Hockey Is Bad For Your Teeth

Not all innovations in hockey equipment catch on . . .

Wayne Gretzky's Street Hockey Shoes

Summer is almost here. Time to switch from that great winter sport - hockey - to that great summer sport - street hockey.

Check out this great hockey ad I had never seen before. It's LA Gear promotion for Wayne Gretzky's Street Hockey Shoes.

Here's the actual shoes:

Wayne had friends such as Mark Messier, Brett Hull, Matthew Perry and Jason Priestly help him promote this short-lived product. Justin Bourne has more at Backhand Shelf

Tony Esposito: Video Game Champion

Takes The Starch Out Of Whiskers

Here's a Williams Shaving Cream advertisement from 1937. Lester Patrick, Eddie Shore, Murray Murdoch, and Charlie Conacher all chime in on how to keep those whiskers softer.

Ted Lindsay Was Such A Teas

Here's a 1962 advertisement for tea, starring Ted Lindsay, then coach of the Detroit Red Wings:

Those Were The Days: Old Hockey Ads

Check out Cal Gardner here pitching Camel cigarettes back in 1948. (Click on photo for bigger image):

You don't see hockey players promoting cigarettes anymore, that's for sure. Although Mike Bossy, Guy Lafleur and even a young Mario Lemieux were noted smokers. And many hockey players today still enjoy cigars - even Carey Price and the Canadian gold medal winning women's hockey team.

Here's another old Camel ad, this time with Roy Conacher endorsing:

Even the Rangers clean-cut coach Frank Boucher got into the act back then, promoting his favorite beverage:

Of course, hockey players endorsed a lot more than just smokes and alcohol. For the right price they pitched everything from colas to alka-seltzer to hair goop!