What was the list big secret of the ice hockey tournament in Sochi? Slovenia's Olympic jersey. It has now been revealed by the International Ice Hockey Federation on its official 2014 Olympic Games website.

However there was no big surprise: Slovenia's Olympic colour combination green-blue-white has thus become the last fortress of "blue jerseys". The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) put an end to all the guessing games and secrecy of Slovenia's Olympic Committee (OKS) and Slovenia's Hockey Federation (HZS) regarding the jerseys. The IIHF confirmed what MMC's sharp eye noticed 15 days ago, when the sponsor of the Olympic family used the same design concept, which is now on the IIHF website, for an ad.

The great powers did it months ago...
The men's ice hockey tournament will be the focal point of the Olympic Games. Everything surrounding the tournament raises huge interest, including the presentation of the Olympic jerseys. The host of the Olympic Games, Russia, presented its jerseys at the end of last August. The holder of the gold medals and a country considered the home of ice hockey, Canada, did it last September. All other tournament participants followed after that, except Slovenia.

Because of that ice hockey fans from around the world had to please themselves with an unconfirmed design concept of Slovenia's jersey, which is quite unusual, considering the factthat the Olympic jerseys are designed and manufactured by a sports giant, which knows how to market everything with a check mark on it.

... the Slovenian's just before their departure
Even though it's been clear ever since a week after the historic tournament in Vojens, that Slovenia's "lynxes" would not be in their blue-white-red colours, the official presentation of the Olympic ice hockey jersey will have to wait until the 3rd of February, for Slovenia’s hockey day event in Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana. The next morning Slovenia's team will fly to Sochi, where they'll start their preparations for the tournament. The ice hockey tournament kicks off on the 12th of February. Matjaž Kopitar's team will play at least four historic matches.

The national team first time in green
After becoming an independent country Slovenia's ice hockey team was the only national team to keep the "Yugoslav blue" colours. The ice hockey team was the only team to opt for a combination of colours on the Slovenian flag, which were also the old Yugoslav colours. It wasn't really surprising as the old "blue" Yugoslav team was mostly made up of young men from Spodnja Šiška and the village of Kurja vas. The Yugoslav ice hockey team played at five Olympic Games, and from its 60 hockey Olympians, 54 came from Slovenia.

Triglav and the stars instead of the lynx
Because the well-established "lynx" is only the trademark of Slovenia's Hockey Federation and not the country itself, the rules of the International Olympic Committee dictate changes. Only state symbols can be printed on the jersey. That's why the "lynxes" will now present themselves to the world with Mt. Triglav and the golden stars from the Counts of Celje in Slovenian Olympic Committee green-blue-white combination. Slovenia will play its first two matches against Russia and Slovakia in its prevailing blue away jerseys. Slovenia will play the last group match against the U.S. in its prevailing white home jerseys.

The Old Romans said "de gustibus non est disputandum" or "there is no disputing of tastes". In that sense it's really all the same in which colours Slovenia's ice hockey players step on the ice, as long as they're healthy, in fighting spirit, and real "lynxes" on Russian ice.

A clarification from the Slovenian hockey federation
The official presentation will happen 10 days after the Olympic outfits are presented by the Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS). After an agreement with the OKS we decided that the Slovenian Hockey Federation (HZS) present its jerseys at the Slovenian hockey day event on the 3rd of February. That's also the only date when almost the whole national team will be in Slovenia. That’s the team that won its place at the Olympic Games, and so it would only be fair that all the players step on the ice with the new jerseys at the same time.

There was never any secrecy about the colours. It's been know for quite some time that the colour combination would be the one chosen by the OKS. It was our wish at the HZS that the jerseys be presented by those most deserving for Slovenia making it to the Olympic Games. That is the team, headed by its captain Tomaž Razingar, who will have the honour of first stepping on the ice in the new jersey. So the only reason that we waited so long, were the players, those most deserving for this success.