Tighter but lighter gear

After tryout at practice, most Canes like NHL's new jerseys, socks

RALEIGH -- NHL officials like to talk up the science involved in designing the sleek, new uniforms scheduled for next season.

The new jerseys have all the subtleties of "Bead Away" water-repellent technology and drag in wind-tunnel tests. Nevertheless, Carolina defenseman Mike Commodore had a more pressing concern before trying out the new gear in practice.

Tagging teammate Chad LaRose in the chest with a playful poke of his hockey stick, Commodore had only one tongue-in-cheek question. Forget about its ability to wick away sweat.

"Does this jersey absorb blood?" Commodore joked.

The Hurricanes did not come up with any conclusive evidence on that query, but the more form-fitting uniforms drew a passing grade from Commodore and his teammates.

The NHL and Reebok spent two and a half years designing a new "uniform system" and have sent prototypes to more than half of the league's teams to try out in practice.

Carolina was the 18th team this season to get a uniform preview and wore the new jerseys and tighter-fitting socks at the RecZone Monday. Not available were the narrower shorts that Reebok has claimed will provide more hip protection than current models.

Carolina coach Peter Laviolette and his assistants were left to skate circles on an empty practice rink for several minutes as league officials walked players through some of the new uniforms' features in the locker room.

The narrower jerseys offered a snugger silhouette while promising to retain about 75 percent less sweat and water. The tighter look drew locker-room hoots for defenseman Niclas Wallin and several other Hurricanes. Yet the stretch mesh and other new fabrics built into the jerseys and socks did not hinder their range of motion on the ice, several players said.

"That's the funny thing: They may look tighter, but they're actually probably as loose, because they move as much," Carolina wing Scott Walker said. "It's a lot lighter, and I think that's the thing the guys will like the most."

The NHL's original redesign was more radical, featuring an even tighter-fitting jersey that players were expected to tuck into their pants.

The untucked look won out after feedback from the NHL Players Association -- a compromise welcomed by Carolina defenseman Bret Hedican and other players.

Hedican said: "It's not something like what they did to us in the Olympics [last year], where they just said, 'Here are the new jerseys for the next couple of years in the NHL.'

"And they didn't fit, the socks didn't fit, and it really kind of frustrated the players. So this time, I think they're trying to do it right, where they're listening to feedback from the players and trying to improve them before they bring them to the forefront to the players for the whole season."

Keeping cool in the frigid RecZone is rarely a challenge for the Hurricanes, yet goalie Cam Ward said he imagines the lighter materials and their ability to wick away moisture will help in games. As with most goalies, however, Ward said he didn't mind a baggier, looser-fitting jersey that bulks up his profile in the net.

"The thing I was most concerned about," Ward said, "was that it was going to be too tight on the arms. That way, if it's too tight, it makes you look a lot more skinny and makes that seven-hole [between his arm and body] look a lot bigger than it used to be.

"But the good thing was, it was able to be stretched, so you do feel comfortable even though it is kind of tight to your body."

Not every Hurricane was eager to dissect the intricacies of what amounted to a league-sponsored fashion event. Team captain Rod Brind'Amour shrugged.

"I'm the wrong guy to ask. I could care less," he said. "As long as I got a number and a name on it, it's fine. ...

"It's not going to help me much, I'll tell you that."