Maple Leafs, Justin Bieber collaborate on hockey jersey; will be worn at home Wednesday

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Canadian pop icon Justin Bieber have teamed up, revealing a reversible alternate uniform that the players will wear during Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

The new uniforms are reversible, a first for Adidas and the NHL, with a black and blue combination on one side and a gold and black design inspired by Drew House, Bieber’s clothing brand, on the inside. Only the blue and black iteration is slated to be worn in-game.

It is the 15th alternate jersey in Maple Leafs’ history.

We’ll be rocking the black and blue, hby?

The Leafs x @drewhouse flipside jersey is here. pic.twitter.com/UqvnQdpPny

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 22, 2022

“We are excited to be able to take NextGen to another level with this special uniform designed with our next generation in mind,” Maple Leafs’ president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement.

“The opportunity to collaborate with Justin and drew house to create such a unique alternate sweater will make it even more special for our fans and the team.”

Many fans praised the uniqueness of the Drew House aesthetic. However, others criticized the colours for deviating from the traditional blue and white and being too similar to other teams — namely the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Maple Leafs will don the jerseys on Wednesday, with new acquisitions Mark Giordano and Colin Blackwell expected to make their debuts — just not in the traditional blue and white.

Singer Justin Bieber hams it up with a friend during a break in the play during the second period of Game 6 of the first-round playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals. Photo courtesy: Frank Gunn/CP.

Bieber’s love for Maple Leafs runs deep

Bieber, born and raised in Stratford, Ont., is a noted, die-hard Leafs’ fan appearing at several games over the years. He has since become good friends with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in particular — friendships that took off around 2019.

The three, joined by former Maple Leaf Tyson Barrie, suited up for a bit of shinny in Stratford in December 2019, which seems to have been the launching point of the close bond between the stars.

When he released a music video for his hit 2021 song “Hold On,” he referred to it as a love letter to the buds.

“Biebs is a very special person and an incredibly talented artist,” defenseman Morgan Rielly said at the time.

“He’s eager to work with the team and spend time around the guys. I think that’s a pretty cool opportunity. We’re very fortunate to play for this organization, and I guess that’s just one of those things that kind of comes with it.”

Drew House, the clothing brand owned by Bieber that describes itself as “a place where you can be yourself and loved, encouraged, safe and valued,” pushes its side of the jersey remix further.

“My love for the Maple Leafs has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the team, and the passion of millions of fans, is stitched into this NextGen sweater,” Bieber said.

“I’m grateful to the Leafs for the chance to team up again to create something so authentic for the team and its fans.”

With files from Sportsnet