Deciding what size NHL jersey to buy for your girlfriend (or wife) can be a bit tricky. I own and review all the types of NHL fan jerseys (sweaters), and yes, sizing can be an issue with NHL jerseys.
This is the jersey type that I would recommend buying your girlfriend from NHLShop.com (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com). There are 2 main issues you will want to get right when buying an NHL jersey for your girlfriend or wife:
- Are you buying the right type of jersey? (we will discuss)
- What size NHL jersey should you buy your girlfriend or wife?
In this article I will compare my jerseys to standard t-shirts (like the photo below) so that you have a better idea what size will work best for your girlfriend or wife.
Without knowing any specifics, here is a size range that you will probably want to stick to when buying your girlfriend an NHL jersey:
| Jersey | Size |
| Adidas Authentic (men’s) | 42-46 |
| Adidas Practice (men’s) | 42-46 |
| Fanatics Breakaway (men’s) | XS or Small |
| Fanatics Breakaway (women’s) | True Size |
Are you buying the right type of jersey?
There are three types of NHL fan jerseys:
- Adidas Authentic
- Adidas Practice
- Fanatics Breakaway
Of those 3 jersey types, only the Fanatics Breakaway offers both a men’s and a women’s version. So if you choose to buy an Adidas Authentic or an Adidas Practice jersey, you will have to buy the men’s version. Here’s a look at the 3 jerseys that I own:
In my opinion, it would be best to buy the women’s Fanatics Breakaway jersey since they are shaped for women, but there is an argument also for buying the men’s jerseys. This will likely depend on what your girlfriend wants.
- This is where you can view the women’s Fanatics Breakaway jersey at NHLShop.com (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com).
The women’s version of the Fanatics Breakaway jerseys are obviously cut different than a regular jersey. Because of this, some women prefer instead to wear the men’s version which has the true resemblance to the players’ jerseys.
This is just something to keep in mind when making your decision. Does your girlfriend want the standard men’s jersey look? If she does not care one way or the other, I would recommend buying the women’s cut Fanatics Breakaway. But if your girlfriend wants the authentic fan jersey made by Adidas, remember, it does not have a women’s cut available.
In this article we are going to focus mostly on finding the right size of NHL jersey to buy your girlfriend, but I do want to quickly address jersey types. If you are looking for a standard team jersey, you will need to buy either the Adidas Authentic or the Fanatics Breakaway.
Adidas is the NHL’s official outfitter for on-ice uniforms and other licensed apparel. Adidas makes the authentic NHL fan jerseys.
The Adidas Authentic jerseys are the official authentic fan jerseys. They are as close as you will get as a fan to the exact jerseys the players wear during games (not exact matches, but close).
One thing that is unique about the NHL apparel contract is Adidas does not have the contract for the NHL replica jerseys. Fanatics has the contract to produce the NHL replica jerseys (called the Fanatics Breakaway jersey). Here is my Fanatics Breakaway jersey:
Replica jerseys are jerseys that appear very similar to the authentic jerseys, but lack a few premium finishes so that the price point can be lower, giving fans a more affordable jersey option opposite of the more-expensive authentic jerseys.
Again, my advice is to buy the women’s version of the Fanatics Breakaway because it is shaped for women. The Adidas Authentic jerseys do not have a women’s version.
As I mentioned earlier, some women actually prefer the men’s version to the women’s version. The difference being that to some women, the women’s cut doesn’t feel like a true jersey and so they instead just prefer to wear the men’s version.
The Fanatics Breakaway is actually my favorite jersey to recommend for men as well. Of course, for serious fans and jersey collectors, the Adidas Authentic jerseys have much more appeal.
But for common fans who are just looking for a cool way to rep the team and player, the Fanatics Breakaway jerseys are perfect. In my opinion, the difference in appearance between the Fanatics Breakaway jerseys and the Adidas Authentic jerseys is only minimal, and the Fanatics Breakaway jerseys are more affordable.
Here is my Fanatics Breakaway compared to my Adidas Authentic jersey:
The women’s version will obviously be a bit different. It is shaped for women, and does have a few unique details.
Here is a picture of the Jonathan Toews Chicago Blackhawks women’s Fanatics Breakaway jersey that you can compare to my jerseys above (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com). If your girlfriend does not care what type of jersey you buy her, then I would recommend going with the women’s Fanatics Breakaway just in case the men’s sizing would bother her.
This is the current price of the Fanatics Breakaway jerseys at NHLShop.com (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com). The quality of the Fanatics Breakaway jersey is very nice and very similar to the Adidas Authentic jerseys, and again, it is also more affordable than the Adidas Authentics.
The final option you have in NHL fan jerseys is the Adidas Practice jerseys (men sizes only). The Adidas Practice jerseys are alternate style jerseys that are different in appearance than the standard team jerseys.
Remember, as we discussed above, Adidas does not have the replica NHL contract. Because of that, if Adidas only offered the authentic jerseys, that would mean they did not have a second, more-affordable option to offer fans.
Because they can’t produce replica jerseys and offer them at a lower price point (because Fanatics has the replica NHL contract), Adidas offers an alternate Adidas Practice jersey, that is not a replica jersey, but instead, is an alternate-style practice jersey. This allows them to offer fans a more affordable jersey option opposite the Adidas authentic jerseys.
The Adidas Practice jerseys do not look like the standard team jerseys. This is where you can browse through the Adidas Practice jerseys at NHLShop.com to see what they look like for your (or your girlfriend’s) favorite team (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com).
What Size NHL Jersey to Buy Your Girlfriend
Deciding what size NHL jersey to buy your girlfriend can be a bit difficult and is going to also depend on if you decide to buy a men’s version jersey for her, or the women’s version (remember, the women’s cut is only available in the Fanatics Breakaway).
NHL Jersey Sizing for Girlfriend: Men’s Jerseys
Men’s NHL jerseys fit very loose and baggy, and you will most likely need to size down 1 or more sizes when buying for your girlfriend. Men’s NHL jerseys are sized with extra room built-in so that fans can layer the jerseys over the top of their normal clothes.
Without knowing any specifics, I will try to give some general help by saying this: your girlfriend likely will need one of the smallest sizes available in the men’s jerseys.
Let’s go over the sizing of the 3 types of men’s jerseys so you have a better idea:
- Adidas Authentic
- Adidas Practice
- Fanatics Breakaway
Adidas Authentic
As we discussed above, the Adidas Authentic jerseys are the authentic fan NHL jerseys, and are the closest version you will get as a fan to jerseys the players wear on the ice.
The Adidas Authentic jerseys use a numerical sizing system instead of the standard small-medium-large. Here is how it works per their official size chart:
- 42 = XXS
- 44 = XS
- 46 = S
- 50 = M
- 52 = L
- 54 = XL
- 56 = XXL
- 60 = 3XL
For example, the size 50 is listed as a medium equivalent. I am here to tell you, it is not. It has much more room built-in (again, think of sizing like a jacket).
Here is a look at the size 50 Adidas Authentic that I own compared to a size medium men’s Hanes undershirt straight out of the package:
Let that be a starting point for you if you want to buy your girlfriend an Adidas Authentic NHL jersey. How would a men’s size medium Hanes t-shirt fit on her?
This should help narrow your starting point. If a men’s Hanes medium shirt would fit your girlfriend, then you are probably looking at a size 44-46, depending on how loose she would like the jersey to fit.
For comparison, here I am wearing my size 50 (6’3″ 200 pounds):
These jerseys are baggy and have extra length built in. Most women will likely wear somewhere between a size 42 and a size 46 Adidas Authentic.
Adidas Practice
The Adidas Practice jerseys are alternate style practice jerseys that look different than the standard team jerseys. For example, here is a look at my Jonathan Toews Chicago Blackhawks Adidas Practice jersey:
The Adidas Practice jerseys have heat-sealed graphics to help keep costs down so that they can be sold at a more-affordable price point than the Adidas Authentic jerseys.
This is the current price of the Adidas Practice jerseys at NHLShop.com (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com). If you want to buy an Adidas jersey, but don’t want to spend up for the authentic jerseys, then this jersey gives you a second Adidas option.
The Adidas Practice jerseys (just like the Adidas Authentic jerseys) use a numerical sizing system instead of the standard small-medium-large sizing. Here is how the sizing system works per their official size chart:
- 42 = XXS
- 44 = XS
- 46 = S
- 50 = M
- 52 = L
- 54 = XL
- 56 = XXL
- 60 = 3XL
I own a size 50 since it is supposed to be a medium equivalent. Here is a look at my size 50 Adidas Practice jersey compared to a size medium men’s Hanes undershirt straight out of the package:
As you can see, the sizing for the Adidas Practice jersey is very baggy and long. Most women will wear somewhere between a size 42 and a size 46 for the Adidas Practice jerseys.
Here is a look at me wearing my size 50. Again, I am 6’3″ tall and weigh 200 pounds:
This is where you can shop the entire selection of Adidas Practice jerseys at NHLShop.com to check out the current design for your (or your girlfriend’s) favorite team (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com). Again, the Adidas Practice jerseys are only offered in the men’s version, there is no women’s version available.
Fanatics Breakaway (Men’s)
The Fanatics Breakaway jersey is the official replica jersey of the NHL. For collectors and enthusiastic fans, the authentic jerseys may make more sense, but for many fans, the Fanatics Breakaway jersey is a perfect jersey to rep your favorite team or player.
The Fanatics Breakaway jersey is my recommendation for best fan jersey because the overall quality is still very nice and it is also priced at a much lower price point than the Adidas Authentic jerseys. Because of that (in my opinion) for most fans, it is the jersey that makes the most sense.
This is the current price of the Fanatics Breakaway jersey (men’s version) at NHLShop.com (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com). Here is a look at my Fanatics Breakaway jersey compared to my Adidas Authentic jersey:
The Fanatics Breakaway jerseys use the standard small-medium-large sizing. I wear a size medium in most shirts, so I ordered a size medium. For comparison, here I am wearing a size medium t-shirt:
And then here I am wearing the size medium Fanatics Breakaway jersey (6’3″ 200 pounds):
Here is a look at the Fanatics Breakaway size medium compared to a size medium men’s Hanes undershirt straight out of the package:
As you can see, the size medium Fanatics Breakaway jersey is much larger than a size medium men’s Hanes undershirt. Because of this, many women will likely wear either an Extra Small or a Small for the Fanatics Breakaway jersey (men’s version).
Again, if your girlfriend or wife would prefer a men’s version jersey, and isn’t concerned about whether or not it is an authentic jersey, then this Fanatics Breakaway replica jersey is the type of jersey I would recommend so that you can save a bit of money. To most fans who aren’t jersey collectors, the difference is minimal.
This is where you can shop for the Fanatics Breakaway jerseys (men’s version) at NHLShop.com (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com). Remember, the Fanatics Breakaway jerseys also have a women’s version, which we will discuss next.
NHL Jersey Sizing for Girlfriend: Women’s Jersey
As we have discussed throughout the article, there is only one type of women’s NHL fan jersey available: the Fanatics Breakaway. The women’s Fanatics Breakaway is a replica team jersey that has a few style differences in comparison to the men’s version.
This is what the women’s version of the Fanatics Breakaway jerseys look like (affiliate link takes you to NHLShop.com). Obviously, they are shaped differently than the men’s version, but they do have some small differences, like the collar design and the overall fit.
Originally, Fanatics had released a women’s version that was only three-quarter sleeve, but scrapped that and went to a full-sleeve when initial feedback on the three-quarter sleeve was poor.
Men’s jerseys are sized baggy and loose with a lot of extra room built in. Although the women’s jerseys may not be quite as baggy as the men’s jersey, they still run baggier than normal clothes.
Overall, expect the women’s Fanatics Breakaway jersey to run about one size bigger than normal clothes. If your girlfriend plans to layer her jersey over the top of normal clothes, then you likely will not have a problem. Just order the same size for the jersey as she wears normally.
Where to Buy?
This is where you can shop for the women’s version of the Fanatics Breakaway jersey at NHLShop.com. This is the jersey I would recommend buying your girlfriend. It is made by Fanatics. Adidas does not make a women’s jersey, so if you want to buy your girlfriend an Adidas NHL jersey, you will have to stick to the men’s version.