Hockey Pants vs. Breezers

[mnpucker 33]

I think the regionalism of the term is intriguing. I am curious to know how old everyone is that is commenting. I think if you are around 40 yrs of age or older you would knwo how the term breezer came to be. You may not have ever used the term but you could understand why they are called that. Once Cooperalls hit the Tackla type pant came next. At that point the term pant does make more sense because they were tighter and far more protective. The "breezers i wore as a kid in the late 70's - early 80's were completely different.

Just a guess but the term breezer could be as much generational as regional.

Now I am going to try and get some sleep and hope this does not keep my up all night. KIDDING.

[rogue 0]

Breezers, I'm from Wisconsin.

I started playing hockey again freshman year of college on the other side of the state from my hometown. Reading on MSH i never saw the term breezers used and figured it must have been a stupid regional thing around my hometown. Cue me going to the LHS and asking for "hockey pants" as so many of you called them. The owner looked at me blankly and asked "Huh? Oh you mean breezers?". So of course in an effort to NOT to use a regional term, looked like a complete idiot haha.

Edit: To answer mnpucker's age question, I'm 21

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

Strictly a regional thing (Minnkota)

[ZINC 8]

I think the regionalism of the term is intriguing. I am curious to know how old everyone is that is commenting. I think if you are around 40 yrs of age or older you would knwo how the term breezer came to be. You may not have ever used the term but you could understand why they are called that. Once Cooperalls hit the Tackla type pant came next. At that point the term pant does make more sense because they were tighter and far more protective. The "breezers i wore as a kid in the late 70's - early 80's were completely different.

Just a guess but the term breezer could be as much generational as regional.

Now I am going to try and get some sleep and hope this does not keep my up all night. KIDDING.

The only people I ever hear calling them breezers are us MN guys, and the occasional 'Sconnie player. I think it's pretty weird that MN is pretty much the ONLY place you'll hear the term, but living here my whole life, I call them breezers too. Unless I post on here, I have to call them pants or I get a lot of weird "WTF are breezer" comments :lol:

[jpeaslee 30]

I grew up in rural south georgia playing roller hockey. We always called em breezers. Probably due to one of the Northerners that migrated down south, but to my knowledge, none of them were from or ever lived in Minnesota. In MY mind hockey pants, are inline pants.

[epstud74 24]

Breezers is more of a generational thing as well. I've met older Canadians who have used the term, but currently it seems that only upper midwesterners (MN/ND/WI) use the term for the current style of pant.

Here is the discussion topic on a popular adult hockey forum here in MN regarding the term "breezers."

http://www.jmshockey.com/blog-posts-f17/we...ezers-t356.html

[stickfixchaska 0]

Breezers is more of a generational thing as well. I've met older Canadians who have used the term, but currently it seems that only upper midwesterners (MN/ND/WI) use the term for the current style of pant.

Here is the discussion topic on a popular adult hockey forum here in MN regarding the term "breezers."

http://www.jmshockey.com/blog-posts-f17/we...ezers-t356.html

This blog is what inspired my original post. I was amazed that, something I always knew of as Breezers, was totally foreign to many other players.

[1stLiner91 0]

call them hockey pants, because they are... not breezers

[wristshot19 0]

I am from Indiana and we always called them breezers around us.

Breezers = 1 piece pants that include all the necessary padding. No girdle required

Girdle = All the padding that is needed in pants without the outer nylon shell

Pants, Shell or Pants Shell = The outer portion of the girdle and pants combination without padding

Socks are socks or we usually say the whole term of "hockey socks" to differentiate them from the socks you wear on your feet (skate socks).

[Goalieboy#1 1]

From SD, everybody calls them breezers. If you say hockey pants you're going to get a lot of crap from everyone.

[psh 25]

I don't have the time, but it would be interesting to do an ebay search and see how the geographic distribution of people selling "breezers" is.

I think "hockey pants" is a pretty accurate way of referring to Cooperalls!

[Ahriman 1]

call them hockey pants, because they are... not breezers

ok...so if they are not breezers, what is a breezer to you?

[Rylake 0]

call them hockey pants, because they are... not breezers

ok...so if they are not breezers, what is a breezer to you?

A fruity rum drink, apparently extremely popular in the WI,MN, SD area.

I don't even want to hear the conversation of a guy taking a puck off the inside of his leg, and telling people he is walking funny because he caught one underneath his "breezer".

[epstud74 24]

Do you mean ND?

http://images.gophersport.com/files/image/...KY_Breezers.jpg

[smu 29]

LifetimeHockey of Minnesota has on their site:

Breezers: Hockey pants are know as breezers (based on our anecdotal research, they are only referred to as Breezers in Wisconsin and Minnesota) they are shorts that come down to the top of the knee and extend high over the waist. Breezers have padding in many places in order to cushion shots and falls. Because breezers are usually very wide in the legs, a fair amount of "breeze" will blow into them when a player skates - hence the name. (Find great deals at our on line Hockey Equipment store.)

Alan Sheppard

[Sliwka 0]

Alberta: Hockey pants...

I can totally see small regional variations for a lot of stuff. Each Prairie Province has its own variation on the Ukrainian gotsi which refers to underwear: Gitch and Gotch are more common in Saskatchewan, while ginch and gonch are more Alberta and BC. Saskatchewan also calls hoodies "bunny-hugs" for some reason no one knows.

I also want to point out that people from Minnesotta sound like the American version of Canadians than actual Canadians.

Back on topic, so breezers were something different than hockey pants? Was there two different things at once?

[hunterphfr 12]

I'm 45 and grew up in southern Ontario (Toronto, Guelph, Waterloo) and was based in Pettawawa, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta while in the military. The military has a wide swath of people from every nook and cranny of Canada. I'd always heard gitch used for underwear, never knew where that came from. Thanks for the background. I never heard the term breezer in Canada. The only person I personally know who used the term was a Minnesotan that played on our fire department team and on our Tuesday night men's team here in Florida. Both those teams were composed of a diverse group of people from across Canada and the US. He took a fair bit of ridicule for his constant use of the term breezer. I can see the term breezer being used due to the breeze coming up th inside of the thighs when skating outdoors. But why would it be limited to the MN/WI region. The winter breezes are plentiful across Canada and the northeast, if that were the origin of the name you wouldn't expect it to be so regionalized.

I get some flack from non-playing parents of kids on my sons team here in Florida because we both wear "girdles". I see very few garter belts these days, just one or two holdovers that I know.

[wrangler 157]

I don't remember seeing a catalog that advertised "breezers", and never heard the term used around the Chicago area since I started playing close to 50 years ago.

[mojo122 541]

50 Years...

[smu 29]

Look guys, I need help! I found that "Breezer" article while doing some research and almost thought I found what I needed until it was the pants they were talking about.

I was searching for some type of "piece of equipment" that I could fit inside my pants to give me some added protection to the tail bone, but more specifically my S1-L5 & L4. They are all screwed up and need better protection in case I land hard on my rear! I have a bad case of sciatica and other disk/vertebral issues.

Anyone know of such a contraption other than sticking padding in my pants? Something manufactured for the problem, maybe?

Thanks - Alan

[wrangler 157]

50 Years...

That's right, youngster!

Look guys, I need help! I found that "Breezer" article while doing some research and almost thought I found what I needed until it was the pants they were talking about.

I was searching for some type of "piece of equipment" that I could fit inside my pants to give me some added protection to the tail bone, but more specifically my S1-L5 & L4. They are all screwed up and need better protection in case I land hard on my rear! I have a bad case of sciatica and other disk/vertebral issues.

Anyone know of such a contraption other than sticking padding in my pants? Something manufactured for the problem, maybe?

Thanks - Alan

You'd stand a better chance of getting help by starting a thread with a title that indicates what you're looking for.

[smu 29]

"You'd stand a better chance of getting help by starting a thread with a title that indicates what you're looking for."

Good point, I will. Thanks mojo - Alan

[wrangler 157]

"You'd stand a better chance of getting help by starting a thread with a title that indicates what you're looking for."

Good point, I will. Thanks mojo - Alan

Don't call me "mojo".

[SCOMPL 14]

Pants extend to the ankles. Maybe roller hockey players wear "hockey pants", but what we wear on the ice are breezers.

"When in Rome..."

[wrangler 157]

Pants extend to the ankles. Maybe roller hockey players wear "hockey pants", but what we wear on the ice are breezers.

"When in Rome..."

Short pants don't. Capri pants don't. Softball pants don't. Football pants don't.

That won't make your case.