The 2025 Stanley Cup Final got underway on Wednesday evening, as the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of their rematch of last year’s championship.
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final needed overtime to reach its conclusion, as the Oilers pulled off the win over the Panthers courtesy of a gorgeous Connor McDavid assist to Leon Draisaitl.
While the game needed an additional period to determine a winner, it didn't take nearly as long for fans to notice and voice their displeasure about one significant change to the Stanley Cup uniforms.
The uniforms were modified this year, with the NHL relocating the Stanley Cup patch from its usual place on the front right of the sweater to the front left. That meant that the Cup patch was sitting directly next to the "A" or "C" that alternative captains and team captains wear on their sweaters.
Fans did not enjoy the aesthetic change made by the league, which used the newly-freed up space on the sweater to accommodate the teams’ respective jersey ad patches. Fans felt the NHL did a disservice to the usually breathtaking uniforms by valuing their ad revenue over the aesthetic of the sweaters, and they sounded off on social media.
The Stanley Cup patch placement has become an affront to the game I love. The Cup should be moved for no one pic.twitter.com/Q9K6eGtkXz
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 4, 2025
The Stanley Cup patch placement is god awful pic.twitter.com/MM9siQjT32
— IcyVert (@IcyVert) June 4, 2025
The old Stanley cup finals patch >>> pic.twitter.com/7o9Uzp6O9F
— Bradley (@BradIey98) June 5, 2025
Putting the Stanley Cup patch on the left side to make room for an ad is a crime
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 30, 2023
📸: @DavidDwork pic.twitter.com/OcMW1m5Sai
You know....i wish they wouldn't squish the Stanley Cup Finals patch on the front of the jersey....shoulder patches aren't that bad if you do em right.
— 🇨🇦🍁🏒McWolf💧🍁🇨🇦 (@McFeenixx) June 4, 2025
If you are going to refuse to get rid of the ads on the jersey for the playoffs and refuse to get rid of a stanley cup patch...
— 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕘𝕆𝕟𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕤 🌾🏈🎙️ (@GregOnSports) June 4, 2025
Move it to the shoulder and remove either the shoulder branding or one of the tv numbers. https://t.co/TKyETh4jJG
This Stanley Cup Final patch placement has got to be a joke… #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/WuplOaz0EK
— Tampa Bay Sports Fan (@TBFan613) May 31, 2025
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fans Were Fuming After NHL Moved Stanley Cup Patch to Make Room for Jersey Ad.
