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)
Their turning the players into human racecars. we got the number on the back sides, now the top, hopefully the front wont be a requirment someday cause that look is horrible(except the sharks as ever1 know, how they pull it off idk). I totally agree with what someone else said i really hope to god they dont go to corp adverts like the AHL. omg that would look horrible, we already have enough adverts and numbers these days itll just turn the sport and eventually the other pro sports into a mess. pretty soon the players skates and gloves will have numbers and adverts on them lol. if they just stop here then it should be an ok move.
What a joke! The NHL has always got to make changes just so they can say they are doing something.For once I wish they would just leave things be for at least a couple of years...always tinkering!
I keep thinking that is the back of the helmet, but it's not.....totally uneccessary.
i have totally come the other way on this. after sitting along the glass and watching a game on tv over the weekend, i can honestly say i don't really notice or care. so whatever
Doesn't bother me. Don't see why everyone is getting their undergarments in a bunch. However I'd wager if Chris liked it, there would be 50 comments here of people liking it. :P
What is there to possibly to gain from being able to identify players that are sitting on a bench? This is the most pointless update to the uniform since the RBK edge system.
Watching the Phi/Bos game on my HDTV and the front helmet numbers look really fugly, really really dumb, especially on a white helmet
If you cant read the name on there backs then maybe you should not be calling the game or doing the broadcasting this is the nhl not minor league hockey really come on. Well you are at it you should put the stop signs on there backs as well
Darren Pang (@Panger40) suggested on Twitter that the helmet numbers are for the producers/directors/camera people working the game to grab iso shots of players who are on the bench (or otherwise have their back numbers out of sight). THAT makes a lot of sense, actually, and makes these numbers a reasonable addition.
awful
E.Lee: Be a smartass all you like. Comments are moderated to keep out personal attacks and nasty behavior, not for opinion content. You can agree with me or disagree. I'm not bothered either way. Want to be a jerk? Take it someplace else.
I barely notice the difference, and I've been watching hockey all weekend. So really, I don't care.
I believe they are so the people who do the captions for the photo galleries can get the players right. They don't seem to be able to recognize the players' faces or take into account whether the player shoots right or left, whether they use a visor or not, etc. With the addition to the number on top of the helmet, there is no possible way a player can't be identified -- unless his head, back, and arms are completely blocked. In that case, all that would be visible would be legs, and there's no use identifying those. Anyway, that's my theory. It's not for the officials or even the broadcast team. It's for the caption writers.
Imagine you're directing a NHL game on TV for the visiting team . . .a forward makes a great play undressing the D and goes in on goal and shoots . . . Great scoring chance . . . play continues for another minute or so before a whistle. That forward had gone to the bench before the whistle on a line change. Now at the whistle you need to have one of your cameras find that forward at the bench because you have a dynamite iso replay on his chance and the analyst has a great story on him . Also you are in a city where your team only visits a couple of time a season. so the local camera operators don't know your team too well. The players are sitting fairly tight together at the bench and the sleeve numbers are not too visible. The viewer at home would be saying what's wrong with those TV guys, they're talking about so and so, and we're looking at some other player. So, now do you see why there are numbers on the helmets. It's not for the announcers really, but for the camera operators to easily find players on the bench.
hmmm blueline you make a great and rational point, it may not look very pretty but i have a whole other perspective on it now that you mention it. makes so much sense and as someone else mentioned it'll make photographers(especially those who dont see the opposing team much ex flyers vs ducks only happens once or twice a yr) lives a whole lot easier when sorthing thru their photos to setup on-online galleries. i actually remember seeing a couple of mistakes in one of these galleries where the name of the player on the screen did match the actual player lol but thts like one in a million
Hey Chris, I wasn't attacking you. Rather I was just making an observation regarding the amount of influence you have on people's opinions here. If you mildly dislike (or like) something, invariably the response here seems to be a magnified reflection of it. To me the change is hardly noticeable, and there is a ton of overreaction here.
E.Lee: Fair enough. Probably a misread on my part. But as far as your theory about my influence, might I direct you to the post about the unveiling of the Lightning's new uniforms from last January? I was and remain hugely in favor of them while the majority feels completely the opposite about them.
But about these helmet numbers, I haven't had a chance to update this post yet. But after having watched about a dozen games so far, I would agree with you that you don't really notice them during the game. And even in close-ups on TV, they aren't distracting. We'll all get used to them and move on like I said in the very first paragraph.