The University of Maine men’s hockey team wore a new jersey during the Florida College Classic last weekend and they will wear them again later this season, according to Maine coach Tim Whitehead.

Nike and Nike Bauer Hockey developed jerseys for nine teams and the Nike Swift Hockey Jersey has been designed to reduce overall uniform weight while increasing mobility and comfort.

The jersey was first unveiled during the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Ten men’s teams and eight women’s teams wore them.

“They were real good,” said Maine junior left wing Billy Ryan. “The fit everyone’s body tightly. They were a lot lighter and they dried a lot quicker. They absorbed sweat a lot better.”

Senior left wing Brent Shepheard said they didn’t feel much different to him but added, “When the other jerseys get wet, they can get a little bulky sometimes. The water runs off these a little bit better. There are some areas where there is mesh and that gives you a little bit of ventilation. I also think they look sharp. I like them better than our other third jersey.”

Shepheard was referring to the Columbia blue jersey the Bears wear occasionally.

Junior right wing Rob Bellamy said he “loved them. They keep you dry most of the time, you can move around real well and they looked pretty sharp.”

“We got a couple of wins out of them, too,” said a grinning Bellamy.

Senior right wing Keith Johnson agreed with Bellamy.

“I like them and a lot of the reason I did was we won two games,” said Johnson. “They weren’t that much different than our other jerseys. They were a little lighter and they did absorb more sweat.”

Homecoming for Whitehead

This weekend’s series against UMass Lowell at the Chelmsford Forum in North Billerica, Mass., formerly known as the Tully Forum, will be a homecoming for Whitehead.

He spent six years there, five as a River Hawk assistant coach under Bruce Crowder and his first season as the head coach at UML. He spent five years as the head coach at UML before coming to Maine.

The River Hawks moved to the new Tsongas Arena in Lowell in 1998. Due to a four-day skating competition, the games were moved from Tsongas to the Chelmsford Forum.

“It’s a great arena for hockey,” said Whitehead about the Chelmsford Forum. “I don’t know what kind of condition it will be in. It used to be in pristine condition. Hopefully, it will be in good condition.”

Whitehead remembers the ice surface as being smaller than most rinks.

“I think it’s 185 [feet] by 83,” said Whitehead.

Most rinks, such as Maine’s Alfond Arena, are 200 by 85.

“Action happens quickly there. You’ve got to be ready to transition, both on offense and defense,” said Whitehead. “If you turn the puck over in the neutral zone, it’s coming back into your end real quickly. ”

He said having the opportunity to practice at Bangor’s Sawyer Arena Thursday was beneficial.

“We love going to Sawyer because the ice is so good and Joe [rink manager Joe Nelson] and the people there treat us so well. In this particular case, it’s good to get a practice there because the ice surface is very similar to the one [at the Chelmsford Forum],” said Whitehead.

Several Maine players have played there in youth and high school hockey.

“It’s a pretty cool rink. I like the ice,” said Maine’s Bellamy. “It should be a good series. It’s definitely a forechecking rink and that should play into my style pretty good.”