Obscure Street Hockey Apparel Lookbook

Slug comes in hot with a curated lookbook of obscure Y2K-era roller hockey apparel. Even if you're not a hockey fan, this list will have you on Ebay digging for new jerseys in no time at all!

A Brief Introduction

I know we don't hit very hard on sports here at HOUDINI, but I think the history of hockey apparel (especially in inline hockey) is fascinating. I'm a lifelong hockey fan, so I've spent a lot of time reading about the sport's history and diving into old ads, footage, and other media surrounding it.

Most people are familiar with some of the NHL hockey teams and their modern uniforms. Hell, you might have even seen a throwback jersey or two.. but did you know that there's a whole world of defunct and lesser-known leagues out there? I think a lot of people, especially non-sports-fans, don't realize that hockey gear used to be swagged out before Fanatics came and ruined the sports jersey market.

In my opinion, hockey style and design peaked during the 1990s and into the early 2000s. It's a hidden history of turn-of-the-century design which deserves a closer look. CCM made their iconic v-neck jerseys throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Pre-Nike-acquisition Bauer manufactured stylish gear for players of all ages and skill levels. Reebok and Adidas had their time making quality jerseys in the 2000s. Hell, even Nike got some skin in the game (more on that later).

This lookbook focuses mostly on street hockey, which is a variant of traditional hockey that's played on inline skates, also called rollerblades. Street hockey was extremely popular in the 1990s and into the early 2000s. You regularly saw it featured in TV advertisements, movies like The Mighty Ducks, and on TV shows like Malcolm in the Middle. It's popularity thrived due to its accessibility: it didn't require an ice rink or a vast array of expensive sports equipment. It was easier to pickup and could be played anywhere with flat ground.

I now present to you a mini-lookbook of some of my favorite street hockey apparel I've found in my time scrounging Ebay and across the greater Worldwide Web.

Nike's NHL Street

Nike entered the hockey world in the '90s when they made Sergei Federov, one of the most famous hockey players of the era, the brand's official spokesperson. However, their attempts at manufacturing professional hockey gear were a failure; even their poster boy would go on to say their gear was uncomfortable and never renewed his sponsorship contract. However, that doesn't mean Nike didn't have some insanely Y2K designs that put form over function. Here's the White Russian himself, swagged out in Nike head-to-toe:

After their pro hockey division went south, Nike jumped on the street hockey trend. In 1996, they launched NHL Street, a collection of street hockey clothing, shoes, and rollerblades. They also launched a nationwide partnership with the NHL to organize street hockey leagues in various teams' local communities:

I'm a big sneakerhead, so these late '90s Nike ads for their street hockey shoes really call to me:

They had t-shirt jerseys, hats, and shorts (not pictured), too:

You could even rep your favorite NHL team (go hawks) on a street hockey jersey:

So clean! Too bad Nike killed the brand relatively quickly and then gave up on hockey altogether.

Pro Beach Hockey

The Professional Beach Hockey League (PBHL) was a short-lived variant of inline hockey that aired on ESPN2. It was a more physical game than traditional inline hockey, complete with outlandish (and embellished) player antics, as well as a modified rink featuring sloped endboards. Allegedly, it beat the NHL in ratings during its two broadcasted seasons.

The PBHL had an insane lineup of teams made of up certified, formerly professional hockey players with equally insane aesthetics. The uniforms and logo design feel like a late '90s fever dream. They even had a team branded as the ¡Salsa!, for some reason.. can't quite wrap my head around that choice.

Up first, looking very much like a jar of Pace Mild, we have the ¡Salsa! jerseys:

Here's the insanely goated home and away jerseys of the PBHL champion Web Warriors:

My personal favorite is the Dawg Pac:

This dude is swagged out; so so so hard:

Apparently, someone is releasing a documentary about this oddball shit sometime before the end of the year.. so keep an eye out!

Roller Hockey International

Roller Hockey International (RHI) was the first professional inline hockey league operated in North America. Its first season opened in 1993 and the organization folded in 2001. At its peak in 1994, the league had 24 teams in operation. The aesthetics of the league were painfully '90s, featuring such teams as the Calgary Rad'z and the Vancouver Voodoo. Not exactly PC, eh? Either way, the jersey designs were off the fucking chain!

They've got it all. The comic book-styled Denver Daredevils with a mascot lookin' like the Crimson Chin:

The hard-as-fuck Pittsburgh Phantoms with the grim reaper front hit:

We got the Windows 98 clip art-type-beat of the New Jersey Rock'n'Rollers:

And of course, the Vancouver Voodoo jersey:

Bonus Round - IHL

Okay, no more street hockey here. The International Hockey League (IHL) was a minor league hockey league which operated in Canada and the United States from 1945 until 2001. Most of the teams in this league only lasted for a decade or two. Other teams, like the San Francisco Spiders, only lasted a single season. This made for some wild and short-lived designs, especially during the league's final decade.

One of the hardest logos I've seen from the Cincinnati Cyclones:

The painfully '90s Orlando Solar Bears jersey lookin' like a Jazz disposable cup:

And the San Francisco Spiders casually dropping in for their single season with one of the coolest jersey designs of all time:

That's it for this deep dive into roller hockey fashion design. I hope you enjoyed this lookbook! Almost all the imagery was pulled from various Ebay listings over the last month or so. I cut out each piece of clothing by hand in Photoshop and dithered them with DitherIt.

Sources

• kicks.wiki - Link
• "NHL Street "by Ernest Wilkins - Link
• Pro Beach Hockey Site - Link