1974-75 Quebec Nordiques Serge Bernier Jersey

Forward Serge Bernier, born on this date in 1947, began his road to professional hockey with two seasons with the Sorel Eperviers of the Quebec Junior Hockey League. During his second season in 1966-67, Bernier lit up the scoreboard with 37 goals and 46 assists for 83 points in just 33 game, an average of north of 2.5 points per game.

Bernier was then selected fifth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1967 NHL Amateur Draft and the only one taken in the first round to ever reach the NHL and the first draft pick ever by the Flyers franchise.

Before reaching the NHL, he would play the entire 1967-68 season with the Quebec Aces of the American Hockey League. Limited to 33 games, he scored 7 times. He was back with Quebec for the 1968-69 season, this time playing in 70 games, scoring 27 goals and 59 points, good for second on the Aces, who would make it all the way to the Calder Cup Finals that season.

Of note, Bernier did make his NHL debut that season with a lone game for Philadelphia on February 27, 1969, recording 2 penalty minutes in the boxscore.

1969-70 was another learning year in the minors for Bernier, again playing in 70 games with an increase in overall production. Although his goals dipped to 22, he playmaking increased, with his assists increasing 50% from 32 to 48. All told, he averaged a point per game with 70 total points, up from 59. He again appeared in a single game for the Flyers, this time earning his first NHL point with an assist.

A helmetless Bernier with the Flyers

He made the Flyers roster during training camp for the 1970-71 season, and had a fine rookie season with 23 goals and 51 points in 77 games while playing with Jim Johnson and Bill Lesuk.

Bernier scored 23 goals as a rookie

In 1971-72, Bernier appeared in 44 games for the Flyers, scoring 12 goals and 23 points in 44 games, but was then sent to the Los Angeles Kings in a seven player deal in late January, which involved sending the entire Bernier-Johnson-Lesuk line to the Kings intact! In 26 games for Los Angeles, he added another 11 goals and 11 assists, which allowed him to equal his 23 goals from the previous season.

Bernier was subject to some of O-Pee-Chee's finest airbrushing on this card

Playing a full season with the Kings in 1972-73, Bernier set a new personal best with 68 points from 22 goals and 46 assists.

Bernier discovered the joy of long hair and a mustache in Los Angeles

1972-73 was the season that the hockey world saw an upheaval, as the rival World Hockey Association began play. Bernier was originally selected by the short lived Ottawa Nationals, who had subsequently traded his rights to the Quebec Nordiques, who came calling with a contract offer to return Bernier to his native Quebec for the 1973-74 season.

The wide open play of the WHA suited Bernier's style of play. Bernier immediately responded to his new environs with 37 goals and 86 points in 74 games to lead the Nordiques in scoring as well as having their second-most penalty minutes with 107.

Bernier in an early Nordiques jersey

Bernier was chosen as one of the WHA stars to participate in the 1974 Summit Series, as the team representing Canada took on the Soviet National Team in an eight game series in an attempt to recapture the magic of the 1972 edition of the Summit Series. In eight games, he contributed a goal and 2 assists.

Bernier was a member of Team Canada at the 1974 Summit Series

The arrival of his offensively gifted (and French speaking) linemates Marc Tardif, from the ashes of the defunct Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades franchise, and rookie Real Cloutier for the 1974-75 campaign elevated Bernier's game to another level, as he had 54 goals and 68 assists for a team leading 122 points, 30 more than Rejean Houle and good for third overall in the WHA, behind only Andre Lacroix and Bobby Hull. Many of his goals came from parking his sizable 6' 1", 190 pound frame in front of the opposition goal and creating havoc and knocking in rebounds.

The Nordiques finished that season with the second best record in the league and made it to the Avco Cup Finals that season.

Tardif (71) and Cloutier (60) took over the goal scoring duties in 1975-76 as Bernier contributed 34 of his own on his way to 102 points.

Bernier had back to back 100 point seasons

Bernier's goal scoring increased once again in 1976-77, this time to 43 along with 53 assists for 96 points. During the playoffs, Bernier raised his game to the stratosphere, scoring 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points in 17 games (more than a 2 point per game average) as the Nordiques defeated the New England Whalers and the Indianapolis Racers in five games each before a seven game series with the Winnipeg Jets that ended with a celebratory 8-2 win at home to capture the Avco Cup as WHA champions with Bernier having a goal and two assists that night. After such a stellar performance, there was little doubt that Bernier would be named the WHA Playoff MVP.

The WHA champion 1976-77 Quebec Nordiques

Tardif, Cloutier and Bernier finished 1-2-3 in scoring for Quebec in 1977-78, despite Bernier being limited to just 58 games because of a knee injury. He still managed 26 goals and 78 points for 1.34 points per game while healthy.

Bernier was the WHA playoff MVP in 1977

The trio repeated that feat of finishing 1-2-3 in team scoring in 1978-79, only with Cloutier leading Tardif and Bernier, who had 36 goals and 82 points. Bernier once again played in the WHA All-Star Game for the sixth consecutive season, having appeared in it every year he was in the WHA.

Bernier was a six time WHA All-Star

1978-79 would prove to be the final one for the WHA, and four of the remaining six teams would be allowed into the NHL as expansion teams under some highly punitive conditions, as many in the NHL had hard feelings over the bitter battle the two leagues waged for seven seasons, which saw player salaries escalate tremendously.

The WHA teams were required to relinquish any players on their roster to their NHL rights holders, with the exception of two goalies and two skaters. Bernier, whose nickname was "Le Gros Toutou" - The Big Teddy Bear, was not reclaimed an NHL club and remained with the Nordiques.

Bernier's return to the NHL was less than spectacular however, as he only saw action in 32 games in 1979-80, with 8 goals and 22 points and another 46 in 1980-81 with only 2 goals and 10 points before he retired.

Bernier returned to the NHL in 1979

His final combined totals between the NHL and WHA were 719 games played with 308 goals and 555 assists for 763 points. He had an additional 28 goals and 74 points in 49 WHA playoff games, winning an Avco Cup championship and playoff MVP award in 1977.

In 2010, he was one of the initial group of players inducted into the WHA Hall of Fame.

Today's featured jersey is a 1974-75 Quebec Nordiques Serge Bernier jersey as worn during the finest offensive season of his career when he had 54 goals and 122 points to lead the Nordiques in scoring.

The Nordiques began in the WHA for their inaugural 1972-73 season wearing white home jerseys with a wide red waist stripe, red numbers and red shoulders with a lace up collar. A shade of powder blue was used for the widest stripe on the arm and a trim stripe under the shoulders, both front and back, separated from the shoulder by a white space. The road jerseys were powder blue with the same red striping and red numbers.

For the 1973-74 season, the heavy use of red was greatly diminished and the powder blue was changed to a much darker blue, which also became the new color for the numbers and now the main waist stripe color as well as being added to the cuffs of the sleeves while remaining the main arm stripe. The collar became a v-neck as well. Even more blue was to be found on the contrasting color nameplates, which was blue with white letters on the home white jersey.

The jerseys evolved again for 1974-75 when the fleur-de-lis appeared on the jerseys for the first time as the secondary shoulder logos. The striping on the jerseys remained the same but the names on the back became the conventional white on the white jerseys with red lettering and blue on the blue jerseys after the contrasting colors the year before. This would be the second and last year for this particular style.

Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1976-77 Quebec Nordiques Serge Bernier jersey as worn during the season the Nordiques won the Avco Cup as WHA champions.

For the Nordiques fourth season of 1975-76, the team debuted what would become their signature look for the remainder of their existence, which was based on the flag of the province of Quebec.

Six Fleur-de-lis now ringed the waist of the jersey and remained on the shoulders as well. The jerseys were mesh with screen printing, and as seen on the back numbers, did not hold up to wear very well.

Originally paired with red pants for the 1975-76 season, the pants became blue in 1976-77 and the Nordiques look remained the same for their final three seasons in the WHA.

 

Extra bonus jersey: Today's extra bonus jersey is a 1979-80 Quebec Nordiques Serge Bernier jersey as worn during the season the Nordiques moved to the NHL.

For their move to the NHL, the Nordiques kept the same home and road jerseys for 1979-80, but changed the white crest to red outlined in blue to match that used on the home jerseys from 1980-81 forward.

By now the customizing of the Nordiques jerseys had change from screen printing to heat sealed vinyl numbers. The one color, heat sealed numbers were the last of their kind when they last used in 1990-91 before the club joined the modern age with sewn on twill numbers for the 1991-92 season, which were now two color numbers with the addition of red outlines, their first time with two color numbers since the 1974-75 season, 16 seasons earlier.

photo courtesy of Classic Auctions

In today's video section, highlights of Game 7 of the 1977 Avco Cup Finals, as the Nordiques rout Winnipeg to win the championship. The video does have some brightness issues, but is still quite watchable.

If you have some time on your hands today, here is a highly recommended film entitled "Just Another Job" despite Bernier not joining the Nordiques until their second season. The film runs 28 minutes and takes you behind the scenes of the upstart Nordiques and coach Maurice Richard and their first ever game. Richard would only last two games as the Nordiques head coach before realizing the job was not a good fit for him.

Even if you don't have a half hour to spare, we implore you to at least check out the opening theme song, which runs a minute and a half and is not to be missed.

Just Another Job by Pierre Letarte, National Film Board of Canada

1993-94 Boston Bruins Ted Donato Jersey

After playing his high school hockey at Catholic Memorial School in Boston from 1983-84 to 1986-87, left winger Ted Donato had the thrill of being drafted in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the hometown Boston Bruins.

Donato stayed close to home when joined the Harvard Crimson for the 1987-88 season. He had a fine freshman season with 26 points in 28 games as well as playing for the United States at the 1988 World Junior Championships, scoring 5 points in 7 games for the Americans.

During his sophomore season, Donato scored 14 goals but elevated his point total to 51 in 34 games thanks to 37 assists, nearly three times as many as he had as a freshman. Donato also got to lift the Beanpot trophy when Harvard won the 1989 Beanpot Tournament, which takes place annually among the four Boston based colleges and universities, Harvard, Northeastern, Boston College and Boston University

Harvard won the Beanpot in 1989, a thrill for the Boston native Donato

Harvard had an excellent 27-3-0 record that season to win the ECAC regular season championship and an NCAA berth. In the national playoffs, the Crimson defeated the Lake Superior State Lakers 9 goals to 4 in the Quarterfinals and then defeated the Michigan State Spartans 4-3 in overtime to advance the NCAA title game, a true classic where they would win their first, and to date only, national championship with another 4-3 win in overtime against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, overcoming the fact they were playing in front of thousands of Minnesota's fans in St. Paul at the Civic Center. Following the tournament, Donato was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

Donato being interviewed after being named the Most 

Outstanding Player following Harvard's 1989 NCAA championship

After his 1989-90 season was limited to just 16 games, Donato returned for his senior season as one of the captains of the Crimson. He responded with an excellent season in 1990-91, averaging two points per game with 19 goals and 37 assists for 56 points in 28 games, good for second on the team.

Donato captained the Crimson in 1990-91

As many elite young players did when given the opportunity during this era, when Donato's college career concluded, he joined the United States National Team to play a full season of games in preparation for the Olympics. In the 52 games leading up to the Games, Donato had 11 goals and 33 assists playing a schedule of exhibition games against US  colleges, minor league pro teams and other national teams at times, particularly the Canadian National Team.

During the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, Donato had 4 goals and 7 points in 8 games played.

Donato played for the United States on five occasions

With the Olympics concluded, Donato made his NHL debut with the Bruins, playing in 10 regular season games, which included scoring his first NHL goal. He then played in all 15 of Boston's playoff games, contributing 7 points.

Donato during his 10 game NHL debut in 1992, wearing #46

He then played in 82 of Boston's 84 games in 1992-93, with 15 goals and 35 points. He followed that by setting a career high in points during the 1993-94 season with 22 goals and 54 points, playing in all 84 of the Bruins games, as this was the era of the neutral site games, which bumped the schedule from the usual 82 up to 84 games for both the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons.

With the 1994-95 season delayed by labor issues, Donato made his way to Finland and kept in game shape by playing 14 games for TuTo Turku in the SM-Liiga. While in Finland, Donato contributed 10 points and 47 penalty minutes, nearly five times more than he would have in three times as many games when he returned to Boston after the lockout ended! Back with the Bruins, Donato would have 10 goals and 10 assists for 20 points with just 10 penalty minutes in 47 games.

Donato played with TuTo Turku in Finland during the 1994-95 lockout

Donato would take a run at setting a new personal high in goal in each of the next two seasons. He would have his second and third 20 goal seasons with 23 goals and and 49 points in 1995-96 and then set a career high with 25 goals in 1996-97 on his way to 51 points despite being limited to 67 games that season. He was healthy in time to play for the United States once more, this time at the 1987 World Championships, where he tied for the team lead with 4 goals and 6 points in 8 games.

Donato after the Bruins move to the Fleet Center,

which came with a new set of jerseys

His numbers regressed in 1997-98 to 16 goals and 39 points, and then after a slow start to the 1998-99 season, scoring just one goal and 4 points in 14 games, Donato was traded to the New York Islanders in early November of 1998. He would play just 55 games with the Islanders, scoring 18 points, before a trade in late March saw him crossing the border into Canada to join the Ottawa Senators for the final 13 games of the season. All the upheaval did not do his game any favors, and his combined season stats were 11 goals and 27 points in 82 games.

Donato was traded from Boston to the New York Islanders

With the Senators season over, Donato was available to join the United States for the 1997 World Championships, where he led the Americans in scoring with 2 goals and 8 points in 6 games.

Donato was on the move again for the 1999-00 season, this time across the continent as he was dealt to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He would play in 81 games that season, scoring 11 goals on his way to 30 points.

Donato played one season with the Mighty Ducks

Donato signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars for the 2000-01 season. There, he saw action in 65 games, scoring 25 points.

For the 2001-02 season, Donato signed as a free agent with the Islanders in mid-January of 2002, but eventually only played one game with New York and another with their top American Hockey League affiliate, the first season Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

He was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Kings on January 28th and was assigned to the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. There, he played 36 games with a fine 18 goals and 43 points. He did see action in two games for Los Angeles but was waived once more, this time being claimed by the St. Louis Blues on March 19th in time to play two games for the Blues. In all, Donato played in five cities that season but failed to register a point in just five NHL games.

Despite his unsettled professional season, Donato was able to participate in the 2002 World Championships for the US, contributing a goal and 4 points in 7 games in his final international competition, which was enough to tie for second in team scoring.

Looking to revive his NHL career, Donato signed as a free agent once again, this time with the New York Rangers for the 2002-03 season. He would play in 49 games in Manhattan in a defensive role, as he only scored 2 goals and an assist. He was able to demonstrate the offensive part of his game with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL, scoring 8 goals and 20 points in 18 games.

Donato played one season with the Rangers

He returned home for the 2003-04 season, signing with the Bruins where his NHL career began. Playing the same checking role as he had with the Rangers, he did manage 6 goals and 11 points in 63 games with Boston. During the season he also saw action in 15 games for the Providence Bruins scoring 12 points in the AHL. Donato was back in Boston for the playoffs, playing the final two games of his career in the postseason.

Donato returned home to Boston for his final season of play

His final NHL totals were 796 games played with 150 goals and 197 assists for 347 points, the majority of those with the Bruins.

Donato may have retired as a player, but he was never out of hockey, as in the summer following his final NHL season, he accepted the head coaching position at Harvard and just finished his 13th season guiding the Crimson with a Frozen Four appearance.

Donato got to lift the Beanpot again as the head coach of Harvard

Today's featured jersey is a 1993-94 Boston Bruins Ted Donato jersey from the season when he set a career high with 54 points.

This classic Bruins style first arrived on the scene in 1974-75 when Boston removed the colored shoulders from their black road jerseys. In 1976-77, the secondary logos were added to the shoulders and names on the back arrived the following season. This style remained in use through the 1994-95 season, their final one at the historic Boston Garden.

Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1996-97 Boston Bruins Ted Donato jersey from the season the NHL first introduced third jerseys. Five teams, Anaheim, Boston, Los Angeles, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks, would all debut alternate jerseys. While the Kings and Mighty Ducks jerseys would last no more than six games, the would be worn for 10 seasons through the 2005-06 season (not counting the 2004-05 season which was cancelled).

Extra bonus jersey: Today's extra bonus jersey is a 2000-01 Dallas Stars Ted Donato jersey worn during his only season with the Stars.

This jersey was introduced as the Stars third jersey in 1997-98 and became the team's primary road jersey two seasons later after being worn during the 1999 playoffs as Dallas would go on to win the Stanley Cup. This jersey style would remain in use through the 2005-06 season until the Stars got a new set of jerseys with the arrival of the new Reebok Edge jerseys in 2007-08.

This jersey was based on the design of the 1994-1997 NHL All-Star jerseys and was a perfect fit for Dallas and easily one of our favorite jerseys in league history. An instant "gotta have it" at first sight.

Sharp eyed readers will notice the bottom points of the star on the front of the jersey are clipped, as the bottom couple of inches of the jersey were folded upwards and sewn down to shorten the length of the jersey at Donato's request.

In today's video section, Donato scores on a breakaway against the New Jersey Devils.

Koningsdag (King's Day) in The Netherlands - 1992 Netherlands National Team Frank Janssen Jersey

Today is Koningsdag, or "King's Day" in the Netherlands, which is often referred to as "Holland", when the country celebrates the birthday of the king of the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander.

The tradition started on August 31, 1885 on the birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, who later became Queen Wilhelmina. Since 1949, after Queen Juiliana took the throne, the holiday became known as Koninginnedag, or Queen's Day, and was celebrated on her birthday of April 30th.

Queen Wilhelmina

When Queen Beatrix, succeeded her mother Queen Juliana in 1980, she decided to keep the holiday on April 30th as a tribute to her mother, despite Queen Beatrix's birthday being on January 31st, which comes at a time of year that is far less suited weather-wise for a national holiday that includes many outdoor events.

When Queen Beatrix abdicated on Koninginnedag in 2013 at the age of 75, her son Willem-Alexander became the first King of the Netherlands since the observance of the national holiday, the name was changed from Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) to Koningsdag (King's Day) and the date adjusted slightly from April 30th to now April 27th, Willem-Alexander's birthday.

King Willem-Alexander

One of the main outdoor events which Queen's Day is known for it the tradition of "free market", where everyone is allowed to sell items on the streets without having to pay taxes on their sales, with the sales in Amsterdam attracting the most visitors. While some sale areas are becoming more commercialized, others are more of a social event and the one in Vondelpark is officially reserved for children.

An example of the Free Market sales on King's Day

Other activities are games for children and outdoor concerts as many people dress in the color orange, the color of William I, Prince of Orange, the founder of the Dutch royal family, The House of Orange.

A scene of the oranjegekte, or "Orange Madness"

Orange is also the color worn by Dutch national sports teams, such as it's successful soccer team despite the colors of it's flag being red, white and blue.

The Netherlands national soccer team in their traditional orange shirts

Not only do people dress in orange, but there are also orange costumes, drinks and food. The night before King's Day is also celebrated in some larger cities, such as Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hauge, and called King's Night, which began as a successful response to rowdyism in the 1990's.

Rather than continue the old tradition of citizens visiting the Queen at Soestdijk Palace, now Queen Beatrix started a new tradition in 1981 where the monarch picks a location to visit each year to meet citizens, view local dances and demonstrations of traditional crafts. This year Willem-Alexander will visit Tiburg in the south of the country, his fourth such visit since ascending to the throne.

King Willem-Alexander and family during a King's Day visit

The Netherlands National Team first played in 1935 and is currently ranked 27th in the world, competing at the IIHF World Championship Division I Group B level, now the third highest level of international hockey. Their highest ranking came in 1953, when they were ranked 7th and since 2000 their highest ranking has been 22nd.

They participated sparingly during their early days, finishing 14th and last their first time out in 1935 after going 0-6 and being outscored 34-0 before returning in 1939 (improving to 11th out of 13 and scoring their first goals in their 2-1 over Finland) and then not until 1950, the long gap primarily due to the outbreak of World War II which interrupted the World Championships from 1940 through 1946.

In 1950 they placed 8th before four straight appearances in the B Pool from 1951 to 1955. They returned to the international scene next in 1961 and 1963 (now assigned to the C Pool), before finally becoming regular participants in 1967, still in the C Pool.

In 1973, they placed second in the C Pool with a 5-2 record and outscoring their opponents 52-21 while hosting the tournament to earn a promotion to the B Pool, where they stayed for four tournaments prior to a one year demotion to the C Pool. They won the C Pool their first time out in 1978 with a 6-1 mark and a staggering 74-17 goal differential to immediately return to the B Pool Group 2, which they won their first year back up with a 4-0 record, which earned them the right to compete in the Olympic hockey tournament for the only time, the 1980 Games. While in Lake Placid, they posted a record of 1-3-1 thanks to a win over Poland and a tie with Japan.

Canada (in red) vs the Netherlands (white) during the 1980 Olympics

Their B Pool championship in 1979 also gained them entry into the top level of the World Championships for 1981, but they were relegated back to the B Pool after finding the going too tough when they were placed in a group with the Soviet Union, Canada and Finland and lost all three Consolation Round games against the United States, Finland and West Germany.

The Netherlands (in orange) in action against Kazakhstan

Over the next 17 tournaments, the Netherlands competed in the B Pool, with three relegations to the C Pool, where they successfully returned to the B Pool on their first try each time in 1983, 1989 and 1999.

In 2001, they remained in the newly renamed Division I, where they defended their place each time out until the new structure introduced in 2012 saw them placed in the lower half of Division I, still referred to as Division I Group B, but now requiring the Netherlands to rise up through Group A to reach the Top Division for the first time since 1981.

The 2012 Netherlands National Team

For three years they were able to defend their place in Division I Group B, but a sixth place finish in 2015 dropped them to Division II Group A for 2016, where they dominated with 4 regulation wins and an overtime win to earn an immediate promotion back to Division I Group B, which is currently taking place this week in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Ron Berteling holds the record for the most games played for the national team with 213 while  Jack de Heer has scored the most points with 210. Berteling has been awarded the Frans Henrichs Trophy as the MVP of the Dutch League, while de Heer has a trophy named for him which is given to the leading scorer of the Dutch Super Liga.

The Netherlands currently has 3,700 registered senior players and 1,200 junior players and 26 indoor rinks.

The Dutch enjoying their Group G Olympic Pre-Qualification
tournament victory in 2012

Today's featured jersey is a 1992 Netherlands National Team Frank Janssen jersey. Despite their national flag being red, white and blue, the Netherlands traditionally wears orange in international competition, as it is the color of the Dutch royal family.

This attractive jersey was made by the Tackla company of Finland from 1989 to 1993 in a pair of distinct variations, with the earlier ones read "Holland" while the later ones were changed to "Nederland".

Janssen, a right wing, had a long career, spent almost entirely with the Nijmegen Tigers in the Dutch Eredivisie, the top hockey league in the Netherlands, playing from 1983-84 to 2001-02. He has since made sporadic appearances with Nijemegen Devils in 2010-11 (4 games), 2011-12 (6) and 2012-13 (5) while an assistant coach for the club took the place of the Tigers in 2007.

He played for the national team on nine times, seven in the World Championships B Pool, once in the C Pool, and again in an Olympic qualification tournament in 2000 with his finest tournament being the 1992 World Championships when he scored 3 goals and 6 points in 7 games.

Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1995 Netherlands National Team jersey. This jersey was also made by the Tackla company of Finland, only with Reebok branding on the shoulders in 1994 and 1995 until a different manufacturer took over in 1996.

photo courtesy of Classic Auctions

Extra bonus jersey: Today's extra bonus jersey is a 2008 Netherlands National Team Ivy van den Huevel jersey as worn in the 2008 IIHF Division I Group A World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria as well as the IIHF Group C Pre-Olympic Qualification Tournament in Narva, Estonia in November 2008.

The main crest, striping, name, numbers and even the IIHF logo on the back are all dye-sublimated, with the name on a nameplate which was then sewn on, while the sponsorship patch on the back is printed on a patch which was then sewn onto the jersey. The pair of sponsorship patches on the arms are embroidered patches which were then sewn on.

This very attractive jersey in the traditional Dutch color of orange features a striking main logo and some basic, yet effective striping and contrasting blue accent colors for an overall excellent look.

First up in the video section today, classic footage of the Netherlands versus Canada in the 1980 Olympics. The Netherlands are not wearing their expected orange color, but white jerseys with blue trim.

More classic footage, including a brief interviews with record holding national team players Berteling and de Heer from 1983, as the Netherlands takes on Hungary.

From the recent 2010 Division 1 Group A World Championships in Tilburg, the host Dutch take on Japan.