Wilmington Hurricanes will don white Hartford Whalers jerseys.
The last time these uniforms have been worn in an NHL game is April 29, 1992, during Game 6 of the Whalers’ playoff series loss to the Montreal Canadiens, according to Whalers historian Pat Pickens.
Another addition to the Whalers uniform kit for this season that’s creating a stir is that the Canes will be warming up that evening in Cooperall pants.
During the 1982–83 season, Cooperalls, an alternative style of hockey pants with a waist–to-ankle design, were worn by a few Whalers players. Players began to complain about their lack of mobility and how the pants made them hot during games, and soon they were out of style. In the 1983–84 season, the NHL passed a regulation requiring players to wear short pants while skating.
In 2022, while wearing their Reverse Retro jerseys, the Philadelphia Flyers surprised the Cooperalls during warm-ups. The Hurricanes have the opportunity to go long (pants) now.
“We’ve worked with the same manufacturer as the Flyers did last season to make these come to life,” Forman stated. “They’ll be worn on top of the standard green pants that players will wear during the actual game.
After moving from Hartford to North Carolina, the Hurricanes started playing there in the 1997–98 campaign. When he took over the team approximately six years ago, current owner Tom Dundon made a commitment to deepen the ties between Carolina and its Whalers history.
In December 2018, the Hurricanes debuted wearing Hartford’s iconic green sweaters, and at home games, Whalers gear is for sale.
