Other than FAN allegiance, what draws you to a hockey jersey?

[BlueShirtOn34thStreet]

Personally, for me.. it is the overall style of it. I love winter and the cold weather so a hockey jersey is perfect for a chilly night. I love how heavy an authentic jersey feels (and replica).. the materials, and the quality of the product can be seen just staring at it. Other than a Ranger jersey I plan to own the following: Avalanche, Panthers, Whalers, Canucks, and Habs. Th reason? They are beautiful jerseys. Hockey jerseys to me.. are the ultimate jersey from any sport. Tell me this.. what is better than going to The Garden on a winter Night screaming LETS GO RANGERS! wearing a Ranger jersey? (well except for the people who have never gone to the Garden, or never experience winter..lol) What im saying is the hockey jersey is a fine piece of clothing.. and that's why we are on Ice Jerseys MESSAGE BOARD.

-Brian.

[ZoomZoom18]

I used to love cold winter nights, bundled up in a hoodie with my game-worn jersey over it, going to see the Indianapolis Ice play with a group of my friends. It was also exciting when I had to battle snow and ice. What can I say, I love winter. I miss those days out here, but I do have to admit, I enjoy watching the Avs beat up on the Coyotes when they come through town (so far they're 3-0 against them when I go to their games). Most jerseys to me have different meanings to me; some come from when I see a jersey in person and my overall perception of it, some come from a certain time period (I was a hardcore follower in middle/high school) where I may remember watching a team more often, and some I just find neat. I've always enjoyed teams with black as a primary color with orange or gold trim (I fell in love with the new Ducks jerseys for that very reason). The old Canucks skate logo black jersey was one of my favorites of all time. I like a jersey that is appealing to the eye, but also classic in its experience and sometimes how the color looks will draw me to one. The previous Oilers jerseys appealed to me as I loved how the copper and navy blue looked together. Plus I always saw them play in the whites, so I fell in love with both. I have different reasons, but for the most part, they just usually look neat to me.

[Brilliant!]

It's the game really. Hockey is the only sport that you can go to and watch for the first time and be a fan for life afterwards. No other sport is like that. I know so many people who would put hockey down from watching it on TV, but the instant they actually went to a game, they were hooked. It was the same for me...well I never badmouthed the sport, but I can still remember the first game I went to. It was Rangers-Devils back in 1988 I think. It was the day after Christmas and the Rangers won 5-1. That was all it took. A few years later my uncle got his season tickets and we went to about 2-3 games a year. The older I got, the more games I went to. Now, I split the tickets with him and I go to about 15 games a year. It was just the way the jersey flowed with the players as they skated. No other sports jersey did that. I got a couple Rangers ones when I was about 12 and wore them all the time. I got a couple others along the way too; Caps, Hurricanes, Nordiques. Then a few years ago, after the lockout, I started to get back into collecting jerseys. I had always had a couple here and there but nothing special. Then, I bought an authentic Rangers jersey maybe three years ago and that lit the fire again. 5 turned into 80 in the blink of an eye and I haven't stopped since...until this year. Reebok really killed it unfortunately.

[devilsfan26]

It's the game really. Hockey is the only sport that you can go to and watch for the first time and be a fan for life afterwards. No other sport is like that. I know so many people who would put hockey down from watching it on TV, but the instant they actually went to a game, they were hooked.

I couldn't agree more. I remember the first game I went to, it was a 2-2 tie between the Devils and the Blackhawks. Even though there wasn't a winner I've been hooked ever since. Just proves the NHL doesn't need shootouts haha.

As for the question asked in the thread title, fan allegiance is definitely most important for me. I have more Devils jerseys than any other team. I also have two Wild jerseys and two Red Wings jerseys because I like those teams as well. I like international competition so I have a bunch of international jerseys, my favorite is probably my John Parco Italy jersey since I'm Italian. I think the only jersey I've ever bought based on how cool I thought it looked was my Lightning alternate jersey. There are a few jerseys I plan on buying that I want just because they represent hockey to me and I want to feel like I am wearing hockey. For example the old blue and yellow Sabres jerseys and the Bobby Orr era Bruins jerseys to me just have that "hockey" look that a lot of newer jerseys (especially the Edge abominations) just don't have. I don't really know how to explain it other than they look like "hockey" but I'm sure you people understand what I mean.

As for hockey jerseys in general, I agree with you BlueShirt, they are the ultimate jersey of any sport. I don't know about these new Edge jerseys, but up until now replica hockey jerseys have been much better quality than replica jerseys from other sports. I see some people walking around with NFL jerseys on and you can tell they are a few years old because the number is fading. It just looks terrible. I like baseball but I only have two jerseys because they just feel like a dress shirt to me because of the buttons I guess.

[DesertRat]

I do have my share of football and baseball jerseys, too, so it's not just hockey for me. I hold hockey jerseys in such high regard that I talked my wife making them our wedding attire (it helped the Coyotes wore black and white). The team has plenty to do with the appeal of them. I like the bold colors and design of jerseys. Growing up, I had some Islanders and some Devils jerseys If I like the jersey and don't abhor the team, I usually end up with a jersey of theirs. In Phoenix, you can easily wear a hockey jersey over a t-shirt or mock turtleneck during the cold months, no jacket required and that's very convenient. Plus hockey jerseys usually hide my expanding waistline well.

[TBLightningFan]

I do have my share of football and baseball jerseys, too, so it's not just hockey for me. I hold hockey jerseys in such high regard that I talked my wife making them our wedding attire (it helped the Coyotes wore black and white). The team has plenty to do with the appeal of them. I like the bold colors and design of jerseys. Growing up, I had some Islanders and some Devils jerseys If I like the jersey and don't abhor the team, I usually end up with a jersey of theirs. In Phoenix, you can easily wear a hockey jersey over a t-shirt or mock turtleneck during the cold months, no jacket required and that's very convenient. Plus hockey jerseys usually hide my expanding waistline well.

See, maybe that's why I exclusively wear my jerseys to games. Down here in Tampa/St. Pete, it's never cold enough to justify long sleeves with the exception of a day or two a year. Heck, even at the Forum, I sit around 10 rows from the ice and between periods I have to take my jersey off because I'm sweatin'. Maybe it's because I'm a Connecticut transplant whose blood never thinned, but I'm ALWAYS hot.

But, when people ask, I tell them I only wear jerseys to games because they're too expensive to wear for every day. Plus, I've got plenty of other hockey stuff to wear day to day.

However, I too have thought about your jerseys at a wedding thing, and maybe my girlfriend would relent and let me. The Lightning colors are black white and blue which is what she's wanted at the wedding...sooo...maybe I could get some customs made up with "Bride" and "Groom". That would be great.

[ZoomZoom18]

I've got such a large collection of hockey, football, and baseball jerseys that I hang on to many just for the memento. Some might be of a player I respect, such as Donovan McNabb and Steve McNair. I'm always on the lookout for jersey deals, I think the McNabb jersey is like one of maybe two or three that I made a point to get despite them not being on sale. The baseball jerseys are another thing, during the summer I'll wear them quite often. I had the black alternate White Sox jersey but it is so hot during the summer down here there was no way I'd wear that to a game, so I got the gray one.

My hockey jerseys have all had a specific meaning for me in some way shape or form. I bought my Sabres Curtis Brown jersey when I saw my first NHL game in Buffalo, then obviously all my Avalanche and Oilers jerseys and my Blues jersey. I bought the Flames red jersey because I thought it was gorgeous and the Montreal Canadiens because of their history. I could go on and on. Usually whichever mood I'm in, I'll wear that team's jersey. Unless like DesertRat, if there is a team I'd abhor, I won't wear their jersey no matter what.

[benpc21]

When I was young, my favorite NHL teams were based on jerseys. I was a Florida Panthers (partly jersey, mostly John Vanbiesbrouck's helmet), Phoenix Coyotes, and Colorado Avalanche fan because of their jerseys.

Once I got older, my criteria sorta changed. I feel I'm probably in a different situation than most of you guys, without a true favorite NHL team, and the closest team 5 hours away from my home town, I revert to junior hockey to pass the time. I have been attending Portland Winter Hawk WHL games for the last 18 seasons, and gotten to see a lot of guys play in Portland go on to play in the NHL. A few years ago, I decided to take my jersey collection from just jerseys I liked, to getting a collection of former Winter Hawks jerseys, which has since turned into getting as many different and unique jerseys (now with patches thanks to JeffB) as I can. I almost feel as if I am in a competition, yet no one else knows its going on. Some fans have some cool kinda out there jersey (i.e. Brenden Morrow rookie jersey w/ #45 and NHL 2000 patch) but I'm trying to have stuff that most fans wouldn't even know was possible. I have some tricks up my sleeve such as one game jerseys (an Adam Deadmarsh Gretzky Jersey retirement night jersey (which will have a replica of the patch worn) and some players who had great careers in Portland and played 1 game in the NHL, maybe even preseason, stuff like that. I do find jerseys I like and see if there isn't a Portland connection I can make to justify having the jersey, which is how I get most of my newer ones. If its a one off thing I stay true to how it was. In general, I try to pick the style of each team that I like the most for any given player, and have multiple of some jerseys that I like a lot for different patches and whatnot. All of this is basically talk as of now. I have most of the jerseys (35 or so) I have researched and planned out, and I'm waiting until I graduate college to drop the money on getting all the customizing done as one of my first purchases. There are still a few more I'm waiting for, but I'm in no hurry.

[DesertRat]

See, maybe that's why I exclusively wear my jerseys to games. Down here in Tampa/St. Pete, it's never cold enough to justify long sleeves with the exception of a day or two a year. Heck, even at the Forum, I sit around 10 rows from the ice and between periods I have to take my jersey off because I'm sweatin'. Maybe it's because I'm a Connecticut transplant whose blood never thinned, but I'm ALWAYS hot.

But, when people ask, I tell them I only wear jerseys to games because they're too expensive to wear for every day. Plus, I've got plenty of other hockey stuff to wear day to day.

However, I too have thought about your jerseys at a wedding thing, and maybe my girlfriend would relent and let me. The Lightning colors are black white and blue which is what she's wanted at the wedding...sooo...maybe I could get some customs made up with "Bride" and "Groom". That would be great.

I have my temperature limitations. When the temps are 100 outside, I'm not wearing a jersey unless I'm going to a game. Long sleeves do protect you from the sun's rays, but, still, ya cook! I work in a data center, so it's usually cool enough to wear a hockey jersey at work (the 15-20 minute ride to work, however, gets warm). I have multiple sclerosis and one thing I'm told is that I need to stay cool if at all possible. That's true, but not always possible, especially in a warm-weather town. Once the daytime temps finally drop under 90 here in Phoenix (they're 10 degrees above normal lately), I'll wear the jerseys more often. In Florida, I would imagine it would be pretty unbearable to wear one everyday with the humidity.

As for the wedding thing, I already had some Coyote jerseys with my name and number on them, so we just used those. My wife retained her last name, though. Yes, you can absolutely pull off the same thing with the Lightning. As for the wedding, women tend to want a traditional ceremony. My wife didn't, so this was perfect, private and relatively inexpensive. The honeymoon included the Hockey Hall of Fame and a tour of the then-named Molson Centre so it falls in the 'dream wedding' parameters for me.

[ZoomZoom18]

Once the daytime temps finally drop under 90 here in Phoenix (they're 10 degrees above normal lately), I'll wear the jerseys more often.

I can't wait for those days to come either (if they ever do)! Last winter was great because I was able to wear jerseys all the time. I miss bundling up to go watch a hockey game...in a bad way too. So I have to go with the next best thing and wear a sweatshirt if I'm going to a game (my authentic Ice and game worn Ice jerseys didn't keep me from freezing watch the first two Coyotes games I went to last year!).

[SabreFaninNYC]

I share all of your remembrances for putting on jerseys and going to the rinks, which I will be doing this Saturday night in Trenton to see the Devils play the Dayton Bombers. I have never been to Trenton but considering the paucity of minor league or college teams round these parts I don't have much choice. Still, I love exploring new rinks and am excited to try out my new Crosby Canada jersey.

In terms of drawing me to a jersey, its really about the overall presentation and the players on the team. For presentation- does it have neck ties, does it have good striping, does it have cool shoulder patches? And most importantly, what is the main logo? Color is a secondary concern but I have to admit the whole reason I am drawn to the Desert Dogs is their great color scheme.

For players- does the team have someone I am interested in. Tanguay in Calgary has me interested in a Flames jersey. Same goes for Toews in Chicago. Having a good player in a "classic" looking jersey (no way I am buying any of the "away" whites from RBK) makes all the difference for me.

For example, I have never followed the Bruins other than in a general hockey sense. But I love their black and gold colors, the main logo is still awesome, I am sucker for those new shoulder patches (they also have the ties) and they have a great player in Bergeron. Thus, now I am looking for Bruins jerseys.