Banks, Subban talk nostalgia, authenticity with 'The Black Ice Collection'

For former NHL star P.K. Subban, the new “Black Ice Collection” is synonymous with authenticity.

The authenticity represented by Starter, the iconic sports apparel brand that hit its peak in the 1990s and is now making a comeback in the sports world thanks in part to the new NHL fashion line.

Subban, rocking one of the stylish new jackets, made an appearance at the NHL Shop in New York City on Wednesday for the release party. He joined the Michael Kay Show, which broadcasted its show from the store, then participated in a panel with former New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks, who’s company G-III partnered with Starter on the new line.

“I'm just happy to see the NHL store loaded with people like this, people from all different walks of life,” Subban told NHL.com at the event. “And I think that when you pick up the authenticity with a brand like Starter and what it represents in sports, hockey now has done something collaborative in a very niche way and it’s pretty special.”

For Banks, the new brand is about the nostalgia that it brings to athletes. The name “Black Ice” is meant to encapsulate youth players starting their hockey careers in parks and on frozen lakes. Banks himself, while he ended up going the football route, spent part of his youth on skates.

“I grew up trying to play, anyway,” Banks joked at the event. “If you talk to any hockey player, even today's hockey player, they'll tell you they learned playing on a frozen lake or in a park. We wanted to get back, in a stylish way, to the essence of no frills with fashion.”

In addition to sweatshirts and jackets, the line includes thermal shorts, pullovers, as well as other gear to wear out on the ice.

“My team and I, we sat and we talked about some of the essential items that you would have if you were playing street hockey or if you were just playing in the park,” Banks said. “And we wanted to do it as Starter would do it because Starter has been a part of every major sport in America. Starters presence in the NHL was part of the growth of the branding of the sport. We’re happy to continue the legacy and refresh it.”

Subban agreed with the nostalgic feel to the new clothing line while reiterating the importance of the authenticity of the brand.

“When you have an authentic brand in sports and merchandising that's respected among sports and you're able to put that into hockey, a sport that we want to continue to grow, it's a perfect match,” Subban said. “It's a perfect partnership. So, we just have to build on it now.”