Nip And Tuck

RBK, the hockey company -- you know, Sidney Crosby's other employer -- has spent millions of dollars testing and re-designing the performance and look of the traditional hockey uniform and has come up with a sleek new design that many traditionalists will view as radical. Most GMs have a prototype in hand, some have even had one of their players privately model and test them.

RBK, and the league head office, will maintain these new uniforms are a revolutionary step forward, that the integrated equipment and fabric will enhance safety and performance, that players will be more agile, better protected and their equipment will be much lighter and drier.

A culmination of more than two years of research, testing and feedback from some of the world’s greatest hockey players and federations, the Swift Hockey Jersey and Sock reduces overall uniform weight, adds increased mobility and comfort while making the jersey aerodynamically the most advanced in the world.

"I didn't even wear it," said Rick Nash who put on a phenomenal display yesterday and snapped home a couple of beautiful goals. "I couldn't get it on. It was way too tight. I didn't bother."

The biggest guy on the team, 6-foot-6 Chris Pronger, followed Nash's example. "It was a little tight for me," he said. "I just wore my practice jersey. I didn't wear the tight one. I was one of the smart ones. They need to make some tailoring adjustments."

"They're not my cup of tea," Todd Bertuzzi offered. "It's something you'd wear to a bar maybe, but I don't know, out on the rink, it's pretty tight. I don't know if they've seen what we look like under our shirts, but not a lot of us are that cut."

"They're different," Doan added. "And I don't know if different is in a good way or a bad way. If you fall down, you actually pick up speed. They're fairly slippery. But it cuts down on player costs to the team because you don't need a garter belt and you don't need sock tape because those things aren't moving once you get them on."

The most striking difference between the old uniform and the new prototype is the form-fitting sweater is tucked into a new-look hockey pant that has extended kidney pads and rides much higher on the torso.