More Leaked Third Jersey Pics!

I shared some new leaked images of a handful of third jerseys on Wednesday. Turns out there's more where that came from. Today's images serve as further proof of what we can expect from the Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers.

Have a look for yourself.

Also included were close-ups of the crests in all their embroidered glory. First the Canucks...

...and the Flyers too!

Still nothing new — I mean, we've already seen these before — but it's nice to have more pictures. I hope to have shots of the Kings, Sharks, Penguins, Senators and Stars alternate jerseys for you at some point in the near future. No promises, though.

ECHL Halloween Costumes

A couple of ECHL teams are dressing up as Original Six teams for Halloween tonight when they face off in what's being called "Hockey Night in Canada in Reading." The Reading Royals — donning a Maple Leafs style jersey — will host the Cincinnati Cyclones wearing a Canadiens style jersey for one night only.

As you can see both teams are also recoloring their logos for the special sweaters.

I really hope pictures turn up tonight because that will be interesting. The Royals have a page on their web site detailing the event.

A Whole New Icethetics. 11.1

It's almost here. On Saturday, you guys are going to get your first look at Icethetics' biggest undertaking yet. For some time now, I've been telling you about my plans for the future of Icethetics. The big thing is that we're expanding beyond just a blog. And since so many of you have asked for it, Icethetics will even have its own domain!

I won't divulge the new domain until Saturday but I can tell you it's not Icethetics.com or Icethetics.net since I was unable to get in contact with the owners to see about buying it. Long story for another time.

Now, I'm going to tell you a little more about this new site but instead of making it long and boring since you've been waiting all day, we'll pretend like I'm having a conversation with you about it. What you're saying is in blue.

Hey Chris, didn't you just launch this new blog in July?
Well, yes. And I'm sorry for changing URLs on you again so soon, but trust me when I tell you this one will be more permanent. If everything goes as planned, icethetics.blogspot.com will forward you to the new site so you won't be forced to change your bookmarks.

Is this really necessary?
No, but many of you have asked for an expansion like this and I think it will significantly improve your Icethetics experience.

All right, I'm in. So how will this "web site" be different from the "blog"?
Glad you asked. A blog is simply an online journal. A web site has so much more potential. A web site can include a blog but not the other way around. In short, the difference will be the amount of content featured and the way in which it's presented. No more scouring through weeks of blog posts to find the information you want. Everything will be organized in a way that will make it much simpler to find.

That doesn't mean the blog is going away. The blog will still be on the main page of the new Icethetics web site. But when new information gets posted to the blog, it will also find its way to the relevant page(s) of the web site.

Will it at least look the same?
Mostly. We're going back to the tried and true two-column format. The logo will be changed slightly as you may have noticed in the banner above. One complaint I got when I introduced the new Icethetics logo was that the Ts looked like Ls. So I tried to fix that.

Will you still have third jersey news?
No. ... Just kidding. Of course! Icethetics is about jerseys and logos. What sort of site would it be without third jersey news?

Hey, I'm asking the questions here! What will I be able to find on this new site?
Ok, sorry. Well, when it launches on Saturday it'll be a bit bare — at least compared to what it will be when I get done with it.

Then why launch it on Saturday?
Because on Saturday we'll begin logo voting for the IceHL. That's the main reason I'm rushing the launch. You'll be able to rate all the Pacific Division logo entries starting on Saturday. I'll have more on that process then.

So there's an IceHL section on the new site. What else will I be able to find there?
Ooh, this is the fun part! Here's what you can expect on the new site: the blog, the IceHL, a comprehensive concept art gallery including mini-galleries from Featured Artists, a compilation of third jersey news for each individual team, a goalie mask gallery, complete archives of NHLToL, ToHL and this Icethetics blog.

Wow, Featured Artists, eh?
Are you Canadian? Yeah, the talented artists that submit their work to Icethetics deserve better recognition than a post that disappears after a week. It will be an invitation-only sort of thing but yes, there will be a Featured Artists section of the site where you can see the complete works of artists like Matt (aka GhettoFarmBoy), Sigma Kappa, Mike Ivall and many new artists who have done some outstanding work for the IceHL.

Will I be able to become a member of Icethetics?
Absolutely! But not right away. It will take a little time for me to get that system in place. But once I do, yes you'll be able to create an Icethetics account for free. Its main purpose will be to allow you to post unmoderated comments on blog posts.

I can't think of any other questions.
That's ok. Other people will and they'll post them in the comments. And then maybe I'll add them to this post!

Disclaimer: I may have been high while writing this post. Not sure.

UPDATE

Ooh! I thought of some more questions. Will the new site include a forum or message board?
No. I could go into detail about my aversion to message boards spawned from the lack of civility that anonymity cultivates and the hostility that ensues, but that would just bore you. With this group, it's an even bigger concern — often at each other's throats for no particular reason. I have enough problems keeping civility in the comments of my blog posts. There's no way I'd be able to nor would I want to police an entire message board. Nor do I know anyone I'd trust enough to do it for me.

And those of you who I'm talking about know who you are. Plenty of you are smart enough to stay out of petty disputes over frivolity, but some of you are helpless on this matter. So for now, the answer is no. I won't say never because it's not in my nature, but there isn't a high probability right now.

If you want to chat with each other about the things I post, you can continue to use the post comments as a forum for discussion. Sorry I can't (won't) offer more than that at this point.

That was a long-winded answer to a pretty simple question.
Guilty.

Isles To Go With 3rd Full Time?

Chris Botta at NYI Point Blank seems to think so.

Botta says the New York Islanders are looking into making their new third jersey their first jersey in a year or two. The all-too-recent switch to the Rbk EDGE Uniform System which brought along with it a completely new look for the Isles may preclude them from doing it that soon, but the team is certainly exploring the option for the future.

I mean how could you not want to wear that all the time? It's a nice looking uniform. It'd be a shame to only wear it 15 times a year. Why not 41?

For more on the unveiling of the Islanders' third jersey, click here.

Thanks to Sean from Going Five Hole for letting me know about the article.

Pens Unveiling Third Wednesday

The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially announced they will be unveiling their new third jersey on Wednesday, November 5. That's a day earlier than we previously thought.

You can read about the event on their web site. It will take place at Dick’s Sporting Goods in The Mall at Robinson from 6 to 8 PM. It will be open to the public. So I encourage those of you that can make it to take pictures and send them in to share with everyone.

According to their statement, the new alternate sweater will be modeled after their Winter Classic jersey from last season. I understand it won't look exactly the same and there may be some piping involved, but this powder blue jersey is the basic design.

Along with this announcement, the Pens' have a link to a very informative page about the team's uniform history. Worth a read.

Thanks to Vincent for the tip.

On a related note, the Chicago Blackhawks have not yet said anything publicly about their anticipated third jersey. However, I would expect to see it show up without a lot of fanfare on Monday night when they face the Avalanche.

The Hawks along with the Red Wings recently unveiled their Winter Classic jerseys, which look spectacular if you ask me.

I'll keep on top of things and let you know whatever I find out.

Unveiling Dates Confirmed

I got some third jersey release dates confirmed. The Lightning, Coyotes and Flyers have been added to the Countdowns — so that means we've got everybody covered. All three are jerseys we've already seen via leaks, but it'll be nice to see what these teams do for official unveilings. By the way, these dates don't come from the teams, but rather Reebok.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will unveil their third jersey on Sunday, November 23. The Bolts play the Devils at home on that night so that could also be the on-ice debut of the sweaters. However, if they just use that date for the unveiling, the next game would be the day before Thanksgiving against the Rangers.

We'll wait and see as the dates get closer.

The Phoenix Coyotes and Philadelphia Flyers will be the last to unveil their third jerseys — doing so on Friday, November 28. I can't say if either jersey will make its on-ice debut that night, but both teams do have games.

The Coyotes play the Avalanche then the Sharks the following night. The Flyers face the Hurricanes on Friday and the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

And just to recap, out of 11 teams that yet to officially unveil their third jerseys, we've seen six of them either through official or unofficial leaks. The five sweaters we have not yet gotten a glimpse of belong to the Penguins, Stars, Sharks, Kings and Senators. So the rumors continue to swirl.

My the way, I'll have more image leaks later as well as news relating to the new banner at the top of the page.

New Third Jersey Image Leaks

Apparently, there's a guy or some illegitimate company selling bogus Rbk EDGE third jerseys on ebay. How do we know they're fake? Well for one thing, Reebok hasn't started shipping them yet. But that doesn't mean there weren't legitimate pictures of them.

The listings included six teams in all: the Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning. That's three teams that have officially unveiled them and three that haven't. Let's start with those.

There's nothing that we haven't already seen, but there are pics from different angles than what we've already seen. This is most helpful with the Coyotes in seeing what those sleeve stripes look like. But what makes me think these pictures show us what the actual jerseys will look like? Because of three others we've seen officially that were right.

Among the plethora of pictures were some close ups of the crests. First, the new ones...

...and then Atlanta's just because I thought it was a cool shot.

Thanks to Charlie for the tip on these pictures.

Hope that satisfies your itch for third jersey news tonight. I'll have more tomorrow, plus an announcement regarding the new banner some you have already noticed at the top of the page.

Sens Tease Third On Facebook

Hey, who says a professional hockey team can't start a viral marketing campaign on a popular social networking web site? Certainly not the Ottawa Senators.

The Sens have posted a teaser image of their new black third jersey on their Facebook page. And this is it.

Looks like we'll see it on Saturday, November 22. I've added that date to the Countdowns. Thanks to Julian for the heads up on this image.

I like the lace-up collar and the red underneath. I think it'll be a nice jersey. I just can't wait to see what they put on the front. We've heard it's going to be the word SENS but we haven't seen what it will actually look like.

In case you missed it, I posted my thoughts on what the text might look like a couple weeks ago. Nothing official, just some musings based on various leak descriptions.

Minor League 3rd Jersey Update

Once again, I'm going to try my hand at posting some third jersey news from the minor leagues. Hope it's at least somewhat accurate.

We're starting with the AHL's Worcester Sharks, who have a new grey third jersey. Below you see Brendan Buckley sporting the rather ugly threads. You know its hard to find a jersey I really don't like, but the Sharks have done it.

Let's hope the San Jose club doesn't try anything like it.

The image to the right shows the Hartford Wolf Pack's alleged third jersey. This one I'm not really sure about it, but people kept sending in pictures, so they can't all be wrong, can they?

Still, it's another one I just don't like. But let's move away from bad jerseys and toward better ones.

Like this one. It's a little nicer. The Manchester Monarchs are introducing a new monochromatic third jersey. There's a joke to be made in there, right? The Monochromatic Monarchs... I can't think of it.

Here, have a look.

Some have wondered whether to expect a similar jersey design for the Monarchs' NHL affiliate Los Angeles Kings when they unveil their alternate next month. I'm going to say no way.

But there's something I like a little more than all of these. And shockingly, it's an ECHL third jersey. The Victoria Salmon Kings introduced this new sweater to celebrate their fifth anniversary. It's very sharp.

I like the multi-purpose V on the front.

I'm a big fan. Better than a choking fish wearing a crown, I guess. (He's choking because he's not in the water... in case you didn't follow my line of thinking.)

As always, I'm happy to post new information, but you guys have to let me know what's out there. I'm pretty retarded when it comes to the minor leagues. I'm trying to get better though. Let me know if I've missed anything.

In the meantime, what do you think of these? Comment away.

SI's Goalie Gallery

Sports Illustrated has posted a new NHL goalie mask photo gallery on their web site, showcasing every mask from around the league. They have some great pictures up there that really show off the details of each individual netminder's mask. Definitely worth a look. It'll be a great resource for the next goalie mask tournament in the spring.

Thanks to Mike for the link!