The Ohio State men’s hockey program has unveiled new alternate uniforms for Saturday’s “Faceoff on the Lake” against Michigan, which takes place at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns.
The white Nike sweaters were inspired by the road jerseys worn by the 1942 national championship football team, including the scarlet Clarendon number font with a black drop shadow, as well as the modified Northwestern striping pattern on the sleeves.
The jersey features the “Faceoff on the Lake” patch on the left shoulder, opposite of the Big Ten logo and Nike Swoosh, as well as the Buckeyes’ primary logo below the collar. That logo can also be seen on the right leg of the solid scarlet pants.
The uniform is complete with white socks that feature the same scarlet and gray striping pattern as the sleeves and Ohio State’s standard silver helmet, which also mimics the football team’s design with its iconic stripe and Buckeye Leaf decals.
Ohio State wore silver helmets, scarlet sweaters and black pants during its last outdoor game, a 4-1 loss to Michigan at Progressive Field, home of MLB’s Cleveland Guardians. The Wolverines, who wore maize sweaters that evening, have not announced their uniforms for this game, meanwhile.
The 1942 Ohio State football team notably knocked off No. 13 Illinois, 44-20, in Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium on the way to the national title. That was the first of three games in Cleveland that decade, including a 30-7 loss to No. 5 Purdue in 1943 and 26-12 win over Illinois in 1944.
In addition to the alternate uniforms, the grounds crew has painted the end zones at FirstEnergy Stadium to match the designs at Ohio Stadium and Michigan Stadium, respectively. The “Faceoff on the Lake” will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. on Feb. 18.