Detroit Red Wings: Helmet ads are unorthodox but understandable

The Detroit Red Wings will have helmet ads during the 2020-21 season.

The 2020-21 season is going to be great for Detroit Red Wings fans who are excited to see the winged wheel uniform back on the ice. But from head to toe, there will be a new tweak to the Red Wings uniform, specifically to the helmet.

It’s an unorthodox change and frankly, it is going to take some getting used to. Before going any further, here’s some explanation as to what the changes are, not just for the Red Wings, but the whole league.

With the good news of the 56-game season and the schedule release came a dark cloud. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams have been given the approval to explore sponsorships that appear on the uniform, more specifically helmet ads.

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The NHL has given the green light for teams to explore helmet ads in an effort to combat the amount of lost revenue that is coming from empty arenas.

It is thought to be a temporary change but time will tell if this becomes permanent or not.

The Red Wings are one of just a handful of teams who have announced they will have helmet ads for the 2020-21 season.

General Manager Steve Yzerman made it clear that this is a way for the organization to recoup some lost revenue.

He announced that the Red Wings and United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) have reached an agreement on a “UWM” logo helmet ad that will be used during the 2020-21 season.

Frankly, it just looks strange, the mockup posted by the Red Wings on Twitter just looks so weird.

Finding revenue is tough during a pandemic and Yzerman views the helmet ads as a way to make that happen. Whether it is against the grain or against the norm holds no weight, the ads are going to help the organization find some revenue.

It’s very easy to see why this move is being made. From a business perspective, this makes sense, it is understandable that the Red Wings can recoup value from their UWM sponsorship.

The Detroit Red Wings x UWM helmet ad announcement is understandable but it still looks incredibly weird.

For traditionalists out there, the Detroit Red Wings announcement of helmet ads is just blasphemous and cannot sit well. Strictly looking at the tradition of the Red Wings jersey, it sucks. That’s the bottom line.

I get the reasoning behind it, however, as a fan of the clean look the Red Wings exhibit from top to bottom, the helmet ads just look out of place. They may be small helmet ads, but from the looks, it just does not look right.

Though this is supposed to be a temporary change, there is a chance that it does not and it worries me that the Red Wings and other NHL jerseys could turn into jerseys that look like those of the European leagues.

There is fear that the sponsorships might not stop at helmet ads and future years jerseys could be cluttered with ads if teams so choose. It’s a bit worrisome for traditionalists of hockey jerseys. While it is understandable, I hope that the Red Wings shy away from uniform ads in the future and this is a one-time thing.

Either way, check out the Detroit Red Wings new helmet ad featuring the United Wholesales Mortgage logo.