Canadian Premier League, Macron reveal eco-friendly 2022 primary kits

Via CanPL.ca

Toronto, ON – (March 17, 2022) – Today, the Canadian Premier League (CPL) and official league technical provider, Macron, a leader in the international teamwear market, unveils the custom-designed primary playing kits ahead of the 2022 season for the Canadian Premier League eight clubs HFX Wanderers FC, Atlético Ottawa, York United FC, Forge FC, Valour FC, FC Edmonton, Cavalry FC and Pacific FC.

The Macron 2022 new kits will make their debut on April 7 when the League’s 2022 regular season begins. This year’s primary kits provide a nod of acknowledgement to the community where each club plays. Each jersey features a unique graphic, symbol, image, or icon that represents their home.

While the look of each jersey is unique in design, developing high quality custom kits with distinctive looks to provide the needed professional technical features while enhancing them with exciting graphic designs is the key to the Canadian Premier League / Macron partnership.

"Each new season substantiates the value and importance of a project like the Canadian Premier League, and we are particularly proud to have been part of it since its inception,” said Gianluca Pavanello, CEO of Macron. “The friendship and respect built in recent years have been essential to working in perfect harmony and creating unique collections every year.

"Among the values that we share, respect for the environment is fundamental: the work that goes into designing and creating jerseys in Eco-Fabric made from 100% recycled plastic, in this sense, confirms the joint commitment we have to greater environmental sustainability. 'We are many We are one', now more than ever, expresses the strength of the Canadian Premier League. We wish all clubs a season full of sporting satisfactions to experience and share with their fans.”

This season all Canadian Premier League / Macron kits will be made from Macron Eco Fabrics – made with a thread which is 100% PET recycled polyester and is certified by Global Recycle Standard.

PET is a material made of oil or natural gas and can be 100% recycled, returning in the market in the form of new eco-sustainable products. In particular, the PET gathered after its first use is reduced in 2 mm chips and subsequently treated to obtain a thread that guarantees the same performance of a virgin thread. The thread does not lose its original characteristics during its treatment and for this reason may be repeatedly recycled. Last but not least, compared to virgin polyester, the PET recycled polyester has the advantage of requiring less energy during the production chain. For each produced shirt, 13 0.5 l bottles are recycled. Read more about Macron 4 The Planet here.

Each team-authentic jersey will be available online for purchase today at: HFX Wanderers FC, Atlético Ottawa, York United FC, Forge FC, Valour FC, FC Edmonton, Cavalry FC and Pacific FC for $119.99 CAD (Adult) and Youth $79.99 CAD. Fans will be able to customize each jersey with either their favourite CPL player or own names and number for an additional $34.99 CAD.

Canadian Premier League reveal new letters and numbers for 2022 kits

The new collegiate font is inspired by the Canadian men’s national team’s achievements in 1985, when they qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first, and so far only, time. The tribute comes in a year where Canada is in a good position to return to the World Cup for the first time since then.

The letters and numbers will also feature a horizontal line that represents the 49th parallel, a circle of latitude that goes across Canada and through all 10 provinces. It is meant to unify players across the league, and symbolize Canada’s connection from east to west.

Inside the numbers are a CPL crest, as was the case with the previous lettering that this one replaces, and sublimated crests throughout the background of the number.

“When we launched the league, we launched with what I would say is a classic font,” said Roy Nasrallah, the Canadian Premier League’s Vice-President, Marketing. “This font stayed with the league for three seasons, but we looked at 2022 and we said that this is a time where we need to introduce something unique. We took inspiration from two stories, the iconic moment back in 1985 with Canada qualifying for the World Cup, and the 49th parallel, which is a great inspiration and connects all the provinces from coast-to-coast.

“I’m really proud of the design team at the league office for bringing this to life and bringing something new and meaningful to the names and numbers.”

CPL Champion North Star Badge and Legacy Patch introduced for 2022

A new tradition has begun in the Canadian Premier League. Starting with the 2022 season, the reigning champion will have a star above their crest to honour their victory in the prior season’s finale. Named the CPL Champion North Star, the badge is a golden maple leaf with the North Star prominent in the middle, based on the CPL’s emblem.

As the 2021 champions, Pacific FC will be the first club to wear kits with the star, including the new primary kit that will be revealed on Thursday.

“We keep evolving around our stories, and our communities,” said Roy Nasrallah, the Canadian Premier League’s Vice-President, Marketing. “Listening to the fans and players is important, and we decided this year is when we should innovate and celebrate the champion in a new way. For us the North Star is something unique, but the star (for winning a title) is part of a global soccer tradition.”

To honour previous champions from this point forward, the league and Macron have also added a new patch that will be worn on the sleeve of all past winners, the CPL Legacy Patch. Inside the patch, which is a golden CPL crest, will be the number of titles that the club has won.

As the only champion before Pacific, Forge FC will be the only club wearing the sleeve patch in 2022, with the number two inside to recognize their 2019 and 2020 triumphs.

“It was important for us to bring a new tradition like the legacy patch, and Forge will have the patch for the first time, and hopefully other clubs will wear it in the future,” added Nasrallah. “It was important to recognize the new champion in a new and unique way, and at the same time keep celebrating the previous achievements of other clubs as well.”