to make as much money as they can for their investors first. Ads on jerseys don't affect any of you in any way. Is this what you're angry about? Seriously?Randall Troy Wasson</div><div>Others thought the look of adding advertisements is just a poor move aesthetically:</div><div>No! Are you kidding?! It's distracting as hell and completely steals away from their jerseys emblem. I hate this concept. Plus they're ugly.Maria Carolyn</div><div>look at the jerseys in the german league then you know that it's a bad ideaMaximilian Mathern</div><div>NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Jerseys would be ruined for hockey fans, I'd never buy another jersey again that's for sure. Wtf NHL.Leeann Marie</div><div>I know it's a business, but I just hope they forego neon signs across the helmets or some other incredibly tacky commercial gimmick.Kathleen Millar</div><div>Look at soccer jerseys, I can't even tell where the team &quot;fly emerites&quot; is locatedMyles Hidlebro</div><div>Another reason not to watch the NHL. But then the sell-out to Rogers had already made that decision for me.Brian Marlatt</div><div>No! Are you kidding?! It's distracting as hell and completely steals away from their jerseys emblem. I hate this concept. Plus they're ugly.Maria Carolyn</div><div>mt.nm.cbc.ca</div><div><b>What do you make of this change? Is it worth fighting for the tradition of the ad-free jersey?</b></div>