If you’ve been in the Kings’ locker room — and believe me, based on the smell, you’re fortunate that you’re not — it’s very easy to notice the latest change to the players’ hockey gear. A handful of players have started wearing a bright yellow sock — underneath their regular hockey sock — which is made from Kevlar and is resistant to cuts.
It’s a wise move, given the number of cuts that have taken place — due to players being stepped on or slashed — in the last couple years. Last year, you might remember the injury Brad Richardson had during practice, an injury that would have been avoided with this type of sock. To see what the sock looks like, and what it does, check the link below, and I also talked to Kings head equipment manager Darren Granger and Terry Murray about the new socks, which the Kings have been wearing for approximately 10 days.
Question: How many players are wearing the new socks? Is it an optional thing for them?
GRANGER: “Obviously, it’s their decision about what they want to do. I think we have five right now. We had one player that was pretty exposed, where he was vulnerable to be cut, so he was sort of the reason it got started. That and, obviously, the injuries around the league. It’s been something that we’ve been trying to find for a couple years now, and now we’ve finally got a couple companies making them.”
Question: What does the sock do for them? It prevents them from being cut, right?
GRANGER: “The yellow part that you see is Kevlar, which is cut-resistant. Obviously if it’s punctured, like a stabbing motion, it’s going to go right through it. But what we’re trying to do is reduce the slashing of the skate, or like Cam Ward’s injury, where somebody slides into you, that type of thing. The one company I’m dealing with is also going to make a hockey sock. Unfortunately, we can’t wear them because they’re not Reebok, but mostly the reason I’ve been getting them is for the goalies, because they’re so exposed on the leg.
“Our goalies aren’t exposed like Cam Ward, because they wear padding on their knees. Ward didn’t wear padding on his knees. Mostly the reason I was trying to get them was for the backs of their legs. This is all so new. I’ve been talking with Vancouver’s equipment guy, and he’s trying to find stuff with Bieksa and other players on that team.”
Here’s what Murray said about the new equipment…
MURRAY: “I have had this conversation many times over the years. This is a very serious kind of injury that happens around the game today, with these skate cuts. Richie had it last year. We saw a game on TV last year with Montreal, Lang got stepped on. But this goes way back to my days at Washington, as an assistant coach. Rod Langway got stepped on during a playoff game against the New Jersey Devils and severed his Achilles tendon.
“The next year, at training camp, this fan shows up on the first day of training camp. He’s got a full hockey sock made of Kevlar. He had a hunting knife, a great big blade, about a 10-inch blade. He said, `Here, cut this sock.’ You couldn’t. The only difference was the weight of it, compared to the sock the players wear. I said to the fan, `If this could ever become a lighter weight, I’m sure it would be very easy to convince the players to wear something like this.’ So that’s going back into the early 80s, mid 80s. Then I saw this sock — (Kings trainer) Chris Kingsley brought it into me a couple weeks ago and showed me this Kevlar sock — and then the wrist sock that speed skaters wear. It should be a popular item.”
To illustrate the point, Murray pointed to the large pictures of Wayne Gretzky and Dave Taylor that fill the wall outside the Kings’ locker room in El Segundo…
MURRAY: “You can see how, in my day, like Gretzky has the tape over the Achilles. Well now, most guys are like Taylor. He doesn’t do it. So any time you take a stride, you’re exposing your Achilles. That’s what the guard is for, to protect the back of your leg. So the sock, to me, is a tremendous idea. I hope everybody starts to wear them.”
I suggested to Murray that, a) he should have patented that sock in the 80s, and b) he might not want to encourage fans to show up with knives…
Awww, I really wanted to see how good it could deflect my broad sword.
Thanks for the info, Rich. Again, good eye for the details and knowing what might not be valuable to all is very valuable to some. =)
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Don’t talk like all of us wouldn’t Love the opportunity to check out the Kings locker room…
Love the idea, I’m pretty shocked that it took so long, it seems like a simple enough idea. I always get the willies when i see those injuries.
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Very cool.
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They let us into the training room at Tip-A-King. You’re totally right about the smell, but being a locker room I suppose that’s to be expected…
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I would wear them myself… except that is a pretty pricey pair of socks… and I am not sure I skate fast enough to actually expose my Achilles tendon to anyone…
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Cool beans Rich, too bad these things can’t prevent “lower body injuries” too.
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They actually arent made of Kevlar.
Each sock is woven out of Mikus’ indestructible chest hairs.
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why isn’t required that all the players wear them. a recent injury to a Vacourver D is out 2-3 months for a cut leg.
i worked for the Kings: it was the Forum; the reason for any odor is that the equipment manager, myself or Mark O’Neil, would turn the heat up when locking up: it was at my time approx.90 os to cook the wet equipment so it was dry for the next day.
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You know Van, I never got close enough to Juraj Mikus to see if he actually had chest hairs. I suppose that as wonderful as he is, he could just hold his breath for 10 seconds and they would simply pop out like a forest. Therefore, your statement is very plausible.
I wonder why they turn yellow when woven? Juraj Mikus doesn’t smoke. Whenever he’s on fire, he’s so pure the he releases steam!
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Seriously, I wish I would have thought of this idea. Such a simple one given that kevlar has been around a while. Makes total sense. Kevlar is great stuff and I agree with TM that everyone should be required to wear them.
I’d almost like to see everyone wear kevlar neck collars, just to avoid the rare kind of life-threatening injury like Richard Zednick got. I see lots of skates flying in the air when guys go down. Make an undershirt with a kevlar turtleneck collar. Protect the jugulars.
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Hi Cynic,
I hear a lot of talk of this Juraj Mikus character…Is this guy the real deal? A flop? an ongoing joke a la Chuck Norris?
What I want to know is, is he a good player?
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Juraj Mikus scored an OT playoff goal against me in NHL10 the other night. This took place in 2013. The legend lives on.
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He’s a 22 yr old center on the Monarchs that we signed last year. He centered Ziggy Palffy in the Czech league last season and did quite well. I think he’s a solid prospect and that he has some skills, but he’s reportedly having trouble adjusting to the North American rink and style of hockey. Decisions have to be made much quicker obviously. I give him another year to adjust and we may have a solid 2nd line center on our hands at his peak, if he reaches it. Just my opinion.
The story goes, when Juraj Mikus got signed by the Kings, nobody here knew who he was. Some posters started giving him some ‘Legendary’ comments, a la Chuck Norris and it just grew from there. Now we ALL know Juraj Mikus is MUCH more important than Chuck Norris could ever be, but I wouldn’t mess with either one of them.
Maybe one of the Manch fans can tell us who Juraj Mikus is centering these days. I thought he was on 3rd line duty but I’m not sure.
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Murray,
PLEASE STOP PLAYING DRAGO! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
#41 IS A WASTE OF A UNIFORM..PLEASE BRING IN CLUNE OR WESTGARTH OR JUST ANOTHER YOUNG BODY THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE…
HARROLD PLAYED VERY WELL IN THE BACK. HE SHOULD SPELL SOD AND RANDY JONES. OH RIGHT, ALSO PLEASE GET KOVI OUT OF ATLANTA..
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WWAMD,
I wouldnt use any bad words like flop towards Mikus… he hears and sees everything…
In all seriousness he is good yes.. Noth American style good… probably not. He scored about 90 something points last season playing centre for Ziggy Palffy in a Slovakian league. So you know he has some serious skill. His numbers aren’t so good yet in Manch…
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Hey Rich sorry to bother you but can you find out if there is any truth to the rumor the Kings are trying to move Jack Johnson? He routinely leads all kings in ice time or just behind Doughty not sure if this rumor makes a whole lot of sense? Are they that unhappy with his plus minus? Thanks.
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JP -
I can confirm it for you right now. No, there is no truth to that rumour. Stop reading hockeybuzz….
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“Unfortunately, we can’t wear them because they’re not Reebok.”
That needs to be fixed. People need to get on TV and say that about 10,000 times, and write it in news articles about 10,000 times, and Rebok will have to do something about it (either buy a license or give them an out for that particular garment.)
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Wonderful story. It’s about time something like that comes out.
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Kevlar Hmmmm.Are the Kings expecting gunfire?
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Hey Rich, I thought Reebok was only licensed to provide jerseys, not other under garments? I’ve seen many players wear nike, under armour and ccm products underneath their jerseys before, could you find out a bit more about what the player are required to wear?
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I think “I’m just sayin” is trying to take over Anthony’s spot on here.
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Dominick–
No gunfire. Swordplay, aimed at the Achilles…
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Steve… The sock that Darren was referencing — the non-Reebok sock — would be the outside hockey sock and not an “under” garment. The yellow socks they’re wearing ARE under the hockey sock, but the one he’s talking about wouldn’t be allowed, because it’s the very outer sock and, thus, needs to be Reebok-provided…
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I would say that those new reebok socks have something to do with the number of injuries as well. Back in the day when all the socks were made of heavier, knitted material that you had better protection against those sorts of things, not to say freak accidents didn’t happen. It seemed to curb the possibility of accident as opposed to the flimsy, nightclub-shirt type material reebok makes for them nowadays.
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We should give the players powered exo-skeletons a la cyborg ninja.
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Thanks for info Rich.
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Ahhh…I think a much better solution would be to get a pair of shin pads that wrap around that part of the leg. I use a shin pad that covers that part. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to wear the sock but I doubt that it would be as effective as the tougher material that the back of a shin pad would provide. But hey if it the players like it shoot whatever works.
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I wonder if Big Smoke is on to something there? I know my hockey socks (the old style) always have a number of skate blade holes in them by the middle of a season but I haven’t been cut on my skin yet. It’s always worried me. I’ve had skate cuts almost through the chest of my shoulder pads, the cuffs of my gloves and even on my half-shield. I can’t imagine what the pro-level guys must deal with. I think at $35 the under-socks are a relative bargain and if more of us start buying them the price should go down a bit. There isn’t a much nastier injury than having your Achilles tendon severed or really any skate cut. Reebok should get on the ball and incorporate this technology into their disco socks ASAP, it would be the right thing to do.
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Maybe it’s the socks that caused all those injuries…
I think Chris Pronger and Chris Simon are just total [expletive expletive expletive expletive expletive].
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