Penn State hockey stunned its supporters when the team announced a fresh new “White Rush” set of alternate uniforms that the team will wear on February 1, 2020.

This video played on the scoreboards of Beaver Stadium with no previous announcement during a timeout in Penn State football’s 28-21 victory over Michigan:

“The most photogenic and frenzied show of unity, a symbolic showing of spirit and togetherness.”

HOCKEY VALLEY
WHITE RUSH
𝟮.𝟭.𝟮𝟬 pic.twitter.com/3Vq6uafgNl

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) October 20, 2019

As it turns out, the Nittany Lions themselves had no idea this was coming, either.

“That was the first time that any of us had seen them,” team captain Brandon Biro said. “A bunch of us were at the game, and we were pretty blown away. We kind of heard they’d look like that, but we didn’t know for sure if we were getting them or what they’d look like. To see them and find out that they were a thing — that’s something we’re all looking forward to.”

“I was confused for a bit — I didn’t recognize those jerseys,” alternate captain Kris Myllari added. “But it’ll be a great opportunity to have them and pay tribute to the football team.”

Biro said the players had no knowledge of an upcoming announcement, and he gave the team credit for keeping the big news under wraps. However, that leaves one question unanswered: Who was modeling the uniform in its reveal video?

It’s easy to assume that alternate captain Liam Folkes was tabbed to shoot the video, which featured a righty who wears No. 26. Clips of Saquon Barkley’s monster performance against Iowa in 2017 were scattered throughout the video, and both No. 26s made Big Ten-winning plays for their teams during the 2016-17 season.

Despite the obvious connection between Folkes and Barkley, it wasn’t the senior wing who modeled the uniforms. Penn State hockey SID John Hanna confirmed that Andrew Magera, a student volunteer coach who joined the team last season, was the person featured in the video. Biro said he had thought Magera, who works closely with Penn State’s goaltenders while they scout opposing squads, was tasked with shooting the reveal video, but he wasn’t sure.

At any rate, head coach Guy Gadowsky said the idea of creating football-themed alternate jerseys was discussed as far back as seven or eight years ago. Those discussions will culminate in a gorgeous end product that’ll appear at Pegula Ice Arena this winter.

“I love them,” Gadowsky said of the uniforms. “I think they’re great, and they’re going to look awesome. [Paying tribute to football] is the whole idea behind it, and they’re very ‘Penn State.'”

Penn State will wear the uniforms during its Wear White game against Notre Dame on February 1. For now, however, Gadowsky’s program is 3-1-0 and preparing to take on Robert Morris at 7 p.m. Friday at Pegula Ice Arena.