Cooperalls are a type of discontinued ice hockey equipment, which were made by hockey manufacturer Cooper. Cooperalls were invented by the late Senior Designer, Brian Heaton, who worked for Cooper Canada for 5 years from 1972-1975. Over the girdle is a shell, which came in two sizes: a traditional looking hockey pant (down to the knee) or a long pant (down to the ankle). The long pants became synonymous with the name Cooperalls and were worn in place of hockey shorts and did not require leggings. Cooperalls were first used professionally by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1981–82 NHL season. The Hartford Whalers wore them for the 1982–83 NHL season. Following considerable criticism[1] and concern for player safety, as they provided less friction with the ice during a fall causing players to slide more violently into the boards, the NHL banned the use of long pants.[2] However, the girdle and short shell design is still available from some hockey manufacturers. Cooperalls were not worn by Philadelphia Flyers or Hartford Whalers. Both NHL clubs wore CCM Pro Pak long pant shells.
