Option 2:

One of Marek's distinct quirks as a player is that his eyesight isnt naturally good. In fact he struggles a bit with some colors, but hes spent his whole career trying to downplay that a bit. Hes not blind, he can still read and react well, and hes not colorblind, either - but he does still struggle. Something the equipment manager for the Forge has been helping Marek with is acquiring his signature dark gray tape. Historically, black tape has been used on the stick blades and one of the reasons is because its easier for shooters to hide the puck on their blade and makes reading shots a bit harder for the goalies. Conversely, white is also a popular choice among players for the exact opposite reason, presenting a clear picture to teammates of where the puck lies or presenting a target for passes. Marek uses gray. In theory, he likes what black offers as an offensive player, but he also appreciates white, which would be ideal in terms of his eyesight and contrast issues. He's settled on a darker gray hued tape that he began using during a cup run with the SMJHL Detroit Falcons. After winning hte ship and receiving a Witsel nomination, he has never gone back and has stuck with the gray. Its not hard for the team to come by necessarily, but it also wasnt something they kept in stock prior to Marek's arrival.

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