Don’t call what Avalanche players wear just uniforms anymore. The new togs players will don this season are a “technology.” They are a “system.”
“Back in my day, they used to just be a sweater you threw on,” Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville said Wednesday after the team unveiled the new uniform. “Just shows you how old I am now.”
In the Avalanche locker room at the Pepsi Center, Quenneville modeled an old-school Colorado Rockies sweater, before giving way to John-Michael Liles and the new age of NHL uniforms.
Made of materials that repel moisture 76 percent better than the old uniforms, that weigh 14 percent less – and create 9 percent less “drag” – the new jerseys, by Reebok, also feature more vertical stripes to create a better visual illusion of speed.
“The guys really like them,” said Liles, who served as the team’s runway model. “I haven’t heard anything bad about them. They’re comfortable and, hey, I think they look pretty sharp, too.”
When Reebok was hired to supply new uniforms to all 30 teams, it quickly became apparent to company representatives that the league was behind the times in uniform technology. Some players cuffed the ends of their sleeves into gloves. Others cut openings in their pant legs because they chafed too much or were too restrictive. And, at the end of games, the old sweaters would be practically waterlogged.
“You can’t believe how heavy those things were at the end of a game,” said former Avs defenseman Curtis Leschyshyn, who modeled the team’s initial uniform design from 1995.
The jerseys also will keep the players’ core body temperatures lower, Reebok said.
Because of the new uniforms, there will be no “third” jersey this season, the Avs said. The third jerseys could return in coming seasons.
The jerseys will be available exclusively at the Altitude Authentics store at Pepsi Center, starting Friday, for one week. After that, they will also be available at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Avs set camp roster
The Avalanche reassigned 11 players Wednesday to bring their roster to 47 entering training camp, which begins Friday.
Rookies Trevor Cann and Mark McCutcheon were two of the most notable cuts. Cann, a goaltender, was reassigned to Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey League. McCutcheon was reassigned to Lake Erie of the American Hockey League.
Codey Burki, Rob Drummond, Uladzimir Dzianisau, T.J. Galiardi, Brett Hemingway, Ray Macias, Kevin Montgomery, Wes O’Neill, and Brad Snetsinger also were reassigned.
Sixteen players from rookie camp, which concluded Tuesday, were held over for training camp with the veterans.
Ticket takers
Single-game tickets for Avalanche home games go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. Fans can purchase tickets through Ticketmaster’s online site, at outlets or by phone.
Tickets also can be purchased at the Pepsi Center box office. Doors open at 8 a.m. to set up the ticket lottery. Those arriving after 8:30 will be placed in a secondary line and will not be part of the lottery.
Single-game tickets for the majority of home games will be limited to eight per person per game and range from $25-$119.
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
