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This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on where and how you buy it. There are 2 kinds of premier jerseys and only one kind of authentic jersey, so you have to be careful when purchasing.

Premier 1 (pre-made jersey)

The jersey that you will see on 80% of fans is the premier 1 jersey. These are pre-made and are what you will typically find in your local sporting goods store. They feature the same sewn on numbers and letters you see on the authentic jerseys. However, the actual design and material used in the premier 1 jersey is more of a mesh-nylon that is meant to fit loosely and look a bit more fashionable. These are not the same designs and materials that you see on the actual players on the ice.

Premier 2 (customized jersey)

If you are ordering a jersey online from shop.nhl.com, then there is a chance this is the kind you will receive. Contrary to what many believe, the numbers and letters on premier 1 and authentic jerseys is not hand sewn but rather machine sewn. This is a programed process that is meant to mass-produce the jerseys of favorite players around the league. This is why you typically find jerseys for the same 5 or 6 players on most fans. So when a premier jersey is made for a player that isn't as popular, they will use screened on letters and numbers. However, the front-facing team logo will still be sewn on similar to the authentic and premier 1 jerseys. The common complaint about these jerseys is that the screened on items tend to curve after washing and obviously cannot be ironed flat because it can melt them off of the material.

Authentic

The authentic jerseys are 95% the same as the ones you see on the ice. A few changes (i.e. padding ties and elastic collars) have been removed because they make the sweaters fit funny or look awkward when worn without pads. The material is a triple mesh that is extremely durable. However, it should be noted that this is the same reason the authentic jerseys do not breath the same way and thus can be uncomfortable if worn in warmer climates. They have hand-tailoring in the underarms, waist line, shoulders and chest that make them fit more snug to the body (think about it, if you were playing you wouldn't want your jersey creating wind resistance). The numbers and letters are all hand-sewn and double-stitched to prevent wrinkling and fraying around the edges.

When it comes down to it, the jersey I prefer is the premier 1 and for several reasons. I have a bit of a beer gut - so the authentic somewhat accentuates it what with the tailoring around the waistline. Additionally, as nearly double the price, it's easy to invest in a player's authentic jersey only to see them on a different team a year or two later.

The premier 1 fits a little more comfortably for me and it breathes a lot better when I'm wearing it in the early-fall or spring. The quality is nice and it can handle machine washing without a problem. The only downside in my mind is that you are limited to a handful of players (I got a Claude Giroux but I would have preferred one of the Flyers younger players like Couturier or Read). Other than that, it looks nice, fits nice and doesn't cost an arm and a leg... just a leg haha.

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13y ago

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