American Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it is time to start thinking about all of the holidays. That’s right baby, it’s gift giving season! Let’s say you have someone in your life that really loves the NHL, or hockey in general, we don’t discriminate here. You may find yourself wondering what would make a good gift for this very cool hockey fan? You want to make sure they have something they like that will also get a lot of use. Don’t you worry, we have you covered.
The first step is to find out which team they like. Most of the time, it is safe to assume the local team is your loved one’s ride or die, but that will not always be the case so make sure to check.
Jerseys
This is going to be the first item to come to mind for most gift givers so let’s talk about them. In hockey, they are traditionally called sweaters, but they are sold as jerseys. There are three jersey options:
- Player jersey
- Blank jersey
- Custom jersey
The safest option is a blank jersey, that is logo on front without a name and number of a specific player. This is a safe option if your team of choice is known for trading away star players. For example, here is a blank Philadelphia Flyers jersey that would be a very safe choice for your favorite Flyers fan.
If you know your hockey fan’s favorite player, it is a no-brainer to buy that specific player’s jersey. If you don’t know, but you are committed to buying a player’s jersey, these are the most popular player jerseys:
- Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
- Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
- David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
- Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
The least safe option, but arguably the most thoughtful, is a custom jersey. Every team is going to have the option for you to enter your own choice of number and name to be placed on the back of a blank jersey. See this one from the New Jersey Devils shop, add your own last name or nickname and it is a one of a kind gift.
Hats
There are so many styles of hats it makes them a whole different beast. Let’s make this as easy as possible and split them into two categories: warm weather hats and cold weather hats. Of course, one can wear a warm weather hat in cold weather, but it is up to the gift receiver on how they want to present the best gift from their favorite person!
Warm weather hats
These are the fitted hats and snapbacks. Please don’t ask me to explain or detail these styles, I’m genuinely surprised I know this much.
An example of a fitted hat for the Carolina Hurricanes looks like this:
While an example of a snapback for the same team looks like this:
The best part about these two examples is that neither one of the images shows the difference between these two styles! Wow! They are exactly as they sound, a fitted hat has various sizes for various head shapes, a snapback has a snap in the back where the wearer can adjust the size of the hat for their head. Either one would be a great choice for any fan and there are a lot of options.
Cold weather hats
There are two main categories: pom or no pom. Pom-poms of course. Knit cap, beanie, cuffed hat, toque, toboggan, stocking cap — they go by many names but that one rule holds true. Pom or no pom.
Two classic examples of hats with poms, dark and light.
And two examples of hats without poms, again, dark and light:
Shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts
The options here are absolutely endless so I’m not going to dig into those. Shirts are shirts. Long sleeves, short sleeves, no sleeves — I’m describing clothing to you. Whatever your aesthetic is, there will be an option for you. So let me show you some special collections, this is a gift guide afterall.
Hockey Fights Cancer
This is one of the biggest initiatives in hockey and there could not be a more worthwhile cause. The collection is great, there are general Hockey Fights Cancer items like:
And then there are the individual team Hockey Fights Cancer items like this hoodie and t-shirt:
Vintage hockey
This is one of the best collections in my humble opinion. Here we have items from teams of years past, teams that don’t exist anymore. That’s right, the Quebec Nordiques, Hartford Whalers, Minnesota North Stars, Oakland Seals, California Golden Seals, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Flames, and New York Americans. Some of these teams moved, some of them folded, but all of them have a nostalgia factor that is off the charts. Look at these logos, they’re beautiful and classic. All hockey fans will like these vintage items, you really can’t go wrong.
Bags
Clothes don’t get to have all of the fun around here, there are plenty of non-wearable options for the hockey fan in your life. Many arenas have rules in place for the size of bag you are allowed to bring in, so a gift of a bag to bring to games is thoughtful. Kids have use for a variety of bags and the NHL has you covered so your little hockey fan can represent their favorite team too!
Using the Nashville Predators as an example, here are some options for gifting bags for your hockey fan.
- Nashville Predators insulated lunchbox
- Nashville Predators clear cross-body bag
- Nashville Predators backpack and duffel set
On The Go
The best way to describe this next group of potential gifts would be for the hockey fan on the go. Maybe your hockey fan is in a different city and they want everyone around them to know they are A Hockey Fan. They could also be looking for other people displaying their team’s logo! It’s a meet cute waiting to happen. Let’s use the Los Angeles Kings as an example:
- Los Angeles Kings four piece travel set
- Los Angeles Kings water bottle
- Los Angeles Kings iPhone wallet case
- Los Angeles Kings foldable charger
Games
Hockey fans are a competitive bunch, we want to win and we want our hockey team to win. We have some perfect items for a mancave or a sheshed. Ew. I hated that. Anyway, these would be awesome gifts any time of year for the hockey fan in your life. Here are some examples using the Tampa Bay Lightning:
- Tampa Bay Lightning yard dice
- Tampa Bay Lightning Fastrack game
- Tampa Bay Lightning ring toss game
- Tampa Bay Lightning cornhole boards
Home goods
This is a catch-all category because there are so many ways to put some more hockey in your life. From drinkwear, to blankets, calendars, and flags, there is a place for your hockey fan to celebrate their team at any time of day and night. People really love hockey.
If all else fails, and you’ve gotten to this point in the article and you don’t have any ideas that you think will work for your little fan, you can check out these pre-packaged gift boxes.
You can shop for each team using these handy links!
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
San Jose Sharks
Seattle Kraken
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
Winnipeg Jets