So you’ve got an old hockey jersey. Do you hang onto it as a memento of your time playing hockey or do you see it as a piece of clothing that just doesn’t work for today’s fashion trends?
Many people have interesting stories about their hockey jerseys. Here are just a few of them. Now it’s up to you to make a decision.
In 1938, Al Schmitt had just finished playing for the Boston Bruins in the NHL. Upon returning home from a game, he found his family had baked a cake to celebrate his return. As he was cutting into the cake, he noticed the icing was particularly thick and sticky. Thinking it might be improved with some exercise, he took off his jersey and began pumping his arms and skating around the kitchen. The cake was a huge hit, and the icing was praised for its extra thickness. Since then, Al’s Cake Icing stands for the idea that playing hockey can actually improve your baking skills. (If you’re looking for a unique way to incorporate your love of hockey into your own personal touch, you could consider buying a cake mix and adding a few ingredients to create a puck-shaped cake on the back of your old jersey.)
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Hockey Is Back For The Winter
It’s amazing how quickly the seasons can change. One minute we’re sweating it out in the gym, the next minute we’re wishing we were hanging out at the beach.
Whether you’re an avid hockey player or just someone who enjoys the sport, there will always be another season to look forward to. The 2019-2020 NHL season marks the 82nd anniversary of the league, and with the Vegas Golden Knights set to begin play later this month, things are certainly looking up for hockey. (The NHL has expanded to 30 teams, with the Golden Knights joining the Pacific Division. There are 15 teams in the Western Conference and 15 teams in the Eastern Conference. You can find tickets to any game here.)
Hockey has been in hibernation since the 2014-2015 season. The season prior was canceled due to the Zika virus and the subsequent birth defects it was believed to cause in unborn children. (Zika virus is a mosquito-borne disease that usually affects adults and causes mild flu-like symptoms. Though it has been around for decades, it wasn’t until the 2015 season that cases rose significantly. Since then, many countries, including Canada, have adopted a no-travel policy for mosquitoes and certain breeds of ticks that carry the Zika virus. In Canada, anyone who has traveled outside of the country within the last six months must self-isolate for two weeks upon return. This would include people who have visited Germany, Italy, or the Netherlands. If you plan on traveling abroad during the next season, make sure to protect yourself from mosquito bites by using insect repellant and taking frequent showers. (The health ministry has also issued a travel advisory urging people to exercise caution when traveling to countries where Zika is present and to speak to their doctors about available treatments. The national travel advisory can be found here.)
You’re Just A Baby So You Must Nurse
It was the summer of 1992, and Martin Brodeur was fresh off a successful season with the Quebec Nordiques in the NHL. He and his wife, Angela, were at their home in Quebec City when he noticed their eight-month-old daughter, Grace, wasn’t receiving enough milk. Being the competitive hockey player that he was, Brodeur decided to take matters into his own hands. (He would end up becoming the all-time leader in victories, shutouts, and games played for the Nordiques and would win the Vezina Trophy in 1999 as the best NHL goalie that season.)
While most of us are content to let our kids sleep through the night, not all parents are so lucky. Many have to pump their own mammaries to provide their little ones with as much breast milk as they need. Some even bring a snack with them to the hockey game just so that they can keep their child’s energy up while they’re trying to enjoy the game. (It’s not just parents who have to pump at sports events either. If you’re a professional athlete and you’re on the field for more than three hours, you have to provide your own milk via a sports drink. While it’s not ideal, what are parents supposed to do?)
How Did You Lose Your Hair?
Whether you’ve had long hair or just loved the way it felt, you’re sure to miss it when it’s gone. Unfortunately, not all hair loss is created equal. Some problems are simply more severe than others. When you’re dealing with an issue that’s more than just bad hair, it’s time to consult a professional. In the case of Al Schmitt, his condition was eventually diagnosed as alopecia universale, which is now more commonly known as “lack of hair on the scalp”. (Though the cause isn’t fully understood, genetic factors are believed to play a role and there are currently treatments available. You can learn more at alopeciauniversale.com.)
For Schmitt, losing his hair was more than just a physical change. As a young man, he was incredibly proud of his thick head of hair. It was a symbol of his masculinity. As he grew older, the hair started falling out in great amounts, and he found himself embarrassed to be seen in public. (Though his family and friends continued to love him, his condition became a cause célébreé in the community where he grew up. His story was told in a feature-length documentary called “King of the Road”. You can learn more about it here.)
To be clear, all of these stories have happy endings. Even Al Schmitt is now considered a happy man by many because he found the strength to rise above the embarrassment his hair loss brought him and embrace his newly found masculinity. (As for the hockey cake, Al’s team, the Bruins, eventually posted his picture on their website with the tongue-in-cheek message “we missed you” written below it. Since then, Al’s Cake Icing has become a popular ingredient among fans baking NHL-themed cakes due to its unique connection with hockey. You can even buy a cake mix and add a few ingredients to create a puck-shaped cake on the back of your old jersey. Though sadly, not all of them are as lucky as Al Schmitt. There are many other ways your hockey jersey can become a symbol of your time playing the game. From Al’s Cake Icing to the hairdo that won the Stanley Cup, these are the amazing stories that will live on in perpetuity in the annals of hockey. (You can find out how to play Puckett’s Grooves in the slideshow below. If you’re feeling super creative, you can also make your own NHL-themed cake using this same method.)
Hopefully, this article will help you come to a better decision about what to do with your old hockey jersey. If you’re looking for a way to add another notch to your belt, you could consider wearing it as a scarf. Or, if you want to keep it as a memento of your time playing hockey, you could do so by adding another layer of fabric to the the top of the jersey and using pins to hold it all together. (Just make sure that whatever you do, it’s in good taste and doesn’t hurt your favorite team’s feelings.) If you’re fortunate enough to have a beautiful girl in your life, you could even go so far as to make her a wedding dress using the jersey as a pattern. (Wedding dresses are usually based on the bride’s favorite hockey team or on a hockey player she admires. If you have a specific player or team in mind, contact the local florist to see if they can help you out. They’ll know the right fabrics to use and the measurements needed to get the perfect dress.)