Am I right to think that this interest in how hockey players dress has peaked only in the last few years?

Bennett: “When we think of hockey culture and its roots – in every little town in Canada and hockey areas in the United States, and even in a few Scandinavian countries – to play hockey on the local team is a big deal. To have been given that jacket, with that crest on your chest. As a kid, that’s a brand with cachet. So much so that even the parents of a hockey-playing child will choose not to wear their own coats, but rather the team jacket because their kid is associated with it. Likewise, from a young age, hockey players have a culture of dressing up before the game. It’s a tradition to dress the same, to have a uniform look. Kids will go into their little arenas wearing trench coats – just like the pros. They’re already mimicking everything the pros are doing. Which continues all the way into their teenage years, while they’re playing in the youth leagues.

But things are changing, influenced by a world that has opened up because of the omnipresence of things like social media and cultural globalization. Hockey is being increasingly influenced by other movements: music, fashion, other sports. Tunnel fits have been a big subject in the NBA for years and we’ve seen a rise of them in the NFL, too. In those sports, they’ve become a revenue stream for teams. Hallways are sponsored, Instagram posts are sponsored, for instance. It’s become a big deal. And for hockey to keep up, for it to continue to grow its audience, it needed to go along and be on board and showcase more than it traditionally did. Not just culturally either – the business side has also helped tunnel fits become more prominent.

Another sphere of influence is the changing workforce in hockey. Many more European players have joined the NHL. In the first round of this year’s NHL draft, you had more kids from a diverse background than ever before: Black, Hispanic, Asian. For the first time, we had a first-rounder whose parents were born in Israel. So we’re getting all these different cultures and influences in hockey, and these players are bringing their own expressions and normalizing different types of fashion, too.

Those are some major influences that have brought a wave of change to the NHL over the last few years. If you look up a photo of Mark Giordano from an earlier stage of his career, you’ll see something entirely different. Obviously, his work with Atelier Munro helped tremendously with that, too. But as he’s the oldest player in the league, you can clearly see the change when looking back over his career. Even his willingness now to try different colors, fabrics, and cuts – that shows how much more space there is for individuality. And not just in the realm of fashion. The music associated with the league and its players is also changing. As are the types of partnerships that clubs and players are getting involved with. It’s actually really crucial for hockey as a sport, too. These changes will become a lifeline for the future of the sport. Like any industry or business: you need to grow your audience from year to year. And for hockey to do that it has to adapt, to speak to the potential audience of the future. Even the potential players of the future.”

When we spoke with Andrew and Mark for last year’s campaign, we specifically spoke about how the circumstances in which a young player comes into the league have changed. And what it takes to actually make it. The one thing that Mark singled out is the public-facing obligations and pressure of being a pro in this day and age.

“I’ll give you another thing that has changed. So, these guys are dressing on the road, they’re out and about. Just looking at the spaces they would be in; historically, it was normal to just go to steak houses – similar to Barberian’s Steak House, where you shot the 2023 Festive campaign. Now, when they go on the road, some guys are vegan, some guys are gluten-free. Some guys just have different tastes. So they’ll go to a Japanese restaurant or a Mexican place that might be trendy. It shows how the wider culture is changing. And the spaces these players move in are changing as well. Which also forces them to change how they dress. If you’re going to a new hotspot in town, you’re not going to wear a three-piece suit. You’ll find a look that works in that environment. That’s also the new reality of life on the road and the places and spaces that a modern hockey player frequents. Players have new interests, and this is reflected in this element of their professional life as well.”

Looking at it from the fan’s perspective, has this change you described contributed to a bigger interest in the individual?

“A lot of the stars in hockey are young right now – Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews – they bring a particular style of playing that’s youthful and exuberant. Matthews really embodies this: he has Latin-American roots, grew up in Arizona, and brings his unique flair and style to the league. David Pastrňak on the Boston Bruins: same thing. I think this is a general rule in culture. When someone deviates – for instance, by having fun with their wardrobe – and still has positive results without it being perceived as a distraction, it becomes an aspirational thing to bring your authentic self to the arena. It may even provide permission for other people to do the same. It works for you, not against you.”

Is it safe to say that before this shift, the stars of the league were more experienced players?

“Players like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews have taken the torch from older players like Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin. The older players are all still playing, by the way, but the attention has clearly shifted. Those considered the best in the league right now are players from the new generation.”

It used to be tradition to blend in as a young player. In the current climate, these guys can be themselves from the start. What effect do you see this having when it comes to the fans and how they express their fandom?

“This development in the sport has created another touchpoint for fans to interact with players. Whether that means they’re liking the way they dress online or have an affinity with a player because of their shared interests or style. But the biggest change I’ve noticed in recent years is how the market is widening in terms of how people can express themselves in their fandom. Collaborations between the Maple Leafs and Justin Bieber’s brand Drew House or Drake’s OVO are good examples of that development. So, when you go to a game today, you have contemporary ways of expressing your fandom – which clearly shows through in the arena. That used to be just an oversized hockey jersey. And that’s not even taking into account what it culturally means that pop culture figures like Justin Bieber and Drake are part of what matters to hockey fans these days. Those worlds were hardly crossing over before. Fans being able to express their fandom but also getting to show off their other interests, that just wasn’t much of an option before and you can clearly see that as part of a bigger cultural shift that’s taking place in the sport. The world of the fan is opening up toward more personal expression, alongside a similar change for players.”

I hear you saying that people are starting to identify with athletes on way more levels than just their athletic performances. Is that right?

“Definitely. I’ll give you another example: today, when I look at my social feed, I’m seeing a lot of photographs and videos of Connor McDavid’s wedding, which just took place. It’s a complete who is who. And last year, when the season started, one of the big questions for the Maple Leafs’ Mitchell Marner was what he’d worn to his wedding that summer. That says it all, I think. At a certain point in the year, the season stops in terms of games. But fans don’t stop engaging with the athletes’ lives anymore. Everything matters at this point.”

You, as a journalist, have also built a great look for yourself. How have you viewed your personal role in the league’s changes?

“The change has offered me a perfect segue to speak on my preferred subject: the intersections between sports and other cultural movements. Fashion being one of them. The fact that fashion is now a factor in hockey gives me an extra opportunity to talk about hockey. My conversation with Mark, after you first collaborated with him, being a prime example of that.

On the other hand, the conservativism in hockey that we’ve spoken about is still very much a part of hockey media, too. From an early stage in my career, whenever I would be in a locker room for work, I would stand out. Because of the color of my skin, but also because of the way I’ve always dressed. My personal sense of style therefore also became a point of association and connection with me to the athletes – that’s been a differentiator from other media personalities. Whenever you look at someone, before they even say anything, you’re already making some kind of unconscious judgment. And if I’m approaching a hockey player for a quote or an interview, they’re going to make some calculations that relate to me that are different because of the way I’m dressed. The way my suit is cut.

I take pride in my attire and the way I look. And when I show up, I want my clothes to represent that I’m serious and suited to the job. That’s what my father taught me: always take pride in your appearance. And you can do that even when you’re on a tighter budget. It’s all about intention and being aware that it matters. I dress for my success. In this case as a journalist. That has also become some of the main advice I share with young people getting into this profession. Or young people period, for that matter.”

Dressing for success, whatever you do, nowadays means dressing in a way that expresses who you are as a person. While dressing for success in the NHL 10 years ago clearly meant looking like everybody else. It really seems like a breakthrough that the NHL is ready to show the people behind the athleticism.

“I completely agree. Ten years ago, dressing for success in the NHL would mean fully conforming to a certain look. Now, dressing for success means showing who you are as an individual. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should be loud and bold. But for the collective to be successful, we need all individuals to be their best selves – and that can be shown in the way people express themselves with clothing and other interests outside the rink. It’s about people making choices that are best for them, whether that’s loud or quiet. Whatever suits them best. That’s how things are evolving for the better.”