NHL 2017-18

[The_Admiral]

4 hours ago, andrewharrington said:

 

Great point. Progress is overrated. How dare people try to make garments more comfortable or better performing.

 

Why don't they just make the entire jersey out of the number?

[andrewharrington]

5 hours ago, the admiral said:

 

Why don't they just make the entire jersey out of the number?

 

The number is twill, a rigidly woven textile with little to no stretch (though stretch can be added with elastic yarns). It would be a pullover dress shirt; the antithesis of comfort and function for modern athletics.

 

If anything, it would be a better idea to create a constructed number with the jersey fabric as its core. Many of the new crests are constructed this way. I think it would be a bit thick for a number, to be honest, and it would definitely mean a lot of material and workmanship going into each number, but it’s an interesting idea nonetheless.

 

The previous NBA numbers were similarly constructed, though smaller and less substantial than would be required for hockey.

[Gothamite]

7 hours ago, the admiral said:

 

Imagine if Mario Lemieux didn't smoke like a grizzled film noir detective. The rare athlete who thrived with performance-reducing drugs.

 

Babe Ruth would like a word.  

 

And he would also like some more whisky. And hot dogs. 

[skip88]

12 hours ago, andrewharrington said:

 

Great point. Progress is overrated. How dare people try to make garments more comfortable or better performing.

 

 

Because the numbers with holes in them  looks like crap.

 

Why not just have the numbers painted on the players back with Eco friendly paint, for ultimate breathability.

That will guarantee 10 to 15 more goals per player

[Chromatic]

Personally I think they should just cut holes in the back of the jersey in the shape of the numbers. Imagine how fast and breathable those would be. More traditional teams can paint the exposed pads beneath if they're afraid of progress and innovation.

[AstroCree]

They shouldn’t wear jerseys at all. Imagine the speed of the game with no clothes holding them down.

[BBTV]

17 hours ago, andrewharrington said:

 

Great point. Progress is overrated. How dare people try to make garments more comfortable or better performing.

 

also, once one team adopts "performance enhancing fabrics", others are pretty much obligated to keep up, because even if the advantage is negligible or non-existent, it's a perception that at least that one team is trying something to get an edge, and if your team isn't, then they could be criticized for losing a close series or for being behind the times.  

 

If you're Lemieux, wearing a thick poly jersey (like the pre-airknit kind), and your opponents are wearing these sleek new fangled things, why on earth wouldn't he switch to that just to keep a level playing field, even if that field is only 0.01% higher?

 

Criticism over the actual benefits is legit, because it's impossible to measure (obviously the differences in material weight and absorbance can be measured, but not really player performance), and criticism that all of this is just to get attention to the brand is legit (whether it's true or not, perception matters), but the teams themselves shouldn't be criticized for adopting the new templates / materials even if it mangles their established aesthetic.

 

I think if there was any way to actually measure the benefit to the players then this whole discussion becomes moot, but there's not, and I don't think there ever will be.

[andrewharrington]

7 hours ago, skip88 said:

Because the numbers with holes in them  looks like crap.

 

Why not just have the numbers painted on the players back with Eco friendly paint, for ultimate breathability.

That will guarantee 10 to 15 more goals per player

 

Because then people complain that they’re cheap and not pro quality because they’re not twill! 

[andrewharrington]

2 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

also, once one team adopts "performance enhancing fabrics", others are pretty much obligated to keep up, because even if the advantage is negligible or non-existent, it's a perception that at least that one team is trying something to get an edge, and if your team isn't, then they could be criticized for losing a close series or for being behind the times.  

 

If you're Lemieux, wearing a thick poly jersey (like the pre-airknit kind), and your opponents are wearing these sleek new fangled things, why on earth wouldn't he switch to that just to keep a level playing field, even if that field is only 0.01% higher?

 

Criticism over the actual benefits is legit, because it's impossible to measure (obviously the differences in material weight and absorbance can be measured, but not really player performance), and criticism that all of this is just to get attention to the brand is legit (whether it's true or not, perception matters), but the teams themselves shouldn't be criticized for adopting the new templates / materials even if it mangles their established aesthetic.

 

I think if there was any way to actually measure the benefit to the players then this whole discussion becomes moot, but there's not, and I don't think there ever will be.

 

Good post. Obviously, no one’s in the business of fake performance benefits, but the acts of explaining the research and showing how it was used to benefit the athlete are always going to be present, and they’re important steps that, like you said, push everyone forward. You’re starting to see what happens to brands that don’t invest in design and innovation; they slowly disappear from the professional (and even collegiate) landscape.

 

You can generalize performance benefits by comparing the properties of one material to another, or mapping and measuring, for example, how bodies perspire and averaging those results to target a benefit where it’s needed. It’s important to recognize, though, as you have, that in many cases, the direct relation to actual biomechanical performance of a human body simply cannot be accurately measured as there are too many variables to do a proper experiment that way. That’s why you don’t see reputable claims of “this will make players jump higher” or “this will make players skate faster”. You have to be able to back up the data.

 

Through that lens, many times the objective is to simply make the athlete more comfortable, because that’s always a benefit regardless of what can be measured. It’s silly to think that any athlete would choose a garment that’s hotter, wetter, or rougher if given the choice. Today’s garments are simply superior to the ones that were “good enough for (insert great player here)” in every objective way, and there will always be a push to make them more comfortable, more sustainable, less wasteful, and on and on.

[nash61]

5 hours ago, insert name said:

They shouldn’t wear jerseys at all. Imagine the speed of the game with no clothes holding them down.

[andrewharrington]

11 hours ago, skip88 said:

Because the numbers with holes in them  looks like crap.

 

Why not just have the numbers painted on the players back with Eco friendly paint, for ultimate breathability.

That will guarantee 10 to 15 more goals per player

 

Also, paint/ink is not breathable. 

[skip88]

4 minutes ago, andrewharrington said:

 

Also, paint/ink is not breathable. 

Just make small circles with no paint , or how about back tattoos 

[andrewharrington]

3 minutes ago, skip88 said:

Just make small circles with no paint 

 

Done.

 

[skip88]

1 hour ago, andrewharrington said:

 

Done.

 

Is this available as a full body tattoo?

[Cosmic]

10 hours ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

also, once one team adopts "performance enhancing fabrics", others are pretty much obligated to keep up, because even if the advantage is negligible or non-existent, it's a perception that at least that one team is trying something to get an edge, and if your team isn't, then they could be criticized for losing a close series or for being behind the times.  

 

If you're Lemieux, wearing a thick poly jersey (like the pre-airknit kind), and your opponents are wearing these sleek new fangled things, why on earth wouldn't he switch to that just to keep a level playing field, even if that field is only 0.01% higher?

 

Criticism over the actual benefits is legit, because it's impossible to measure (obviously the differences in material weight and absorbance can be measured, but not really player performance), and criticism that all of this is just to get attention to the brand is legit (whether it's true or not, perception matters), but the teams themselves shouldn't be criticized for adopting the new templates / materials even if it mangles their established aesthetic.

 

I think if there was any way to actually measure the benefit to the players then this whole discussion becomes moot, but there's not, and I don't think there ever will be.

Just like Sweden in the 2006 Olympics. 

 

Seriously though, the difference with all the new materials in the last 10-15 years or so is night and day in the comfort department. Once you start wearing the good stuff, it's impossible to go back to the old cotton shirts. Even if I only jumped 7% higher instead of 11% like they promised.

[andrewharrington]

2 hours ago, skip88 said:

Is this available as a full body tattoo?

 

Everything has a price.

[AstroCree]

Rangers home uniforms would benefit greatly if they made the entire collar blue. The red worked for the Reebok cut but on Adidas it sticks out like a sore thumb. 

[chcarlson23]

6 hours ago, insert name said:

Rangers home uniforms would benefit greatly if they made the entire collar blue. The red worked for the Reebok cut but on Adidas it sticks out like a sore thumb. 

There's a lot of collars in the NHL that would be much better if they made minor tweaks and used the full collar. The few teams that use the full collars and matching Adidas pentagons actually look good. The Oilers and the Devils probably have the best collars in the league right now.  

[~Bear]

While they are definitely better than the Original-Six wannabe jerseys, the current Hurricanes jerseys could surely benefit from some definitive hurricane striping. The sublimated pattern is impossible to see unless your standing right next to the jersey. From the stands, it looks like a single red stripe. 

[M4One]

13 hours ago, chcarlson23 said:

There's a lot of collars in the NHL that would be much better if they made minor tweaks and used the full collar. The few teams that use the full collars and matching Adidas pentagons actually look good. The Oilers and the Devils probably have the best collars in the league right now.  

 

The Oilers and Devils look good because of the shoulder yokes.  The massive collars get blended into them.  Pretty much any team with a shoulder yoke, it looks fine, except for Montreal because of their decision to make the pentagon the same colour as the rest of the jersey.  Should have made it blue on both home/road.  Blackhawks made that same mistake.