NHL uniform

src: i.ytimg.com

Players in the National Hockey League use tools that allow their team's affiliations to be easily identified, bringing together team image. Currently, NHL equipment consists of hockey jersey, hockey pants, socks, gloves, and helmets.

Video NHL uniform

​​â € <â €

Historically, the only standard equipment is a sweater (jersey), which must be identical design by the same company for all team members. Other elements have only a number scheme, allowing individual players to choose their own brands and colored models to match uniforms but not necessarily identical in appearance. Sticks and other equipment worn underneath the clothing have no requirement in terms of matching team colors; teams will occasionally provide players with team-branded shirts or other underwear, but players are not required or limited to wear them.

Goals often have cushions, gloves and colored masks to match the team's color scheme, but there is no requirement for this equipment to match, and players who move to new teams often play on their old equipment until new colors can be obtained. In addition, players who transfer teams sometimes have their gloves painted while to match the colors required, and are given a new helmet.

Each team is currently required to have two sweater designs: one on a white base (or sometimes historically, light colors), and one with a darker colored base. Between the 1970-71 and 2002-03 seasons, the NHL team wore white uniforms at home and dark uniforms on the street (which is the current convention in some low level ice hockey leagues). Since the 2003-04 season, the NHL team usually wore dark colors at home and white for the game of the road; sometimes there are single game exceptions. The only elements allowed by the NHL rules to be exchanged between two sets of equipment are pants.

Third Sweter Program

Beginning in 1995 (excluding some previously isolated examples), some teams began designing a third sweater, or alternate sweater, allowing them to experiment with new designs, or setbacks to vintage designs. Although they are termed as third sweater, they can actually get a completely separate view of the main equipment, often including alternative socks, and sometimes alternative helmets and other equipment. Some of the third sweaters eventually became the basis for the design of new primary sweaters.

The third sweater is usually only worn several seasons with a league's special permit, based on the requested game list. They can also be used during the selected playoff game. The third sweater program, such as the NHL came to call it, was temporarily suspended on two occasions: for the 2007-08 season (due to logistical issues with the introduction of the Reebok Edge sweater unveiled at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game) and for the 2017-18 season (due to introduction Adidas sweater).

The desire of a team to wear their third sweater sometimes requires the opposing team to wear their home sweater or street when the opposite is usually worn, due to the color of the third sweater. This can happen when the road team wants to wear a third colored sweater, or the home team wants to wear a third white sweater, because there must be one team each wearing a white and colored uniform in the game. This can require the team to bring two sets of uniforms and equipment on the road, whether they use their third sweater, or play against existing teams. In the 2017-18 season, no team wore a third white sweater. The Washington Capitals (Classic Winter sweaters of 2011 models after sweater worn teams from 1974 to 1995) were the only NHL teams that had the third white sweater of the 2011-12 season to the 2014-15 season, when they were replaced by red sweaters with designs the same one. The Philadelphia Flyers used a special white third sweater for their 50th anniversary in the 2016-17 season.

Maps NHL uniform

Sweater

As hockey originates as an outdoor winter sport where players wear sweaters, this terminology has been preserved to illustrate what may be the most recognized element of team equipment (which is the only element that is mass marketed to the public).

Most NHL sweaters (T-shirts) feature the team's main logo in the middle of the chest, while some also feature a secondary logo on the shoulders. Each player in the team's lineup for the game must have a different number displayed on the back of their sweater, as well as the player's family name on top of their number on the back of their sweater. While not required, teams usually place their numbers in each of the upper arms as well. The team captains and alternative captains each wear the letters "C" and "A" on the front of their sweater. The sweater has a cloth rings sewn to the inside of the back, called the "rope of the opponent" or "tie-down", which must be secured to the player's pants during the game, to prevent the sweater being pulled from the player's head in a fight. Players usually get a new jersey every ten or so games, though for other reasons players may get another jersey faster.

In recent years, teams have sold "pro" model sweaters, as if identical to those worn by players, and less expensive "replica" quality sweaters that typically use cheaper production methods and lower quality materials. The replica version usually does not have a preservative strap, and in recent years has an additional brand logo on the left wrist.

History

Prior to 2000, different NHL teams have contracts with different manufacturers for their sweaters, although in a few years all or most teams have dealings with one supplier. Manufacturers include CCM, Koho, Nike, Starter, and Pro Player.

2000-07

From the 2000-01 season, until the 2005-06 NHL season, all team sweaters were made by The Hockey Company in a wide NHL deal, and branded subsidiaries. The Koho brand is in a dark sweater and a third sweater, while the CCM brand is in a white sweater. The Hockey Company started the practice of placing the manufacturer's logo on the back of the sweater, under the neck, not at the back of the waist, as it had done before. Jofa, another subsidiary, made sweaters for referees and line judges until the 2005-06 season, when they re-stamped the CCM they fixed in 2008-09.

After the Reebok purchase from The Hockey Company, all NHL team official sweaters were transferred to the Reebok brand (Rbk Hockey) (which is more familiar to the general public), while cheaper replica sweaters are sold to fans who maintain CCM branding. The Reebok logo is on the side board in all the NHL arenas (for marketing purposes) just above the blue and red lines.

2007-2017: Reebok Edge

The Rbk Edge , or just Edge , is a new line of sweaters designed by Reebok. They were announced by Reebok after nearly three years of development. The new sweater is tighter, less water absorbent, and more flexible than ever. It's meant to make players more maneuverable on the ice. Sweater Edge was launched in the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game and began wearing, league-wide, from the 2007-08 NHL season onwards. Almost every team in the league makes at least a small change to their equipment design in conjunction with applying a new sweater style. The San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars, and Washington Capitals redesigned their equipment altogether with new or updated logos. Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild used their alternative sweaters from the previous three seasons as a base for their new look, complete with teams that adopted alternative logos from their alternatives as their main logo.

Five of the Original Six teams (excluding Boston Bruins) as well as the New Jersey Devil retained their previous style wholly as possible, with the Devil going as far as to issue a press release saying that the team had no plans for the Rbk Edge design opening event, as none new to be seen. The Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabers, both of whom have just redesigned their sweaters years before the implementation of the Edge sweater, also left them largely unchanged. But Sabre makes a logo on the front of their smaller sweater and takes the silver line on their white sweater, and the Duck adds a piping orange to the neck of their sweater.

Along with the traditional differences between replicas and authentic versions of NHL sweaters, the replica version (referred to as "prime") of the Edge sweater sold to the public has a "jock tag" on the left front side near the waist with Reebok vectors, NHL logos, and sweater sizes.

Citing a player's complaints, Reebok then modifies the Edge sweater, releasing a dry material on the front and making his arm larger. The modified sweater, nicknamed Edge II , made their debut at NHL Winter Classic 2008 on January 1, 2008.

2017-present: Adidas ADIZERO

In 2015, NHL and Adidas announce a plan for Adidas to begin producing NHL official shirts starting the 2017-18 season. On June 20, 2017, NHL launched a new ADIZERO sweater for each of 31 teams, including the first uniform for the league's newest team, Vegas Golden Knights. The new sweater is advertised as lighter, colder, and stronger than the previous shirt. Due to the change, there will be no third "alternative" shirt for any NHL team for the 2017-18 season.

src: nhl.bamcontent.com

Other tools

Team equipment also includes color requirements for other equipment, while not requiring players to use certain brands or models, so they can choose equipment for their preferences. This includes gloves, pants, and helmet players. Socks are also part of the design, historically with some horizontal line pattern. CCM/Reebok is often a supplier of player equipment and roller skates.

There is a Reebok sock and pant design with the same technological improvements and design intentions.

src: cdn-s3.si.com

See also

• Sportswear (activewear)

src: i.ytimg.com

References

src: imgur.com

External links

• NHLuniforms.com

Source of the article : Wikipedia