An off-season clearance is no surprise. The NHL wrapped a month ago, the next puck does not drop until October, and stores have all summer to move a rack of hockey caps nobody is dressing for. Of course they are on sale. What is worth a second look is how deep the cuts run. Across this morning's feed of 3,747 fitted hats, NHL does not just lead the off-season, it leads every league outright, discounting harder on average than baseball, a sport in the middle of its actual season. Not close, either.
| League | Avg. off | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | 43.1% | 301 |
| NFL | 39.3% | 555 |
| MLB | 37.4% | 2,007 |
| NBA | 37.4% | 281 |
| MiLB | 36.5% | 216 |
| NCAA | 35.8% | 21 |
Average discount by league across every hat with a sale and original price in the feed. MLB, mid-season, still discounts less on average than a league that is not even playing.
The Deepest Cuts in Hockey
Three stores are doing most of the damage. Hat Heaven carries 34 NHL fitted hats at an average of 68.2% off. Anthem Shop is next at 59.6% across 17, and Prociety at 57.8% across 13. Compare that to Hat Club, which carries by far the largest NHL selection at 99 hats but only 42.4% off, or New Era's own site, 64 hats at just 32.8%. Volume and depth do not move together here. The stores with the smaller hockey racks are cutting hardest.
On the shelf: a Boston Bruins Black 50th Anniversary 59FIFTY at Hat Heaven is $14.99, down from $53.99, a 72.2% cut. Beside it, a New York Rangers x FDNY 1928 fitted, also $14.99 against the same tag. At Prociety, a Rangers "NHL Faceoff Pack" is $15.00 from $54.99, with matching markdowns on Ducks, Flyers, and Penguins styles. None are novelty caps or minor-league one-offs. They are mainstream fitteds from the flagship New Era line, priced like clearance because right now that is what they are.
Why the Off-Season Is the Real Sale Season
MLB does not need to discount hard in July, because MLB is being played in July. A White Sox fan buying a fitted this week wants this week's team, and stores can hold price on that demand. Hockey has no such leverage. Nobody is dressing for a game today, so the only way to move a rack of Bruins and Rangers caps sitting since spring is to cut until someone bites. Dead season, dead urgency, so the price does the selling instead.
Football tells the same story from the other side. With training camp near, new-season stock is about to displace old, so NFL lands second-deepest at 39.3% off, led by a New England Patriots 59FIFTY at Anthem Shop for $17.00, down from $52.70. Hockey has no such calendar pressure for another two months, so the discount just sits there, deep, with no reason to climb until puck drop gets close.
What This Means For You
If you wear a hockey team and do not mind that the season is over, this is close to the best the market will give you all year. Start at Hat Heaven and Prociety for the steepest cuts, and check Anthem Shop if you are open to a Canadian retailer. Want more selection? Hat Club has by far the largest hockey rack, just at a shallower average discount. And football fans waiting on training-camp gear: that clock is already ticking too. Hockey will not stay this cheap forever either, once preseason marketing starts in September.
- Hatlock