PHOENIX \u2013 Former NHL defenseman Zbyn\u011bk Mich\u00e1lek has an easy solution for ordering coffee. At Starbucks, he doesn\u2019t use his real name. He just says \u201cMike.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s quicker, avoids confusion and, until recently, it went unnoticed. That was before his daughter Lexi, 8, stepped in.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe looks at me and says, \u2018Your name is not Mike,\u2019\u201d Mich\u00e1lek said. \u201cEverybody just started laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a sport as international as hockey, players bring names rooted in Czech, Finnish, Swedish, French, German and countless other languages. But in North America, those names rarely appear in their full, authentic form. Diacritics, the accents and marks that guide pronunciation, indicate stress, or distinguish word meanings, are typically left off jerseys, media guides and broadcasts, reflecting long-standing conventions in the NHL.<\/p>\n
While this has been the norm for decades, it is beginning to change. More names are now appearing with their original markings, signaling a gradual shift toward preserving the authenticity of players\u2019 identities.<\/p>\n
One of the earliest exceptions came with then-Montreal Canadien center (now Philadelphia Flyers general manager) Daniel Bri\u00e8re, who was among the first NHL players to have an accent included on their jersey when the Canadiens added an accent grave over the first e in his last name.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it would be cool to have it written the way my last name was meant to be but it wasn\u2019t something I was adamant about having,\u201d Bri\u00e8re said. \u201cI usually am pretty laid back with those things. I appreciated the gesture, but to me it doesn\u2019t change who I am as a person or player that fans cheer for.\u201d<\/p>\n
That same attention to names carries over behind the scenes, where equipment staff work to make sure everything is correct before a jersey ever hits the ice.<\/p>\n
Jon Laughner, a former equipment manager for Arizona State and former assistant equipment manager for the San Jose Sharks, experienced much of that work up close.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting the jersey names and numbers and taking care of those all the time,\u201d Laughner said. \u201cThat was a huge portion of my job at both ASU and with the Sharks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even with that focus, mistakes can happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single jersey had the name spelled differently because accents were going in the wrong directions,\u201d Laughner said of his time at ASU. \u201cThere were jerseys that didn\u2019t have accents on them. You certainly have to proofread it when they come in.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because it\u2019s something that we don\u2019t normally use in English doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn\u2019t force people to spell their name differently for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NHL has slowly moved toward preserving more of those original spellings. Players such as Ottawa Senators center Tim St\u00fctzle, New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re and Vancouver Canucks winger Nils H\u00f6glander all have their names spelled correctly with accents and marks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Most players, however, let it slide. With some names being difficult, they don\u2019t expect others to pronounce them correctly and often don\u2019t bother correcting people. That\u2019s the case for former Arizona Coyote and longtime NHL player Mikkel B\u00f8dker.<\/p>\n
\u201cI let it go unless it\u2019s completely wrong,\u201d B\u00f8dker said. \u201cIf people ask, I say it the right way. In Denmark we have three letters that aren\u2019t in the English letter system \u00c6 – \u00d8 – \u00c5,\u201d B\u00f8dker said. \u201cIn English the \u00c6 equals AE – \u00d8 equals OE and \u00c5 equals AA.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, B\u00f8dker emphasized the importance of respecting names. It can differ from person to person, but a name is not something that can be changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour name is given to you by your parents and your family name is on the jersey so it’s important to respect that and also to become a known name,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will be said on air many times and in many different situations so I do think the media has a responsibility to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n
For others like Chicago Wolves defenseman Juuso V\u00e4lim\u00e4ki, pronunciation and spelling are simply part of the experience, something that, once he got used to it, does not affect him anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really care,\u201d V\u00e4lim\u00e4ki said. \u201cA lot of times in my life and in my career, I’ve been told that I’m almost too, too nice, rather than the opposite, but I’ve just been called \u2018Juice\u2019 a lot here. It\u2019s kind of easier with nicknames.\u201d<\/p>\n
While diacritics may still be uncommon on NHL jerseys, their growing presence reflects a broader shift toward respecting players\u2019 identities. For many, it\u2019s a small detail that carries a larger meaning, recognizing where a player comes from and honoring the name they were given.<\/p>\n
The game continues to become more global, and with that growth comes a greater push to get names right, whether that\u2019s through proper spelling, accurate pronunciation or simply making an effort. While some players choose to let mistakes slide, others see it as a reminder that their names and their stories matter.<\/p>\n
In a sport built on tradition, that balance between familiarity and authenticity is still evolving. But for players such as Mich\u00e1lek, Bri\u00e8re, B\u00f8dker and V\u00e4lim\u00e4ki, one thing is clear: their names are more than just letters on a jersey, they\u2019re part of who they are.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously there are much, much bigger things in life than being called the right name at a given time,\u201d B\u00f8dker said, \u201cBut at the same time it\u2019s very important because \u2014 have you seen the movie \u201cMolly\u2019s Game?\u201d She has an argument at one point with her lawyer over something and she says, \u2018Because it\u2019s my name.\u2019 It\u2019s the same for athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2026\/04\/10\/diacritics-nhl-players\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<img src=”https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/favicon1.png?resize=85%2C85&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”><\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat\u2019s in a name? Growing use of diacritics a sign of respect for NHL players<\/p>\n
Cooper Krigbaum, Cronkite News
\nApril 10, 2026<\/p>\n
PHOENIX \u2013 Former NHL defenseman Zbyn\u011bk Mich\u00e1lek has an easy solution for ordering coffee. At Starbucks, he doesn\u2019t use his real name. He just says \u201cMike.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s quicker, avoids confusion and, until recently, it went unnoticed. That was before his daughter Lexi, 8, stepped in.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe looks at me and says, \u2018Your name is not Mike,\u2019\u201d Mich\u00e1lek said. \u201cEverybody just started laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a sport as international as hockey, players bring names rooted in Czech, Finnish, Swedish, French, German and countless other languages. But in North America, those names rarely appear in their full, authentic form. Diacritics, the accents and marks that guide pronunciation, indicate stress, or distinguish word meanings, are typically left off jerseys, media guides and broadcasts, reflecting long-standing conventions in the NHL.<\/p>\n
While this has been the norm for decades, it is beginning to change. More names are now appearing with their original markings, signaling a gradual shift toward preserving the authenticity of players\u2019 identities.<\/p>\n
One of the earliest exceptions came with then-Montreal Canadien center (now Philadelphia Flyers general manager) Daniel Bri\u00e8re, who was among the first NHL players to have an accent included on their jersey when the Canadiens added an accent grave over the first e in his last name.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought it would be cool to have it written the way my last name was meant to be but it wasn\u2019t something I was adamant about having,\u201d Bri\u00e8re said. \u201cI usually am pretty laid back with those things. I appreciated the gesture, but to me it doesn\u2019t change who I am as a person or player that fans cheer for.\u201d<\/p>\n
That same attention to names carries over behind the scenes, where equipment staff work to make sure everything is correct before a jersey ever hits the ice.<\/p>\n
Jon Laughner, a former equipment manager for Arizona State and former assistant equipment manager for the San Jose Sharks, experienced much of that work up close.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting the jersey names and numbers and taking care of those all the time,\u201d Laughner said. \u201cThat was a huge portion of my job at both ASU and with the Sharks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even with that focus, mistakes can happen.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single jersey had the name spelled differently because accents were going in the wrong directions,\u201d Laughner said of his time at ASU. \u201cThere were jerseys that didn\u2019t have accents on them. You certainly have to proofread it when they come in.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust because it\u2019s something that we don\u2019t normally use in English doesn\u2019t mean we shouldn\u2019t force people to spell their name differently for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NHL has slowly moved toward preserving more of those original spellings. Players such as Ottawa Senators center Tim St\u00fctzle, New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re and Vancouver Canucks winger Nils H\u00f6glander all have their names spelled correctly with accents and marks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Most players, however, let it slide. With some names being difficult, they don\u2019t expect others to pronounce them correctly and often don\u2019t bother correcting people. That\u2019s the case for former Arizona Coyote and longtime NHL player Mikkel B\u00f8dker.<\/p>\n
\u201cI let it go unless it\u2019s completely wrong,\u201d B\u00f8dker said. \u201cIf people ask, I say it the right way. In Denmark we have three letters that aren\u2019t in the English letter system \u00c6 – \u00d8 – \u00c5,\u201d B\u00f8dker said. \u201cIn English the \u00c6 equals AE – \u00d8 equals OE and \u00c5 equals AA.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, B\u00f8dker emphasized the importance of respecting names. It can differ from person to person, but a name is not something that can be changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour name is given to you by your parents and your family name is on the jersey so it’s important to respect that and also to become a known name,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will be said on air many times and in many different situations so I do think the media has a responsibility to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n
For others like Chicago Wolves defenseman Juuso V\u00e4lim\u00e4ki, pronunciation and spelling are simply part of the experience, something that, once he got used to it, does not affect him anymore.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really care,\u201d V\u00e4lim\u00e4ki said. \u201cA lot of times in my life and in my career, I’ve been told that I’m almost too, too nice, rather than the opposite, but I’ve just been called \u2018Juice\u2019 a lot here. It\u2019s kind of easier with nicknames.\u201d<\/p>\n
While diacritics may still be uncommon on NHL jerseys, their growing presence reflects a broader shift toward respecting players\u2019 identities. For many, it\u2019s a small detail that carries a larger meaning, recognizing where a player comes from and honoring the name they were given.<\/p>\n
The game continues to become more global, and with that growth comes a greater push to get names right, whether that\u2019s through proper spelling, accurate pronunciation or simply making an effort. While some players choose to let mistakes slide, others see it as a reminder that their names and their stories matter.<\/p>\n
In a sport built on tradition, that balance between familiarity and authenticity is still evolving. But for players such as Mich\u00e1lek, Bri\u00e8re, B\u00f8dker and V\u00e4lim\u00e4ki, one thing is clear: their names are more than just letters on a jersey, they\u2019re part of who they are.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously there are much, much bigger things in life than being called the right name at a given time,\u201d B\u00f8dker said, \u201cBut at the same time it\u2019s very important because \u2014 have you seen the movie \u201cMolly\u2019s Game?\u201d She has an argument at one point with her lawyer over something and she says, \u2018Because it\u2019s my name.\u2019 It\u2019s the same for athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.<\/p>\n
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