Around the world with Chad Johnson

On October 26th, 2006 Chad Johnson informed the media that in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month he wanted to be referred to as Ocho Cinco - YouTube video of that event here. Three days later he showed up wearing a jersey with the new name on the back before a game with the Falcons. It was supposed to be an amusing joke, the name was simply applied over his usual nameplate and peeled off. The NFL didn't think it was all that amusing and fined Johnson $5000 for the little stunt.

Now, three years later Johnson is trying to legally change his name to Ocho Cinco...in fact he's already started the process in Florida to do just that. More here.


Personal opinion? It's Chad Johnson, the guy is a performer, if he wants to be Ocho Cinco let him be Ocho Cinco. But why stop there? There are so many other 8 - 5's to pick from. With the help of BR7, JDB.com has compiled some alternatives for COC if the Ocho Cinco ever gets boring....

Sweden

Germany

France

Portugal

Italy

Finland

Netherlands

Wales

Greece

Russia

China

Japan

Latin

Israel

Esperanto

There you are Chad, if you ever need a new alternative or want to be fined again...

2008-09 NHL Third Jersey Mock-Up Images Part 2

Part 1 can be found here.


The much rumored return of the "third jersey" seems ready to become fact for the 2008-2009 NHL season. Images abound on the net featuring cell phone images, cryptic color changes and actual statements from teams. However the best information yet dropped on the hockey world (or at least those that take an interest in what the player's wear) has come from HockeyBuzz's Howard Berger who recently posted vivid descriptions of images he has seen of both the front and backs of the jerseys.


The complete post by Berger can be read here.


In the spirit of this site I've done my best to create images based on the descriptions given, some are more informative than others. The following are my interpretations accompanied by the text from HockeyBuzz...as well as some thoughts. This is part 1, the rest will come in a follow up post.


Los Angeles Kings

"The Kings will unveil a predominantly black jersey with the letters �L A� inside a pencil-point logo on the front. Broad white stripes will adorn each arm. A thin white stripe will run horizontally on each side of the jersey, just beneath the shoulder. There are no stripes at the bottom of the uniform. The color purple � widely evident in the Kings� primary jersey � will likely be featured in the number outlines of the alternate, though the photo copy I have doesn�t clearly show it. A better idea would have been a reprise of the Kings� original purple and gold uniforms from 1967, but the club marketers are apparently not bent on tradition. "
- This is kind of up for grabs regarding the use of silver over purple and the shoulder patches. It sounds like what they are going for is the Gretzky era jerseys with some hints of the current ones. As long as they don't do silver numbers and names on a white jersey again things should be ok...


Ottawa Senators

"A dramatic change in the Senators� third jersey will see a predominantly black uniform with the word �SENS� angled upward on the front. A fashionable red stripe will run from the arm pits, down the side of the jersey, to its base, where the stripe turns inward. A pair of narrow red and white stripes will adorn each arm, and the very bottom of the jersey. It�s quite a sharp design."
- Mehh...sharp design but just plain awful use of the team's name on the front. I'm not sure if the Senators have been around long enough (disregard the old team...) to throw a nickname on their jersey. The Canadiens never put Habs on theirs...


San Jose Sharks

"Though the photo I have is a bit grainy, the Sharks will wear a predominantly black third jersey with aqua and white stripes on each sleeve. The back number is white. The traditional Sharks� �biting-stick� logo is on the front."
- Seen these before? Yes, well...there back. Just when you thought it was safe to go in....nevermind. These actually do look good on the ice - just don't use arched names and the old numbers...otherwise we've got the Minnesota Wild two teams in one thing going on. Seriously, keep it simple and stick with the basic block numbers you've gone back to, they make you look like a hockey team not a merchandise machine.


St. Louis Blues

"Another significant change. The Blues will introduce a dark-blue alternate jersey with a white stripe trimmed in black on the sleeves and uniform base. The club�s traditional �blue-note� logo appears within a circle on the front of the jersey, with the city�s famous Gateway Arch in the background. It will also have the lace-up feature."
- I hope to god they have more going on on the front of these then they do on the back, or at least have some unmentioned shoulder patches. These are a huge wild card for St. Louis, they may look great...or they may crash and burn. I still haven't figured out why a team with the Blues history didn't op to resurrect something from the 70's.


Tampa Bay Lightning

"Also completely different. The Lightning will introduce a predominantly dark-blue alternate with the word �BOLTS� angling downward in white on the jersey front. A narrow white stripe is featured above a broad black stripe at the uniform base. Grey and white stripes are on each arm, and the latter half of the sleeve, to the tip, is black. "
- Oh you thought "Sens" was bad...how about "Bolts". Not digging that at all. In fact since I don't live in Florida I've never even heard someone call the Lightning that. Alas...I'm not the target audience or on the team so I guess it doesn't matter. None the less one can't help thinking that it really is...well...a bit silly. The jerseys themselves may however end up looking better than either the home or away jerseys simply due to the fact that they are using dark blue.


Vancouver Canucks

"The Canucks are going back to their inception in 1970-71 by bringing back the predominantly blue road jersey the club wore. At the bottom of the jersey � and on each arm � is a broad green stripe flanked by a pair of white stripes. The club�s original �hockey-stick-in-a-rink� logo is outlined in green and white on the front."
- Correct me if I'm wrong here...but isn't that the Canucks current home jersey? Maybe they'll take away the shoulder patches or change the font, but it's still nearly identical. Maybe we're talking about the V-sleeved jerseys, in which case things just got a little more interesting.


Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and rumor has it that they will be sporting not 2, not 3, but 4 different jerseys this year. Considering the team, despite being around since before the Titanic sank, has changed their uniform style very little over the last century. This is my bet on what we're going to see:





That would be the one other jersey style they wore for I believe 2 years. However, Maurice Richard was on the team at the time so....As for the last one, who knows. I'm guessing they are going to go with something that truly represents the age of the team. That style was used during the 30's.


There you have it, my versions based on the descriptions available. Now all one has to do is sit back and wait...and see how completely off everyone was.

2008-09 NHL Third Jersey Mock-Up Images Part 1

The much rumored return of the "third jersey" seems ready to become fact for the 2008-2009 NHL season. Images abound on the net featuring cell phone images, cryptic color changes and actual statements from teams. However the best information yet dropped on the hockey world (or at least those that take an interest in what the player's wear) has come from HockeyBuzz's Howard Berger who recently posted vivid descriptions of images he has seen of both the front and backs of the jerseys.


The complete post by Berger can be read here.


In the spirit of this site I've done my best to create images based on the descriptions given, some are more informative than others. The following are my interpretations accompanied by the text from HockeyBuzz...as well as some thoughts. This is part 1, the rest will come in a follow up post.


Atlanta Thrashers

"The club will introduce a dark red jersey with the word THRASHERS on the front, just above the player's uniform number, which will appear on both sides of the design. A broad white stripe will adorn each arm of the jersey with a dark red number in the stripe. A broad white-and-dark blue stripe will run down the sides of the jersey."
- I could be way off here, who knows if they'll be shoulder patches and the number may use either yellow, dark blue or even light blue edges. Anyway you look at it this is a departure from the Thrashers norm, and could actually end up looking pretty good on the ice...except for maybe that thing about the numbers appearing on both sides of the front.


Boston Bruins

"The Bruins will unveil an all black jersey with the club’s alternate logo on the front – a black bear with the word “BRUINS’ above it in a semi-circle. Two gold stripes will appear on the arms, with gold numbering above the stripes and on the back. "
- Video and images of these surfaced a couple of months ago, whether they are what the team will actually wear remains to be seen. The fact that these are "all black" really brings nothing to the table, what does is the use of the teams new alternate logo. It will be interesting to see how these turn out...and whether or not Boston straightens out their issues with the text and numbers which seem to vary between 2 and 3 different colors. If these are in fact simply "gold", then we might have something that really looks good. Nice to see a team go with the less is more option...something the Bruins did not do with the Pooh Bear jerseys.


Buffalo Sabres

"The Sabres will bring back their original road jersey the blue design with the round cross-sword logo on the front, and the three gold stripes on the arms and the bottom of the jersey. It's the uniform the Sabres first GM/coach, George (Punch) Imlach, requested; a design similar to that which Imlach's Maple Leafs had from the 1967 playoffs through 1969-70. And, it's the jersey Buffalo wore during road games from the beginning of the franchise in 1970-71 to the end of the 1995-96 season. Beginning in 1996-97, the Sabres switched to a black, red and white uniform, and completely redesigned their logo. Another redesign occurred prior to the 2006-07 campaign, with the team returning to its blue and gold color scheme."
- According to Disengaged in the forum, these will be the same blue as the current set and feature silver accents. I'm all for this, I'm not a fan of the overly complicated Buffaslug jerseys, I think you'll see sales of these probably go through the roof - which is what Reebok and the NHL are probably banking on. You'll also see more of that trend in the rest of the teams listed here.


Carolina Hurricanes

"The Hurricanes will introduce a black third jersey, with red and white trim � different than their customary red home uniform with the black and white trim. Each arm will sport red and white angular stripes. The bottom of the jersey will feature a narrow white stripe and a thicker red one. In between, will be 10 white stars. The club's red logo on the uniform front is placed within a white triangle, presumably to honor the famed Research Triangle that dominates the Raleigh-Durham area."
- It was inevitable, the Hurricanes have never had a third jersey and now that they do it is...black. I was hoping for the grey color they have to work with, but what can you do. This image could be way off, it will depend on how much of a departure from their standard look it actually is. As for the ten stars - no they were not the 10th state admitted to the Union (they were the 12th). They were however the 10th state to secede from the Union. They are now the 10th most populous state. Maybe it's because they just finished their 10th season in the NHL. Who knows, it's a round number and maybe just looked good.


Chicago Blackhawks

"The Blackhawks will return to the predominantly black third jersey they have worn in recent years. A white stripe flanked by two red stripes will appear on each arm, and at the bottom of the jersey. A wide red stripe is featured at the tip of each arm. The traditional Blackhawks Indian-head logo appears, as usual, on the front."
- No surprises here...at all. These have always been popular and will no doubt continue to be even in Edge form. It would have been great if they had gone with one of their older jerseys, even the one they wore during the 75th anniversary season, but I don't think these will receive any negative responses from fans of the team.


Dallas Stars

"The Stars third jersey is simple" a white uniform with the word DALLAS crowned on the front, atop the jersey number, which appears on both sides. Parallel dark-green and black stripes appear on each arm. There are no stripes at the bottom of the jersey."
- Not sure on the shoulder patches, or the numbers here. I would assume black with green trim. Yes, I can hear you Texas...boring. These are a little (say a lot) too much like the current Stars' away jerseys. Why they opted to do this rather than utilize more of the green is anybody's guess. One has to conclude that they tried a number of different things before coming to the conclusion that this looked the best. I hope that when these are officially unveiled that there is something interesting about them that was some how overlooked, as they stand I don't understand the reason for a third jersey if all you do is exchange one color.


Edmonton Oilers

"The Oilers are going back to their glory days with the predominantly blue jersey Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier et al wore on the road while winning five Stanley Cup titles between 1984 and 1990. Orange shoulder piping will re-appear, along with a broad orange stripe at the tip of each arm. Two white stripes flanking an orange stripe are on the arms and near the bottom of the jersey. The original round Oilers logo, with the orange oil drip and blue team name, is on the front."
- Beats the living pulp out of what they are wearing as their main jerseys. Depending on how these look with the new fabrics they could be really sharp. No doubt people will buy more of these than the current dark blues.


New York Islanders

"The Isles are going back to their original road jersey from 1972-73, when they joined the NHL along with the Atlanta Flames. It is a royal-blue base, with broad orange and white stripes on the arms and at the bottom of the jersey. The uniform numbers as they appeared during the club's inaugural season are orange with white trim. Player names will also be orange. The Islanders switched to white jersey numbers after their dreadful first year in the league; when they compiled a 12-60-6 record worst, to that point, in NHL history."
- It is interesting that the Islanders chose these, rather than the almighty Cup era jerseys, but they did wear these once before a couple of years ago. The team's 40th anniversary is also coming up in a couple years and this could be a nod back to those. The one thing that could completely kill these is if the Isles finish dead last in the league this year...


Philadelphia Flyers

"The Flyers are also going for tradition, bringing back the predominantly orange jersey the club wore at home when it joined the NHL in 1967-68. White shoulder piping will again run the length of each arm, with orange numbers trimmed in black. A large black stripe is affixed to the tip of each arm. A broad white stripe adorns the bottom of the uniform. Number on the back is white. The Flyers stylized P black logo with the orange dot is on the front."
- (Speaking as a Flyers fan) I love these, and if I ever buy a Flyers jersey it will be this one and not one of the other two. I am part of the "Flyers should be orange" group, and the return of a historic jersey is exactly what one could have hoped for. Images of these have been tossed around the net that show these, and they have been both confirmed and denied. Why the white nameplate? Originally many teams only had names on their home jerseys, however televised games during the 70's would occasionally have both teams wearing the player's names. A lack of orange nameplates meant that the Flyers used the white ones they had. It could have been terrible, but it actually looked good. (At least that's the way I heard it...)


Phoenix Coyotes

"The Coyotes will unveil an all-new design a predominantly black jersey with a leaping desert-red coyote as the front logo. A large, dark-red stripe will run down the side of the jersey, broadening at the base. A similar dark-red stripe, only smaller, is affixed to the latter half of the arm, beyond the white numbers."
- If you want to see the leaping Coyote just look around the web... I'm not sure how close these will be to what comes out. I would personally want to put red around the numbers, but since Phoenix is one of the few teams that use no trim, maybe it's better to stick with that. I'm guessing the Arizona state patch will still be present, and not the Coyotes primary logo...since that would by coyote overkill.


Pittsburgh Penguins

"Kudos to the Penguins for staying with the jersey the club wore during the Outdoor Classic in Buffalo last Jan. 1st. It's a replica of the home jersey the Penguins wore starting in 1968-69, their second year in the NHL: Predominantly light-blue in color, with broad white stripes trimmed in dark blue on the sleeves and uniform base. A large, dark-blue stripe is at the tip of each arm. The neckline is dark-blue with the lace-up feature. The dark-blue, circular Penguins logo is on the front."
- No surprises here, and I think the Penguins have made a smart decision by adding these as a third jersey. They looked great during the Winter Classic and were obviously popular. If you haven't seen enough people wearing the Crosby version of one of these, prepare yourself for the onslaught of Malkin ones this fall.



Look for LA, Ottawa, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Vancouver in the next post. And maybe some thoughts on the 4 jerseys Montreal is planning on wearing next season...

Part 2 can be found here.

IIHF Retro Jerseys at 2008 World Championships

Despite what statistics and news coverage would have you believe there are actually people who care about the IIHF World Championships. The Swedes for one, who on a daily basis have covered the Stanley Cup playoffs in the news - not for the sake of reporting on the potential winners, but rather the potential losers. You have to be out of the playoffs if you want to be in the World Championships which will start in the coming week. (Who schedules this?)

In addition to the hype surrounding the event purely based on this year's host Canada, the IIHF is also celebrating it's 100th anniversary and what better way to do so then to bring back some of the great jerseys of yesteryear. Team's will be wearing vintage jerseys for one game during the preliminary round. These jerseys, which include Canada's infamous 1976 Canada Cup style, can be seen on the IIHF's website here: IIHF Vintage Jerseys, (also includes game times). The US will be wearing jerseys from 1960 - the first time they won the gold medal in the US. (Some great photos can be found here.

No doubt these will be popular with fans, and depending on which players actually do decide to take part in the tournament could sell pretty well. With things starting in just 3 days we should see them available for sale soon.

In the photo - yes, that is Bobby Orr and that is what Canada will proudly be wearing vs the US on May 6th.

The King of Game Worn Jersey Sites

So, it's Valentine's Day and if you have about two or three thousand dollars handy you can pick up your significant other the gift of a lifetime. Cause, god knows, nothing says "you're the one I love" more than a game worn hockey jersey. (For some people anyways. My wife not being one of them.) But, you say, where would I find a great selection of game worn jerseys that span decades of NHL action? Well, you're in luck, I know exactly where you can empty your bank account on such an item...

MeiGray.com is absolutely amazing. It is the site of the MeiGray Group and "your source for game-worn jerseys". They are also the official partners of nhlgameworn.com, the NHL's official game-worn store which has hundreds of jerseys from recent seasons.

On the site you will find not just hockey jerseys but also baseball, football and basketball jerseys. Hockey is, however, the focus. And not just the NHL, they also feature a large number of college, minor league, national and international jerseys. Most specifically the ECHL and the AHL. If that isn't enough they've got WHA jerseys from 7 different teams (including the Nordiques, Jets and Whalers) and All-Star jerseys. There is also a section with vintage NHL jerseys going back decades for some teams. (Be prepared to unload some serious cash on these. A Ted Kennedy 1950 All-Star jersey will run you a hefty $22,500.)

Besides jerseys they also sell other odds and ends of memorabilia such as sticks and skates, or how about Bobby Hull's WHA Winnipeg Jets equipment bag? No photo unfortunately but it's only $2,500 and would make an excellent addition to anybody's equipment bag collection.

Alas, for some of us the price tags are a little high, but it's a treat just to see images of some of these pieces of history. However, if my wife is reading this (and has received a bank error in her favor) I would like the 1993 Quebec Nordiques Mike Ricci jersey with Stanley Cup 100th Anniversary patch and the Assistant Captain "A". Color blue.

The image featured is a Andre Gaudette WHA Nordiques jersey from the 1973-74 season. Price tag: $2,250

Regarding 3rd Jerseys Part 7

Part 1 can be found here.
Part 2 (Atlantic Division) here.
Part 3 (Northeast Division) here.
Part 4 (Southeast Division) here.
Part 5 (Central Division) here.
Part 6 (Northwest Division) here.

Intro
To continue the saga of third jerseys and if, when, and how they will return to the NHL - the rest of this series will focus on the jerseys we have seen in the past, as well some speculation and critique as to what we may see in the future.

All images are linked to the originals from Webshots.com, the majority of these are game worn and are part of individual's collections.

The End
This will conclude the overview of all the past 3rd jerseys the NHL has seen over the last 12 or so years, as well as my random thoughts on what's to come. Whenever the NHL officially green lights the resurrection of the third jersey program all of the crazy speculation and guesses can begin.

The Pacific Division

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

That sound you hear is me rubbing my hands together as I prepare to partake in one of my favorite hobbies - nailing on a certain Disney owned NHL franchise that no longer exists. (I consider the non-Mighty Ducks of today a completely different animal with no connections to their sordid past.)

Not surprisingly, considering they were owned by a corporate giant that thrived on merchandise sales, the Mighty Ducks had quite a few third jerseys. Their first, and by far their most famous, was thrust upon the world in 1996. Simply referred to as the "Wild Wing jersey", that is the name of the mascot, these...how do I say this politely...were definitely an example of what happens when you let a cartoon studio run an NHL team. Now, there are proponents of these, however I like to think that their admiration for this particular jersey comes out of morbid fascination rather than actual aesthetic respect for what's going on here. Which is: A duck wearing goalie pads, Wild Wing, sporting a duck - Wild Wing again - logo on a jersey, is popping out of the ice on the front of a Ducks jersey - referred to as the Wild Wing jersey....duck. If you wanted to beat a dead horse you could mention the use of the kidprint font, but I think that is a mute point considering one never really gets past the super hero goalie duck aspect of things. The only way I will ever have an ounce of respect for these is if someone can present me with some footage of someone dropping the gloves wearing them - and then getting trounced by the opponent. I'm not criticizing you Anaheim fans here, I'm saying you people deserved something better than this. If Disney wanted to sell jerseys like this they could have made D4 and had Emilio Estevez wear one, not poor Paul Kariya.

The Wild Wing jerseys would sadly only last the one year. The following season, as if out of ideas, the team didn't have a third jersey. However, to make up for some lost time they somehow managed to have not just a third jersey, but even a fourth(!) for the 1997-98 season. I didn't even know a team could do that. They would actually have both in circulation until the 1999-2000 season when the jade one was dropped. In 2001 the white version was also dropped and the Ducks would actually play without a third jersey up till 2003.

Now these jerseys, the white and eggplant ones, weren't really all that terrible when it comes down to it. They were certainly less over the top than Wild Wing and easily could have replaced the Ducks regular jerseys. I'd be interested in knowing what sales of them were like, and how much the fans looked forward to seeing them, since they really weren't a huge departure in any direction. It's almost as if the league had said to Disney, "Look guys, we're willing to forgive you the last third jersey you had, even give you a fourth, just please don't make a mockery of the sport of hockey with them. Keep it simple."

When it was discovered that adults had taken to the Harry Potter books the publishers put out versions with more mature looking covers to give them a slightly more dignified look as opposed to the illustrated kids covers. In much the same way the Ducks came out with what would have to have been their most "respectable" jersey in 2003. First of all it was black, which wasn't even one of the Ducks official colors. The Ducks cartoon logo was no place to be seen, a new MD monogram logo was used on the shoulders and the crest featured a baseball like word mark. Even the jade was gone. The striping was traditional and even featured a laced collar. It was an interesting manouver to say the least, and gained some popularity amongst the fans and it certainly made them look like a hockey team on the ice. The team would wear them in their last two seasons of play before the new owners came in and started to clean house - changing the logo, the colors, the team name, and becoming the first California based team to win a Stanley Cup. Something which had been in the making for nigh on 40 years. The non-mighty Anaheim Ducks have not had a third jersey, and what they would bring out if the opportunity presented itself is anyone's guess. All one can say for certain is that it will be of no resemblance to anything the Disney franchise ever brought the NHL world.

Dallas Stars

The Stars well known star jersey actually started as a third jersey during the 1997-98 season, at the time Dallas was still wearing the same style they had inherited from Minnesota before the move. One doesn't even need to mention the importance for the team to create it's own identity and look to understand why they came about. Nor does one need to question why the team made them their official jerseys just 2 years later when they added a white counterpart. To me they always seemed like the jerseys the team should have had from the beginning. I mean what better way to incorporate the name into the look? How about what better way not to incorporate a team name into a look - which brings us to the infamous mooterus.

Before the buffaslug, there was the mooterus. (Which, if you are puzzled here, is the combination of two words that describe what the logo on the jersey looks like.) Now, the actual jerseys themselves aren't that bad. They are a bit more colorful than the home and aways with the use of red, and stars on the sleeves are nice, the text and numbers are identical to the others, so what is it that is so unappealing about these? A mere mention of them will provoke a negative response in anyone familiar with them. In fact, they would only last two seasons (2003-04 and 2005-06), before being sent to the jersey boneyard.

The most obvious reason behind their failure is that they were trying too hard to be something other than a Dallas Stars jersey. They looked like another team's jersey. They didn't use the Stars crest, they used a longhorn or bull or steer in combination with what was seemingly a constellation of the animal (your choice) plus a slug like star streaking around the side like a comet. It was too busy, too confusing, and unnecessary. Oh and yes, the fact that it was constantly (and still is) referred to as the mooterus obviously didn't help matters.

Whatever Dallas does with a third jersey in the future you can put everything you own on that it won't be the return of their last alternate. More than likely they will bring out something completely new and hopefully make more use of the color green.

Los Angeles Kings

Another classic that came out of the first season of third jerseys, and would sadly not live past it. The Kings famous, and now highly sought after, Burger King style jerseys were nothing short of jaw dropping. With not only gradients and arcing rings, they also featured non matching sleeves, the Kings crest on the shoulders, and a font that was anything but conducive for being on a sports jersey. But, most noticable of all was the oddly placed king logo on the front. (To make things just a little odder, Los Angeles wouldn't actually bring purple back to the teams uniforms for another three years.) If you can find a Gretzky game worn version of this jersey you'll probably be able to sell it for a mint (or at least early retirement) in about 20 years.

After the switch back to purple (or plum if you want to be more precise) the Kings brought out their second third jersey in 1999. Similar to the home and away jerseys in all respects, except for the main use of purple, the only real difference here was the switching of the main and alternate logos. I guess the Kings liked this switch, since they would actually make the strange decision to do the same with their home and away jerseys in 2002, at which point their third jersey (still the purple one) switched back to their original logo use. (If that was hard to follow see the two purple jerseys to the right.) Things would stay like this till this season, and the team currently uses the crown logo as the crest.

I have to say I like the Kings new jerseys, and I like the fact that they are using the simpler of the two logos. I've never been a huge fan of the words "Los Angeles" on the jersey itself, but it does make them stand out. For a third jersey I can imagine them simply going back to the purple one they've had in the past, otherwise they've always got the old yellow and purple ones from the 70's and 80's or, if they can deal with it, the black and silver from the Gretzky era.


Phoenix Coyotes

The one Coyotes venture into third jersey land came with these classics between 1998 and 2003 (when they switched logos and colors.) Now, I'm all for a team using their location when it comes to creating a look and itentity, however there is a line that one shouldn't cross. Unfortunately the Coyotes not only crossed it they seemingly backed up about 50 feet and took a running jump over it. (Possibly a triple jump.) Yes, they look "cool", and they're "neat. And, if it was the NBA, well, be my guest. But, I really think that having an established or at least respectable appearance on the ice goes a long way for not only the team but also the face of the sport and the NHL. Granted the other two jerseys the Coyotes were wearing at this same period of time probably weren't doing much for this either, but at least they lacked cacti. Now, after my negative diatribe there I will proceed to give the Coyotes two positive (warm fuzzy) comments regarding these jerseys. First of all they were predominately green, which is a color which is slowly becoming extinct as a main color in not just the NHL but practically all major sports. And two, the secondary logo they used was actually better than their primary, which may have attributed to the current look of their main logo.

All in all the original Coyotes jerseys were just too busy to be taken seriously. I like what they've got now for the exact opposite reasons. They now look like a serious franchise and a dignified team capable of winning the Stanley Cup. (Or at least looking good on the ice.) Which, with all of the problems Phoenix has had over the years is at least something to be proud of.

Third jerseys for the future? Absolutely no idea, would be kind of nice to see them use that light-tan color in the logo as a main color, since no one else ever has. (Dallas almost did, but that idea was shelved after the first replicas went on sale.)

San Jose Sharks

The first third jersey for the Sharks came out in 1997, and it would become the teams main jersey style the following season with the addition of a white version. Compared to the original Sharks jerseys these were pretty farfetched, however when they became the standard ones they worked well for the team. They added a bit more personality to their look and gave them a bit more of an aquatic and shark-like feel. The team would go 5 years before adding another third jersey to their uniform set, and it would be...you guessed it....black.

Not only was it black, it was nearly entirely black. The striping was bare minimum with just two bands on each sleeve, and the only other color was in the shoulder patches. The thing is, they looked really good on the ice. Especially with the black pants and helmet. (They even had black socks, and more than likely most players had black skates.) Yes, everyone has a black jersey, but these Sharks looked really black, and that in itself was something different.

Of course now everything has changed, the team has updated their logo for the first time, introduced a new alternate logo for the shoulders, added orange to their colors and brought out a much more conventional looking jersey this season. The likes of which San Jose hasn't had in 10 years. There are many nay sayers out there, but I think the team actually deserves some credit for not only coming up with a nice streamlined look but also one that looks back at the traditional hockey sweater instead of looking for the next gimmick. They could of course do whatever for a third jersey now, hopefully not anything too over the top and hopefully not anything too orange. But, I imagine that when we do see alternate jerseys again the Sharks will be one of the first to bring one out. (Or one of the last, as the case with the Edge jerseys was.)

Conclusion
Well, that covers all 30 teams, now only time will tell what becomes of the whole third jersey idea. Perhaps we will never see them again, maybe they'll be back next year, maybe in 2009. Maybe everyone will have one, maybe just a few teams. Instead of new jerseys we may just see vintage ones, or maybe they'll be no heritage or vintage jerseys whatsoever. Only Reebok and the NHL know at this point.

All I can truly say is, I hope that they return in a civilized manner and not one entirely focused on easy money and a cheap show.

Regarding 3rd Jerseys Part 6

Part 1 can be found here.
Part 2 (Atlantic Division) here.
Part 3 (Northeast Division) here.
Part 4 (Southeast Division) here.
Part 5 (Central Division) here.

Intro
To continue the saga of third jerseys and if, when, and how they will return to the NHL - the rest of this series will focus on the jerseys we have seen in the past, as well some speculation and critique as to what we may see in the future.

All images are linked to the originals from Webshots.com, the majority of these are game worn and are part of individual's collections.

The Northwest Division

Calgary Flames

The Flames have an interesting history with third jerseys. Their first, introduced in 1998, was the black one using their new horse logo (it's not a dragon) and featured a completely different design than the jersey they were currently wearing (at the time they had the ones with the diagonal stripes on the front as well the sleeves), even the fonts used were different. You probably wouldn't even have known it was a Flames jersey if it weren't for the flaming C's on the shoulders. This particular jersey would be their alternate till 2000 at which point it became their main dark jersey and a white version in the same style using the traditional crest in red with the horse logo on the shoulders was introduced as it's counterpart. (So, yes, they became yet another team to use two totally different logos on each jersey.)

The black jersey would be their main jersey until 2003, when it was relegated back to third jersey status when the team introduced the red version which featured the black Flames logo. Not sure many other teams ever really did this, introduce a new jersey and move an existing jersey to the alternate. After the 2005-06 season they dropped the black jersey all together and did not use an alternate of any sorts in the season before the change over to the Edge templates.

Hard to say really, the Flames can always dust off the original Calgary sweaters a la Lanny McDonald. They did win their only cup wearing them in 88-89 (20 years ago next season...), so I hope they make at least a guest appearance at some point next season. Other than that they could do just about anything, bring back the horse, use a white C on a black jersey, use the flag for the city of Calgary...

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche introduced their one, and only, third jersey in 2001. From everything I've heard and read it has always been a fan favorite out in those parts and people seem to regret it's dissapearance this season. Who knows, maybe it will be back next season, it's certainly simple enough to easily translate onto the new template. (I make the assumption that the mountain tops weren't.)

Now, before I say this: understand that my opinion doesn't matter - it's just an opinion and all that really matters is what fans of the team think, BUT I cannot stand diagonal city/team names on NHL jerseys. The Rangers get away with it since that is what they have always used, but when other teams do it it relegates the whole look to that of a college team. Colgate can do it, or Wisconsin, even NMU could get away with it, but not NHL teams. When Pittsburgh did it in the 90's I think it should have been a warning to everyone else, but...I guess the Avalanche missed that phone call. The jersey itself looks nice, and yes it is supposed to be "old time hockey" but I can just never get over the awkward text on the front. However, as I said, the fans loved it.

For all I know there is a debate somewhere in a Denver skyrise going on right now about whether or not to create something new that evokes the spirit of the Avalanche and the state of Colorado - or to bring back the third jerseys of yore. Either way someone's going to be happy and someone's going to be dissapointed...that's just the way it goes.

Edmonton Oilers

In 2001 the Oilers brought out their infamous third jersey which was designed by co-owner of the team Todd McFarlane (who is also the creator of the highly successful Spawn comic book character and series). The jerseys, not without some serious critics and a little controversy, would become the most popular and best selling in the league.

Without orange, or copper, and featuring a crest that - at first glance - bares no resemblance to anything Oilers related, it's not hard to understand where the critics were coming from. But, as it was mighty popular and sold very well, there isn't a whole lot that need be said to defend it. The fact that the team never made any hints at replacing the standard Oilers look with it certainly didn't hurt it's appeal either.

Edmonton would use this as an alternate for 6 years (up until last season), so conceivably if the the league brings back third jerseys next season we could see it return. (Although I think the team needs to clean up their current jerseys a bit before they focus on another one.) Otherwise, there is always the iconic Cup era jerseys from the 1980's.


Minnesota Wild

Contrary to what one might think these didn't actually become part of the team's uniform set until 2003-04. And, as you can tell by the fact that they are the teams main road jersey now, they were popular and did well to define what the team was going for identity wise. Critics will say that they use a different crest and, well, completely different style and look compared with their away jersey...but what can you do. They look good on the ice, they certainly mean hockey when you see them - and hey this is Minnesota - so all in all you can't help but call them a success from the third jersey standpoint. They are actually the only third jersey that made the transition to the Edge style this season.

The real cause for panic here is: what on earth would the Wild do for a third jersey in the future? Create something else that looks old fashioned? Bring back the green version of their current away jersey? Make a white version of this one? If you said "none of the above" then you might also be right.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks jerseys here are game worn and not replicas.

The Canucks were in on the third jersey game from the beginning, and they definitely took the whole idea to heart when they brought these out in 1996. At the time they were wearing the black/white jerseys with the simple hem and sleeve stripes, this particular jersey was certainly in stark contrast to that look - and well just about every other in the league. The true innovators of the "fabric gradient" this was their first of two attempts. This one being the more advanced since it inolved a gradient that blended into stripes on both the front and back - as well as one of the sleeves. I'm guessing people liked these, since someone seems to always defend them when any amount of criticism is offered. I for one find the whole look appalling, however when weighed with some of the other third jerseys of the same time period it becomes slightly less so. The yellow names and numbers on top of red (and the gradient) almost makes you dizzy. These were rather short lived and dissapeared after the 1996-97 season when the Canucks switched logos and color schemes (again).

After three years without a third jersey Vancouver brought out "fabric gradient" model number two. (Even more highly defended than number one.) This one involved the slightly more traditional (if the term can be used) gradient pattern of simply two colors fading into one another. More unconventional was the use of the curved hem on the bottom of the jerseys that is now common place around the league with the new Edge designs. (As mentioned in a previous entry, Nashville was the other team doing this with their third jerseys at the time.) One might also point out the strange use of piping/stripes that connect the sleeves to the shoulders at 45 degree angles. I won't try and kid you, I never understood these jerseys. I still don't. They would last four seasons (five if you count the lockout year).

Now if two different jerseys involving a gradient with two different color schemes and logos wasn't enough, things get just a little stranger in the 2005-06 season. During that year the Canucks, while still using their red and blue third jersey, brought back their blue and green jerseys that they used between 1972-78 as a heritage jersey. Reception to seeing it again after so many other uniform styles during the course of more than 25 years must have been good, since they adopted it as their official third jersey for the 2006-07 season. Thus becoming the only other team, besides say Toronto and Montreal, to use an older jersey style (even with an old logo) as an official alternate. The Canucks get even more credit since it used a completely different color scheme as well. They were even more embraced now that fans saw more of them and rumors began to fly about the team adopting them as their official uniform style with the change over to the Edge jerseys this season.

This would, unfortunately, not be the case. The colors and even the patterns were retained from the 70's however the fonts and logos were not. (The stick and rink C is however used as a shoulder patch.) The orca's colors were tweeked, their traditional font style was altered to Agency, and the word Vancouver was slapped over the front of the jerseys as a wave to the team's pre-NHL existance. Sadly, while the Canucks retain their current uniforms they will be hard pressed to find a reason to wear the old green and blue ones. The only real difference would be the altering of the crest and I think that would come across as saying, "What, you guys like these better?" And if they really haven't heard the fans response to that question yet, then I think they'd rather not hear it when they specifically come out and ask for it.

Now, with all of that said about the Canucks, what are they going to do next year or whenever it is they decide to reinstate the third jersey program. Will they:
a) Come up with something completely different?
b) Yellow, black and red?
c) Red and blue?
d) Same jerseys different crest?
e) Even older jersey style with V's on the sleeves?
f) Johnny Canuck?
g) New color scheme and logo?
h) New jerseys across the board?
i) New jerseys without the word "Vancouver" and a green alternate?
j) Norman Mailer
k) All of the above.

Next up the Pacific Division...and all 37 Mighty Ducks 3rd jerseys...
Part 7 can be found here.

The Jerseys, Numbers and Players in Slap Shot

Slap Shot came out 30 years ago and time has done little to damage it's appeal. Often hailed as one of the greatest sports movies ever made even non-hockey fans can quote large portions of it verbatim. The amount of Chiefs related merchandise seems to grow with each passing year (as do the number of rec league hockey teams who sport the jerseys). And, lets be honest, what better way to show how much you love a movie is there than to go out and spend over $100 on a team jersey that only existed for a couple of minutes on film? Nancy Dowd (who wrote the script) must be very happy every time she sees a Denis Lemieux jersey at her local mall.

Now, buying a jersey that is featured in the film is no problem, let it be Ogilthorpe, Hanrahan or your choice of Hanson brothers, there are a ton of places on-line that sell them as well as customize them. Be advised that many don't accurately reflect those featured in the film, and that at no point are the Chiefs ever shown wearing nameplates - nor are the Long Island Ducks jerseys orange. The Syracuse Bulldogs jerseys are nearly identical to those worn by the Flyers during the 1970's, and the Hyannisport Presidents are exactly those worn by the North Stars during this same period of time. For reasons I have never understood the Chiefs are the only team who actually wear the Federal League patch. Some teams have nameplates, others lack TV numbers. Whether any of this is actually done for a reason is questionable. But so is the use in actually delving this far into the subject to begin with...

Some Basics
There are 7 teams shown in the film:
Charlestown Chiefs
Lancaster Gears
Broom County Blades
Hyannisport Presidents
Long Island Ducks
Syracuse Bulldogs
Peterboro Patriots
If you're really interested Slap Shot Tribute has the logos here.

Besides the Chiefs the only team that is shown in both home and road uniforms is Hyannisport.
Ross "Mad Dog" Madison who is announced as being on the Bulldogs roster in the last game between Syracuse and the Chiefs is actually never shown on the ice (as far as I can tell) and I still have no idea what number he wore...
The following jerseys are for players who actually have speaking lines or are named specifically within the film's script.

The Charlestown Chiefs Roster

Denis Lemieux - #1
"You do that, and you go to the box. Two minutes by yourself...and you feel shame."

Morris "Mo" Wanchuk - #2
"Not Poodle."

Dave "Killer" Carlson - #3
"Coach, I want that hundred dollars."

Billy Charlebois - #5
"Ensemble number 32: entitled Omar Sharif and modeled by Chiefs defenseman Billy Charlebois who hails from, if I can read the card here, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan."

Jim Ahern (A) - #6
"I knew there was a reason he made the trip."

Reggie Dunlop - #7
"I am personally placing a hundred-dollar bounty on the head of Tim McCracken. He's the head coach and chief punk on that Syracuse team."

Andre Bergeron - #8
Not a word in the entire film!

Ned Braden - #10
"Somebody's gonna kill you, ya dumb son of a bitch, but it's not gonna be me."

Johnny Upton (C) - #12
"I'm gonna flash'em, Joe."

Jean-Guy "Froggy" Drouin (A) - #14
"Finit?"

Jack Hanson - #16
"That's what we're here for guys, to win."

Steve Hanson - #17
"Dave's a killer!"

Jeff Hanson - #18
"Hey fellas there's six of 'em out there for us."

Yvon LeBrun - #30
"Well played, good win, two points..."

Hyannisport Presidents

Nick Brophy - #8
"Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself."

Broom County Blades

Barclay Donaldson - #9
"I gotta contract!"

Long Island Ducks

Tommy Hanrahan - #1
"Cover the point goddammit, cover the point!"
(The Islanders were nearly named the Ducks and actually considered using this color scheme.)

Syracuse Bulldogs

Tim "Dr. Hook" McCracken - #9
"Major surgery - open heart."

Andre "Poodle" Lussier - #16
"Andre, of course, has been living in semi-seclusion in Northern Quebec ever since the unforunate Denny Pratt tragedy."

Ogie Ogilthorpe - #2
"This young man has had a very trying rookie season. What with the litigation, the notoriety, his subsequent deportation to Canada, and that country's refusal to accept him....well, that's more than most 21 year olds could handle."

Clarence "Screaming Buffalo" Swamptown - #7
"I'll never forget an exclusive interview in which Swamptown revealed that he calls his hockey stick the "Big Tomahawk," and he usually refers to the opposing players as "the little scalps"."

Gilmore Tuttle - #15
"And from Mile 40, Saskatchewan where he now runs a donut shop: number 15 and former penalty minute record holder of the Federal League from the years 1960 to 1968 inclusive - Gilmore Tuttle."

As mentioned, Ross "Mad Dog" Madison is really never shown on the ice in a way were his number is actually visible, but otherwise that covers pretty much all of the main characters in the film.

All the jerseys can be found in the Jersey Database for use with the widgets on this site in the Misc. section here. This includes the home Chiefs jerseys as well as both home and road with the names.

Regarding 3rd Jerseys Part 5

Part 1 can be found here.
Part 2 (Atlantic Division) here.
Part 3 (Northeast Division) here.
Part 4 (Southeast Division) here.

Intro
To continue the saga of third jerseys and if, when, and how they will return to the NHL - the rest of this series will focus on the jerseys we have seen in the past, as well some speculation and critique as to what we may see in the future.

All images are linked to the originals from Webshots.com, the majority of these are game worn and are part of individual's collections.

The Central Division

Detroit Red Wings

Detroit is one of the three NHL teams never to have used a third jersey. This is probably all for the best because they really would be fighting an uphill battle to come up with anything that would even do justice to the two regular jerseys they have. In fact, during their entire existance in the NHL they have never really strayed from the look they continue to use even into the 2007-08 season.

In 1991-92 (and in one game in 1993-94 against the Blackhawks) they used an alternate jersey in conjunction with the league's 75th anniversary, that jersey (shown to the right) was never actually worn by the Red Wings at any time during their history. It was actually worn by their predecessors the Detroit Cougars in the late 1920's. Presumably if the Red Wings would be forced to bring in an alternate sweater this would probably be it, since it now has some tradition in the city. If they were to go and do anything else I'd be amazed (less it be picking another sweater from from the 20's or 30's). Of course...stranger things have happened...

Chicago Blackhawks

The stranger things happening... The Blackhawks, whose home and away jerseys are just about as iconic as the Red Wings, introduced their black versions in 1996 (and used them till this year). Chicago had at one point during their history actually worn black as their main color (not a stretch considering their name) however those jersey looked nothing like these and did not even incorporate red.

I can't say I have ever really had anything against these, and the fact that they have never even considered replacing their red jerseys with them makes them quite alright. However one does question their value to the team's identity and whether or not wearing a heritage jersey would mean more than simply swapping out the colors to create a third version of their regular uniform.

Personally I'd love to see them bring back the major barberpole action they wore in 91-92 (image to right), I actually knew someone who bought one of these and it was truly something to behold. The Hawks actually wore the style for nearly 20 years, lasting up until the mid-fifties when they changed to the solid red and larger logo. I have no idea what fans of the team think, but I do know that the Blackhawks won a Stanley Cup in the first year they officially wore them and that would be 70 years ago next season...

One way or another Chicago isn't going to dissapoint anyone, enough people like the black jerseys that their return would be welcomed. They are also an Original Six team which means doing anything too brash is pretty much out of the question. Of course they could always go with those black jerseys that don't involve any red, they'd actually look quite good. You can see an image of them here.


Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets have been in the league for just just more than 7 years now and in that time they have amassed a ridiculous amount of logos. At last count they had already had 2 different primary logos and 5 different alternate ones. (Goodbye strange bug thing and hello hat.) Their first alternate jersey, which came out in 2003, featured the primary logo they are using now as the crest. I guess the team realized they were onto something since they kept these jerseys until this year and basically styled their new Edge versions after them. Unfortunately without the stars on the sleeves...

Now, I guess it is too much to expect them to incorporate more of the Civil War theme into a third jersey (you know buttons down the front, maybe a collar and felt patches...) so I can only hope that they at least try to use the hat logo they currently have on the shoulder patches. I'm not sure why but I like the idea of a team using something so simple and yet at the same time so historical. Granted it doesn't say anything about hockey, and it's not exactly flashy and menacing, but it defines what a blue jacket is...kind of...well more so than the old CB rollercoaster logo did anyways.

Who knows, Columbus came out this season having some of the nicest jerseys in the league. They were well defined, simple and straight forward. If they can do something along those lines with a third jersey then I'm sure they'll have a hit with the fans. (Just don't bring back that bug thing!)

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators brought out jerseys in a color nobody had ever seen before in 2001. Whether the color is technically known as mustard, or not, doesn't really matter since that is the only way people talk about them. Well did, until they were abandoned this season and many, perhaps not all, but many, breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, the strange thing about these jerseys is not just the color but the hemline which is curved like the Edge jerseys. The only other team I can think of that did this was Vancouver who had it on their third jerseys as well. What the significance was I don't know, since they didn't use the same style on their main jerseys. Some people have claimed that this looks better on a pair of jeans and fans like that, but to me that seems a bit trite. At the same time it's as good a theory as any since I can't for the life of me see how it would in any way, shape or form create a better jersey for the players to wear on the ice.

In addition to the hem thing, the Predators also introduced yet another crest with these which meant that they now had a different one on each of their three jerseys. I have never really liked when teams do this and as far as I know hockey is really the only sport that does it. The Predators are doing it this year as well, along with Minnesota, and it kind of drives one mad if you care about the aesthetics of these types of things.

Whether or not we see the return of the mustard next season is up for grabs. I'd say no. We are more than likely going to see something a bit more tame colorwise and perhaps a bit more daring patternwise. All I can say is pick one sabre tooth cat and stay with it.

St. Louis Blues

Most of us are probably aware of the infamous third jersey the St. Louis Blues never wore. If you aren't familiar you can see the design that still makes team owners cringe here. As for the third jersey the team would eventually adopt they played things much more conservatively. One would almost say they played them intelligently. Brought out in 1997 these are one of the very few examples of a team using a white alternate. They were also very much in opposition of the team's main jerseys. Not because they were dramatically different, but because they were dramatically less complicated. (At the time the team was using the diagonal stripes and strangely skewed numbers.)

After one season these became the Blues official home jerseys and the royal blue version debuted as their away jerseys. Now, whether or not the team actually used the 1997-98 season as a way to gauge fan reaction I don't know. If they did then I guess they discovered they had created something more along the lines of what the fans wanted. If that is the case then you have to admit they played the third jersey card in a very nifty way and since then have not even bothered to try another one.

The team did wear their heritage jerseys in 2003-04 (these being from the late 70's/early 80's) and I imagine that they would conceivably draw from their past for any other third jersey they are going to wear in the future. Considering the infamy of the disaster they so narrowly avoided in 1996 one can assume the current owners still don't want to venture into uncharted waters any time too soon. The Blues had great uniforms in the 70's, better than most, so I think people would be happy to see more of them.

Next up the Northwest Division...
Part 6 can be found here.

Regarding 3rd Jerseys Part 4

Part 1 can be found here.
Part 2 (Atlantic Division) here.
Part 3 (Northeast Division) here.

Intro
To continue the saga of third jerseys and if, when, and how they will return to the NHL - the rest of this series will focus on the jerseys we have seen in the past, as well some speculation and critique as to what we may see in the future.

All images are linked to the originals from Webshots.com, the majority of these are game worn and are part of individual's collections.

The Southeast Division

Atlanta Thrashers

The Thrashers unveiled their powder blue jerseys in 2003 and reaction the them has always been mixed. The team however staked the franchise on them in 2006 and made them the official home jerseys creating a strange combination of light and darks which use two different main color themes. Light blue being dominant on one, and practically non-existant on the other. Their current Edge design varies slightly from last years model but overall has the same basic appearance.

To me these jerseys are something of an enigma, they seem to break so many rules but in the end they work. In fact they work so well that they are a welcome addition to a league dominated by about 5 standard colors. Even the word "Atlanta" down one sleeve, with no TV number, a style that has no regard for being symmetrical and a bizarre dark line running down the stitching on one side can't ruin the fact that they actually look good on the ice. They are original and certainly added to the Thrashers identity as a team and remain one of the true success stories of a third jersey.

Atlanta being a relatively new club can go anywhere with a third jersey, I imagine they will probably bring out something dark blue if and when they release a third jersey. As for the design, well, I hope they succeed in being as creative as they were with the powder blue one.

Carolina Hurricanes
As previously mentioned the Hurricanes are one of three teams that have never used a third jersey. Why? I have no clue. In a way they should be applauded for this because they could very easily have just put out a matching black jersey using the same pattern but resisted the temptation to do so. They could have also come up with something off-the-wall for the sake of merchandising...but they didn't.

It's hard to say what they would do for a third jersey if it was imposed upon them to have one. Odds are it would be a black version, otherwise your guess is as good as mine...

Florida Panthers

If you are unaware of the Florida Panthers strange uniform history then you are not alone. At first it all seems rather normal, then you take a closer look and realize that all is a bit more confusing.

First off the Panthers added the blue version of their uniform (using the same style as their red and whites) in 1998. However, there was one major difference that made them stand out besides the color. The once bare-pawed panther crest was now breaking a hockey stick. This strange change was never incorporated into their other jerseys, and why it is that the team chose to use it on one jersey and not the others truly boggles the mind. It doesn't in any way actually ruin the logo, but it doesn't exactly add anything to it either. It's a lateral move that seems kind of unnecessary considering it's already fairly obvious that they are a hockey team and adding a stick seems much too cliche. (I find this to be redundant with any sports team that incorportates equipment from the sport into their logos. The Penguins get away with it, but the Sharks and Thrashers don't need it. I'll get to the Ducks later, but they were the worst criminals when it came to this type of thing...)

Now, things get even stranger in 2003 because Florida decided to make their blue alternates their main home jersey and instead of creating a new third jersey simply moved their red ones to that position. (Which is essentially what the Flyers should have done when they made their blacks their main jerseys...instead they just got rid of the orange.) So, what about the stick? Yes, they took the stick away from the panther on the blue jerseys and put it on the red jerseys officially signifying the change of status.

The Panthers do not have the stick included with their new jerseys this year, in case you were wondering, Which makes one question it's return on a future third jersey which will more than likely be a red version of their current set (since they opted for blue for their roads.)

Tampa Bay Lightning

Ugghhh...remember these? So do I unfortunately. The Lightning wore these for three seasons starting in 1996, and let me just say their removal from the team's uniform set for the 1999-00 season was nothing to mourn.

In just the way Atlanta succeeded with something outlandish and different the Lightning failed miserably. Whatever look they were trying to achieve with these...well...it didn't happen. The crest on the front looks remarkably out of place, the actual jersey "pattern" involving a one dimentional storm scene over waves just looks wrong...and the bolts of firey lighting on the sleeves makes them look freakish. I could go into the frazzled font...but that would just be beating a dead horse. In any case these were the one and only third jersey ever used by the team and I'd stake my life on the fact that we will never see them again. (Thank goodness...)

If we are to see a Lightning third jersey again my guess is that it will be something rather conservative and probably involve blue as a main color. Don't expect them to use their alternate logo with the Florida state outline as the main crest however, because that may get it into their heads to use it permanently on their other jerseys as well...which would be the smart thing to do. Who knows, considering the name they could do just about anything on a third jersey involving lightning bolts. I just hope they consider that the players will actually have to wear them on the ice before they start manufacturing them.

Washington Capitals

In 1995 the Capitals ditched the red, white and blue as well as their logo and the jersey style they had for more than two decades. Now, a lot of people loved these jerseys. Granted they took some time to get used to but people actually complain about their return to their text logo and orignal colors. I am not one of those people. I always had a serious dislike for the blue and black jerseys (not to mention their logo(s) and worst of all their choice of fonts) and was thrilled when they brought back their old appearance this year. For once I think a lot of fans got what they wanted and a lot of credit can be given to their new owner who is very concious of what the fans want to see.

In 1997 the team brought out their black alternate using what is not so lovingly referred to as the "squashed bug" logo. Once again I have to go back to the incorporation of hockey equipment in a hockey logo. Not only two sticks but a puck as well in this case. I could make a case for not using a wordmark in a logo, unless the logo is the wordmark, but since the team has since ditched these jerseys it would be fruitless. In 2000 the Capitals made this jersey their main home jersey and thereby being one of the few teams that had two completely different logos on their home and away jerseys. Something that drives me crazy, I think only Minnesota and Nashville are still doing this. Since 2000 the team has not had a third jersey.

Now, the Capitals are a strange case when it comes to what they may unveil in the future. They could very easily bring back their original jerseys as a vintage/heritage/third jersey. But, you run into the problem of the team using two logos that look only slightly different. (I'm all for it, but from a marketing stand point things get confusing.) More than likely they will bring about a jersey that is a nod to their past and somehow uses some of the features of their old jerseys. Possibly the stars and white shoulders. Truly a tough call considering their current identity is less than a year old.


Next up the Central Division...
Part 5 can be found here

Regarding 3rd Jerseys Part 3

Part 1 can be found here.
Part 2 (Atlantic Division) here.

Intro
To continue the saga of third jerseys and if, when, and how they will return to the NHL - the rest of this series will focus on the jerseys we have seen in the past, as well some speculation and critique as to what we may see in the future.

All images are linked to the originals from Webshots.com, the majority of these are game worn and are part of individual's collections.

The Northeast Division

Boston Bruins

Boston used heritage jerseys on a number of occasions after third jerseys came about. Most notably the white Bobby Orr style.

In 1995 the Bruins brought out their now rather infamous Pooh Bear jerseys. They were far and away the biggest departure the team had ever made from their standard look. They are probably the most famous of the third jerseys released during the first year of their existance in the NHL and the Bruins would keep them as part of their set for 10 years. Finally abandoning them in 2006 and replacing them with the vintage jersey used originally between 1967-74. To be honest I have mixed thoughts about the bear jerseys. Yes, they are experimental and "fun", but they look a little too amateur. I have no problems with them using the bear logo instead of the B, but the Bruins patches on the shoulder seem very forced and the fur or bite marks (or whatever they are) just seem strange. With that said, somehow they worked on the ice and gained quite a bit of popularity.

The current jerseys the Bruins are wearing are not actually a style they have worn in the past. They are a mesh of a number of different type that were worn by the team in the 70's. However, one could draw the conclusion that their design was probably based on fan reaction to the third jersey used in the 2006-07 season as well as the heritage jerseys they had worn in the past. The fact that they changed their alternate jerseys the year before the switch to the Edge jerseys is something that leads you to believe that it was something of a litmus test.

The Bruins could use just about any jersey from before 1975 as a third jersey, however since their standard set now bares such a close resemblance to older jerseys they'd have to pick one from before Orr joined the team to really have them stand out. I'd personally vouch for the brown and yellow jerseys they wore when Eddie Shore was on the team. I don't think they've ever worn them, and their alternate logo is close enough to the crest used on them that it wouldn't be a huge departure.

Buffalo Sabres

In 1996 the Sabres did the unthinkable, they changed their logo, colors and jerseys leaving a lot of people scratching their heads and wondering what on earth the owners were thinking. I for one never really understood it, and a lot of people started petitions to bring back the blue and yellow. Eventually they would, courtesy of a new owner who made good on the promise...although we all know what happened next.

Buffalo's first third jersey was introduced in 2000, and to describe it in one word I would say "uninspired". They remind me of a roller hockey jersey and really do nothing to further the team's identity. The alternate logo seems empty and lacking. The fact that it says "Buffalo" in the stripe on the front doesn't help matters. It looks like it was thrown in as an after thought so that the jersey had more going on. Eight other teams had red jerseys which left these completely without merit.

In 2006, as we all know, the Sabres returned to blue and gold. Many had hoped for a return to the original jerseys that trademarked the team for more than 20 years, however the new owners went in a different direction and brought out what would be forever known as the buffaslug. Perhaps one of the most passionately hated logos and uniforms in the NHL. As what could only be considered a gesture of good will the team used their original blue uniforms as a third jersey last year. With one small, and quite unnecessary, addition: numbers on the front of the jerseys. I can only make the assumption that this was done to distinguish them from older jerseys.

As has been shown third jerseys are often a testing ground for uniform changes and have on a number of occasions become the teams standard set. If Buffalo had done this I think they would have found out that the slug was a no go and that people obviously favored the traditional uniforms. Alas, perhaps contract or stubbornness dictates it, we are stuck with the slug. I'm not sure how many people out there actually like these jerseys but a fondness for the logo itself doesn't seem too prevalent. I personally wish they would just admit defeat and go back to the old jerseys entirely. Ditch the new logo and uniforms and listen to reason (and the fans). Chances of this happening are probably slim, in which case at least have both the home and road versions available for use next year and wear them often. (Just get rid of the numbers on the front...)

Montreal Canadiens

One of those most iconic uniforms in sports the Canadiens have made no truly major changes to their jerseys in their near 100 year existance. (With the execption of the jersey to the right.) They also chose to stick with tradition when it came to having a third jersey which they added in 2002. Originally a heritage jersey it has been used in regular rotation and was slightly updated to incorporate three colored numbers. The particular style was actually the team's road uniforms, used for only three years, between 1944-47, and is essentially the only other jersey the team has ever worn besides their main set that they still wear today.

I don't think the Canadiens will ever change their uniforms. The team is so steeped in history and tradition that even a slight change would cause a massive outcry of dissapointment. In the case of a third jersey their only true option is too use the one that they had before this season. I don't think there would be any bitter complaints if they brought it back.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators introduced their first third jersey in 1998. It incorporated not just a new design but also a new crest involving a more stylized and two-dimensional senator. They updated it again this year. After just one season Ottawa made these their main jersey and in 2000 added a new third jersey in black using the laurel leaves it also used the alternate font found on the red jerseys. These were used up until last year.

It's hard to say what Ottawa would/could do with a third jersey. They changed their overall design this year as well as their alternate logo. It would be strange to see them use a style they've already had since they returned to the NHL in 1992, in which case they'd more or less have to come up with a completely new design or look to their far far past and bring back the barberpole that is currently used by the Ottawa 67's. It's kind of strange that they have never once used those as a heritage jersey.

I'd personally be interested in seeing a barberpole jersey, but they could be disastrous as the amount of striping doesn't translate well onto jerseys of the non-sweater variety. (As in the jerseys the Blackhawks wore in 1991-92, they look great but something just seems kind of strange when the names are added to them.) If you really want to read into things the use of the original "O" emblem may be a sign of what's to come. Although the 2007-08 season marks their 15th anniversary, next year marks the 90th anniversary of the league which may herald some more focus on the league's long history of uniforms. We shall see...

Toronto Maple Leafs

On a number of occasions the Leafs have worn jerseys from their past including one night when they wore the Toronto St. Pats green jerseys in honor of the team's anniversary. The also wore vintage jerseys in 1996-97 which were based on their first uniform design after coming into the league. These did not include nameplates and are perhaps the only example of this in the modern era.

The teams first true third jersey was based on another design from their history and were first used in 1998-99, disappeared, then came back again in 2000-01 and were used until last year. They use both the same style and logo used by the team between 1958-1967.

Alot of people have complained about the new Leafs jerseys being too boring. But, if you look at the past Toronto has always been rather conservative with their uniforms. They use a minimal amount of striping and it makes their jerseys look like traditional hockey sweaters have always looked. If they come out with a third jersey that actually incorporates a design that strays away from this I'd be amazed. They can't really go too wrong by using anything from their past, and I think the use of the old Leaf is almost mandatory on any alternate jersey at this point since it reflects so much more of the team's history.


Next up is the Southeast Division...where things have been kind of crazy...
Part 4 can be found here.

The Hockey Sweater - Animated Short

If you are unfamiliar with Roch Carrier's childrens book The Sweater then you are missing a bit of cult hockey nostalgia. It was originally published in French (Le Chandail) in 1979 and tells the story of a small boy growing up in rural Quebec during the great days of Maurice Richard and what happens when he is sent a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater by mistake.

The story became such an ingrained part of Canadian literature that a portion of it appears in both English and French on the back of the country's 5 dollar bill. (Note the number 9 jersey)



The book was made into an animated short in in 1980. For some reason I've always looked at the book as somehow Christmas related, in fact it always reminds me of when I got my first hockey jersey in the mail at Christmas as a kid. If you haven't seen the animated version it is included below in it's entirety (approx. 10 minutes).

Regarding 3rd Jerseys Part 2

Part 1 can be found here.

Intro
To continue the saga of third jerseys and if, when, and how they will return to the NHL - the rest of this series will focus on the jerseys we have seen in the past, as well some speculation and critique as to what we may see in the future.

All images are linked to the originals from Webshots.com, the majority of these are game worn and are part of individual's collections.

From Part One
In part one of this series I mentioned the desire to see more vintage jerseys used as team's official third jerseys. It would be wise to point out that the NHL had a Heritage Jersey Program (all of the jerseys you see with the V patch on them) and that until this season were used by teams outside of their regular uniform set. The Kings for instance wore both their vintage black and silver, as well as their purple and yellow uniforms in various games between 2000-2007. They never officially had either as a third jersey.

I also touched on the issues regarding whether or not these jerseys would actually be incorporated into the Edge template or whether they would continue to use the CCM model. If the Winter Classic is anything to go on these would be Reebok branded jerseys using the old template and not the Edge one. (The vintage jerseys Buffalo and Pittsburgh are going to wear are being sold on NHL.com if you want to have a look.) Despite the strangeness of having two different jersey styles this is the only logical solution and I applaud them for it....I only wish they were CCM.

Now...looking back at the past.


The Atlantic Division

New Jersey Devils

As mentioned in part one the Devils are one of three teams never to have worn a third jersey of any sort. Conceivably they could wear their old red and green jerseys as a vintage set, although one would have to weigh this against creating a new jersey entirely to add to the team's identity. I was one of those people that made a sort of small squeak of disappointment when the team abandoned green for black since it was all too typical at the time. On the other hand I've always been relatively pleased with the fact that the team has since resisted the temptation to put out a black version of their current jerseys and call that a third.

So, what do you do if you are New Jersey? Well, hopefully you don't create some sort of alternate logo to serve the purpose. The team has been around for 25 years and has survived well enough on one main logo. Bringing in something new at this point would seem extremely forced and unnecessary. I'd personally vouch for using the jerseys they wore for the first 10 years of their existence. Or, if it comes to it, creating a new one that doesn't stray too far from what they currently have.

By the way that is a Brodeur rookie jersey, he did in fact where the number 29 in the 4 games he played with the Devils in 1991-92.

New York Islanders

If we hop over the whole debacle regarding the you-know-what-uniforms involving a particular type of crispy fish snack then the Islanders only had one third jersey. It was introduced in 2002-03 and for the life of me I have never understood it. I don't know what it does to add to the team's appearance or what the pattern is supposed to symbolize. Granted it's original in that no other team has ever had anything similar to it, but what were they going for here?

I can hope that if and when the league introduces third jerseys again that the Islanders don't bring this back. Now that they've strayed away from the iconic look they had during the 80's when they were winning Stanley Cups every other week, they could bring back that look as a third jersey. Think about it, all the people who don't like what they are wearing Edge style can pick up a player's jersey in the version that everyone relates to when they think of Long Island.

New York Rangers

The Rangers first brought out the Statue of Liberty jerseys in 1996, and there is a rather interesting article from The New York Times talking about them before they were ever used. It includes the great quote from Luc Robitalle, 'It's a really cool jersey. They didn't overdo it. Some teams did. I'm not going to name any names.'' Take your pick of who he was referring to...my money would be one his former team the Los Angeles Kings. So, you see, the players do in fact care about what they have to wear on the ice.

The Rangers wore these as a third jersey up until last year, with the exception of the 1998-99 season when they wore the seldom seen white versions. At the time Gretzky was on the team and to seemingly capitalize on the massive sales that surrounded Wayne wherever he played the team wanted to use both the blue and the white. However, and this goes back to what I said in part one about allowing a team a "second set" with both a home and an away version, the NHL had a strict rule about having only one official third jersey. The Rangers opted to use the whites. The following season the blues were back, the whites disappeared and have since become a sought after collectors item.

To be honest I never really had a problem with these. They worked the best when Richter was in goal with the matching helmet but all in all the team succeeded where other's had failed. They were simple, evoked the spirit of the city, weren't overdone and could be seen as being on par with the team's main set. They weren't without their critics, which is understandable, but they could have been much much worse.

I would think that the Rangers could bring these back without any problems next season and a lot of people would probably be happy with that. One thing you don't really mess with are New York's jerseys, so the thought of them creating yet another design is a bit daunting. Take your pick of vintage jerseys to wear...although none of them stray too far from what they've been wearing since they came into the league...except for the brief (and disastrous) departure from the norm between 1976-1978. And even those have a bit of nostalgia now that 30 years has passed.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins were in on the third jersey game from the start when they introduced what I can only refer to as robo-Penguin in 1995. These, and I am admitting to this, may be one of the few times a team has truly gone experimental and somewhat succeeded. With that said I don't ever want to see gradients used in the NHL ever again. These were popular and they would become the team's official road jersey in the 1997-98 season and remain so until 2002 when another third jersey took their place along with a matching white version.

The jersey in question would be the style the Penguins would eventually maintain until the switch to the Edge jerseys this season. When they went, so did the more stylized version of the Penguin and the original logo became their sole emblem.

The Penguins could easily use any number of classic designs as a third jersey, perhaps the one that stands out the most would be the early 90's one they wore when they won the Stanley Cup fronted by Lemieux. That jersey just screams hockey when you see it. As mentioned all over the place they are wearing their powder blue jerseys from the 70's in the Winter Classic, and if it weren't for the major departure, these would be pretty cool as a third. (The actual style itself was used by the Penguins between 1968 and 1973.) Fan reaction could probably dictate this. My only hope is that they don't come up with anything over stylized if they go for a new look entirely, they have succeeded in creating an identity through simplicity and anything over the top would ruin it. Perhaps they could put the scarf back on the penguin, it only existed for one season and was never used on a jersey. The man who created the Penguins logo Bob Gessner put it like this, "The first penguin looked a little wimpy with the scarf, more like a figure skater than a hockey player." Ok, maybe leave the scarf off.. (More on the evolution of the Pens logo and their uniforms can be found at the excellent site PittsburghHockey.net

Philadelphia Flyers

It's probably best to admit that I grew up a Flyers fan and still am one. So if I come across as a bit over sensitive in regards to their uniforms you can understand why.

Philadelphia came out with a black version of their other jerseys in 1997, and it worked. It was, in fact, a welcome addition since it did not alter their overall look and used the same pattern. These were really popular when they were released and truly defined the meaning of having a third jersey. They were no better or worse than the regular set, and complemented their existing look. BUT, when they became the team's official jersey (in 2001) replacing the orange I think part of me (and a lot of other Flyers fans died). In fact they didn't even use the original orange jersey as a third that season, it just vanished. There were petitions, there still may be, lobbying to bring back the orange. The team had always worn orange, it was their main color and what made them stand out amongst every other team in the league. Replacing it with black, despite the third jersey's popularity, ruined their identity on the ice.

I am going to make the assumption that the powers that be heard the fans and decided to give them, in their mind, what they wanted and brought out the orange jersey that they would maintain as their official third till last year. This was in 2002, and in honor of the Flyers celebrating their 35th Anniversary in the league they used the, newly designed, beveled version of their logo. Which I'm sure looks great on paper and t-shirts, but as a crest on a jersey it fails to invoke anything other than a Flyers logo someone has tweaked in Photoshop. You don't mess with the Flyers logo after 35 years. The rest of the jersey I never quite got, it always looked like the sleeves were sewn on upside down, and the names and numbers with three colors always looked too busy. I can't help but think clown fish when I see these.

Myself, and many others, still want an orange jersey as the main home uniform. Black is so overdone and boring at this point that it needs to go, not just with Philadelphia, and not just with the NHL, but with a lot of teams who have more or less incorporated it for the sake of selling more merchandise. Yes, money matters, but don't sacrifice the team's history in the process. Which brings us to the Flyers potential third jerseys, assuming that we don't get a return to the orange jerseys of the 80's as an alternate, we will probably see the current Edge style of theirs in an orange format. Sadly. Ironically spokesmen for the team keep saying that the new jerseys are a nod to the Flyers jerseys of the past blah blah blah. Last time I checked the team didn't have a black jersey for the first 30+ years they existed...which may explain why their white jerseys look so much better.


Coming up next the Northeast Division...and what Buffalo needs to do to cure slugatis (inflamation of the slug).
Part 3 can be found here.

Regarding 3rd Jerseys Part 1

According to initial reports from the summer the NHL will probably allow teams to use third jerseys next season. This is nice for marketing and fashion, but all it really means is that designers will have to go back to the drawing board and find a way to convert whatever snazzy design the team used to wear before the new templates and make it Rbk Edge compatible (sort of like upgrading from a stable operating system to say...Vista.) Well, in theory that's what they would do, but in reality things are a bit more complicated.

History
First a little history, the NHL's third jersey "program" truly came to life during the 1995-96 season (although vintage jerseys had been worn by the Original Six teams in 1991-92 in conjunction with the league's 75th anniversary). Five teams wore alternate jerseys in the first season they were allowed. In 2006-07, the last year they were worn, the number had reached 18. During the 11 years in which they existed more than two dozen different designs were used by the league, these often came and went and were occasionally absorbed into a teams uniform set as a main home or away jersey. Detroit, Carolina and New Jersey are the only three teams to never have a third jersey.

Despite what some of the uniforms we've seen in the past may suggest, teams actually have to have their designs approved by the league and get permission to wear them on certain dates. One exception to this were the Rangers Statue of Liberty jerseys (they actually toyed with the idea of using King Kong if you can believe) which, according to Al Morganti, were in violation of the rules and hence the Rangers were fined every time they wore them. (No stranger to this type of thing the NHL is currently fining the team $100,000 a day for not giving up control of their website to the league.)

Today
So, back to the future, what will we see next year...if anything. Well, some focus has to be put on the actual jerseys themselves not just the designs. Despite a grand entrance and mammoth marketing campaign (EA Sports) the actual Edge jerseys have not lived up to expectations and have seemingly failed to win over most of the players that were supposed to be ooing and ahhing. Most recently in the news the Capitals have completely ditched the space age fabrics used in the jerseys and unanimously voted to return to the material used in previous years. (via On Frozen Blog). Reebok, in a rare multi-national corporate giant moment of saving face, extended this option to anyone in the league wanting to make the switch. Needless to say a many players have done so.

Reebok
What Reebok is going to have to do, or may currently be in the process of doing, is fix the stuff they broke. Whether this means a return to traditional fabrics (negating the point of the Edge design entirely), coming up with new fabrics, or admitting total defeat and returning to the old template remains to be seen. Players were of course involved in the creation process of the jerseys and I can assume their subsequent complaints after using them in action will be taken seriously when the season is over. (I imagine a small survey being given to each team member with questions like, "On a scale of 1-10 how would you say the Rbk Edge jerseys compared to last year's model...etc.") Reebok, despite a contract with the NHL, is going to be walking a thin line with whatever changes they do make - too much and they've created a new jersey entirely, too little and they come across as not taking their product seriously enough.

It's a debacle, and a sideshow, it hasn't made players better, and it certainly hasn't boosted jersey sales. But, if the Edge jerseys are going to stick around and additional jersey designs made using them then things will need to be straightened out first. Obviously they aren't going to start putting a focus on additional uniform sets when they haven't succeeded with the 60 brought out this year. (And I don't mean appearance wise, but rather the basic functionality that amounts to wearing a sweater over some pads and being able to play hockey in it.) So, in a nutshell, there will not be any 3rd jerseys next year unless Reebok and the NHL decide that all is well and they can now move forward.

Now, taking into account that all that happens, we can start looking at what kind of third jerseys we are talking about. For one, and this is all speculation and opinion from here on out, I wouldn't be surprised if all 30 teams had 3rd jerseys next year. From a marketing stand point it makes sense, from a video game stand point (don't underestimate how important EA Sports is to both Reebok and the NHL) it gives people a reason to buy an updated version, it brings about publicity and gives fans more stuff to buy. Heck, for all I care let teams have as many jerseys as they want so long as they aren't hideous and a waste of money. Which brings me to the next point.

Limitations
When is a third jersey even worth having? When it says something about the team, adds to their identity, doesn't go overboard, and in some way incorporates a look that is not used in the team's main set. And of course it has to appeal to the fans, but not more or less so than the team's main set. Because, let's be honest, in this day and age sales outweigh identity (sadly). Hopefully teams take these types of things into account and don't just roll out some basic color changes and alternate logos used as crests which seemed to be the easy way to go before.

I personally don't think that any newly thought up third jersey can beat a team wearing a vintage sweater. It says more about the team (and the history of the league) than anything else. They are popular with fans of the game because they are reminiscent of bygone eras and often connected to specific players from the past. (Why do you think Boston's new jerseys have been more successful in comparison to say Edmonton's?) If you are team with a 30+ year history than for godsakes pay some homage to that rather than introducing some flashy bit of fabric with no connection whatsoever to the club. The only real problem with this is whether or not the actual Edge templates are capable of reproducing older designs. From what I understand there aren't too many patterns that can't be achieved. So, if we can go by that (and the fact that older jerseys tended to be simpler) then there are no practical limitations. Even if there are why not make them using the old style, I mean they are vintage...

But what if you haven't got a 30 year history? What if you're say Atlanta or Nashville? This is where things get interesting, there are about a dozen teams that can't really look to the past and return to an old style as a third jersey. I assume that none of them will dig so deep as to wear a jersey from the city they previously played in (as in Carolina wearing a Whalers uniform or Phoenix wearing a Jets sweater). The Ducks will never wear anything that pertains to the Disney era...ever... The Lightning and the Panthers haven't been around long enough, neither have the Sharks, the Blue Jackets or the Wild. The Avalanche could use their old style jerseys conceivably but they are rather close to their new ones. Same with Dallas wearing their old star jerseys. These teams will have to go back to the drawing board and come up with something that is hopefully not as garish as the mustard colored thing the Predators wore.

Why and when?
A certain set of guidelines should be drawn up for when these jerseys are worn. I always liked the idea of old rivalries playing each other in vintage uniforms. Wearing them on anniversaries of particular events or when players retire is another thing we should see more of. In general they should really see more use, otherwise they just become a bit of a show and not a part of the team's look. Instead of a third jersey perhaps we should look at what could be called a "second set" with a home and an away version...that would certainly bring about more opportunities to wear them. It certainly would have made sense last year when Buffalo had their old blue jerseys to wear...but not their original home whites (which they are wearing in the Ice Bowl on New Years Day, which in itself says something about the popularity of vintage jerseys considering the high profile of the game).

Conclusion
- First and foremost the whole Edge mess needs to be cleaned up. Players (and fans) need to have something they can both feel comfortable in and be satisfied with. In no other sport is the jersey as iconic as in hockey (except maybe soccer), and to have so many current complaints and issues is a shame and a scar on the face of the sport itself.

- More vintage team jerseys and less trivial fashion attempts. Give the fans what they want and let the players feel a part of history. The NHL is timeless let's see more of it's great heritage.

- Create more events to exercise the use of these jerseys, not just outdoor games once a year. Rivalry weekends, Original Six nights, bring back Hockey Day in Canada the way it should be....etc.

Part 2
In part 2 of this series I hope to take a closer look at what jerseys we might (that I want to) see next season...or whenever it is the NHL brings the third jersey back. Plus a closer look at some of the one's we have seen in the past.

Part 2 Here

German Christmas Jerseys

In the minor leagues, in North America, teams will occasionally wear a holiday patterned jersey at this time of year. Usually these are of the cookie cutter model with candy canes, snowmen, snowflakes etc. However, in Germany, where the decorative canvas style jersey is a thing unto itself the sky is the limit when it comes to Weihnachtstrikots (Christmas jerseys), and they certainly know how to go overboard.

The following were some of the best I could find and are all linked to the original sources where larger images are available (and believe me some of these you have to see much larger to truly appreciate). Simply click on the jerseys to see the bigger images. Most of these are game worn, although they are traditional and they do sell them in most of the team stores.


Fischtown Pinguins (Bremerhaven), by comparison to some of the others this is moderately tame. Trees, snow, snowflakes, and that thing that might be Snoopy's doghouse in the middle there...well it's actually the Fischtown Penguin wearing a Santa hat and hiding behind some advertising. These are actually Nike branded from 2005-2006. This year's model (left) is available to buy at IceShop.de for about €75.


Frankfurt Lions, 2003-2004, the bottom of these features a snow covered skyline of Frankfurt with snow flaked sleeves to match. The Lebeau in question here is Patrick not Stephane.


ERC Ingolstadt, Panthers. The top jersey to the right is from 2005, the far middle from 2003, and the bottom one from 2002. All feature the team's Panther logo decked out in a Santa hat (and looking a little like an angry seal). I'm trying to imagine the Nashville Predators with a similar appearance on the ice. You have to admit there is some nifty use of icicles here, especially on the bottom one's shoulders. They also feature the snow topped font that seems to be exceedingly popular on these jerseys. (Your choice of very similar fonts to this is available free of charge at dafont.com.)


Hamburg Freezers 2006, this one you have to see up close (these are all available up to about 2000 px wide) to understand exactly what is going on. It actually features a nativity scene with Mary and Joseph praying over (presumably) a baby jesus in a cradle. Oddly, this is taking place outside instead of the traditional manger. However, a donkey and a lamb are present - as well as the star. It seems the wisemen haven't quite shown up yet. (If you are thinking they might be on the front of the jersey you are mistaken, it is actually a bit creepy and can be seen here.) The cuffs say "Merry Christmas".


EHC München 2004. Probably the most cliche of the lot: trees (check), snow (check), snowman (check), snowy font (ch..no wait) hmm...no snowy font. I think they lacked a little creativity with this one.


Sinupret Ice Tigers jerseys from 2000 and 2001. Why yes that is the Kings font. However these both go far and beyond anything LA has ever done (including the Burger King jersey...) The stars encircling the numbers and names is pretty classic, but the trim using the words HO...HO...HO truly make one reconsider the complaints about the Rbk Edge piping. You can't tell too well with the small image but below the name King is a small Canadian flag (whether this signifies the country of origin of the player and others on the team have similar identifying flags I don't know).


Schwenninger Wild Wings, 2004 front and back. (Yes, that is the team's name.) These are really quite amusing, they even tell a story (not too common on hockey jerseys). It's hard to tell but the team's real logo is not the flopping goose thing on skates, but rather the streamlined goose silhouette that you can see on the sleeves.


Another Nike branded jersey, this time for ESC Dresden (Eislöwen or Ice Lions) from 2005. It's a bit tough to tell but there is a giant lion logo within the purplish-blue sky behind the trees. There are also Santa hats on the sleeves, and among their sponsors Pizza Hut and Gatorade....The red jersey is also Dresden and from 2004. The cool thing here is that the Santa and reindeer print is actually on top of the numbers (and part of the sponsors). Last of the three gets the award for Busiest Jersey Ever and is from last year. The text beneath the number reads "Merry Christmas from the Dresden Ice Lions". Besides the Nike logo there are 12 other sponsor logos plus the name plate. Oh, and the Christmas print complete with lion tracks in the snow.


Augsberger Panther from 2002. Perhaps the most amazing thing about this jersey (besides the packaging) is Duanne Moeser's number: 96.7. Curtesy of their sponsor RT-1 Radio with the same frequency number. This wasn't a one off thing, team captain Moeser, who usually wore just 7, actually wore that number for a couple of seasons in conjunction with the team's partnership with the station. Also, very cool that they actually incorporated the jersey style into the captain's C. The panther itself does not seem to be too happy about having to don the Santa hat though...


And now, perhaps the nicest of them all, a slew of jerseys from Lausitzer Füchse (foxes...obviously). This team really takes this Christmas stuff seriously as you can tell. Some things to notice, the top jersey is CCM branded with the logo actually on the outside of the collar. The team name is printed around the cuffs on the sleeves. On the back, above the numbers, it reads "Merry Christmas".

Next down you've actually got "X-mas 2006" embroidered on the collar, and multiple Christmas greetings printed elsewhere. You have to love the consistancy of the festive fox logo.

The third jersey down reads, "Happy Hockey Days" on the front, it took me a minute to get the "Happy Holidays" connection. On the back the print in the snow reads "Holiday on Ice". I'm not sure if it was planned, but it is pretty amazing how all of the colors, including the sponsors, all match.

The McDonald here is Nolan McDonald the team's goalie from Thunder Bay, Ontario. The bottom most jersey is actually this season's model and features, in addition to a supersized fox, the omnipresent Frühlische Weihnachten patterened around both the elbows and the shoulders. On the back, although you may not see a fox, there is the mysterious little guy to the right who is standing in front of the cabin. I have no idea what or who he is, it may be a fox. To add more confusion to it he is holding what looks like two boxes that have something written on them that is indecipherable. Inform me if you know.

So, now that you've seen these how bad can next year's NHL third jerseys possibly be?

Crosby, Reebok and Everybody Else

It looks like Sidney Crosby has become more than just an endorser for Reebok, but also the lead lobbyist in getting the company to act in the interest of the players in the NHL in regards to fixing the issues with the Edge jerseys.

Over at SidneyCrosbySpotlight.com there is an article detailing Crosby's involvement with a number of links to articles over the past year illustrating the point. I think the key sentence may have come from David Baxter, Reebok's president of the sports licensing division, who uttered the following line, "...based on this feedback, Reebok will provide players with the option to wear a version with slight sizing and fabrication adjustments." That may sound like the voice of surrender hidden in a veil of customer service but in plain English it means: "We are going to do anything we can to make people happy and we still stand by our jerseys." Saving face? Maybe. Commitment to the actual people who wear these things as part of their job? If so, then many can thank Crosby for his efforts in seeing this thing through and thinking on behalf of his colleagues. (Many of whom are deeply disgruntled by the new fabric and 'technology'.)

If you're looking for even more on this story Larry Brooks had an article in the New Yory Post recently which is now up on FoxSports here. He not only touches on the jersey's technical issues but looks at what effects they may have on the future of the game.

When it comes down to it, through it all, half-stripes...flags....and a 9% speed increase, it's about money. Not just for Addidas via Reebok (in turn via CCM who is still the official supplier of the league till 2014, look closely enough and you'll see their logo on the tags still) but for the league and everyone attached to it. If you need any proof of this, as if it wasn't evident enough when visiting the NHL's website and being practically forced into buying a jersey every 2 minutes via a pop-up Flash segment, then all you need to do is visit the official website of Rbk Edge. You'd think this would involve a massive amount of charts, graphs, and numbers - illustrating how and why the Edge jerseys are better. Unfortunately you'd be mistaken, since it seems the site has become nothing more than one long ad for EA's NHL '08. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I thought Rbk designed these for people, not a video game...

Nonetheless, you don't need a calculator to figure out that at $250 a pop someone is profiting on sales of the jerseys. That is...if they can sell them. It's no secret that fans haven't been taking to the new looks and measurements. Complaints of the quality of the replicas run rampant and the sizing alone is enough to dissuade many from forking over the cash. I asked the owner of Sportsk.com an independent company that sells custom NHL jerseys, how sales were going with the new jerseys and he reiterated the fact that fans still want the old ones. You can read that as fear of change, or just hesitation, but considering the sports apparel world makes their bread and butter by consistantly bringing out new products you can't deny the implications.

The old bulky CCM sweaters were a happy middleground. Players could play in them without serious complaints and fans could buy them and feel that they got their money's worth and wear them proudly. If the Edge jerseys are to ever gain a stronghold in the NHL then they will have to achieve the same level of acceptance both on and off the ice. Crosby is working on one aspect, who will pick up the torch for the other?

10 NHL jerseys worse than the new Edge jerseys

Yes, Rbk made some mistakes. In some cases some awful ones. In some cases the designers are to blame. In some cases owners. Vancouver doesn't need the city name, Edmonton needs real stripes, Calgary needs to start over or at least lose the patches...in fact based on the voting and opinions voiced here nearly every team has presented some sort of dissapointment.

In reality, not just the fan/fashion world, the issue of the non-water absorbing material used in the jerseys rages on. Nameplates continue to fall off, and jerseys get ripped too easily. Whether this will bring about any new changes in the 2008-09 season remains to be seen, but with all the talk of going back to the old style and old designs we should be reminded that things weren't always that pretty and the good ol' days weren't necessarily better...

The following jerseys are actually game worn and come from either GameWorn.net, Spirit of the Game or from collectors pages.


10. California Golden Seals
1974-1976
The last two years of the Seals less than stellar existance in the NHL saw a switch of jerseys that didn't exactly make up for the lackluster performance on the ice. Long before whatever you want to call that shade of blue/green was fashionable the Seals proved to the world that it was an awful idea...so were the shoulder stripes.


9. Boston Bruins
1995-2005
I can hear people disagreeing with me already, but quite honestly it still confounds me that the Bruins wore these as an alternate for 10 whole years. Maybe it's the yellow, maybe it's the lack of the B, maybe it's the fur/bite mark/rough edge pattern thing. Boston being an original six team with strong ties to tradition and history amazingly escaped unharmed by this total departure from their identity. It didn't hurt that a lot of the fans loved them...probably about as many as hated them. Among the host of hideous jerseys that came out of 1995, these survived the longest.


8. Calgary Flames
1995-2000
Calgary's obsession with stripes at weird angles seems to have started here. Say what you will about the Bettman stripes that Rbk has given us, the Flames striping here (and the white C) is just plain baffling. It's like someone broke off a chunk of the hem striping and just threw it onto the front of the jersey. I could see these in the Olympics during the 80's, even in Calgary in 1988, but not on an NHL team all the way into the new Millenium...


7. Vancouver Canucks
1995-1997
Another fine example of what 1995 brought us....the fabric gradient. It's as if someone said, "Hey guys, look what we can do!". Amazingly the Canucks would use the gradient again on an alternate starting in 2001 and going all the way up to 2006! These truly got the prize though because they didn't just involve the gradient they involved a gradient over stripes. The only way these could have worked is if they didn't have a logo ruining the whole effect..which brings us to...


6. Vancouver Canucks
1978-1981
Quite possibly the most famous of the bad taste jerseys, at least the Canucks changed the plain red names on the backs following the '81 season. They also brought new meaning to the term V-neck, and are one of the rare examples (if not the only example) of a jersey without a crest that was used as the teams main uniform. The look was complete with the addition of the yellow helmets. Not surprisingly Vancouver completely left this look out when they created their new montage look.


5. Phoenix Coyotes
1998-2003
Alot can be said, or not said, for the Coyotes original branding after the move, but when they got in on the third jersey game they truly proved that a new look was needed. Complete with mesas, cacti, Hopi moon, and well just about everything else you don't associate with hockey. If the fact that the entire bottom of the jerseys displays this imagery wasn't enough for you then you're in luck... it's repeated on the sleeves. (In 2004 the team completely changed their appearance...)


4. Los Angeles Kings
1995-1996
Dubbed the "Burger King" style, the only good things about these were the fact that they were only used for one season. It was if Los Angeles decided they wanted to play in disguise (considering they only won 24 games it's not surprising)... At the time they were black and silver with no purple in sight...let alone a king logo. These would have been great had the Kings played in say Austria at the time, but alas that was not the case. I can only assume that a game worn Gretzky version of these is something of a holy grail for collectors, cause god knows I can't see anyone wearing a store bought one.


3. Tampa Bay Lightning
1996-1998
Oddly enough these didn't come out in 1995, it seems like the Lightning felt like they were missing out on the fun and introduced these as a third jersey in 1996. Let's see here..we've got an Atari 2600 graphics style version of a wave and the ocean with some rain (two tone rain that is) and then some crazy lightning shooting into the players gloves from the shoulders. I think. So, at least we get the message. Sort of. Oh wait, the logo with the words Tampa Bay Lightning with a lightning bolt coming out of a cloud explains it. I'm not gonna even touch the font...


2. New York Islanders
1995-1998
Yes, you knew these were coming, and most of us already know the story about them. Amazingly they lasted three whole seasons before an apology card was sent to all of the fans and the original jersey style returned. For the 1995-96 season they actually used the fisherman logo (going an awesome 22-50-10) before making a compromise and at least returning to the Islanders traditional logo for part of the 1996-97 season and permanently in the 1997-98 season. Whatever excuse or reason they had for this, and whatever they paid someone to do what amount of research as to what would be a good idea...they were wrong. (The original Isles logo was created in just three days...)


1. Anaheim Mighty Ducks
1995-1996
Perhaps the most embarassing jersey ever worn by a professional sports team in modern history in North America (and quite possible the other continents and Antarctica). A disgrace to the NHL, the sport of hockey, the players, CCM, ducks, and just about anything and everyone besides then owners Disney. The fact that every Mighty Duck jersey isn't on this list is because this one eclipses the others so completely. Can you even imagine if they had won the Stanley Cup wearing these things? I can honestly say that I don't think we will ever see anything that makes so much a mockery of such a great sport ever again. Thank goodness. (By the way the jersey pictured is for sale for $2,250.)

Honorable mention goes to:

New York Islanders
2002-2006
Just...no.

Vancouver Canucks
2001-2006
The forementioned Canucks second attempt at a fabric gradient...and the addition of yet another jersey style they would not keep very long. At least it was an alternate...ok I beat up enough on the poor Canucks.

Buffalo Sabres
2000-2006
These aren't so much awful as they are just plain wrong. If everyone is crying out for a return to blue and yellow and the old jerseys, why would you go and bring in yet another jersey furthering itself from what the fans want. The word Buffalo on the front is...well you get the picture. Only the advent of Mr. Buffaslug brings them into perspective...

Rate the new Rbk Edge NHL Jerseys

Well, I have had my say for the most part on the jerseys that have thus far been publicly revealed. As it stands only a handful of teams have not officially released their new sweaters. And so I now leave it to you to have your say and rate the new jerseys.

You can give 0-5 stars and leave a short opinion (15 characters max) for each jersey, the old uniforms are presented on the ratings pages for the sake of comparison.

RATE THE NEW JERSEYS HERE

Calgary...oh no...

This deserves it's own post in regards to the new Rbk NHL jerseys. Now, I know that Calgary has never been the most conservative team when it comes to their uniforms, the black C creates enough stir, then there were the weird stripes that were horizontal and diagonal, then the dragon thing, and yet none of that is going to mean anything after today.

The new Flames look (seen above) has got to be the most questionable of all the jerseys released so far (we're nearing roughly half the league). At first glance they look familiar...then there are the tie-downs, lace-ups, shoelaces.. as I said before I see absolutely no point to them. I dunno, maybe players like them. Then there are the stripes...all over the place. Literally up and down. Oh, and some piping, cause that is what this year is all about, piping. And, why yes, that is the Alberta flag on the right shoulder...and the Canadian one on the left. I guess this is to show Edmonton who's boss, or in case the Flames squared off against say Ottawa in Austria or something. (Joking aside, I like the idea of putting a provincial flag on a hockey sweater, but blue on red...I'm guessing these will go in the next year.)

Ahh Calgary, at least tell us you are going to switch to a non-ornate font...

Rbk Edge - The new NHL UPDATES

As new jerseys get released over the coming weeks I will post them here. The original post with the original 7 team designs is here.



September 15th

Philadelphia Flyers
Opinons and petty complaints are just that, till you come to your own team. And now that time has come. I'm not even going to attempt to play devils advocate here, and I personally don't get the people that try to, but I honestly don't like these at all. It gets worse when you see the backs...

If you are a Flyers fan you may be going, "Jeez, that's a bit harsh...", but well, yeah it is. The fans wanted the orange jerseys back, they wanted orange, but alas we are still saddled with black as the main color. (Don't even mention the Nemo jersey and the possibility of it being put into the same mould as these, the idea of that is beyond anything I want to imagine.) I really wish they had kept the same design, and this isn't the fear of change talking, it's the voice of reason. These, and it escalates ever time I look at them, just plain look weird. The home jerseys more so than the whites. Maybe they'll grow on me. Maybe in 5 years or so I'll see them as the Flyers jerseys. But, at the moment a small voice is still going "Noooooo" inside of me. My brother may have put it best when it comes down to the actual sport of hockey rather than the fashion show, "They can wear pink for all I care as long as they don't lose 60 games." There you have it. Rating: Me no like.

September 15th

Dallas Stars
Well, well, well, what in the name of Sergio Momesso is going on here? First off, if you aren't aware, player numbers will be appearing on the fronts of these jerseys. So the black jersey will look just like a college basketball/hockey one. Which is ok, I guess, if that's what you want to look like. It's creative and original, but is going to look awfully empty without any customization. (Which is like $100 per letter and number in Rbk edge money).


I actually don't mind these, it's nice to see the minimum amount of stripes etc. I think these have officially pulled Dallas into 2007+ and out of somewhere in the 1990's which was needed. Unfortunately, since I think Bettman doesn't like green, they've banned the color so the Stars are severely lacking in that area. Rating: Not at all bad, considering they went way out on a limb with these.

September 15th

Chicago Blackhawks
Not much to say here, obviously the powers that be in Chicago know a good thing when they see it, and decided that the iconic design of the Blackhawks jerseys weren't going to be changed. Not for nobody, not no how.

Fine by me, they have one of the most recognized uniforms in sports so why go and wreck it with piping and strange fabric shapes. Rating: A-OK

September 14th

Colorado Avalanche
Maybe. I haven't completely made up my mind yet. There is the omnipotent piping, which I think is sort of a shame at this point, but at least Colorado has some colors and ideas to work with compared to certain other teams...Ducks.

It's kind of a strange thing to see the Avs without their trademark mountain range on the bottom of the sweaters, but at least the identity hasn't been completely lost. The colors stand out and they haven't over complicated things too much with sleeve bars and horizontal stripes. The ratio of blue to burgundy is well done, and...OK I've made up my mind. I like these. These should be well received with the fans. Hell you could wear one of those to the Senior Prom. Rating:Don't spill beer on yours at the first home game.

September 14th

Toronto Maple Leafs
No, your eyes are not deceiving you, these are the new Maple Leafs jerseys. And if you are like most people you already either hate them or love them from the first glance, and I can tell you that your opinion is not going to change....ever.

If I can pretend to be a Leafs fan here for a second, which is difficult, I am going to take the two different approaches to this sweater.


Leafs Fan 1: These are horrible, do we really want to look like this on the ice? I thought this team had some dignity. Talk about boring and completely lacking any initiative. At least put something on the shoulders, or another stripe on the hem, or at LEAST give us the old Leaf back! Just plain pathetic.


Leafs Fan 2: Yes! Old time hockey is back! No more TML on the shoulders, no more overly complicated designs. Just plain hockey. We don't need a bunch of piping and pizazz, we just need the leaf and blue and white. If anything this team has recreated a classic design that is timeless.

You be the judge of that. Rating: Either Leafs Fan 1 or Leafs Fan 2.

September 14th

Anaheim Ducks
I will spare you the spiel about how much I dislike Disney, and how they ruined the look of hockey and how when the no longer mighty Ducks finally ditched Disney they proceeded to do even stranger things than Wild Wing to their jerseys.

Instead I'll get right into two other things. One, why I like these jerseys - they have no piping. They are almost simple. They look different than the other teams in the league and they don't use the usual red, black, white, blue color schemes.

Two, and this one is longer, why I don't like these jerseys. I had anticipated more from this franchise, and I think maybe there would have been if they hadn't gone and won the Stanley Cup last year - thank freaking god this was after the dropping of "Mighty". The wordmark (logo) and jerseys seem rushed, like merely a temporary solution on the way to something better. I really haven't got the faintest idea why it needs to say a team's name on a jersey in hockey. It makes no sense. Fine if you want to include it in the logo (Toronto for example) but to make it the logo seems a bit amateurish. (Bare with me I didn't complain last season when these were released so I am doing it now.) Alas, it's better than the goalie helmet cartoon...thing...and it seems that the team has decided that focusing on a demographic over the age of 9 is a better way to sell merchandise (something that Disney really ought to have known something about from the beginning)...but I can't help being a bit bothered. To be honest, I think I would never have named the team Ducks to begin with, and I think that having that name is the major stickler when it comes to creating anything close to a respectable and classy organization. I don't care that they won the Cup, it's not fair to the people of Anaheim to have to root for a team that's called the Ducks. It's not fair to a kid from Twoferville, Nova Scotia to have to play on a team called the Ducks....ok...enough. Rating: Same as last year...unfortunately...for some. Still lacking in imagination.

September 8th

Minnesota Wild
If you are from Minnesota you are pleased as punch. Why? Because your team didn't decide to do strange uncomprehendible things with their jerseys. Instead they kept a near identical style to that which they have had since their inception. Why is this good? Well, if you look what other teams have done, you'll see that the better results come from adapting rather than conforming.

The red jerseys, originally the teams alternates, are hockey. (I'm even letting the laces slide...) If any place should be celebrating the sport and wanting to put their players on the ice looking like a hockey team (rather than models geared at selling merchandise) it's Minnesota. So, say what you will about the lack of pizazz, they don't need it. People go to the games to see scrums in the corners up there, not to sit in a corporate box and discuss venture capital.

The loss of the green jerseys is kind of a dissapointment, since well, nobody in the league seems to want to have anything to do with the color anymore. I can only prey that they bring them in as an alternate next season in the same style has the red. (Just flip the colors...) As for the white jerseys...I'm going to sort of ignore them. They should have the same circle logo and simple style. Not that they are bad, they're just totally eclipsed by the other. Rating: Somebody has been doing their homework.

September 7th

Carolina Hurricanes
Move along, nothing to see here. Oh, wait, they did add the seemingly mandatory piping. (I have no idea what the desired effect of this little addition is on the part of the Hurricanes but all it does for me is make things look more complicated.) Carolina has maintained the look that they've had for 10 years now. Which, to be honest, is quite an accomplishment considering how often most expansion teams have changed appearances. Or are doing so this year.(They are celebrating that anniversary with a patch...)

I've never really had any qualms about the Hurricanes sweaters, they are original and definitely give the team an identity. And let's be honest red, white and black is not an uncommon color scheme in any sport. They could, if they so wanted to, make the shoulder patches a little smaller and straighten out the font (personal opinion but slanted fonts are painful to look at), but...that's just me. Rating: If it works don't go and Calgary it.

September 6th

Pittsburgh Penguins
My first reaction to these was that they were a major improvement over the last set of Penguins jerseys. And I think they still are for a number of reasons. (One being the lack of diagonal golden bars.) However, the more I look at them the more I get the feeling something is missing somewhere. Maybe the scarf?


These are quite simple, and I think that works for Pittsburgh (they may actually going for that penguin look with those sleeves). They resisted the foul temptation to throw in a bunch of piping and nonsense stripes, which deserves some applause. Quite honestly these look like Pittsburgh without a huge departure from the previous sweaters, and to me that means they've succeeded transitionally. Rating: Le pingouin semble bon.

September 4th

Calgary Flames
There is way, way too much going on here. Laces, piping, stripes galore (in every which way) and alas the patches. These are apparently for celebrating 100 years of Alberta hockey, and may only be for this season. (We can hope.)


I don't really understand what Calgary is going for, I haven't for about 15 years now. This desire for stripes at multiple angles is lost on me. If they removed the vertical stripes and the piping it would make sense, in this case it just looks like the boys in design office got a little carried away (or couldn't agree and opted to include everyone's ideas.) Rating: Ask a Flames fan what they think. It's a love it or hate it thing I imagine.
A more detailed rant about the Calgary Flames jerseys can be found...here.

September 4th

Montreal Canadiens
See, you don't have to change anything to have a really nice jersey. People would have rioted in Montreal if they went with any of this piping stuff.

Some persons, most notably my own brother, believe that change is good (and he's seen what the Flyers jerseys will look like). I think when it comes to sports uniforms you better have an all out reason to change. (Like say the Sabres...going on 10 years now.) I don't. The red Canadiens jerseys are hockey, they mean the NHL, changing them would mean changing the whole league...wait...well, something like that. Rating: Business as usual.

August 30th

Vancouver Canucks
Ladies and gentleman...introducing your 195..err..196...1970? 80? 90? No, your 2007 Canucks. All the speculation and guessumptions were accurate. The Canucks are now green, white and blue full time. (A tribute to British Columbia's natural beauty if you wondered.) As you may have noticed the orca logo has been kept, yet received a slight makeover. Now, what is it about these things that just looks wrong? Is it the stripes? No, although all I see is Hartford when I look at them. Is it the revamped rink-with-a-stick-C logos on the shoulders? No, I think they were a nice touch. Wait, I know what it is....how about the fact that it says, and you may have missed this, VANCOUVER, really big over the logo. I know they wanted to combine the different decades and use the different styles (oddly hopping over the Buck Rogers V-knecks), but seriously I think they could have skipped the pre-NHL days with the city name.

What you're saying now is: "I don't think it looks that bad." Well, you're wrong. See, you're looking at an image on your computer screen. Imagine said image skating around a rink or being punched in the face by Donald Brashear...then you'll get the picture. I dunno, I might be wrong, but the Canucks change logos, colors and uniforms as often as Sean Burke gets traded so in the end it won't matter too much. Rating: Should have let Trevor Linden design them, heck he's been around long enough to know what a Canuck should look like on the ice.

August 26th

Tampa Bay Lightning
I don't think this will be news to anyone when I say that the old Lightning logo was boring and that they should have used the alternate logo as the main one. Now the Lightning have a new logo and well, it's also boring and nearly identical to the old one. As for the new jerseys...I have to admit these do absolutely nothing for me. They do even less with the numbering on the front. To say one positive thing I am glad that they didn't put any stripes along the bottom, there would have been way too much going on with that. These are pretty simple, which can be a good thing, but in this case the jerseys are much like the logo: boring. Rating: Something is missing here, and I don't know what.

August 22nd

Ottawa Senators
There was massive speculation regarding these...and some hope for barberpole action. As it turns out the 67's will keep their lone posession of that look for a little longer. Ottawa has opted with a simple - read no laurel leaves and no waves - look which actually looks pretty good and certainly solidifies their identity. The logo has been nicely updated to a pseudo-three dimensional one and well, makes senators look tough instead of democratic. The new shoulder patches reflect the teams history and feature an O on red and black stripes. All and all these are pretty nice, and I don't think fans of the team will complain too much...except about the barberpole. As far as I can tell they have gone with the alternate Senators font albeit thinner and streamlined. Rating: No complaints

Uni Watch - Uniforms we never saw...thankfully.

Uni Watch, the blog that follows everything one could ever question, wonder or want to know about sports uniforms has the occasional column over on ESPN's second page. Recently they did a run down of prototype jerseys, logos, helmets etc that never actually made it past the drawing board. This includes the infamous 49ers logo debacle from the early 90's and a host of other images that make one go, "What were they thinking?"

It's an interesting read with a lot of links to images including the never used Nordiques jersey seen to the right.
You can find the article here.

Rbk Edge - The new NHL Pt. 1

As many of you are probably aware this coming season will see a major overhaul in the jerseys of the NHL. And by major I mean complete. Every team is changing the style of the old sweaters (which have been around for decades) and going with the new Reebok Edge template which was officially introduced at the All-Star game last year. The new jerseys are lighter and more tight fitting...and a hell of a lot more expensive. And, in the case of some teams this is good news, there will be no third jerseys in the 2007-2008 season. They are rumored to be back for 2008-2009.

The vast majority of teams will be officially unveiling their new jerseys in September, however a number of teams have already introduced the new designs. The following is a run down of the teams who have their new sweaters officially available.

Boston Bruins
Boston has gone back to the Orr era, and I'm sure Bruins fans are glad to see it. They ditched the growling bear logo and have introduced a new version of the old-old walking bear logo. All in all it's a rather smooth transition. Rating: I'd buy one.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Confusion still reigns in Ohio as to what the Blue Jackets are trying to achieve as an identity. I guess it's a bit tough with a Civil War Union soldier for a club name. The major positive note here is that they got rid of the rollercoaster CBJ they originally had as the main logo and have gone with the Ohio flag secondary logo on the front. Rating: Use the Union hat!

Detroit Red Wings
There has been much debate as to whether or not the Original 6 would actually change their long standing identities and at least we know that Detroit hasn't. (Habs fans I fear for you.) As is, the Red Wings have opted to keep exactly the same pattern as they've had for 50+ years. Heck, you people won't even have to drop the $300 to come to the game with the proper attire you can show up in the jerseys you've already got. Rating: Not messing with perfection.

Florida Panthers
Umm...I suppose these are an improvement over what Florida has been wearing since they came into the league. The weird shoulder oval is finally gone (hooray), and they've kept things sort of simple. I will however never understand the theory behind the strange arm striping. I don't think one can have both vertical and horizontal bars...then again Boston did it for years. Rating: An improvement.

Nashville Predators
Well they aren't mustard at least and as they don't say Hamilton on them I guess Predators fans are pleased. The home jerseys have the weird appearance of a t-shirt with a long sleeve shirt under them. (Think 1994.) As for the away jerseys, and I can only say this with so much emphasis, use the same logo on both jerseys! And why the text? Is it so that fans can be assured the team is not moving from Nashville? If you stay in Tennessee for the love of god get rid of it. Rating: Middling.

New York Islanders
Can you hear that noise? The noise that sounds like every Islanders fan going, "What the heck is going on here?" Granted it's not the fishstick jersey returning but why, oh why, have they complicated things...again. You won four cups in the classic jerseys stick with them! The true confusion here is the shoulder piping. I just don't get it. As for the tie-ups, well, I wish they were illegal. In the case of the Edge jerseys they don't even do anything, the neck is one piece of fabric. It's like wearing a tie on the ice. None the less, I guess these do have the potential to grow on fans of the team. And god knows they certainly eclipse the third jerseys the team had. Rating: You have to be a fan.

Washington Capitals
FINALLY! I know this is going to sound harsh, but then again I'm a Flyers fan, but Washington I swear you had the worst jerseys in the league for the last 10 years. (OK, maybe the Ducks were worse for a while.) Seriously, black, orange and blue and that font...ughh. BUT, now I can honestly say I think you've got the taste out of my mouth. The old text logo is back (slightly more streamilned), the old colors are back (fitting considering where you're located), the giant eagle logo is gone (since you're not called the Eagles), and the flattened bug, sticks, Capitol building thing is gone. You've even got a new font that looks good. What can I say, I'm happily impressed. You even managed to resist the temptation of putting stars back on the sleeves. One can question the new secondary logo, but it's overlookable. Rating: I'd already have one if I was a fan.

Other information that maybe of interest to you:

The Sharks have changed their logo and their colors.

The Rangers are keeping their traditional design with a slightly more compact diagonal text on the front.

Carolina's jerseys have been leaked via NHL 2008 (the game), however there is no official word as to whether or not these are completely accurate as there have been a few different versions floating around.

Images are floating around showing the back of the new Penguins jerseys...the reaction is not positive.

The Ducks and Sabres will most likely keep the same designs as last year with the addition of the NHL shield on the neck.

Don't take anything you see on a forum as fact, there are more Photoshopped images of supposed new jerseys floating around than you can count.

More new jerseys here