Chicago Blackhawks: NHL All-Star Jerseys Are Garbage (Literally)

The Chicago Blackhawks sole all-star, Patrick Kane, will be wearing garbage when he takes the ice representing the Hawks for the 2019 All-Star game.

The NHL, a league who is behind the times in more ways than one (CTE and concussions being a notable example), is doing something which makes them look pretty darn good.

During the 2019 All-Star game the Chicago Blackhawks‘ Patrick Kane, along with every NHL team’s representatives, will be wearing jerseys made out of ocean waste. These NHL uniforms will be the league’s first ever to be made out of repurposed and up-cycled materials.

Or, ya know, garbage.

All jokes aside, it’s a very impressive move from the NHL and they deserve praise for it. Here’s a quick synopsis of the upcoming jerseys, curtesy of adidas News:

"“Created with Parley Ocean Plastic™, a range of materials made from upcycled marine plastic debris, each jersey is crafted to be a symbol of change in the movement to protect the oceans. By spinning a threat into thread, the adidas x Parley partnership gives new purpose to plastic bottles (polyester) and other plastic waste intercepted in marine environments.”"

Though the impact on the environment may not be monumental, the fact that a major sports association is doing something so environmentally conscious is a big step. Parlay and the NHL are partnering to do something truly spectacular. The impressive part is, they aren’t sacrificing quality to do it.

"“adidas and Parley rework these various marine plastic waste materials into technical fibers that create the material framework of a durable, yet breathable fabric that is optimal for adidas performance apparel.”"

This move from the NHL, adidas and Parlay is certainly a step in the right direction. Then again, it isn’t a surprising one, either.

In fact, for nearly a decade now the NHL Green program has done a tremendous amount of work towards environmental sustainability. They’ve made efforts to reduce their energy consumption, water usage and waste in addition to working on counteracting some damage which has already been done.

These up-cycled jerseys are just another step in a line of those in the right direction.

In addition to their environmentally friendly features, this jersey is the first to feature every team’s logo on the front. That touch helps to cover their somewhat bland color choices.

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You can see the Chicago Blackhawks own Patrick Kane sporting this jersey during the NHL All Star game on January 26.