Almost The First Advertisement

All six jerseys to the left have something in common outside of the company that manufacturered them, and that commonality is the logo being worn on the right shoulder. Beginning in the 2022-23 season, all NHL teams were permitted to wear jersey advertisements on a 3-inch by 3.5-inch rectangle in one of four spots on the jersey that include left and right shoulders, and left and right chest. It begs the question, though, that goaltenders could potentially use their masks, blockers, and pads as potential advertisement locations as well, and it nearly happened back in 1989.

While it seemed like everything was proceeding as it should in the summer of 1989, Edmonton Oilers GM Glen Sather found himself with a problem as the calendar flipped to June when his star netminder, 26 year-old Grant Fuhr, filed retirement papers with the NHL. If this seemed like an odd move for a goaltender who was in his prime, it was certainly unexpected for Sather who found out like everyone else did as Fuhr announced his retirement after a round of golf while still at the country club. The 1988 Vezina Trophy winner was done.

According to what Fuhr told everyone at his impromptu press conference at the country club, he was retiring due a lack of respect, stating, "If you can't play this game and have fun and get the respect you deserve, then there's not much reason for going on."

It was never clear as to exactly what lack of respect Fuhr thought he was experiencing, but some attributed Fuhr's retirement to a policy the NHL handed down to all NHL teams that mandated that any and all equipment manufacturers who wanted to display their name or logos that would be visible to the public to pay the NHL before they could be worn on the ice. That meant that companies like CCM, Brown, and Cooper had to spend a little money to have their name shown on their gear, but it also affected one other company.

According to the Canadian Press report below, Fuhr had cut a side deal with a company who would be affected by this new policy.

As shown in the Brandon Sun, Fuhr had deal in place with Pepsi to place their logo on his goalie pads for the 1988-89 season. However, the NHL's new rule on logos on equipment would prevent that from happening. Endorsement deals for players were nothing new in 1989, but having that endorsement carried onto the ice was.

As the article states, Fuhr ended his premature retirement on August 25, 1989 as he and Sather worked out the differences between the netminder and the Oilers, and "Sather said Fuhr was confused over the situation and the reason why the league wouldn't let him wear the logo" which means he intended on wearing it in games. Once Sather explained that it was the NHL, and not the Oilers, who were preventing Fuhr from wearing the Pepsi logo on the ice, it seems all was forgiven and Fuhr was once again ready to suit up for the Oilers.

After winning the Stanley Cup and the Vezina Trophy in 1988 while going 40-24-9 that season, Fuhr's numbers came crashing back down to Earth in 1988-89 as he 23-26-6 as the Oilers finished in third-place in the Smythe Division. He'd injure his shoulder in 1989-90, limiting him to just 21 games where he went 9-7-3. I'm not saying that he wouldn't have been injured with the Pepsi logo on his pads, but it would be the first significant injury of Fuhr's career.

It's pretty crazy to think that the first advertisement to be worn in the NHL almost happened in 1989. Pepsi and Fuhr clearly had some sort of endorsement deal between them, and the only reason we didn't see a Pepsi logo on the ice was because the NHL wanted their cut of the money. Pepsi may have been "A Generation Ahead" in 1989, but the NHL was having none of it without some sort of payment which almost cost the Oilers and hockey fans Grant Fuhr.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!