You’ve got the jersey. You’ve got the kit. Now comes the part that makes people nervous, and fair enough. A crooked number or a scorched name bar doesn’t come off easily.
Here’s the good news. Applying an NHL jersey kit isn’t complicated if you slow down and measure twice. Most mistakes happen because someone rushed the positioning or guessed at the heat. This guide walks through the whole thing, from opening the package to the first wash.
What Comes in a CSG Sports Jersey Kit
CSG Sports calls it a number kit: the player name, the numbers, and a C or A if you want one. Everything is NHL licensed and built from layered twill in the team’s official colours. Kits come in two formats, and the rest of this process depends on which one you ordered.
Sewn kits
Every layer arrives already stitched together, with a heat-activated adhesive on the back. You fuse the kit to the jersey with a heat press. The finished result looks sewn on, but it goes on with heat.
Unsewn kits
The layers are fused together but not stitched. You press the pieces into position, then sew them to the jersey yourself or have a local shop do it. This is the route for anyone who wants a fully stitched finish.
Tools You Need Before You Start
Gather everything first. Hunting for tape while a piece sits half-positioned is how things shift.
- A heat press. A household iron gives uneven heat and inconsistent pressure, and the adhesive needs both to bond properly.
- A Teflon cover sheet or parchment paper to protect the twill and the jersey from direct contact with the platen.
- A heat-printing pillow or flat insert so you press through one layer of fabric and clear the seams.
- A soft tape measure and a ruler.
- Heat-resistant tape to hold pieces in place while you check them.
- A lint roller.
- A sewing machine with matching thread if you’re working with an unsewn kit.
- A reference photo of the real team jersey you’re matching, same team and same era.
Preparing Your Jersey
Start with a clean, completely dry jersey. Check for loose threads, old adhesive residue or a previous kit. If there’s an old name and number on it, those need to come off first, and that job takes care with a seam ripper so you don’t cut into the base fabric.
Lay the jersey flat, slide the pillow inside, and lint-roll the area. Then give it a quick pre-press for a few seconds. That drives out moisture and flattens wrinkles, both of which can stop the adhesive from grabbing evenly. If your jersey has lightweight or mesh panels, test the heat on an inside hem first. Some newer fabrics mark easily.
Measuring and Positioning: The Step That Determines Everything
This is where most bad jobs are born. Placement isn’t identical across all 32 teams or across jersey generations, so work from your reference photo instead of a generic diagram.
Find the centre first. Fold the jersey lengthwise with the shoulder seams lined up, and mark the centre line lightly with tape. Centre the name on that line below the collar, matching the arc or straight line your team uses. The back numbers go beneath it, centred on the same line, with even spacing between the digits.
For sleeve numbers, measure down from the shoulder seam on each arm and match the measurement exactly. Uneven sleeves are the first thing people notice. The C or A goes on the upper chest, and the side varies by team, so check your photo.
Tack each piece with heat tape, then step back. Take a picture with your phone. A tilt you can’t see standing over the table often jumps out in a photo. Measure one more time before any heat touches it.
Applying Heat: The Pressing Process
Use the settings that come with your kit. If you’re unsure, call CSG before you press rather than after. As a general reference, twill adhesives typically need high heat in the range of 175°C (350°F) for around 10 to 15 seconds with firm, even pressure.
Cover the kit with your sheet and press each piece without sliding the platen. If your press is small, do the name and numbers separately instead of trying to catch everything at once. Let the area cool before you lift the cover sheet.
With an unsewn kit, press just long enough to tack the pieces in place, then sew around every edge with a tight zigzag or satin stitch.
Quality Checking After Application
Once everything’s cool, run a fingernail gently along each edge. Any lifting means that spot needs another short press. Compare the finished jersey against your reference photo, check that both sleeves sit at the same height, and look at it from across the room.
A faint shine from the press is common and usually fades. On an unsewn kit, make sure the stitching catches the edge all the way around with no gaps.
Care Instructions After Application
Give the adhesive at least 24 hours before the first wash. After that, turn the jersey inside out, wash in cold water with a mild detergent and skip the bleach. Hanging it to dry is the safest bet. Never iron directly on the twill, and don’t dry clean it.
When to Use the Send-In Service Instead
Doing it yourself makes sense if you already own a heat press or know a shop that does. It makes less sense when you’re working on an expensive authentic jersey, when an old kit has to come off, or when you want a stitched finish and don’t sew.
In those cases, send the jersey to CSG Sports. The team removes the old kit if you ask, applies a new NHL-licensed kit to your specs and ships it back. Production takes about one to two weeks after your jersey arrives, shipping goes out by UPS with tracking, and Montreal-area customers can drop off and pick up in person. If only the name needs changing, CSG also offers namebar replacement.
Get the Kit Right the First Time
A well-applied kit can make a replica look like it came off the bench. The process isn’t hard. It just rewards patience: prep the jersey, measure from a real reference, press with the right settings and check your work before the first wash.
CSG Sports has been dressing NHL jerseys out of Mount Royal for decades, with licensed sewn and unsewn kits for every team and a send-in service for anyone who’d rather leave the pressing to people who do it every day.
