The NHL is always looking for way to grow, both in its popularity and revenue. Ticket sales suffered through COVID-19, especially in Canadian cities where restrictions were in place for a longer period of time.
Adding sponsor ads to sports jerseys has always been one of the simplest ways to add revenue. It’s a norm in European soccer and many other sports but many hockey fans are not impressed. Personally speaking, more money for the league and the team can only mean more development and that’s never a bad thing. As for the look? Well, as long as it doesn’t take over the logo or ends up being something where you have several patches down each sleeve, I don’t see what the issue is.