Hockey is hard on everything attached to a jersey. Patches get pulled, slammed into the boards, stuffed wet into a kit bag and washed after most games. A patch that looks fine on a polo shirt can curl, fray or peel within a single season on a hockey jersey.
This guide walks through how to design hockey patches that last, step by step. It is written for club and school teams, recreational leagues, tournament organisers and fan groups producing their own original designs.
First, a note on league and team logos
Professional league and team names, logos and crests, including those of the NHL and its clubs, are registered trademarks. They can only be reproduced by the rights holder or under a licence from them. This guide is about patches made from your own artwork: your club crest, your tournament logo, your own designs. If your design includes a mark that belongs to someone else, get written permission from the owner before you ask any manufacturer to produce it.
Step 1: Decide what the patch is for
The job the patch has to do decides almost everything else. The common types of hockey team patches are:
- Shoulder and crest patches: the team identity, worn all season.
- Captain and alternate letters: the C and A on the upper chest.
- Tournament and championship patches: made for one event or one winning season.
- Memorial and anniversary patches: worn to mark a person or a milestone year.
- Jacket, bag and hat patches: off-ice items for players, parents and supporters.
A patch worn in games needs to survive impact and frequent washing. A commemorative patch for a team jacket has an easier life and can use materials chosen more for looks.
Step 2: Choose the right patch type
Each construction method has strengths. Match it to the artwork and the use.
- Embroidered: thread stitched onto a twill base. This is the classic look for crests and shoulder patches, with raised texture and strong colour. It suits bold shapes and lettering. See our custom embroidered patches page for coverage options.
- Woven: thinner threads woven flat, which holds small text and fine lines that embroidery would blur. A good choice for detailed tournament logos. More on our woven patches page.
- Sublimated: the design is dyed into the fabric, so gradients, photographs and unlimited colours are possible. Useful for memorial patches with a portrait. See sublimated patches.
- Chenille: the thick, fuzzy letterman style. It belongs on team and varsity jackets, not on game jerseys. See chenille patches.
- PVC: moulded, waterproof and tough. Well suited to kit bags and outerwear that get wet.
For most game-worn patches, embroidered on twill is the safe default. Move to woven or sublimated only when the artwork has detail embroidery cannot hold.
Step 3: Set the size and placement
Size has to suit both the position on the garment and the detail in the design. Shoulder patches are commonly in the 3 to 4 inch range. Captain and alternate letters are smaller. A front crest or a jacket back piece is much larger and is where chenille and big embroidery work best.
Two practical checks help here. First, cut a piece of paper to the planned size and pin it to the jersey, then look at it from across the room. Second, look at your artwork on screen at actual size. If the smallest text cannot be read, either the patch needs to grow or the text needs to go. Our custom patch size guide covers how patch size is measured and what fits where.
Step 4: Build the colour scheme around the jersey
A hockey patch is mostly seen from a distance and in motion, so contrast matters more than subtlety.
- Start from the jersey colours and make sure the patch does not disappear into the fabric behind it.
- Use a border colour that separates the patch from the jersey. A dark patch on a dark jersey needs a light outline.
- Keep the number of thread colours down. A handful of strong colours reads better from the stands than a dozen close shades.
- If you have home and away jerseys, check the patch against both before approving it.
Step 5: Pick the border
The border is what stops a patch fraying, so it is a durability decision as much as a visual one. A merrowed border is the thick, wrapped edge you see on traditional patches. It is very hard wearing and suits simple outlines such as circles, shields, ovals and rectangles. A hot-cut or laser-cut edge follows the artwork exactly, which is needed for irregular shapes, and is finished with a narrow stitched outline. For a game-worn patch with a simple shape, merrowed is the tougher option.
Step 6: Choose a backing that suits jerseys
This is where many hockey patches fail. Jerseys are made from polyester, often with mesh panels, and they stretch, get soaked and are washed constantly.
- Sew-on is the most reliable choice for anything worn in games. Stitching holds through washing and through the pulling a jersey takes on the ice.
- Iron-on is convenient, but polyester is sensitive to heat and an iron that is too hot can mark or glaze the fabric. On a game jersey, treat the adhesive as a way to hold the patch in position and then stitch the edge.
- Heat seal is a stronger adhesive applied with a heat press, usually by the shop that decorates the jerseys.
- Velcro suits bags and jackets where patches are swapped, not game jerseys.
Our guide to the types of patch backings and how to attach them goes through each option in detail.
Step 7: Check a proof and test one patch
Before production, ask for a digital proof and check it carefully: spelling, year, colours and the size printed on the proof. Tournament and memorial patches cannot be quietly corrected later.
When the patches arrive, attach one to a jersey and put it through a normal wash before you attach the rest. It takes a day and it tells you whether the attachment method is right for your fabric.
Step 8: Plan the timeline and the quantity
Custom patches are made to order. Our standard turnaround is 20 to 30 days and express is 10 to 14 days, so work back from the first game or the tournament date and leave time for attaching them. Order a few more than the roster needs. Players join mid-season, jerseys get replaced and a small reorder later is less economical than a few spares now.
When you have your artwork, size, quantity and deadline, request a quote for your team patches and we will confirm the best construction for your design.
Caring for patched jerseys
- Turn the jersey inside out before washing.
- Wash cool on a gentle cycle and avoid bleach.
- Hang to dry. High dryer heat is hard on adhesive backings and on embroidery thread.
- Do not leave a wet jersey balled up in a kit bag. Damp is what makes patch edges lift and colours dull over time.
- Check the stitching at the start of each season and re-sew any edge that has started to lift.
Frequently asked questions
What type of patch is best for a hockey jersey?
An embroidered patch on a twill base with a sew-on backing is the most durable choice for game-worn jerseys. Use woven or sublimated if the design has very fine detail or gradients.
Can I iron a patch onto a hockey jersey?
You can, with care, but polyester jerseys are heat sensitive and iron-on adhesive alone often does not last through a season of washing. Stitching the edge is strongly recommended.
Can you make patches with professional league or team logos?
Those logos are trademarks and need a licence or written permission from the owner. Patches made from your own club, school or tournament artwork have no such restriction.
How long does an order take?
Standard production is 20 to 30 days and express is 10 to 14 days. You can browse every patch type on our custom patches page before you order.
