2007-08 Reebok Edge 1.0 Home Authentic
#55 Sergei Gonchar with Alternate Captain's "A" and 2008 Stanley Cup Finals and the City of Pittsburgh's 250th Anniversary Patches
Manufacturer: Reebok
Size: 54
Purchased From: House o' Hockey
Lettered by: House o' Hockey
The Story: The Penguins almost got there in 2008. They lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. They'd avenge that loss the following year, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The Pens entered the 2007-08 season with a new jersey that looked like their old jersey, but was actually nothing like it.
The NHL implemented the new Reebok Edge uniform across the league. This new "uniform system," which included pants and socks as well, was "designed to meet the performance demands of today's NHL player." At least, that's what Reebok's marketing department said. If that sounds like a bunch of marketing hype to you, give yourself a gold star. That's exactly what it was and the Edge uniform system may have turned out to be the biggest flop in the history of professional sports uniforms, at least from a functionality standpoint. The idea behind the jerseys was that they'd be tighter to the body than the old-style hockey jerseys, allowing the moisture-wicking material to pull sweat away from the player's body. It would keep them cooler, be lighter in weight, and though tighter, it would be easier to move in because the material had an elasticity to it. The theory was great, though in practice, what happened was very different. Out of the gate, players complained that instead of the uniform pulling the sweat away from their bodies, it actually kept it inside. Players' skates and gloves were literally pooling perspiration inside them. Before long, the Edge system was refined to what's known as Edge 2.0, which was tighter to the body in keeping with the original Edge design, but the jerseys were made of the same AirKnit material used by CCM over 15 years prior.
It was great to get my hands on one of these new style jerseys, and to wear around, they are a lot more comfortable, though they're not as warm in cold weather. Sergei Gonchar had been a leader on the team for quite some time, the quarterback of their very potent power play, and an all-around good guy. In addition, everybody was wearing Crosby, Malkin, and Staal jerseys, so Sarge was an easy choice to be the player picked for my first Edge jersey.
Size: 54
Purchased From: House o' Hockey
Lettered by: House o' Hockey
The Story: The Penguins almost got there in 2008. They lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. They'd avenge that loss the following year, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The Pens entered the 2007-08 season with a new jersey that looked like their old jersey, but was actually nothing like it.
The NHL implemented the new Reebok Edge uniform across the league. This new "uniform system," which included pants and socks as well, was "designed to meet the performance demands of today's NHL player." At least, that's what Reebok's marketing department said. If that sounds like a bunch of marketing hype to you, give yourself a gold star. That's exactly what it was and the Edge uniform system may have turned out to be the biggest flop in the history of professional sports uniforms, at least from a functionality standpoint. The idea behind the jerseys was that they'd be tighter to the body than the old-style hockey jerseys, allowing the moisture-wicking material to pull sweat away from the player's body. It would keep them cooler, be lighter in weight, and though tighter, it would be easier to move in because the material had an elasticity to it. The theory was great, though in practice, what happened was very different. Out of the gate, players complained that instead of the uniform pulling the sweat away from their bodies, it actually kept it inside. Players' skates and gloves were literally pooling perspiration inside them. Before long, the Edge system was refined to what's known as Edge 2.0, which was tighter to the body in keeping with the original Edge design, but the jerseys were made of the same AirKnit material used by CCM over 15 years prior.
It was great to get my hands on one of these new style jerseys, and to wear around, they are a lot more comfortable, though they're not as warm in cold weather. Sergei Gonchar had been a leader on the team for quite some time, the quarterback of their very potent power play, and an all-around good guy. In addition, everybody was wearing Crosby, Malkin, and Staal jerseys, so Sarge was an easy choice to be the player picked for my first Edge jersey.