Fantastic Fashions – The Pittsburgh Penguins & Yellow

2012-13 O-Pee-Chee – Mario Lemieux Vintage Marquee Rookie

Lately, the Pittsburgh Penguins have jumped aboard the retro train a fair bit, but for the most part, they’ve rocked the blue jerseys (light blue and dark blue) from their earliest days in the NHL.

Currently, they don’t have a third jersey, but there’s talk of one reappearing for 2014-15.  What I’d really like to see is a bit more yellow, sported for a couple years in the early 1980’s.  The image above is brought to you courtesy of a young Mario Lemieux.  Now, this uniform would only be complete with the yellow helmet and classy screened-on numbers (see the shine on the 66?), but I’m pretty sure this is something the Penguins can do.  Are you listening, Pittsburgh?

Out of Place – Jarome Iginla

2013-14 O-Pee-Chee – Jarome Iginla

So, here’s the thing.  Jarome Iginla played for the Calgary Flames for a long time, and he was pretty good at playing hockey for them.  That’s the way everyone should remember him.  Tonight, their fans all got to stand up and cheer about how much they loved him, and they played an emotional video and all that stuff.  It was actually kind of good.

Sure, he was drafted by Dallas (Calgary got him and Corey Millen for Joe Nieuwendyk, who was also pretty good) and now he plays in Boston, where they have a pretty good team.  But most people will probably remember him playing for the Flames, and leading them to within a few inches of the Stanley Cup in 2004.  The thing people might not remember is him playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, for 13 regular season and 15 playoff games in 2012-13.

The weird twist to the Pittsburgh story is that everyone thought he’d been traded to Boston, including, in fact, the Boston Bruins (and quite possibly the Calgary Flames).  But then, when the dust had settled, he was on his way to Pennsylvania to join Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.  The Pens ended up losing to those very same Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Final.  Then, in the offseason, the Bruins signed Iggy as a free agent.  Make sense?  Not really?  Well, the point is, he played for Pittsburgh for a while and I don’t think many people will remember that.  Try to pay attention.

 

Fantastic Fashions – Pittsburgh Penguins Jaw Protection

1992-93 O-Pee-Chee – Rick Tocchet

Lately, ever since he broke his jaw, it’s been pretty obvious to notice that Sidney Crosby has something wrong with his helmet.  Something to do with protecting the injury.

What has been lost in all of this is that the same thing happened to Rick Tocchet back during the Penguins’ second Stanley Cup run in 1991-92.  Sure, they say it wasn’t as bad as Sid’s, but Tocchet did fight Kris King right after returning.  What are you doing, Sid?  Leading the league in playoff goals?  Alright, whatever.

Here’s my question – which jaw-protecting helmet was better?  I’d say there are pros and cons to each, and it’s pretty tough to decide:

Tocchet:

Pros:
-Jaw protector matches helmet colour
-Tough factor with no visor and limited facial coverage
-Open-faced motorcycle helmet cool

Cons:
-Jaw protector attached to awful early 1990’s Jofa helmet
-That is the only con needed

Crosby:

Pros:
-Appears to provide actual protection for a player with a history of head injuries
-Not attached to awful early 1990’s Jofa helmet
-Cage-style design allows for easier communication with teammates and coaches

Cons:

-Appears to be part of ill-fated Itech full face shield
-Might as well just wear ill-fated Itech full face shield
-Cage-style design allows for easier communication with officials

Realistically, if I was going to rock one of these, it would probably be Tocchet’s, even though it’s just hideous.  I like to kick it old school, what can I tell you.

Manly, Magical Mustaches – Bryan Trottier

1990-91 Pro Set – Bryan Trottier

So, the NHL lockout appears to be over.  I can’t begin to compose all my thoughts about that, so I am going to focus them instead on honouring one of the great players of the NHL’s past, from a time before The Lockout Era started.

Lots of people remember Bryan Trottier for his six 100-point seasons, his Art Ross Trophy win in 1979, his six Stanley Cups as a player, or for his assault on Brian Bellows with Kevin Stevens.

What he isn’t often remembered for is his mustache.  Trottier’s mustache was a staple of the New York Islanders’ success, and then it helped push Pittsburgh over the top in 1991 and 1992 as well.  You’ll notice the Islanders have been terrible since Trottier’s mustache left, and Pittsburgh almost lost their team when he left there.  These things are more than just a coincidence.  They are part of a Mustache Legacy.

Newsworthy: Sidney Crosby Returns

2010-11 Score - Sidney Crosby

So, Sidney Crosby returned to the NHL tonight.  Of course, this event was overhyped in Canada.  CBC decided to cover the game nationally at the last minute, and every major news and sport news agency was all over it.  For most of the game, of the top ten Twitter Trends in Canada, five or six related to this hockey game in Pittsburgh.  So, basically, the hockey-loving Canadian stereotype was perpetuated in a significant way throughout the evening.

In other news, the New York Islanders were relevant today.  You know, in the way that the Winnipeg Jets used to be relevant because Wayne Gretzky scored on them a lot.  The Islanders will also be relevant for a second time this week on Wednesday for looking just awful on the ice.

Most importantly, through all the talk about concussions, headshots, fighting and protecting superstars, Sidney Crosby scored two goals, including the game winner, and two assists.  He also posted a plus three rating and won 14 of 21 faceoffs, all in under 15 minutes of ice time, leading to a solid night for my fantasy hockey team.  Like I said, this is the most important thing.  Why this is not being reported in “mainstream media,” I will never fully understand.

One thing is certain: the NHL is a better place today than it was yesterday.  Welcome back, 87.

Haircuts I Wish I Could Pull Off – The Rob Brown

1989-90 O-Pee-Chee - Rob Brown

Rob Brown’s haircut is saying something here.  I’ll tell you what it is: “I just got promoted to Mario’s line for a year and scored 115 points.  I’m going to live the dream for a while with some sick flow until I become an IHL superstar in the mid-90’s.”

If Rob Brown could have listened to his haircut, he would have been able to predict the future.

Happy 2011 everyone.