NHL uniform
Encyclopedia
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
(traditionally, but less commonly known as a sweater), short pants, socks, gloves, and a helmet.
has been the shirt, which has to be of identical design by the same company for all members of a team. Other uniform elements merely have a number 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 requirements 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 is currently required to have two uniform designs: One with a white base (or sometimes historically, a light color), and one with a darker-colored base. Since the 2003–04 season, NHL teams typically wear the dark color at home and the white for road games; there are occasional single-game exceptions. The only element allowed by NHL rules to be interchangeable between the two uniforms is the pants.
Third jerseys are typically worn only a few times a season by special permission of the league, based on a list of requested games. They can also be worn during selected playoff games. However, The Toronto Maple Leafs
used their white third jerseys very often, whether at home or on the road, and to many it seems that they wear the third jerseys at home more than they wear their regular home jerseys during home games. The third jersey program, as the NHL came to call it, was discontinued for the 2007–08 season, with the introduction of the Rbk Edge jersey, but was reintroduced for the 2008–09 season.
A team's desire to wear their third jersey sometimes requires the opposing team to wear their home or road jersey when the opposite would be normally worn, due to the color of the third jersey. This can occur when a road team wishes to wear a colored third jersey, or a home team wishes to wear a white third jersey, as there must be one team each wearing white and colored uniforms in a game. This can require a team to carry two sets of uniforms and equipment on the road, whether they are using their third jerseys, or are playing against a team who is. As of the 2011-12 season, the Dallas Stars
(their former away jersey), and Washington Capitals
(Winter Classic jersey modeled after sweater the team wore from 1974-1995) are the only NHL teams to have a white third jersey.
or sweater, 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 centre 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 strap, and in recent years have an additional brand logo on the left wrist.
, Starter, Pro Player
, CCM
, and 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 re-branded CCM which they remain as of 2008–09.
Following Reebok
's purchase of The Hockey Company, all official NHL team jerseys were switched to the Reebok (Rbk Hockey) brand (which is more familiar to the general public), while cheaper replica jerseys sold to fans retained the CCM branding. Reebok logos are on the side boards in all NHL arenas (for marketing purposes) just above the blue and red lines.
. They were announced by Reebok after nearly three years of development. The new jerseys are tighter-fitting, are less water-absorbent, and are more flexible than before. It was intended to make players more manoeuvrable on the ice. The Edge jerseys were unveiled 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 with a new or updated logo. 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.
All of the Original Six
teams (except for the Boston Bruins
) as well as the New Jersey Devils
kept their previous styles intact when possible, with the Devils going as far as to issue a press release saying that the team had no plans for an event unveiling the Rbk Edge design, because there was nothing new to see. The Anaheim Ducks
and Buffalo Sabres
, who both had just redesigned their uniforms the year before the implementation of the Edge jerseys, also left their uniforms unchanged. But, the Sabres made the logo on the front of their jersey smaller and took away the silver outline on their white away jersey.
Along with the traditional differences between the replica and authentic versions of NHL jerseys, the replica (billed as "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.
Citing player complaints, Reebok later modified the Edge jerseys, removing the play-dry material in the front and making the sleeves bigger. The modified jerseys, dubbed the Edge II, made their debut at the 2008 NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2008.
The Reebok Edge jersey continues to evolve, as the current Reebok Edge material more closely resembles that of the pre-2007 CCM/Reebok jerseys than the original Reebok Edge material.
There is a sock and pant design by Rbk with similar technological improvements and design intentions.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
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
Hockey jersey
A hockey jersey, traditionally called a sweater , is a piece of clothing worn by hockey players to cover the upper part of their bodies. "Sweater" is the correct reference in Canada, despite the material...
(traditionally, but less commonly known as a sweater), short pants, socks, gloves, and a helmet.
Background
Historically, the only standardized piece of the uniformUniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
has been the shirt, which has to be of identical design by the same company for all members of a team. Other uniform elements merely have a number scheme, allowing individual players to select their own brand and model colored to match the uniform scheme, but not necessarily identical in appearance. Sticks
Ice hockey stick
An ice hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in ice hockey to shoot, pass, and carry the puck. Ice hockey sticks are approximately 150–200 cm long, composed of a long, slender shaft with a flat extension at one end called the blade. The blade is the part of the stick used to contact the...
and other equipment worn under the clothes are not part of the uniform and have no requirements 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
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
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 is currently required to have two uniform designs: One with a white base (or sometimes historically, a light color), and one with a darker-colored base. Since the 2003–04 season, NHL teams typically wear the dark color at home and the white for road games; there are occasional single-game exceptions. The only element allowed by NHL rules to be interchangeable between the two uniforms is the pants.
Third jersey program
Starting in 1995 (excluding a few prior isolated instances), some teams began to design a third jersey, or alternate jersey, which allowed them to experiment with new designs, or throwback to a vintage design. Though they are termed third jerseys, they can actually entail an entirely separate uniform from the primary uniforms, often including alternate socks, and sometimes alternate helmets and other equipment. Some third jerseys have eventually become the bases for new primary jersey designs.Third jerseys are typically worn only a few times a season by special permission of the league, based on a list of requested games. They can also be worn during selected playoff games. However, The Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
used their white third jerseys very often, whether at home or on the road, and to many it seems that they wear the third jerseys at home more than they wear their regular home jerseys during home games. The third jersey program, as the NHL came to call it, was discontinued for the 2007–08 season, with the introduction of the Rbk Edge jersey, but was reintroduced for the 2008–09 season.
A team's desire to wear their third jersey sometimes requires the opposing team to wear their home or road jersey when the opposite would be normally worn, due to the color of the third jersey. This can occur when a road team wishes to wear a colored third jersey, or a home team wishes to wear a white third jersey, as there must be one team each wearing white and colored uniforms in a game. This can require a team to carry two sets of uniforms and equipment on the road, whether they are using their third jerseys, or are playing against a team who is. As of the 2011-12 season, the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
(their former away jersey), and Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
(Winter Classic jersey modeled after sweater the team wore from 1974-1995) are the only NHL teams to have a white third jersey.
Jerseys
The most recognized element of a team's uniform is probably their jerseyHockey jersey
A hockey jersey, traditionally called a sweater , is a piece of clothing worn by hockey players to cover the upper part of their bodies. "Sweater" is the correct reference in Canada, despite the material...
or sweater, 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
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
in the centre 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 strap, and in recent years have an additional brand logo on the left wrist.
History
Prior to 2000, Different NHL teams had contracts with different manufacturers for their jerseys, although in some years all or most teams had a deal with one supplier. Manufacturers included NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Starter, Pro Player
Fruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom is an American company which manufactures clothing, particularly underwear. The company's world headquarters is in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is currently a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway.-Company profile:...
, CCM
CCM (The Hockey Company)
CCM, formerly an initialism for Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd., is a sporting goods brand. The brand is held by two separate entities both maintaining the CCM trademark, one manufacturing ice hockey equipment and the other, CCM manufacturing bicycles.-History:CCM was founded in 1899 after the...
, and Koho
Koho (company)
Koho is a brand of ice hockey equipment that originated from Finland. Currently, Koho equipment is manufactured by The Hockey Company . Koho is especially known for its goaltending equipment...
.
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 KohoKoho (company)
Koho is a brand of ice hockey equipment that originated from Finland. Currently, Koho equipment is manufactured by The Hockey Company . Koho is especially known for its goaltending equipment...
brand was on dark jerseys and third jerseys, while the CCM
CCM (The Hockey Company)
CCM, formerly an initialism for Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd., is a sporting goods brand. The brand is held by two separate entities both maintaining the CCM trademark, one manufacturing ice hockey equipment and the other, CCM manufacturing bicycles.-History:CCM was founded in 1899 after the...
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
Jofa
Jofa, originally short for Jonssons Fabriker is a maker of sporting equipment for sports such as ice hockey, bandy, horseback riding, based in Malung, Sweden.Niss-Oskar Jonsson founded Jofa in 1926...
, another subsidiary, made the jerseys for referees and linesmen until the 2005–06 season, when they were re-branded CCM which they remain as of 2008–09.
Following Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
's purchase of The Hockey Company, all official NHL team jerseys were switched to the Reebok (Rbk Hockey) brand (which is more familiar to the general public), while cheaper replica jerseys sold to fans retained the CCM branding. Reebok logos are on the side boards in all NHL arenas (for marketing purposes) just above the blue and red lines.
Since 2007: Reebok Edge
The Rbk Edge, or simply Edge, is a newer line of jerseys designed by ReebokReebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
. They were announced by Reebok after nearly three years of development. The new jerseys are tighter-fitting, are less water-absorbent, and are more flexible than before. It was intended to make players more manoeuvrable on the ice. The Edge jerseys were unveiled at the 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game
55th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Dallas, Texas, on January 24, 2007. The Western Conference was victorious, defeating the Eastern Conference 12–9...
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
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
, Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, and Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
redesigned their uniforms altogether with a new or updated logo. The Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
used their alternate jersey
Third jersey
A third jersey or alternate jersey is a sports team's alternate and/or throwback design for the previously established other two jerseys, the home and away outfits. Alternate jerseys are used in all four of the North American major professional sports leagues as well as college sports, semipro...
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.
All of the Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
teams (except for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
) as well as the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
kept their previous styles intact when possible, with the Devils going as far as to issue a press release saying that the team had no plans for an event unveiling the Rbk Edge design, because there was nothing new to see. The Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
, who both had just redesigned their uniforms the year before the implementation of the Edge jerseys, also left their uniforms unchanged. But, the Sabres made the logo on the front of their jersey smaller and took away the silver outline on their white away jersey.
Along with the traditional differences between the replica and authentic versions of NHL jerseys, the replica (billed as "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.
Citing player complaints, Reebok later modified the Edge jerseys, removing the play-dry material in the front and making the sleeves bigger. The modified jerseys, dubbed the Edge II, made their debut at the 2008 NHL Winter Classic on January 1, 2008.
The Reebok Edge jersey continues to evolve, as the current Reebok Edge material more closely resembles that of the pre-2007 CCM/Reebok jerseys than the original Reebok Edge material.
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. Nonetheless, CCM/Reebok has traditionally been one of the leading suppliers of player equipment and skates, if not the number one supplier.There is a sock and pant design by Rbk with similar technological improvements and design intentions.