Philadelphia Flyers 50 Greatest Moments in History

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers general manager Ron Hextall announces Travis Sanheim (not pictured) as the number seventeen overall pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

47. Philadelphia Flyers Test New Hockey Equipment

Written by Mickey Walsh

Some might ask why this would be one of the greatest moments in Flyers’ history. It’s groundbreaking for the sole fact that it changed the sport itself.

1981-1983: Cooperalls–

Hockey’s fashion has largely gone unchanged since those days of the Original Six: skates, socks, jersey. Some new pads have been added, and helmets, and visors, but perhaps the most dramatic aesthetic change of uniform in the NHL was the addition of Cooperalls in the early 1980s. Designed by hockey brand Cooper Canada, Cooperalls were long black pants worn instead of the shorter cuts players had worn up until then (and wear now). The Flyers, along with the Hartford Whalers, tested out Cooperalls for the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons, changing the look of the game.

The trial run was met with considerable criticism, with goalies on opposing teams complaining that the long black pants made it hard for them to see the puck– not so much a complaint on the Flyers’ side, of course– and players saying that the pants provided them less friction during falls, so they were more prone to sliding around when they were knocked to the ice. By the start of the 1983-84 season, the League had passed a rule saying players could only wear short pants, which ended the Cooperall experiment. Although it was an unsuccessful endeavor, the Flyers were unique in that they had been part of an experiment that literally changed the look of the game.

Next: Number 46: Flyers Win Second Stanley Cup