Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin and the Truth About NHL Popularity

What do NHL jersey sales tell us about which fans players are locked in on? The answer is pretty telling. First, when Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are sitting there as the No. 2 and No. 3 jersey sellers across all of hockey, that’s not surprising. It also shows that popularity is not just about who is a great player. It’s years and years of being the default face of the league.

Their merchandise sales are proof that fandom sticks, not just for a season, but like, forever. And the money side is real too. Jersey revenue gets split between owners and players, so keeping those superstars playing isn’t only good for the NHL. It’s good for them, financially and in legacy terms.

Some Strange Facts About NHL Jersey Sales

Then you look at the weird part: Connor Bedard leads the NHL in jerseys sold, but Macklin Celebrini is all the way down around 10th. That gap is basically the popularity “timing” question.

Who did fans attach to first? Who was the easiest story to rally behind early? Bedard has been in the spotlight longer, and even if Celebrini has been just as electric, it can take a little longer for the hype to fully translate into jersey-buying. In fact, thinking of hockey card sales, his “rookie card” sales were stronger than Celebrini’s. In the end, Celebrini might become the better player.

But it also means there’s space for shifts this season. If Celebrini catches on bigger and puts up more highlights, more goals, more “main character” moments, his merchandise sales could climb fast. Jersey rankings can move when a player turns from “great prospect” into “must-have player.” That’s the whole pipeline: attention → fandom → merch → brand-level popularity.