The Hockey News October 26, 2015

THE BARBER WHO CUTS MY HAIR (yes, seriously) has been doing the same job from the same location since 1951 – that’s 64 years and counting. His two-chair establishment is tiny and cozy, decked out like a one-room, deep-woods cabin, replete with rustic knickknacks and quaint chachkies, most of which have probably been there since 1951. The conversation stretches from family to travel to entitled kids to world politics. It’s an array of topics, but there’s always conversation, and it’s always warm. When Jack is asked about his entrenched roots, he replies, “If you’ve found something you like, someplace you like, why move around?” I can relate, having just marked my 26th year at The Hockey News. Most of my co-workers are in similar positions. They’re passionate about this brand, they…

CONNOR MCDAVID IN MOST OF THE WORLD, THE team sport linked to Adidas is soccer – or “football” just about everywhere outside the U.S. and Canada. And Adidas’ new seven-year partnership as the NHL’s “authentic outfitter of on-ice uniforms” figures to give the league’s licensed apparel sales and global brand exposure a boost when it kicks in, starting in 2017-18. With the deal, Adidas immediately became a hockey brand in jerseys, the NHL’s signature merchandise category. But its parent Adidas Group didn’t suddenly become a hockey company when the deal was announced this off-season. The German-based corporation owns Reebok, the NHL’s jersey provider the past decade, as well as sister-brand CCM, the century-old maker of skates, sticks and player protective and goalie gear. But the deal means the Adidas name and logo –…

IN 1949, FRANK ZAMBONI of Paramount, Calif., debuted the ice resurfacing machine, known today simply as the Zamboni. It took nine years of trial and error to build the first working prototype, which featured a custom-built chassis, engine parts from an old army truck and a hydraulic cylinder pulled from a Douglas bomber plane. The task of resurfacing the ice, which took an hour and five people to finish, could now be completed by one person in 15 minutes. Upper Deck commemorated Zamboni and his machine on a trading card in 1991. PUCKJUNK.COM…

ZELLIO TOPPAZZINI HAD a Hall of Fame career in the AHL. But in 1952-53, trading card company Parkhurst of Canada didn’t foresee his future. Instead they featured his NHL brother, Jerry. Toppazzini’s rookie card in the ’52-53 set had Zellio’s background on the back of the card, but Parkhurst mistakenly placed Jerry’s picture on the front. The Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society has remedied the situation by creating a new trading card for Zellio, who passed away in April 2001. He holds Reds franchise records in games, goals, assists and points. The not-for profit organization is looking to honor the 1955-56 Reds with a trading card set. In 2010, the Society of International Hockey Research anointed them with having “the best minor league season ever.” The ’55-56 club also featured Hall of…

HOCKEY JERSEY FASHION mimics all fashion in that it’s a game of rapidly changing trends. Teams continue to bludgeon the ghosts of the 1990s “Xtreme” era, which yielded asymmetrical angles, predatory creatures and busy piping. New designs from the Yotes, Avs and Isles keep things classy. The Oilers blow us away with a color scheme they should’ve tried years ago, while the Sharks and Capitals follow the fad of reviving defunct sweaters no one wanted to see go in the first place. How long before every team in the league re-adopts its inaugural uniform design? ANAHEIM DUCKS THIRD JERSEY Perfect marriage of old-era masked duck, new-era orange. ARIZONA COYOTES HOME Black arm striping spruces up the Desert Dogs’ look nicely. COLORADO AVALANCHE THIRD JERSEY A gorgeous tribute to the old Colorado Rockies franchise. EDMONTON OILERS THIRD JERSEY File this beauty under “Why didn’t…

WITH 67,000 POSSIBLE LINE combinations based on numbers, the stars must align – figuratively and literally – to create a recipe worthy of numeric nickname status. Hockey line nicknames based on jersey numbers, or “numberlines,” are a rare occurrence in the NHL. The most recent popular combination was coined during the 2014 playoffs, when the Los Angeles Kings put Jeff Carter (No. 77) between Tanner Pearson (No. 70) and Tyler Toffoli (No. 73) to create ‘That ’70s Line.’ The name was inspired by the sitcom That ’70s Show, which aired on Fox from 1998 to 2006. While the line didn’t last (Pearson broke an ankle midway through last season), the nickname evolved as Dwight King and his No. 74 took his place, creating ‘That ’70s Line 2.0.’ And do you remember 2002’s…