Our Sweater

Football players wear jerseys, baseball players wear uniforms, and basketball players sport the tank tops.  But hockey players coined the sweater. From a necessary extra layer of warmth on the frozen pond to the high tech incarnations of today, the sweater is the most recognizable piece of player equipment on the ice for the teams it represents. Punchkick hockey is no exception.  From the very beginning of Punchkick hockey it was apparent an off-the-shelf jersey would not suffice. Most adult league teams use a material and quality that barely make it through the season.  Punchkick would need a sweater to match the attention of detail and over-the-top attitude we evoked in our players.  Today that holds true through 13 seasons and nine different versions of the original.  This article illustrates the evolution of our sweater.

 

The Original

The original PK sweaters were replicas of the black uniform used by the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2000-07.  This was originally their third sweater used in 2000.   PK adopted not only the color scheme but also the tricolor numbering system as well, although PK opted to utilize a standard "varsity" font.  It was decided that players committing to the purchase of PK sweaters would always retain their chosen number.  Generic numbers were purchased by the team to be provided for "subs" and maintain a professional appearance. The sweaters were manufactured by CCM and embroidered with our logo (affectionately nicknamed El Guapo).  The numbers were produced by Ice Jerseys of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  These sweaters held up remarkably well over the course of 260+ games, and remained in circulation until the formation of the Punchkick Hockey League (PKHL).  The original logo still adorns each premium sweater in the PKHL as an embroidered shoulder patch.

 

 

 

PK goes Vegas

Prior to PK commencing into season two, it became apparent the majority of adult league teams also used black as their primary color. To avoid disgracing our own sweater with a pullover in the event of playing one of these teams, PK sought to add a second sweater to our lineup.  Vegas Gold was chosen not only for its beauty but also its exclusivity.  This one would be loosely based on the third sweater of the Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, circa 2002-03. To create this custom order, Ice Jerseys used Athletic Knit to hand build our design.  Ice Jerseys then added what is now considered our "heritage crest" to the front.  The original logo was moved to the shoulder as a patch.  The numbers are two-tone, and were added to the front of the sweater. This sweater has become synonymous with PK hockey, similar to "le sainte de flannel" (holy sweater) of the Montreal Canadiens. Required to make a minimum order, PK hockey purchased extras to ensure incoming players could also purchase one to match the team. A PK Vegas Gold sweater was presented to Kory Karlander, adorned with his #33 retired by the PKHL. The last unnumbered Vegas Gold was presented to Mario Della Savia of the Hockey Hall of Fame Archives to be forever included in the amateur archives. Due to cost, weight, and difficulty to produce, this sweater was retired. There will be no more.  

 

 

 

PK and RBK

2007 turned the hockey world upside down. Not only was PK hockey born, but Reebok dared to change the hockey sweater forever.  Love it or hate it, wool of yesterday and Durene of the 60s and 70s was gone.  The new RBK Edge sweaters were lighter, had more breathability, and fit closer to the player (much to the disadvantage of the famed "girth line").  PK entered the modern sweater era in November of 2011, taking design cues again from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and adopting the "away" white sweater to complete our palette.  This marked the introduction of our crest, which is currently on the front of every premium sweater and league issued jersey in the PKHL. This crest was designed by Johnny Griswold of sportdrawn.com and has come to be known as "Johnny Punchkick". The original El Guapo logo was retained on the shoulder, embroidered as a patch.  Tricolor numbers returned, and PK adopted the font used by Pittsburgh (note the 4).   At this time PK went local, and selected DunMor Design of Troy, Michigan to be their exclusive supplier of PK sweaters.

 

 

The PKHL and the "Original Five"

When PK hockey grew to become the PKHL it was decided that the same logo would be used league wide to promote the unity of camaraderie and sportsmanship.  Every player would wear this logo representing the mission statement of the PKHL. The original color palette underwent various changes to avoid conflicting colors, as home and away versions proved impractical and expensive.  The Pittsburgh’s away white was carried over with the addition of Philadelphia’s home orange, Minnesota’s 3rd green, Pittsburgh’s 3rd sky blue, and Boston’s Winter Classic sunflower. Number colors would match that of the NHL team and for the first time in PK history, Captain and Alternate ranks would be stitched to the front of the sweaters. Green was the only color unavailable from RBK, and Kobe was used as the manufacturer.  DunMor remained the supplier for PKHL. The practice of number retention and providing matching uniforms to the league continued with the "league issue series".  This series was to be a standard set, with single color heat pressed numbers and logos. Nontraditional (60, 61) and high profile (68, 89) numbers were chosen for this number assignment.  

 

 

Expansion

To balance schedule and meet growing demand, the PKHL added a sixth team and color for season two. The "Forum Blue" sweater worn by the 1972-73 Los Angeles Kings was chosen to complement the existing palette. Once again, PK found itself in custom territory.  Currently K1 is the only manufacturer of this design, and once again they were to be hand made.  Both premium and league issue series are K1. These are the only premium sweaters in our league collection that feature the "straight-cut" design as opposed to the "new edge" style introduced by RBK. The PKHL was faced with a minimum order, but can supply players for seasons to come.  DunMor supplies the expertise to bring a blank jersey to life as a PKHL sweater.  Due to manufacturer (RBK) production (or lack thereof), the Sky Blue sweaters were now provided by Athletic Knit (AK).

 

 

 

 

Back in Black (and Vegas)

In January of 2015, the PKHL hosted the first outdoor game in its history.  Players wore the now "retro" original and vegas gold PK sweaters to represent their respective division in the Winter Classic at Clark Park in Detroit, Michigan.  The game was won by the Gold Division by a score of 4-3.

 

On March 27th, 2015 the PKHL Select team defeated the Patriots Hockey Team of Southern California 10-6 in the first charity game hosted by the PKHL.  This game not only featured players wearing the Vegas Gold but number 33 returned to the ice worn by Kory Karlander in his first game representing PK Hockey.  This game was a success for the charities, and has served as the impetus for PK Hockey to expand its presence beyond league games.

 

On April 1st, 2015 the PKHL featured a "turn back the clock" game with the St. Pats (team green/vegas) and the Punishers (team purple/black) wearing the vintage sweaters. The game was won by purple/black 4-3.

 

Expanding Horizons

Prior to starting season three several special events were presented to Punchkick Hockey.  Invites to tournaments, representation at district playoffs, and the possibility of playing the World Cup of Adult Hockey all are within grasp for PK Nation.  The need was recognized to set aside a set of sweaters to provide teams assembled for special events.  The white sweater was chosen for this task, taking its rightful place in PK heritage. This sweater has represented PK Hockey since 2011, and is the last of the "original" sweaters to be used in the PKHL.  Le Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge of the Montreal Canadiens was chosen to replace white, complementing our existing palette of retro themed sweaters.  Beginning with season three Red (premium and league issue) and Orange will join Green as produced by Kobe.  Sunflower remains as the only RBK sweater due to limited production.

 

 

   

 

Forever Trimmed in Black and Gold

No one can be certain which colors will represent the PKHL in future years. Although selected for their quality, the rough and tumble nature of ice hockey takes its toll on all sweaters.  But one thing IS certain.  The crest will remain black and gold. This was done not only as homage to our past, but to ensure players can purchase equipment that will match well from year to year and color to color.  As another nod to the past, during season two, the PKHL was divided into two divisions- Black and Gold.

Perhaps someday these colors will once again be worn as an all star sweater, or a team representing PKHL in a tourney, or even district playoffs.  Or....a Winter Classic.  Stay tuned.