Canadian Olympic officials have unveiled the jerseys Team Canada will be sporting at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia.
The new Nike-branded hockey jerseys were presented at a news conference Monday held at the Mattamy Athletic Centre located in the old site of Toronto鈥檚 historic Maple Leaf Gardens.
Players wearing the men鈥檚, women鈥檚 and sledge hockey team鈥檚 jerseys glided across the ice as background music played, showing off the three new designs. They include a maple leaf shape on contrasting stripes on the red and white jerseys, while black jerseys are emblazoned with the word 鈥淐ANADA鈥� written across a thick red stripe.
Nike senior creative director Ken Black said he always designs with the athlete in mind.
鈥淲hen we think about performance, there are always two pieces to that,鈥� Black told reporters. 鈥淥ne is function and the other is the aesthetic.鈥�
Black said he wanted to go back to a classic design, with colours that are 鈥渟upremely Canadian.鈥�
鈥淭he psychological benefit for an athlete is putting on a uniform that makes you feel great,鈥� Black said. 鈥淚f you look good, you feel good, you probably play good. And not only for the athletes themselves, but as you step onto the ice, it makes a real statement to the opponent about what your intent is as you enter competition.鈥�
But according to Canadian Olympic Committee President Marcel Aubut, the jerseys are more than just a uniform.
鈥淲e are launching a symbol that will serve to unify our great nation,鈥� Aubut said.
Inside the collar of each jersey are 12 gold stars, representing Team Canada鈥檚 gold medals to date: eight for the men鈥檚 team, three for the women鈥檚 team, and one for the sledge hockey team.
Olympic hockey gold medalist Cheryl Pounder was moved by that added detail.
鈥淚 got to see the gold stars in the inside of the jersey, and that just touched me,鈥� Pounder said. 鈥淚 thought 鈥榳ow that is something that is right directly next to your heart or very close and there鈥檚 meaning to that.鈥�
鈥淭he picture that comes to my mind is just sitting with my teammates ready to go on the ice and all of us looking at the same emblem and the same leaf on our chest and all the work that was put into it was for that 鈥� not for ourselves, but for who we are playing for,鈥� she added.
In September, a photo of Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews wearing a new jersey design was leaked online, sparking a flurry of largely negative reaction including Sports Illustrated columnist Allan Muir鈥檚 comparison of the design to an 鈥渙versized pajama top.鈥�
The jerseys officially unveiled Monday match the one in which he was photographed.
