A Swiss court has rejected Hockey Canada’s attempt to block a deal that would see Brantford, Ont.-based TRUE Hockey supply jerseys and apparel for teams competing in International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) events, dealing a setback to the national hockey body’s efforts to control commercial rights tied to Team Canada uniforms.
The dispute centres on an agreement between the IIHF and TRUE Hockey, which is owned by Graeme Roustan’s private investment firm Roustan Capital. Under that deal, TRUE would replace Nike as the supplier of jerseys and apparel for teams at IIHF events, though the arrangement excludes the Olympics and the men’s and women’s world championships. Hockey Canada challenged the agreement in Swiss court, arguing the IIHF could not design, manufacture or sell Team Canada jerseys without its approval.
The legal fight comes as Hockey Canada has separately extended its deal with Bauer as its official jersey partner and announced plans to restore its longtime crest. Taylor McKee, director of the Centre for Sport Capacity at Brock University, said the dispute raises questions about how that Bauer agreement came together, noting that a made-in-Canada option from TRUE could have factored into a standard tender process had one taken place.
Court Sides With IIHF’s Commercial Rights
In May, a Zurich court had temporarily restricted the IIHF’s ability to commercialize Team Canada jerseys after Hockey Canada sought the block. But after hearing arguments from both sides, the court rejected Hockey Canada’s request and revoked those temporary orders. The court found that IIHF rules grant the federation broad commercial rights connected to its competitions, including the supply of on-ice uniforms, and determined that TRUE’s agreement was not significantly different from the commercial rights previously granted to Nike.
USA Hockey had joined Hockey Canada in seeking to block the TRUE-IIHF contract, but the court denied both organizations’ requests. The court also outlined what Team Canada jerseys might look like if Hockey Canada withholds access to its protected branding, noting TRUE could produce a more generic red-and-white jersey with “Canada” across the chest without using Hockey Canada’s intellectual property.
Financial Stakes and What Comes Next
The court valued the dispute at 21.2 million Swiss francs, or more than C$36 million, based on Hockey Canada’s own estimate of potential annual losses. Under the terms of TRUE’s agreement with the IIHF, 15 per cent of the revenue generated would be distributed to the hockey associations of member countries, including Hockey Canada.
Hockey Canada maintains the ruling does not settle the broader dispute, describing the matter as complex and noting in a statement that the court’s decision addressed only interim measures rather than the merits of the case. The organization said it will continue to evaluate options to ensure it retains sole discretion over selecting its commercial partners. Hockey Canada has 30 days to appeal the ruling, and because the decision concerned only interim measures, the underlying question of who controls commercial rights to Team Canada jerseys remains unresolved.
McKee also pointed to TRUE’s growing presence in the hockey equipment industry as notable in its own right, given how many equipment manufacturers have struggled to gain a foothold in the market over the past two decades.
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