With the New Year’s Eve NHL Winter Classic now concluded, it’s time for college hockey to kick off the “Big Ten Hockey Series.” The series will feature four matchups at Wrigley Field tomorrow and Saturday. On Friday, Ohio State will face off against Michigan at 5:00 pm (ET), followed by Penn State taking on Notre Dame at 8:30 pm. Saturday’s events will see both the Wisconsin Men’s and Women’s hockey teams in action, with the Women’s team playing Ohio State at 5:30 pm (ET) and the Men’s team competing against Michigan State at 9:00 pm (ET).
In case you missed it, special game uniforms have been revealed for Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State.
The Wisconsin Women’s team released a hype video showcasing their unique uniforms for the game. Like Penn State and Ohio State, the Badgers’ outdoor jerseys pay homage to baseball and hockey traditions in Wisconsin and Chicago. The women’s jerseys feature “Wisconsin” in cursive script across the front, reflecting a vintage style reminiscent of historic Wisconsin uniforms. While Wisconsin has not had a baseball team for years, their old uniforms were similar to those worn in this outdoor game.
Although there wasn’t a hype video for the men’s special uniforms, they also incorporate a baseball theme. While I’d like to see them in action to form a complete opinion, I find the special uniforms appealing overall. I generally favor hockey teams to display a crest or logo instead of a script wordmark, but given the Badgers’ baseball-inspired look, I find it acceptable for these games. Additionally, while Wisconsin’s men typically wear red breezers, they will don black for this game, creating a look reminiscent of the Chicago hockey team. Let’s hope they perform better on the ice than the Blackhawks did on New Year’s Eve.
Fans can catch all four games of the Big Ten Hockey Series on the B1G Network.
