The Story Behind Kelly Hrudey's Bandanas

For a lot of goalies, their mask is their signature look. For Kelly Hrudey, the signature was under his mask, his bandanas.

The bandana wasn't just a fashion statement, but was born of a practical purpose. Athletes who wear contacts and have long hair in particular - like Hrudey - must keep sweat from getting into their eyes, especially in high pressure situations on the ice.

Hrudey was on a quest to find the perfect headwear since he was a kid, until inspiration struck one day when he was an Islander.

"I took that blue t-shirt we wore underneath our equipment, and I just ripped it up in the dressing room before going on the ice," Hrudey told the Talkin' Isles podcast. "I tied it around my head with no intent of having that become my trademark."

Since then, the makeshift bandana stuck.

"All of a sudden, I was like wow, I like this," Hrudey said. "It seems to be more absorbent than a regular headband. And, lo and behold, I decided to go down that route."

The signature bandana gained traction throughout his career, quickly becoming a fan-favorite in every city he played for.

"It became even more of a trademark when I went to Los Angeles and played there," Hrudey said. "I had to have one for every period. After a while, I'd cut up all these headbands and they'd only last a week or two and then I have to cut up more shirts. It was becoming more of a hassle than the trademark itself and that look."

In between his tenure at the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks, Hrudey remembers a roundtable discussion with family and friends about potentially parting from his signature look. The crowd was more than insistent that he continues the style.

"I thought about getting rid of the headband because it's really annoying," Hrudey admitted. "And my kids, my wife, I think we had some guests over at the time. They all pleaded with me [saying] basically don't get rid of the headband, it's your trademark. So, reluctantly kept it my last two years in San Jose."

Throughout his lengthy career spanning 17 seasons in the NHL, Hrudey didn't fully realize how iconic his bandanas were until his playing days were behind him. He cleaned out his equipment bag before he retired and flushed away most of his collection.

Since the signature look is still appreciated today, Hrudey joked that he could've capitalized off his bandanas had he maintained a collection.

"I threw all but five of them away, stupidly," Hrudey said with a laugh. "I should've kept them or sold them on eBay or whatever. I might have made a couple of bucks on that."