Hockey jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A hockey jersey, traditionally called a sweater (due to it originally being made from sweater material, such as wool), is a piece of clothing worn by hockey players to cover the upper part of their bodies.
Hockey sweaters today are typically made out of tough synthetic materials like polyester to help wick away moisture and keep players dry. It is usually decorated with the team's logo on the front, the player's last name on the upper back (with the first initial in cases of teammates with the same family name, most notably Rob and Scott Niedermayer, teammates with the Anaheim Ducks), and a designated number below, from 1 to 99 (in the NHL, 98 is the highest allowed number because the league retired 99 for all teams to honour Wayne Gretzky). A team captain will have an uppercase "C" above and right of the team logo (although a few NHL teams have the uppercase letter above and to the left of the team logo), and up to two other players, designated alternate captains, will have an uppercase "A." Jerseys worn in European leagues and tournaments are adorned with ads, a concept borrowed from football jerseys. NHL teams sell replica sweaters of their famous players at their stadiums, as well as through sports memorabilia stores.
The cultural impact of the hockey jersey in Canada is encapsulated by the short story The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier. In it, a young hockey fan orders a Montreal Canadiens sweater from the Eatons catalogue, but receives a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater instead, much to his embarrassment and the derision of his friends. It was later made into a short film, and a quote from it appears on the Canadian five dollar bill.
