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. They are 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, such as 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 wear an uppercase "C" above and to the right of the team logo on their sweater (although a few NHL teams have the uppercase letter above and to the left of the team logo). Two other players, designated alternate captains, will wear an uppercase "A" on theirs. 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 stadia, 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 asks his mother to order a Montreal Canadiens sweater from an Eatons department store catalogue, but instead accidentally receives a sweater for the team's arch-rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs, much to his embarrassment and the derision of his friends. The story was later made into a short animated film by the same name, which was produced by the National Film Board of Canada, and a quote from it appears on the Canadian five-dollar bill.

[edit] References

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009)

This article needs references that appear in reliable third-party publications. Primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please add more appropriate citations from reliable sources. (July 2009)

[edit] External links

• World Hockey Association uniforms
• National Hockey League uniforms