Each player who goes on the ice has a certain equipment. In addition to the club, it includes protective ammunition, special uniforms and skates. The hockey player’s clothing consists of a trench coat, underpants, a sweater and, of course, a helmet. To identify players during the match, the uniform displays its number and surname. However, besides this, many novice fans notice a symbolic identification on some participants and ask a logical question about what the letter A means in hockey form. All these nuances will be available in the course of this text.
IIHF Rules
The International Ice Hockey Federation has determined a list of the necessary parameters and conditions that the appearance of any professional hockey player must meet:
• Digital numbering ranges from 1 to 99. This limitation has been adopted due to the popularity of individual unusual values among players.
• In the event that the opponents' uniform differs slightly, then after the referee calls the host team of the ice arena, it is necessary to change it to an alternative one. This eliminates confusion during fixing violations or when scoring.
• The faces of the numbers, surnames and symbols of the players must be made in accordance with the requirements of color contrast (for visual observations, reading this data is easier).
Team Leadership
In addition, some observant fans may be interested in the question of what the letter A means in hockey uniforms. In accordance with international rules, the captain takes the team to the ice rink, wearing the letter “K” or “C” on his clothes. However, besides him, up to two of his assistants can be on the rink. They are identified by the letter A on the hockey uniform. If, according to the rules of the game or technical reasons, the captain is absent, one of the alternative assistants takes his place.
Exceptions
The requirements of color contrast and uniformity of the uniform of hockey players of one team apply to their helmets. Exceptions are permissible only in the form of a goalkeeper. He can wear a protective helmet, which is different from the accessories of other field players. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper in the Continental Hockey League is forbidden to be the captain or his assistant, but in the NHL this is considered the norm. Indeed, in this case, it is convenient to build a line of defense with the appropriate game style.
I believe that the question of amateurs is: “What does the letter A mean on hockey uniform?” - can be considered closed. However, this game is fraught with many more interesting nuances. They are due to differences in league rules due to historical circumstances.