TORONTO 鈥� The Toronto Maple Leafs will debut their Next Gen uniform on Wednesday, a look created in collaboration with Canadian pop icon Justin Bieber.
The first reversible sweater in North American pro sports was designed in partnership with Adidas and the NHL, and features the primary crest with a shibori-inspired print and the Toronto skyline woven into the blue bands on the arms of the sweater and the uniform's socks.聽
The jersey is black, whether it is worn inside or out.
The reversible version features a "drew house" 鈥� Bieber's brand 鈥� inspired design with gold trim, and elements of the drew house smiley face motif inside the classic Leafs logo.
"My love for the Maple Leafs has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the team, and the passion of millions of fans, is stitched into this Next Gen sweater," Bieber said in a release. "I'm grateful to the Leafs for the chance to team up again to create something so authentic for the team and its fans."
A photograph of the pop star wearing the new jersey was posted two weeks ago on the Instagram account belonging to lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.
The Leafs will wear the black-and-blue version of the jersey in Wednesday's game against the New Jersey Devils.聽
The team says the drew house version is meant to be "a lifestyle alternative for fans" and will not be worn during games.
Defenceman Mark Giordano, who was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, said he is excited to be donning the Bieber black in his Maple Leafs debut.
"Coming in I was expecting the traditional blue pants, gloves and helmet ... and everything was black," said Giordano. "Someone told me it's been 105 years since they've worn a jersey that colour. It's kind of nice to be part of something new like that. I am sure I will have a good opportunity to wear the (blue) ones too."
Wednesday's Next Gen game is part of an annual team event established in 2017.
"We are excited to be able to take Next Gen to another level with this special uniform designed with our next generation in mind," Leafs president and alternate governor Brendan Shanahan said. "The opportunity to collaborate with Justin and drew house to create such a unique alternate sweater will make it even more special for our fans and the team."
The Next Gen games debuted in 2017 as a celebration of youth in the community to unite fans of all ages through the team and the game of hockey. The annual event features family-friendly programming and sees youth participating in several areas of the game's operation including team introductions, in-game entertainment and broadcasting.
Ryan Good, the creative director and co-founder of drew house, called the chance to partner with the Leafs "a dream come true."
"Our lifestyle collaboration with the Leafs last fall was very popular and we couldn鈥檛 be more excited to literally make history with this sweater for the team we love," Good said.
The Next Gen sweater is made from materials containing a minimum of 50 per cent recycled content, part of Adidas Hockey's ADIZERO Primegreen Authentic NHL sweaters unveiled for all 32 teams this season.
The Next Gen uniform becomes the 15th alternate uniform worn by the Maple Leafs in club history.聽
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 22, 2022.
The Canadian Press
