Players in the National Hockey League wear a uniform which allows their team affiliation to be easily identified, unifying the image of the team. Currently, an NHL uniform consists of a jersey (also called a sweater), short pants, stockings (socks), gloves, skates and a helmet.
Background
Historically, the only standardized piece of the uniform has been the jersey, which has to be of identical design by the same company for all members of a team. Other uniform elements merely have a color scheme, allowing individual players to select their own brand and model colored to match the uniform scheme, but not necessarily identical in appearance. Sticks and other equipment worn under the clothes are not part of the uniform and have no requirments in terms of matching a team uniform; teams will sometimes provide players with team-brand undershirts or other under-clothing, but players are not required or limited to wearing them.
Goalies often have their pads and gloves and masks colored to match the team's uniform scheme, but there is no requirement for this equipment to match, and goalies who transfer to a new team often play their old equipment until new colors can be obtained. Alternatively, players who transfer teams have sometimes had their gloves painted temporarily to match the required colors, and are given new helmets.
Each team currently has two uniform designs: One with a white base, and one with a darker colored base. Since the 2003-04 season, NHL teams have typically worn the dark color at home and the white for road games, though there are occasional single-game exceptions.[1][2] The only element allowed by NHL rules to be interchangeable between the two uniforms is the pants.
Jerseys
An example of NHL jerseys for the Ottawa Senators used from 2000-2007; The Senators utilized a third jersey.
The most recognized element of a team's uniform is probably their jersey, which is the only element of the NHL Uniform which is mass marketed to the public.
Most NHL jerseys display the team's primary logo in the center of the chest, while some also display secondary logos on the shoulders. Each player in a team's lineup for a game must have a different number displayed on the back of their jersey, as well as the player's surname above their number on the back of their jersey. While not required, teams typically place their numbers on each upper arm as well. Team captains and alternate captains wear the letters "C" and "A" respectively on the front of their jerseys. Jerseys have a loop of fabric sewn into the inside jersey back, called a "fight strap" or "tie-down", which must be secured to the player's pants during a game, to prevent the jersey from being pulled over the player's head in a fight.
In recent years, teams have sold both "pro" model jerseys, ostensibly identical to those worn by players, and "replica" quality jerseys which are cheaper versions that typically use cheaper production methods and lower-quality materials. Replica versions typically lack the fight strip, and in recent years have an additional brand logo on the left wrist.
Third Jersey
Starting in 1995 (excluding a few prior isolated instances), some teams began to design a third jersey, which allowed them to experiment with new designs, or throwback to a vintage design. Many third jerseys eventually became the bases for teams' new primary jersey designs. Third jerseys were typically worn only a few times a season by special permission of the league, based on a list of requested games.
The third jersey program, as the NHL came to call it, was discontinued for the 2007-2008 season, but will be reintroduced in the 2008-2009 season.
History
Prior to 2000, Different NHL teams had contracts with different manufacturers for their jerseys. Manufacturers included Nike, Starter, Pro Player, CCM, and others.
2001-07
From the 2000-01 season, up to the 2005-06 NHL season, all team jerseys were made by The Hockey Company in an NHL-wide deal, and were branded with subsidiary brands. The Koho brand was on dark jerseys and third jerseys, while the CCM brand was on the white jerseys. The Hockey Company began the practice of putting the manufacturer's logo on the back of the jersey, below the neck, rather than on the back of the waist hem, as had previously been the practice. Jofa, another subsidiary, made the jerseys for referees and linesmen until the 2005-06 season, when they were rebranded CCM which they remain as of 2007-08.
Following Reebok's purchase of The Hockey Company, all official NHL team jerseys were switched to the Reebok (Rbk Hockey) brand, while cheaper replica jerseys sold to fans retained the CCM branding.
2007–08: Rbk Edge
The Rbk Edge is a new line of ice hockey jerseys designed by Reebok. They were announced by Reebok after nearly three years of development.[3] The new jerseys are tighter-fitting, are less water-absorbent, and are more flexible than before.[4]
An example of the new Rbk Edge jerseys, for the Washington Capitals
It was intended to make players more maneuverable on the ice. The Edge jerseys were worn at the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game and began to be worn, league-wide, from the 2007-08 NHL season onwards. Almost every team in the league made at least minor changes to their uniform design in conjunction with implementing the new jersey style. The San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks, and Washington Capitals redesigned their uniforms altogether. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild used their alternate jersey from the previous three seasons as the basis for their new uniforms, complete with the team adopting the alternate logo from their alternates as their primary logo.
Along with the traditional differences between the replica and authentic versions of NHL jerseys, the replica (billed "premier") versions of the Edge jersey sold to the public have a "jock tag" on the left side of the front near the waist with the Reebok vector, NHL logo, and jersey size. While NHL.com lists a jock tag as a feature on the authentic jerseys as well,[5] jerseys sold at retail seem not to have this tag.
Citing player complaints, RBK has modified the Edge jerseys, removing the play-dry material in the front and making the sleeves bigger. The new jerseys, dubbed the Edge II, made their debut at the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2008.[6]
Other equipment
A team's uniform also includes color requirements for other equipment, while not requiring players to use a specific brand or model, so they may select equipment to their preferences. This includes a player's gloves, short pants, and helmet. Socks are also part of the uniform design, historically with some pattern of horizontal stripes.
There is a sock and pant design by Rbk with similar technological improvements and design intentions.
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