Logan Thompson is getting new goalie gear just weeks into his tenure with the Washington Capitals.
Wednesday, during the Capitals-Devils preseason game, the Washington Post’s Bailey Johnson reported that Thompson is “in the process of getting a new set, with a different design” after his current Bauer getup was criticized for being too reminiscent of the Confederate flag.
Thompson first donned the red, white, and blue gear in late August when he joined the team for informal skates at MedStar Capitals Iceplex. On Wednesday, he made his Capitals preseason debut against the New Jersey Devils wearing the maligned pillows.
Thompson’s design matches the Capitals’ brand colors but is problematic due to a diagonal blue bar featuring white, spaced-out stars accompanied by a white border and surrounded by large swaths of red.
This will mark the second time in recent memory Thompson has drawn headlines for his equipment. Last season, the NHL reportedly forbade Thompson from putting a cancer ribbon on his mask for Hockey Fights Cancer month.
Over the last several years, Capitals goaltenders, including Henrik Lundqvist and Charlie Lindgren, have worn Bauer pads with blue bars and stars. The big difference was that their gear featured a blue bar that was arced, not diagonal, and not surrounded by red.
