NHL To Fans: Beware Of Counterfeit Merchandise

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Rangers fans will be flocking to Madison Square Garden on Sunday night for a pivotal Game 5 in the Eastern Conference finals, and some may be looking to buy a new jersey or hat to support the team.

But as WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported, they should be on the lookout for counterfeit merchandise.

Kelly Lynch, associate legal counsel for the NHL, said the league has seen shoddy knockoffs that simply fall apart and even errors that could make fans look foolish.

"We've seen incorrect player rosters on the backs of T-shirts, misspellings," she said.

To guard against getting ripped off, Lynch advises customers to look for the hologram sticker marking official merchandise and buy from legitimate retailers.

"Our goal is to educate our fans so they can protect themselves from becoming victims of counterfeiters," Lynch said.

She said during last year's Stanley Cup playoffs the NHL helped authorities confiscate thousands of phony items with a retail value of $750,000.

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