Dallas – Outside the American Airlines Center, fans stood in line Wednesday to have their pictures taken next to a mannequin in hockey skates, adorned with a sleek all-star jersey.
Sleek is a word the NHL doesn’t mind hearing about its new uniforms, which debuted at the 55th All-Star Game. They will not be worn by all 30 teams until the start of the 2007-08 season.
Designed by Reebok, the uniforms are touted to more easily absorb and dissolve water, making them lighter. It’s the first major change to NHL uniforms since the 1960s, when synthetic fibers replaced woolen jerseys.
Wind tunnel tests at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported a 9 percent reduction in drag, which could help the players skate faster.
“(They are) the real deal,” Tampa Bay Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier said. “You can’t believe it until you’ve tried it in practice. It is so much lighter than we have today.”
Avalanche and Western Conference captain Joe Sakic called the uniforms great, and wished they could be worn in the second half of the regular season.
“They really are lighter,” Sakic said. “They can even help an old man like me feel faster.”
Footnotes
Penguins star Sidney Crosby received the Mark Messier leadership award for December. … Sakic, who won a Dodge Durango for being MVP of the 2004 All-Star Game, still has the vehicle. “My dad drives it mostly. It’s up in (British Columbia). It’s a great car, I wouldn’t give that away,” Sakic said. … The Avalanche will resume practice today, but Sakic will be given the day off. … Former Avs defenseman Ray Bourque was in Dallas for the festivities, as were Hall of Famers Gordie Howe and Frank Mahovlich. … One of the big topics of conversation among hockey people the past couple of days was the status of former Avs star Peter Forsberg. Whether Forsberg will be a “rental” player for a contending team by the Feb. 27 trade deadline was of the gist of conversation.
