The NHL and the people of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., have a long-running relationship. Every authentic NHL hockey jersey that has hit the ice or been purchased by fans since 1975 has come from Quebec.
But now, U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war is threatening the long tradition of Canadian-made NHL jerseys, and the jobs of the 250 SP Apparel employees that make them.
Berard worries the NHL’s supplier, Fanatics, will consider moving production out of Quebec to avoid paying any tariffs.
“We don’t have the capacity to absorb that 25 per cent and the customer doesn’t have the capacity [for] that 25 per cent increase either,” Berard said.
I can empathise with them. But in the end, don’t we really have more important things to worry about that are getting hit?