For a limited time if you use any link on this page you can get 20% off your socks when you also order a set of jerseys!
My love for hockey jerseys and my experience with the tedious process of ordering beer league hockey jerseys has led to me working with JerseysMadeEasy.com to create this guide to help understand the different options when you are trying to outfit your team. All the prices listed below are in Canadian funds (hello friendly exchange rate for the Americans!) and are correct as of the publishing date.
While I suggest watching the video above, below I will go over the different logo and number types and explain what I like about each.
I will usually suggest going with a sublimated jersey… which generally includes a logos and numbers but if you are looking for a more budget option or even a more premium option below are some of the choices you can make. Remember that the more numbers you get the more expensive the jersey will be. Choosing to add player names, and arm numbers really increase the cost of jerseys and at that point a sublimated jersey would probably be a better option if you are looking to stay within a smaller budget. My advice is to ignore the sleeve numbers as 99% of the time no one notices them and they aren’t needed in beer league.
Budget Friendly: Screen Printing
The majority of beer league hockey jerseys I see have screen printed logos & numbers. Screen printing is done by applying ink directly on top of the the jersey. It is the cheapest option especially if your design doesn’t involve many colours. If you can manage a single colour screen printed design while utilizing your jersey colour for accents on the logo it would only cost $6 per jersey and $7 for back numbers … which is a very economical choice!
I prefer not using screen printed logos and numbers since they can crack and fade over time and they do end up looking like the cheaper of the options available. With that said, I would prefer a screen printed logo and numbers with more quality jersey fabric (like the jersey and logo combo above) instead of a cheaper jersey with sewn twill logos and numbers.
Modern Premium: Sublimated Crest or Patch
My personal favourite style of hockey jersey crest and numbers is the sublimated crest logo and numbers. This allows for unlimited customization and design (think guitar strings on Nashville Predators numbers) while offering a higher quality feel than screen printing because of the sewn on nature of the logo and numbers. In the logo above you can see the different colours of grey used on the rat for more details, this is easier to do and allows even more details than a twill design.
I prefer the sublimated design as it ends up being lighter and more flexible than the heavier and more complicated pro twill logos. For numbers it ends up being cheaper and considerably lighter than having to stack twill to get multiple colours of numbers. I have worn a few jerseys where the crest would constantly get in the way when I was trying to bend down or trying to stick handle… that issues isn’t prevalent when using a sublimated patch since it is thinner and the single layer or material is more flexible than one with stitching.
I feel the sublimated logos and numbers are going to the be future of professional jerseys as you can see this design and features already existing in professional leagues. NHL Adidas game jerseys have sublimated shoulder patches and have use sublimated details on their main crests as well. The Stadium Series logos are a perfect example of this (see the Sharks logo above). While the Nashville Predators and their AHL affiliate the Milwaukee Admirals have been using sublimated numbers and nameplates for years. The NHL also utilized sublimated number designs on their World Cup of Hockey jerseys, which can be seen below on my game jersey from Team Europe. The blue and teal colours are sublimated onto the single layer number to give the effect of a stacked twill design with out the extra weight.
Pro Twill
If your beer league hockey team wants the full professional feeling and looking jerseys chances are someone wants the pro twill crest or name (think New York Rangers) as well as the matching numbers. These are expensive (around $40 extra per jersey just for the logo, $14 for a single layered number), heavy, and inflexible.
This will make your jersey feel like the pro jerseys that people enjoy, but in my eyes they feel heavy, don’t breath well, and are inflexible and get in the way when you are trying to move. But it is the most traditional way to feel like you have the highest quality jersey there is. Below is an example of very heavy (but very good looking) triple layer numbers and names. This example also shows off how I always suggest using contrasting colours closer to each other and always try and use white (or black on a white jersey) to outline another colour to really make the individual colours pop. The orange on white below really stands out compared to the orange on blue.
What’s next?
Once you have decided on what logo/crest type fits your team’s budget and needs, the next step is to decide on what socks to buy to really complete your team’s look.
Here is my guide to Which type of hockey socks are best for beer league?
*Disclaimer*
JerseysMadeEasy sent me these jerseys, logos, and number kits so I could make the videos and these blog posts to go over the different type of products they offer. If you make a purchase after clicking any of the links to JerseysMadeEasy.com through this page I will get a kickback which will help fund my YouTube channel and this website and help me continue making reviews and hockey gear content. I wanted to see the products before agreeing to this as I would never promote a product I didn’t believe in and one I wouldn’t want to wear or use myself.
Hockey Reviews 
2 thoughts on “Screen print, sublimation, or twill? Which logo & number style to put on beer league hockey jerseys”