Would they rather be super models, instead of super stars?

In a league that reveres the resplendent Don Cherry and his fashion sense, it’s probably not a surprise that NHL players have taken such an interest in fashion over the last few years.

Earlier this week we were treated to the details of how Sidney Crosby had been working through the off season, to help make sure that Reebok got their new uniforms just right. It’s a pretty dedicated young man that will spend hot summer days, testing hockey sweaters but with Reebok poised to become the tailor of choice for the NHL, it’s the least that their head hockey spokesperson could do we guess.

But what’s this, even old hand Brendan Shanahan has taken an interest in NHL Fashions, Shanahan who is on the competition committee as chairman is looking at opening up an old issue of the past year, that of goaltender equipment. Shanahan offered up the following quote to Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail;

"The goalies are going to hate me for saying this, but I think we failed a bit with streamlining their equipment. So much of the focus was on the width of their pads and it's really about their upper bodies. I want to make sure these guys are protected. I just don't understand how a cop can walk down the street in a bullet-proof vest and look normal, yet our goalies have to look like lacrosse goalies or Michelin men in order to stop a puck."

Shanahan’s comments were made as the topic of larger nets came up once again; a prospect that hockey purists are not particularly interested in but still pops up from time to time.

It would be Shanahan’s preference to reduce the bulk of the goaltenders rather than expand the scoring zone behind them, which considering he’s a forward and might make good use of that extra real estate, is a rather far reaching and big picture approach for the chairman.