Players say new uniforms leave skates/gloves wet

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07266/819908-61.stm

Right winger Mark Recchi, for one, understands what the league was trying to accomplish by adopting a sweater that does not absorb fluids, but does not think the designers took into account the moisture -- to wit, perspiration -- generated under a player's uniform.

"[The sweaters] don't soak anything in, which I guess is what they wanted," Recchi said. "But the problem is, it goes through all of your equipment. It goes into your gloves, goes into your skates."

And eventually saturates the leather in both, leaving the players feeling as if their hands and feet are immersed in liquid. Perhaps because, at least in some cases, they are.

"They do what they were designed to do, as far as repelling the water," defenseman Mark Eaton said. "But we've found, the last three or four days of wearing them, that, when the water's repelled, it has nowhere to go but into your skates and gloves.

"By the end of the second [period] or the start of the third, your skates are sloshing around and you have to change your gloves because they're [soaked]."

[Rustpot 1]

Mid-season re-design....

[sabre09923 0]

Great news!

[Langenbrunner15 0]

Again, why try to fix something that has nothing wrong with it.

[mik3 1]

Mid-season re-design....

Too much money involved, would never happen. This isn't like the NBA and the new basketball.

[Sichy 6]

It makes perfect sense as to why the uniforms are leaving most equipment wet, I'm surprised the innovators didn't strongly consider this element. I mean if water slides off the jerseys, where is the water going to go? If not on the bench or the playing surface, obviously, the hockey equipment. I guess Reebok Hockey has two options, redesign the jersey or become innovative with hockey equipment. My guess is they will do the latter.

[sabre09923 0]

Warrior already is innovative, they should be able to figure something out.

My guess? It's all a conspiracy by RBK to get a monopoly in the glove and skate markets, since they'll be the only ones to be able to stop their jerseys from saturating the gloves and skates with sweat.

[djinferno 2]

wow, this is a problem...

[Fixxer 0]

I have worn one of these jerseys for a few months and havnt noticed any problems.

So for all you non NHL players out there, they should be fine.

[Wayne 0]

Gary Bettman's response:

"Tough sh*t Nancy"

Unfortunately they won't do anything about it. The new NBA ball was affecting scoring, game play, etc. Bettman and the NHL will never admit they were wrong going to this new jersey design.

[Dean_ 0]

Again, why try to fix something that has nothing wrong with it.

Exactly, and do you think they might change the jerseys next season ?

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

and having nasty skates and gloves wont affect play? even if its mental, it can still have an impact.

[Elwood 0]

The solution is simple. Buy 3 of everything and change between periods.

Next up,

Hockey equipment manufacturers report record earnings....

Ticket prices increased 30% across the league....

NHL Equipment managers union goes on strike...

Film at 11

:lol:

-E

[mew1838 0]

They new jerseys can't get rid of moisture and they can't stand up to a fight....seriously does the NHL need more problems than what they already have now?

[#96 0]

I had a pair of "hydrophobic" socks that I used for 2 or 3 games and I noticed the same thing. My feet and socks were dry, but by the second or third period, my feet were sloshing around inside the boot from all the moisture going directly into the skate. I also noticed the skates, which were new at the time, started to smell a bit. I'm guessing from the excess moisture. There was no reason for brand new skates to have a smell after the 3rd use.

But...

I also think the players are doing everything in their power to resist change. I heard about fight in preseason where one of the guys (I think Cam Janssen) got a shoulder injury and tried to blame a jersey tear for it. Apparently, the new jerseys are stitched differently and he was not used to the possibility of it ripping in a certain area where it did.

I dunno. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[D aka speck 0]

sweaters anyone?

:D

Perhaps tradition isn't a bad thing afterall.

[trajik78 0]

new uni's for the "new" nhl. please! no one was begging for new uniforms. and they're not that different that your actually going to get new viewers because of it. who actually says "im going to watch more hockey now cause the uniforms are so much cooler?"

it would seem the players like the older sweaters, and there are no real benefits to the change.

[GoHabsGo24 1]

It's funny, we were talking about this in the locker room a few nights ago, and how your sweat would pour down into your pants... we were speaking hypothetically because no one us had actually ever worn one...

I find it crazy that no one thought of this, and no one figured it out during testing...

I have worn one of these jerseys for a few months and havnt noticed any problems.

So for all you non NHL players out there, they should be fine.

Have you worn the replica or the authentic? because the replica doesnt have the water repelling technology...

[stick9 896]

I read an article about the new jerseys when the Sharks were testing. Kyle McLaren brought up the same issue back then. Made sense, the water and sweat has to go somewhere.

[sabre09923 0]

new uni's for the "new" nhl. please! no one was begging for new uniforms. and they're not that different that your actually going to get new viewers because of it. who actually says "im going to watch more hockey now cause the uniforms are so much cooler?"

If anything, the new hideous jersey designs are going to drive AWAY people from the game instead of drawing them to it.

[stickglovesshirt 0]

some players dont look right wearing them... bertuzzi looks like a clown with the tight uni on lol

i dont think it will drive people away from the game.. jersey sales will just die instead

[Jarick 5]

Nearly all of the people I've heard from who looked at the new jerseys won't buy one, they're snatching up old authentics and replicas. And the last couple days there's been a stream of players complaining about the jerseys.

I have to think some changes will have to be made after this season, even if it's just thicker material, better stitching, or something. But if they don't sell at the retail level, I really don't know if they'll last.

[Edge 0]

I dont think this will affect jersey sales that drastically. Most fans dont use the jerseys they buy FOR hockey playing purposes. But i can certainly see this as a problem for players, especially with the skates being sloshy inside.

If i'm not mistaken, some players complained of this problem when they were testing them earlier this year? ...you'd think they'd have adressed it.

[the_game 452]

In addition to the players complaining about the jerseys, the equipment managers are also complaining. When the new materials are ripped or torn the jerseys cannot really be sewn or repaired like they used to be. In addition the new jerseys are rather expensive, an issue equipment managers are not happy with since they will believe they will have to replace more jerseys then usual.

I think the NHL and Rbk have some talking to do...

[DarkStar50 679]

Behind the scenes, NBH is laughing their asses off. They tried the Swift jersey at the Olympics and were ready to make the push with that jersey. After the disaster at Torino with Team Canada in particular saying the jersey was horrible, NBH dumped the project in a nanosecond. Now as NBH watches RBK fall into the trap with this Edge mess, it is once again the NHL that looks like knuckleheads.

Could somebody at the NHL get it right just once? Not all the time, not every time, just once? Is that so hard to do? Just wondering.........