Glad the Gopher pucksters have an identity all their own

[Schnauzer]

I see these other B1G hockey schools with their football-esque hockey helmets and it makes me happy our Gophers have an identity of their own. Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame (non B1G), and now Penn State can keep those football inspired helmets and continue to remind everyone that they are football schools, as far as I am concerned.

Football-inspired hockey helmets look goofy.

 

[bleedsmaroonandgold]

I was just whining about how ugly PSU's hockey helmets looked during Monday's game. I don't like football helmets on hockey players any more than I would like sleeveless basketball jerseys on them.

 

[MRJ]

The gold helmets with the maroon block "M" have been a staple of Gopher hockey since I can remember. I actually started following the team as a kid in the 1980s and they've always had those gold helmets, which are definitely a unique facet of Gopher hockey. No doubt that its a reflection of the tradition and history of the program. And like you said, it's not a rip-off of the football helmets.

When I was younger, I always looked forward to seeing those gold helmets come running onto the ice. That's when you knew it was time for Gopher hockey. Not sure if everyone else is as sentimental about that as I am, but it was definitely part of the thrill of watching U hockey.

 

[AF_Howie_2180]

Somethings are better left as they are. The hockey helmet is one of those things. Here is to hoping they never change them.

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

I see these other B1G hockey schools with their football-esque hockey helmets and it makes me happy our Gophers have an identity of their own. Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame (non B1G), and now Penn State can keep those football inspired helmets and continue to remind everyone that they are football schools, as far as I am concerned.

Football-inspired hockey helmets look goofy.

And Michigan stole their helmet from Princeton.

 

[Maximus]

The gold helmets with the maroon block "M" have been a staple of Gopher hockey since I can remember. I actually started following the team as a kid in the 1980s and they've always had those gold helmets, which are definitely a unique facet of Gopher hockey. No doubt that its a reflection of the tradition and history of the program. And like you said, it's not a rip-off of the football helmets.

When I was younger, I always looked forward to seeing those gold helmets come running onto the ice. That's when you knew it was time for Gopher hockey. Not sure if everyone else is as sentimental about that as I am, but it was definitely part of the thrill of watching U hockey.

I believe it was either 02 or 03 when they would break out all maroon helmets on the road occasionally. Luckily that ended pretty quickly.

 

[Schnauzer]

I would love to see the student section break out some sort of chant to make fun of the football/hockey helmets. They could use it for over half the home conference games.

 

[MinneStoa]

Honestly, I really don't have a problem with hockey helmets resembling football helmets. The style, at least in the case of Michigan and PSU, is a huge part of the branding of each school; and it's something that they seemingly take a lot of pride in. It's incredibly easy to recognize both of those schools by their football helmet, despite not having any sort of indicator of the school name (abbreviation, logo, mascot). How many other programs can say that? The only other one I can think of off-hand is Alabama.

If the Gophers had a helmet design as ubiquitous as that, I'd definitely expect them to mirror hockey helmets to their football helmets.