NHL offers tips to avoid buying counterfeit Knights merchandise

With fans eager to support the team’s Stanley Cup run, the NHL is warning unsuspecting fans that they may be targeted by counterfeiters hoping to cash in on the playoff fever in the Las Vegas area.

“Counterfeiting negatively affects local retailers and the local economy, and it also hurts the overall fan experience,” said Tom Prochnow, group vice president, legal and business affairs for the NHL. “Fans want and deserve genuine merchandise that will last as long as their memories of the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run. We want to ensure that Vegas fans understand what’s real and what’s not by supplying them with tips so that they can reduce the risk of purchasing inferior products.

In an effort to help you avoid getting duped into buying counterfeit merchandise, the league has shared a checklist for shoppers looking to purchase Knights gear:

· Look for an NHL hologram sticker or hangtag on retail products.

· Check for a sewn-in or screen-printed neck label identifying a licensee that has been authorized by the NHL to produce “officially licensed” merchandise, and make sure that any sewn-in tags or labels are intact and not ripped.

· Look at the overall quality of the product before making a purchase, i.e. make sure player and team names are spelled correctly and team colors appear accurate and assess the quality of the embroidery or screen printing.

· Purchase merchandise from established retailers such as The Armory at T-Mobile Arena, The Arsenal inside City National Arena or shop.nhl.com.

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Contact Caitlin Lilly at clilly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @caitielilly_ on Twitter.