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Youth hockey players under suspended stamp
It’s no secret that some parents have a tendency to get way too invested in the sports their kids play. However, the owner of a youth hockey team in New Jersey took things to the next level by disciplining players over a trademark dispute concerning jackets featuring the squad’s logo.
As of 2023, the majority of kids in the United States participated in at least one type of organized sport, and parents have long relied on those programs to give their children an outlet for their energy while instilling lessons about teamwork and adversity.
Many communities offer programs that are designed to lower the barrier to entry for families that don’t have a ton of extra income, and they’re more valuable than ever in a world where private equity has played a major role in squeezing as much money as possible out of parents who have a bit more financial flexibility when it comes to the athletic pursuits of their children.
There are plenty of organizations that have prioritized the business aspect of youth sports over the people they rely on to function, and that would appear to be the case with one hockey team in New Jersey.
The owner of the Jersey Hitmen hit some youth hockey players with a suspension after their parents made jackets with a trademarked logo
Hockey is one of the more expensive sports to get involved with as a kid, as parents have to shell out for a wide variety of equipment and ice time on top of the fees that usually come with being a member of a competitive travel team.
Ice Vault Arena in Wayne, New Jersey is home to a couple of those teams in the form of the Jersey Hitmen and the New Jersey Bandits, the developmental boys’ and girls’ clubs (respectively) that are owned by Bobby Reiss (who opened the facility in 2003).
The Hitmen are affiliated with the United States Premier Hockey League and have produced more than 300 players who went on to play college hockey and six who skated at least one game in the NHL (Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton is probably the most notable alumnus).
The Hitmen name and branding is shared by nine different teams ranging from 10U to 18U, and some parents with kids on the youngest end of that spectrum recently decided to show their support by commissioning some letterman’s jackets emblazoned with the Bandits name.
Four of them posted a picture where they donned them in a now-deleted Instagram post that surfaced on September 20th.
According to Clanko Media, they were chastised in an email in which Reiss announced their kids were suspended from practices and games until the team received restitution (specifically a 15% royalty of an unspecified sum) over trademark infringement he described as “one of the most egregious violations in recent memory.”
RIGHT OR WRONG⁉️ Parents on the Jersey Hitmen 10U team had their own jackets made to wear at games, apparently a violation of their player agreements. Owner Bobby Reiss called it the “most egregious violation in most recent memory” and has demanded restitution and royalties. https://t.co/Uz8aTNNNeY
— CLANKO MEDIA (@ClankoMedia) October 6, 2026
The Hitmen have held a federal trademark for over a decade, and the nature of intellectual property law means companies are essentially required to go after violators if they want to retain one. However, suspending kids because their parents paid for apparel to support the team they play for seems like a bit of an overreaction.
The Bandits currently have a dedicated merchandise page on their website that notes apparel is available in the pro shop at Ice Vault Arena (although jackets are absent from the list). The Hitmen do not, but pictures of the shop in question show their gear is also carried there.
It’s unclear if the dispute has been settled as of this writing, but based on the backlash the news generated, Reiss may want to figure out a different way to handle similar issues in the future.