The Toronto Maple Leafs are the latest Canadian team to add a jersey patch to its sponsorship offerings, tapping longtime sponsor the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO).
The new multi-year agreement will include the DFO’s “Milk” logo on the upper-right torso of the Maple Leafs’ home, away and special event jerseys.
The jersey sponsorship builds on a previous multi-year sponsorship agreement DFO signed with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in 2018, which has been focused on making the game more accessible through supporting grassroots programs, in addition to promoting the health benefits of milk.
That focus will continue with the new agreement, with DFO and MLSE including “even more” grassroots programs to support both active living and access to hockey. To that end, DFO will provide 5,000 tickets to community youth groups and young fans who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend a Maple Leafs game.
MLSE has yet to announce whether last season’s helmet sponsor, TikTok, will be returning for the 2022-23 season.
This will be the first NHL season in which sponsors will have the option of including a logo on a team jersey. A minority of the league’s 32 teams have announced jersey sponsorships ahead of the start of the preseason, though the NHL has told clubs that they can sign deals at any point in the season.
Thus far, the only other Canadian teams to announce a jersey patch are the Winnipeg Jets, who signed Canada Life earlier this month, and the Montreal Canadiens, though many fans were not happy with the RBC logo appearing on what they considered to be something of a sacred team symbol. TSN has also previously reported that the Edmonton Oilers are not currently pursuing a jersey sponsor, though that may change.