from Vipal Monga of the Wall Street Journal,

The year-long debate over which NHL team is this season’s best will be settled when the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins wrap up their Stanley Cup Finals series. But another argument will continue long after the last player has skated off the ice. It’s a dispute that has lasted decades and looks to continue past the careers of today’s players.

Is it a hockey sweater, or a jersey?

Canadian-born Hall of Famer Mark Messier has a clear preference. “I tell my kids to make sure they remember their sweaters,” he said.

Mike Richter, who is American, disagrees.“It’s a jersey,” said Messier’s teammate from the 1994 Stanley Cup winning New York Rangers. “I just don’t see myself calling it a sweater.”

What you call the piece of clothing hockey players wear says a lot about how you see the game. It is the line between Canadians and Americans, traditionalists and newbies, hardcore fans and dabblers.

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