The Shane Hollander Team Canada Fleece from the popular series “Heated Rivalry” quickly sold out after its release on Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET. The fleece, donned by the character Hollander during the Sochi Olympic scenes in the show, was in high demand. Province of Canada, the brand behind the product, confirmed that it sold out within 10 minutes. Priced at $356 Cdn, the fleece is set to be shipped to customers in October, with 10% of the profits supporting You Can Play, a nonprofit promoting 2SLGBTQ+ inclusion in sports. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association will match donations up to a total of $50,000.
Show creators Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady selected You Can Play as the beneficiary due to its commitment to inclusivity, aligning with the show’s values. Although not an official Team Canada product, fans have been requesting the fleece since the show aired. The apparel company responded to the demand and decided to release it.
“Heated Rivalry” has seen a 400% increase in viewership on Crave since its premiere in November, making it the platform’s top debut show. The series has also gained international success, being hailed as the highest-rated non-animated series acquired by HBO Max. Additionally, the show recently won 16 awards at the Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Actor for Hudson Williams.
Kuwalla Tee, the brand behind the original fleece design featured in the show, is launching a restock of its “OG Sherpa Fleece.” The brand had previously addressed the usage of its design in the marketing of the new fleece by Province of Canada. An agreement was reached in February for proper tagging and crediting on social media. The fleece worn on the show was crafted by Canadian costume designer Hanna Puley, and Prime Minister Mark Carney was gifted a fleece by Williams at an event in January.
The product description of the Province of Canada fleece acknowledges its inspiration from the show’s costume design and expresses gratitude to Hanna Puley and the ‘Release the Fleece’ community.