The NHL's New Dress Code

It appears now that while the rest of the league is discussing things like hits from behind and no-touch icing, our commissioner, the ingenious Gary Bettman, is worried about enforcing an on-ice dress code.

Ovechkin’s tinted visor? Gone.

The patented Gretzky jersey tuck? Retired along with his number.

If approved, players will not be allowed to wear long strings on their pants, any colour tape but the dominant team colour, laces must be white or the dominant team colour, and players will not be allowed to cut or zip the inner leg of their breezers.

This is just a part of the proposed code.

Why? Well the ultimate plan is to give Reebok exclusivity for player apparel 90 minutes before the game and continuing until 90 minutes after the game.

Does this mean Shanahan will be forced to stop giving interviews in those suspenders? Will every player look exactly alike before, during and after a game?

It's just another marketing ploy by our beloved and oh-so-brilliant commish.

In attempting to market the game, Bettman has really been pushing certain players as the face of the game. In order to sell that, fans want and need to be able to see player personalities and individuality on the ice.

It’s hard enough to track fast-moving players, why turn them into clones?

Not having a dress code is what makes hockey different from baseball and football. Instead of preserving and celebrating this, we’re getting a one-size-fits-all approach, all for the sake of an endorsement.

Individualism and iconic images; gone for the sake of the commissioner’s desire for more money.