| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| pucker |
Posted - 11/30/2006 : 14:52:11
quote:
NEW YORK -- The NHL will break with tradition next season by ushering in a new, streamlined uniform that blends fashion with functionality, commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday.
Bettman said the new-look uniforms, designed over the past two years, will be unveiled at the All-Star Game in January.
In an interview with Reuters at the NHL's headquarters in New York, Bettman said the players who have tested it so far "have been thrilled."
While the new tapered uniforms are fashionable, Bettman said they were designed with players in mind.
"The new uniform takes advantage of developments in new fabrics," he said. "But the change was done not for the stylistic. It was done for performance and safety. It was time. Our basic uniforms haven't changed in 40 years."
NHL teams have worn basically the same outfit, with big, square shirts, bulky pads and wide socks with horizontal stripes since the 1940s.
The new leg pads are designed to stay in place when a player moves and not ride up toward the waist.
"The players will have the ability to have their joints flex and be able to move their arms and legs better than ever before," Bettman said.
In a wide-ranging interview, Bettman said attendance during the first two months of the season is down about one percent from last year's record-setting campaign.
"In terms of the vital signs, last season was strong," the commissioner said. "This season remains strong."
The league is having attendance problems in some of its bigger markets, such as New Jersey and Chicago, but some of the franchises in non-traditional hockey areas such as Raleigh, N.C., and Nashville, Tenn., are solid.
"Last year, we set an all-time attendance record," Bettman said.
"Part of that record was the strongest October we had ever seen. ... If you take away last October, we would have set an attendance record for October this year."
Despite sagging attendance in some markets and low television ratings, Bettman said he was thrilled with the way the league has rebounded from the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.
"I think 25 teams last year either made the playoffs or were within 10 points of making the playoffs," Bettman said. "And I think we're doing better than that this year. So almost everybody is competitive and is in the hunt."
Bettman said the NHL was committed to boosting its television ratings but added he has secured deals with Internet video firms to reach younger fans.
"The challenge moving forward with the foundation we have is, 'How do we grow new fans? How do we take casual sports fans and turn them into hockey fans?' That's what we're working on," he said.
"No one can question that this is a solid business, a strong league with an unbelievably strong brand. What other brand could shut down for a year and not lose its customers?
"Hockey fans are the most loyal fans in sports, and for that we are so grateful."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2680102
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| 23 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Just-in-time |
Posted - 01/23/2007 : 16:17:56
The Jersey will still be going over the player and his equipment so it wont make a difference aerodynamicly. I would like to hear Bettman explain what it will do for safety.
Go Jets Go |
| Beans15 |
Posted - 01/23/2007 : 11:21:22
From listening to the players talk about it yesterday, the biggest advantage to the new jerseys will be the fact that they will not soak up sweat. Every player that I heard commented on that and how much nicer is was to play in a jersey that didn't weight 20 lbs by the 3rd period. I can't say that you will notice the 8% increase in speed, but if they players like they, it's fine to me. It's not like they look any different. Just a little more snug. |
| Guest4944 |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 18:07:50
What is bettman playing at? man, first bigger nets, now this? next jerseys will give off oil so that the d-man can't hit because its 'far too dangerous' |
| KariyaSelanne |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 15:14:44
they might improve the speed a bit , it might be a bit better aerodynamic, but not by that much.
Go Preds Go!!! |
| devilsjetsfan |
Posted - 01/22/2007 : 14:58:10
the NHL says that the jerseys make the players skate faster. I completly disagree with them. It s jsut a jersey its not gonna make them faster unless they put rockets on the back lol.
Go Devils Go |
| PuckNuts |
Posted - 01/19/2007 : 21:22:31
Toe pick...
After all tomorrow is another day... |
| ryschevy1 |
Posted - 01/17/2007 : 10:19:36
Al Iafrate!! The Frate train!! Forgot about him!
GO OIL!!! YA!!! |
| Beans15 |
Posted - 01/17/2007 : 10:13:54
Goalie pads. My opinion is that they are 50% for protection and 50% advantagious for the goalies. However, before the introduction of the one piece composite stick, the shots were not as fast. Now it seems that every team has a guy or two with a 100+mph slapshot. If the pads are going to be smaller they still better be able to protect the goalie.
Imagine for a second that Iafrate and MacInnis were doing 100+ mph slap shots with wooden and aluminum sticks. What do you think they could have done with the sticks of today??
PS-Hockey uniforms rock, they should not change. If anyone can find a picture of the streamline jerseys that Team Canada wears, please post it. I would love to see them. |
| ryschevy1 |
Posted - 01/17/2007 : 08:47:14
Thats's exactly what I'd like to know!!! Bettman and everyone else was whining that scoring was down, so why didn't they make the pads smaller like they used to be???
GO OIL!!! YA!!! |
| Guest4139 |
Posted - 01/17/2007 : 08:41:30
Also, i feel i should point out to ryschevy1:
You say the size of the goalie equipment "worked", look at the size of pads Belfour was using in his first year (or Roy, or Brodeur, or even Fred Brathwaite) compared to what they use now. If it worked in the 80's, why are they bigger now? |
| Guest4139 |
Posted - 01/17/2007 : 08:33:05
Some teams (Notably Carolina) have designs on the bottom of their jersey, so if the new jerseys have to be tucked in to be "safe", some teams might get the short end of the hockey stick. Team Canada (Mens, juniors, womens teams) all use the straemlined jerseys, and have for a few years. As long as the league isn't forcing a change to the designs on the jersey it should be a good change. |
| PuckNuts |
Posted - 01/16/2007 : 20:40:17
What will the players grab hold of in a fight ?
After all tomorrow is another day... |
| Beans15 |
Posted - 01/16/2007 : 18:44:51
I don't know what you guys are talking about Cooperalls were slammin'! |
| ryschevy1 |
Posted - 01/16/2007 : 17:07:27
So did the size of goalie equipment, size of the neutral zone, having a red line, wooden sticks and the size of the crease. Those all worked and made for very entertaining hockey during the 70's 80's and early 90's. IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT!!
GO OIL!!! YA!!! |
| Mikhailova |
Posted - 01/16/2007 : 17:02:03
quote:
Originally posted by Ryan Harper
quote:
It was done for performance and safety. It was time. Our basic uniforms haven't changed in 40 years.
Translation: We need to increase our team jersey sales
Safety my ass.
Yeah, I agree. How is streamlining the jerseys going to make them safer for the players? That makes no sense at all. And you know what Bettman? Maybe the reason why the jerseys haven't changed in over 40 years is because the old design WORKED! |
| Mikhailova |
Posted - 01/16/2007 : 16:40:41
quote:
NEW YORK -- The NHL will break with tradition next season by ushering in a new, streamlined uniform that blends fashion with functionality, commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday.
Bettman said the new-look uniforms, designed over the past two years, will be unveiled at the All-Star Game in January.
WHAAAT?? "Fashion and functionality"?? Dude this is HOCKEY, nobody cares about the "fashion" of players' jerseys! I'm sure the fans are gonna pay reeeaaal close attention to how "streamlined" the players' uniforms are. And as if the All-Star Game wasn't bad enough with the selection of players, now they're gonna hafta wear dumb uniforms! Way to go Bettman, continuing his legacy of ruining the NHL.  |
| admin |
Posted - 01/16/2007 : 15:58:11
Looks like they will be unveiled tommorow |
| Guest6916 |
Posted - 12/01/2006 : 18:13:12
quote:
Originally posted by George Zoran
The Cooperalls were really bad. But seriously this is probably what they will look like:
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/matadormexicano/1231undisco.jpg[/img]
no doubt! |
| Ryan Harper |
Posted - 12/01/2006 : 15:10:54
They will be unveiled at the all star game.
quote:
It was done for performance and safety. It was time. Our basic uniforms haven't changed in 40 years.
Translation: We need to increase our team jersey sales
Safety my ass.
"Some people skate to the puck. I skate to where the puck is going to be."
~Wayne Gretzky
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| George Zoran |
Posted - 12/01/2006 : 11:31:25
The Cooperalls were really bad. But seriously this is probably what they will look like:
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/matadormexicano/1231undisco.jpg[/img]
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| Guest4187 |
Posted - 11/30/2006 : 19:31:41
I pray they won't bring back the long pants (Cooperall?) used by the flyers and the whalers around 1982 or so.
[img]http://www.nhluniforms.com/1980s/FlyersPants.jpg[/img] |
| bablaboushka |
Posted - 11/30/2006 : 17:50:46
LOLOLOLOLOL
Well done. 6916 you should register an account seen as you seem to contribute quite regularly to this forum. |
| Guest6916 |
Posted - 11/30/2006 : 14:53:20
Here is a sample of what we should see next season:
[img]http://rbk.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p1839034reg.jpg[/img]
Betmann is ruining the game. |
