NHL Requires More Helmet Digits
Thursday · Sep 29 · 2011 | 11:22 AM PDT
Helmet numbers add to front / Tony Da CostaThis is one of those things that's going to annoy the crap out of everyone until we all eventually get used to it.
Yes, you're looking at the front of those Dany Heatley helmets. And yes, they have new number decals on them. Oh boy.
For most of the 1950s, the only way to identify an NHL player — apart from looking at his, you know, face — was the giant number sewn to the back of his sweater. It was during that decade that teams also started adding what we now know as TV numbers to their sleeves. I'm not sure when exactly it became a league mandate.
Over the years since then, surnames were added to the back above the number, and as helmets became a requirement, numbers were added there too. More recently, some teams have even started adding them to the front of their jerseys, some subtly (like San Jose) and others not-so-subtly (like Dallas).
Tony Da Costa, Wild equipment managerThrough a series of tweets on Wednesday, we learned from the Minnesota Wild's head equipment manager Tony Da Costa that number decals are being added to the front of every NHL skater's helmet. And because of how the helmets are designed, they're really going on the top.
The reason we haven't seen these new head digits yet during the preseason is that the league isn't requiring the change until the start of the regular season. But obviously Da Costa and other equipment managers around the league are already preparing gear for opening night — which is now just a week away.
By the way, if you're a Wild fan, an Icethetics reader and on Twitter, you really should be following Da Costa (@Styleswild) just for his behind-the-scenes photos alone.
The NHL's senior manager of communications, Schuyler Baehman, went into a little more detail Wednesday with some tweets of his own. First, he confirmed that player numbers will be added to players' foreheads. Great. Then Baehman explained that they won't be required for goalie masks. Good because I'm pretty sure those are the most recognizable guys on the ice at any given time.
Next, the real nerdy stuff. He told us the numbers must measure between 1.25 and 2 inches in height. And finally, he answered the big question: Why? For that, I'll toss to a blockquote.
The new number placement is designed to aid on-ice officials, broadcasters, et al. by providing an additional point of player identification.
A few Twitter-enabled radio and TV play-by-play guys chimed in with their support for this change. Not sure how they're seeing those numbers that far away. But without my glasses I can't see what's right in front of me, so what do I know?
Right, so I understand the reason for adding the numbers. If it'll help with player IDs, then that's great. But I have to say, from a strictly aesthetic perspective, I'm concerned. Granted, I haven't seen how it will look on the ice, but I'm not sure how it can look good. Maybe I'll change my tune next week, but for now... yikes.
I think I already know the answer, but what do you guys think of this uniform change? Do the practical benefits outweigh the visual drawbacks? Or will it even look that bad at all?
Reader Comments (66)
Reminds me of being 8 years old and having a piece of tape stuck to the front of my helmet with my name written on it. i.e. it looks really stupid.
HATE IT.
Nothing more needs to be added. Maybe except that here we come Swedish/Finnish league uniforms. : (
I've done a little play-by-play myself, and this can only help.
For example, do you know the Sharks broadcast booths are up in the rafters? Imagine how much easier this will be.
If the purpose of the front numbers is to identify the player, couldn't the official just look at the player's face...?
It's gonna look really weird but in the end all it does is help I guess
Not to plagiarize puck daddy but it feels like adding the numbers is the calm before the storm, corporate advertising on jerseys.
@ Jon W Will a 2" number even be visible from the rafters? I've never had any issues with the way games are called. It is a fast game but I don't see this adding too much to the end result. Furthermore, it will look like crap. However, I like that they're doing it for practical reasons.
Yeah, I'm going to go ahead and echo your point say that, with broadcasters sitting so far away from the ice, I don't think it'll make a big difference to them. As far as on ice officials go, however, they shouldn't need to have an additional point of reference. My god, you're down on the ice as it is. I'd rather have teams plaster ads all over the helmets than stick with this. At least they'd be making some extra cash at that point.
Why not just require numbers on a front upper corner of the jersey like the Sabres have? I think that would be cleaner looking than this crap.
If the officials and Media can't identify players by the numbers on their arms, back of their jerseys and back of their helmets (and in some cases the number on the front of their jerseys - as dumb as that is. ie. Dallas, Buffalo) than perhaps they shouldn't be involved in the game.
It's getting ridiculous. Are players fire trucks or hockey players?
I like the numbers on the front. It personalizes the players even more now
I think it looks horrible. Hopefully my home team the Bruins use the black - on - black decals like they do on the back of the helmets to make them less noticeable.
Not like it'll help much when Doc Emmerick confuses anyone with a similar looking number
I can't really see any beenfits to this. Players already have three or more sets of numbers on them plus their names and I don't think this has ever been a problem before. Hopefully this doesn't last because it looks REALLY stupid.
@Le Collectif I don't know how much they will help by themselves, but I can tell you even seeing the approximate shape of the numbers or a name on a jersey really helps jog my memory and keeps me from looking down at my spotting board. And if I don't look down at my spotting board, that means I'm looking at the action more.
STOOOPID. There are numbers on everyones sleeves, backs and back of the bucket... Unless the stripes ar putting 2 foot platforms on their skates, this is dumb. The players are bigger than the officials, and anyone sitting ice level, so who is going to see these 2 inch numbers? NOBODY.
@John. I haven't done commentary so I can't comment towards that. I have however sat in the Skyboxes in Rogers Arena (home of the Canucks). You literally cannot be further away from the ice (they Skyboxes sit above the broadcast booth) and I can say without doubt there is no way I would be able to read the numbers on the top of the players helmets. I don't see how this will help announcers at all. Not to mention the announcers sit on the sides of the ice and not at the ends, therefore most of the time the players will not be facing the broadcast booth.
I don't know why the NHL has changed this. But it is not to help announcers. And if an on ice official is not aware of which players are which they should not be officiating. I know who Jared Boll is. I know who Kyle Palmeiri is.I know who Justin Faulk is. These are not household names and as I fan I know about them. I know how they play and there tendencies. If an NHL on ice official is not more informed than I am they shouldn't be officiating.
I've been watching hockey for 25 years and I've found that the only NHL broadcasters that I listen to on a regular basis that has trouble identifying the players is Bob Cole. I still don't think this change will help him though. I also share season tickets to the Leafs and I sit way up in the purples (upper bowl). The way I identify players, specifically the road team, is by their jerseys (back & TV numbers). Other indicators are their size, how they skate, visor or no visor, and their position. I'm sure the numbers may help some commentators & refs, but I think the bigger picture is that it looks unprofessional.
Then next year the NHL can require each player's helmet contain a tiny gps transponder that will allow the video boards in the stadium and the TV broadcast to put a little floating icon over the player's head identifying them as they skate around the ice.
Bizarre reasoning. This isn't football, where the type of action and number of players in a pileup may, in fact, obscure identification of a player during review of a play. But I guess we wouldn't know which Canucks we were viewing unless
"V A N C O U V E R" wasn't emblazoned on the front of every Canuck jersey.
whats next, numbers on the front of the thigh near the knee like in europe? how many numbers do we need on a player? 5 sets on most uniforms, and 6 if the uniform has numbers on the front!!!! c'mon man
Wasn't it Buffalo that started wearing the small numbers on the right side of the chest?
Sigh...I was already annoyed at anything to do with the NHL this past little while. First off, there's STILL no TV deal for Europe due to greed. Secondly, EA's NHL 12 is an absolute bug-ridden mess. Granted, only one of those is the league's fault but they can certainly take the blame for making the players look like bumper cars with these stupid little stickers. I absolutely hate front numbers of any description. This isn't basketball or football, it's hockey.
"Oh, it makes it easier to identify the players!". Rubbish excuse. If these commentators were true professionals like their peers of yesteryear, then they'd be able to differentiate players by their face, skating style or equipment. The miniscule increase in recognition points for the lazy sports commentator does not warrant such a downgrade.
Do your homework, guys. Get to know the rookies and get ready to recognise them without looking up a crib sheet. It's meant to be your job.
I agree with Toronto Fan, looks stupid.
I can see this helping with video reviews for goals and suspensions as an extra point of verification. Otherwise, I don't think it looks that bad but could live without it. We'll all get used to it.
If they put enough numbers on them, they will be no room for ads.
PS, the number will only be good for close up tv shots. But since they are near the top of the helmet, they will only be visible when the player is not facing forward. For example, taking a face off or laid out after being checked.
I couldn't agree any more, steven....
I am in college for sports broadcasting, and see NO PROBLEMS. it's pure laziness of people like Brian Hayward and Ahlers.
I'm withholding my final opinion until I see it on the ice a few games but my immediate response is - If they MUST have front numbers, why not at least put them down on the leg where it's more balanced? Helmets are two small to look good with a 2in number dominating everything.
It looks stupid but it's not horrible. It'll take some time to get used to it but it's not the end of the world.
That being said... I find it pointless to add more identification to the uniforms. They all at least have names and numbers on the back and numbers on the side.
@Marc: Next year, in addition to the GPS the players will glow red and leave streaks behind them when they skate really fast.
if this replaces the numbers on the back of the helmet... then fine (those are incredibly pointless anyway).
If it's in addition, this will look ridiculous.
i honestly dont think you will be able to see it that much...or at least not the upper half of the #. those pictures look to be taken at an angle that is above the helmet. But regardless....it seems like this new rule came out of nowhere. i would have thought we would have heard rumors or rumblings.
Probably for those broadcasters in southern American hockey markets who don't know who the players are by just looking at their face.
Pfft, what a bogus idea... Do they really think anybody will be able to make out those numbers from a distance? All it's going to look like is a blob on the top of players heads. With all these stupid front and helmet numbers, it junks everything up! When is it going to stop? Where exactly do they draw the line? Are team sponsors going to make their way onto the jerseys next? Keep it up NHL and you'll end up looking like European elite league teams in no time! Absolutely just pissed me off reading this.
Out of curiosity, who here can identify every player of every team, including call-ups and post-trades? I admit I haven't been a fan as long as some, but that is a lot of names and faces to remember. Even better example, when you were in high school, could you name every person in the building? I'm going to say probably not. You're looking at no fewer than 750 people to be able to recall, and you expect it to be done instantly. True, not every official sees every team, but they do rotate through arenas, which can often translate to seeing four rosters of player on a given weekend. Even as the broadcaster, the rosters of any matchup can be radically different between meeting, especially if the injury bug bites. Remember also that we're looking at it from a fan perspective; we want to know all the lesser known players as part of some ritual of pride, such as trivial contests against other fans. It is a little different mindset when it is what you have to do, versus what you want to do (for better or for worse).
Yes, I agree that the aesthetics are diminished by these. And yes, officials and broadcasters (at least the veterans) should and probably do know most of the players. But this will still help with even the handful that aren't easily identified.
huh.. i was wondering why the preds had numbers on the top of their helmets the other night.. i thought it was part of their new uniforms and i thought it was dumb.. but now i understand all the teams are doing it.. i think its ugly and i dont think its going to help fans or broadcastors identify players when they already have numbers already on their backs, sholders, back of helmet and in some cases the front of their jerseys.. overall this is just a bad idea..
The Ranger's radio announcers for home games sit in an interesting location, above one of the entrances into the seating bowl. Such an odd spot, but able to see alot of what happens on the ice. They can definitely see the numbers on top of the helmets from their spot (that is, if the renovations on the garden haven't moved them to some other place) I'm guessing this numbering will help, but it is getting ridiculous I think. I mean to have them on the arm sleeves, backs, and even on some fronts? geez why not dress each player up into a giant suit designed like the number that they wear....
@Steven It's not that easy. The commentators of "yesteryear" were dealing with 6-22 teams (depending on how far back you want to go) and fewer (though not necessarily zero) international (read: non-North American) players. There's a major difference between recognizing 120 players or even 440 players and recognizing 600 players plus call-ups. And recognizing them by face, from the ceiling, is insanely-difficult to do (I couldn't recognize my own face from the upper level if it was emblazoned on the ice).
That said, I don't like the look of it and I don't know if it's really a help to the guys doing commentary (2-inch numbers at 100+ feet away?) as much as the officials for calling penalties. If a player skating towards an official commits an offense and is squared to the official (no arm/back numbers visible), then these numbers will help allow the official to see the number, raise his arm, and go back to watching the rest of the play without having to try and catch the number as the player skates past (or turns around, twists, etc).
I'm not opposed until I see it in action, but I don't really like it aesthetically at the moment. At the same time, I can see the practical use, so we'll see.
First of all, commentators watch the game on a monitor, so I could see this helping them identify players if they're looking for players on the bench.
Second, I've reffed hockey for 10 years. Numbers on the front (top) of the helmet will in no way help on-ice officials identify players. Officials are going to look for the sleeve numbers when the numbers on the back are obscured. I literally can't think of a single instance that front helmet numbers would have been beneficial
Oh yeah, and they're ugly.
This won't do much to help play by play announcers because it's so small. If the league really wants numbers on the front of the uniform to aid the referee, make the mandatory number be either on the front of the jersey or a 2 inch number on the bottom of one pant leg. It would still be visible and look much classier. More importantly, with four officials on the ice, they should be able to figure out who it is they need to identify for a penalty.
Thank you -- Short Sxit. While there are exceptions for some of the radio guys, all the TV guys have monitors to help call the game (how else do you think they can comment on replays etc.). And most radio guys (especially broadcasting at home), have additional help (stats guy, spotter etc).
And honestly, those helmet numbers won't help those in the upper bowls/rafters. Yet another useless concoction thanks to NHL brass. Maybe if they trained and hired better officials, we wouldn't have to put up with this type of crapola.
i believe it is for tv, specifically when the camera is showing players sitting on the bench.
The officials are blind enough as it is. If they cant even read the big bold letters on the back of a jersey, then how are they going to see the numbers on the helmet?
I can't imagine this helping anyone, but I'm also not one of the people who has to identify players so no one yells at me for getting them wrong. I also don't think they make any aesthetic difference whatsoever. A non-issue.
I see one major drawback to the numbers there. Namely:
Imagine you are some goon defenceman, and you see in front of you a guy looking down ... you can't quite see his face but there is his number there! Oh hey it's Heatley! I need to injure that guy! HEADCHECK!
But maybe I am just imagining things. I think the numbers actually look kind of cool there, and if they help the refs penalize the right player then great.
Re: There are so many players and call ups in the NHL today.
Yes I get it. There are lots of new faces @DREW @BEN. But those giant numbers on their backs are what identify the players from high up. Not a 2" sticker on thier head. Your logic from that angle does not add up.
As for having to remember so many players. If it's my job to brodcast a game I'll take the 1 hour per day and review the expected lineups and look up info on the players I don't have much knowledge about. That's not hard.
Have you ever watched a Under-18 tournament? The broadcasters seem to do just fine with those broadcasts with out numbers on the top of the helmets and lets face most hockey fans wouldn't know 75% of the players on ice. But the Broadcaster does his job and does a little research and memorizes the numbers and faces. Not exactly that big of a deal that would require cosmetic changes to the appearance of players.
/fin
I'll probably get used to them with time, especially if they're more top-centered like we've been hearing. That said, I'm still not used to numbers on the front of jerseys (Thanks a lot, Buffalo), so who knows.
Also, for reference sake, all NHL teams had sleeve/TV numbers by the 1963-64 NHL season, when the New York Rangers and the All Star Game jerseys finally had them added. It looks like Chicago was the first team to adopt them in 1957. My source is NHLUniforms.com, hopefully they're accurate for the dates!
This is obviously a pre-advertising get-used-to-it move. 2" numbers don't help people in broadcast booths. And it's going to look retarded.
@CHRIS (9/30 at 10:45am):
I can't speak for Ben, but I think you misread (or didn't finish reading) what I said. I said that I don't know how a 2-inch sticker could help broadcaster way up top (though someone pointing out that it's for players on the bench makes a good point). As for remembering players, I was talking about when Steven said "If these commentators were true professionals like their peers of yesteryear, then they'd be able to differentiate players by their face, skating style or equipment." Yes, commentators should be able to recognize players by their numbers and most by their faces (for the most part, particularly if you work for a specific team), but to expect them to recognize the 100 players who are of the "here today, gone tomorrow" variety (about 3-4 per team) by their face or skating style or because they have a CCM helmet is pretty high standards.
Again, I never said that these numbers should help the commentators (in fact, I said "I don't know if it's really a help to the guys doing commentary (2-inch numbers at 100+ feet away?) " which is the exact opposite). I think it might be able to help an official more if the player is, let's say, committing a penalty while squared to the official and is 15 feet away from him. I do think that it would be a better idea to put the number above the brand logo on the hockey shorts instead, but that's not my call.
If you skipped the essay above, here's the main point: I didn't say what you are saying I said and, in fact, I'm saying basically the opposite.
Better than numbers on the front of the jerseys that a few teams have.
Nashville is already playing with the new helmet stickers. It don't look bad at all, helpful on the face-off and when they show the players on the bench. When they play you barley notice.
To give an indication about how much I care about this, there are a bunch of cuddly bears with happy symbols on their chests dying in droves because I'm care that little about it.