Icethetics

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Entries in thirds (100)

Monday
Aug182008

On-Ice Dates For Third Jerseys

This isn't official, but I felt it newsworthy considering it could be. A reader sent me an email he says he received — from where I do not know — regarding the release dates of this season's new third jerseys. And I know how you all just love third jersey news.

The email contained information regarding the date the jerseys will make their on-ice debut as well as when retailers will get delivery. The dates differ because the teams "get a certain time frame of exclusivity." The majority of the jerseys hit the ice in November so I'll imagine I'll be pretty busy here at that time.

Carolina Hurricanes
Releases Sunday, September 21 (at Caniac Carnival)
Retailers get it Friday, September 26

Edmonton Oilers
Hits the ice Sunday, October 12 (vs Colorado)
Retailers get it Thursday, November 20

New York Islanders
Hits the ice Saturday, November 1 (vs Montreal)
Retailers get it Thursday, November 6

Atlanta Thrashers
Hits the ice Friday, November 14 (vs Carolina)
Retailers get it Saturday, November 15

Vancouver Canucks
Hits the ice Saturday, November 15 (vs Toronto)
Retailers get it Thursday, November 20

Dallas Stars
Releases Tuesday, November 18 (no game)
Retailers get it Sunday, November 23

St. Louis Blues
Hits the ice Friday, November 21 (vs Anaheim)
Retail delivery TBD

Los Angeles Kings
Hits the ice Saturday, November 22 (vs Colorado)
Retailers get it Friday, November 28

Ottawa Senators
Hits the ice Saturday, November 22 (vs NY Rangers)
Retailers get it Friday, November 28

San Jose Sharks
Hits the ice Saturday, November 22 (vs Washington)
Retailers get it Thursday, November 27

Buffalo Sabres
Hits the ice Wednesday, November 26 (vs Boston)
Retailers get it Tuesday, December 2

Tampa Bay Lightning
Hits the ice Wednesday, November 26 (vs NY Rangers)
Retailers get it Friday, November 28

Philadelphia Flyers
Hits the ice Friday, November 28 (vs Carolina)
Retailers get it Wednesday, December 3

Phoenix Coyotes
Hits the ice Friday, November 28 (vs Colorado)
Retail delivery TBD


The following teams were listed in the email without any dates: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals. And that's where things get interesting because this is the first time we're hearing of a Capitals third jersey. But this is all the information I have on them.

I've got a couple of other notes. The dates above for the Oilers seem strange to me too but I'm just posting what I have. The Thrashers, Lightning and Sabres all had asterisks next to their names on the list but I assume the email was truncated because there were no explanations for them. So I'm not quite sure what that means.

Speaking of the Sabres, you'll note that on-ice date for their third jersey is said to be November 26 despite the fact that they've announced they will be unveiling them prior to the pre-season on September 20. We'll see if these dates continue to hold up.

That's all for now. Should I learn anything new, you can count on me to let you know.

Sunday
Aug172008

Official: Sabres To Unveil Thirds

This was posted on the Buffalo Sabres' official web site on Thursday but I figured it was worth mentioning. The Sabres have officially announced their intentions to unveil a vintage style third jersey at a team event on September 20. The following was pulled directly from their site.

When the Sabres hit the ice for their first full practice of the season, fans will get their first look at the team’s new third jersey that will make its debut during the 2008-09 NHL season. The jersey features a modernization of the team’s vintage design elements, while incorporating the latest in sports uniform technology. Fans will be able to pre-order the new jersey at a kiosk in the Sabres Store.


Nothing really new but it's another official statement from the team. We've already had that date in the countdown for a while. If any of you attend the event next month and take pictures, I'd be more than happy to post them for everyone here to see.

Thursday
Aug142008

Arena Artists Confirm Pens Third?

This isn't what I'd call concrete evidence, but it's interesting. The Pittsburgh Penguins have launched a new web site with the groundbreaking of their new arena. It includes artist renderings of what the interiors and exteriors will look like.

A couple of those photos show the arena shop where jerseys are visible. The following image shows the exterior of the shop with a powder blue jersey (the alleged new third) visible on a mannequin in the window. Are the artists telling us something?



However, one reader pointed out to me that in an image showing the interior of the store, you can see a white version of the Winter Classic sweater.



My assumption is that it's a vintage jersey available for sale but not meant for use in games — like the pink one you see above it.

It's not like the Penguins have been hush-hush about the idea of a Winter Classic-style third jersey for this season. It'll almost certainly happen.

Friday
Aug082008

New Logos For 'Yotes, Bruins, Sabres

I saw a reader posted links to images of new logos for the Coyotes, Bruins and Sabres and figured I'd post them for everyone to see. (Also, it will serve as a backup in case the original images disappear at some point.)

I'm not worried so much about crediting the original person who got these graphics considering they probably shouldn't have had them in the first place. But this is the internet. What can you do?

We can start with Phoenix. First, we've got a better shot of the alleged third jersey logo I first posted last week.

It's an amazing looking logo. Let's hope the sweater design can live up to it. There's also what may be a secondary logo for the alternate jersey along with a brand new wordmark.

Nothing bad to say about either of those.

The Bruins have a new wordmark as well.

Very cool. And we've got a bit of a better look at the vintage logo the Sabres will wear on their thirds.

Thanks to Resist The Machine for finding all of those. If you guys come across anything else, email me and we'll let the world know.

Monday
Aug042008

Ducks Confirm No Third

You know, with all the talk about which teams are getting third jerseys this season, I guess it makes sense to mention confirmation of those that aren't.

According to Curtis Zupke from the OC Register, Ducks management says they will be one of handful without one. It's funny because, 1) they could use one, and 2) history shows Anaheim has been one of the most prolific clubs in terms of thirds. A quick look back at the last 12 years turns up four different alternate sweaters for the Ducks alone.





credit: Andrew @ NHL Uniforms.com

It's worth noting the gradual increase in quality here over the years from something that should never have been worn in an NHL game to something that I wish was still around.

Saturday
Aug022008

Kings Official; Who Else Is?

This isn't earth-shattering news or anything but I just thought I'd point out that the Kings have officially confirmed that they'll have a third jersey this season on their web site.

Season ticket holders will receive a free one — wonder if that means they think they'll have a hard time selling them.

Anyway, like I said it's not like we didn't know the Kings would have a third jersey this year, but amidst all the rumors I think we sometimes forget that very few of these alternate sweaters are officially confirmed yet and the carpet could be ripped out from under us at any time. So I still plan to keep a close eye on what the teams are saying — along with Howard Berger and other rumor-mongers.

Here's a rundown of teams that have confirmed a third jersey is some official capacity:

Sabres
Prior to the Winter Classic, Buffalo alluded to the use of a third jersey without setting a specific timetable when managing partner Larry Quinn said, "Our future retro jersey will be the dark blue sweater, so this maybe one of the last times our team wears this [white] jersey."

Kings
As stated above, Los Angeles has made their alternate sweater official by offering a "Kings Free Alternate Jersey (with mystery photo)" to season ticket holders.

Flyers
Philly was the first to confirm a third jersey last year, doing so within the online form to buy a new Rbk EDGE sweater. It read, "Black and white jerseys are available this year. A third orange jersey will be released next year."

Sharks
In May at San Jose's "State of the Sharks" event, CEO Greg Jamison confirmed a third jersey's existence by saying, "There is a good chance it will be black. It is still being decided on. I can tell you we get input from the fans, staff and the players. The players were very involved in the jerseys for this year. I think the third jersey will be very neat."

Those were the only teams for which I could find quotes on official web sites. I don't consider a media interview with a team executive to be an official confirmation, because that's not coming through team channels — if that makes any sense.

If you come across anything I haven't found, shoot me an email and I'll add it to the list.

Thursday
Jul312008

Previewing The New Thirds

All right, so much to discuss. This is the post I promised days ago but I kept putting it off every time new information leaked. So far I haven't heard anything new today so here are some of the concepts folks have put together based off of the latest design rumors. We're starting with Hockey Week, who put together a graphic that includes all 18 possible thirds!

That's a lot of work he put into that. But there's still more. The Islanders wore special vintage jerseys briefly two seasons ago that will probably serve as a basis for this year's alternates.

Very sharp. Those are the only photographs I have. Everything else is fan made art.

Next up are the Kings in a variety of different looks based off of Howard Berger's description.

I'm pulling for the one on the left, personally. Here are a couple of concepts for the Senators — or should I say, Sens?

While I'm on the subject, a group of fans in Ottawa are pushing a "heritage jersey" as they call it. This is what it looks like.

You can sign their peititon if you're so inclined. Honestly, they could do a lot worse. That's a very nice sweater.

You want to see what's not a nice sweater?

With the text on the jersey, I don't imagine the Lightning will use the numbers on the front. I do like the arm stripes here, though. Staying in the south, we've got Kari Lehtonen with a possible third jersey design painted on.

I'm not a huge fan but I think I need to see the actual sweater.

And finally, our friend Dave (aka DRutka) has come up with a little something for the Sabres. Charlie posted this at Sabres Not Slugs.

By the way, as you guys know, Dave's been adapted Matt's rebrands for use in EA's NHL video games. I'll have links to those coming shortly. You'll find them in the Rebranding The NHL section of the sidebar.

If you guys have anymore third jersey mock-ups, feel free to send them along for posting here.

By the way, almost forgot to mention it. All 18 teams getting third jerseys are now featuring in the sidebar.

Wednesday
Jul302008

NEW Third Jersey Logos!

We're one step closer to getting to see what this season's crop of new third jersey's actually has to offer. I've gotten a hold of a handful of logos/crests to be featured on the new sweaters. I'm not naming my source for that person's privacy so don't bother asking. Let's dive in.


Thrashers We know Atlanta's jersey will be maroon with the team name arched above the player's jersey number on the front. What you see above is supposedly how the text will look.


Bruins Boston will wear the shoulder logo from their home sweaters on the crest of their new black third jerseys. Nothing really new there but I'm displaying all the graphics I got anyway.


Sabres Buffalo will be wearing a vintage style sweater with the logo they donned for their first quarter century. This version of the logo appears to incorporate a lot of silver around the edges.


Coyotes One of the clubs that will be wearing an entirely new logo on their third jersey is Phoenix. Above is the leaping coyote we've been hearing rumors about.


Penguins This is another example of a logo we've seen before. Pittsburgh will be promoting last year's Winter Classic sweater design to third jersey this season. And that logo will stay on the front.


Sharks One of my wishes came true. I like the sound of a black jersey for San Jose but I was really hoping they'd go with the full-body shark logo and it turns out they will. This is one of the sweaters I'm looking forward to most.


Lightning Now for my team. I always call them the Bolts but I'm not sure how I feel about Tampa Bay wearing that nickname across the front of their sweaters. However, I am psyched about the blue sweaters! Above is what the text will supposedly look like on the uniforms.


Maple Leafs Toronto is nothing new. They're going with the 35-point vintage leaf logo. It'll be on a white jersey just like the ones they wore prior to the Rbk EDGE era.

As with anything, keep in mind that while I trust this source, I'm always wary about passing rumor off as fact. I believe these to be legitimate images but anything is possible. Take it for what it is and enjoy it!

The Kings, Senators and Blues are the teams with new logos/crests that we have yet to see. I'm told there was a note with these other logos that read "TBD" for them.

That leaves seven of the 18 new third jerseys unaccounted for in this post. Three will be wearing their regular primary logos (Hurricanes, Blackhawks and Flyers). Three will wear vintage logos (Oilers, Islanders and Canucks). And Dallas will have an inverted version of their black home sweaters — white with the word DALLAS in green text above the player's sweater number.

And that's that. Hope you guys are as excited about this news as I am!

(By the way, I apologize for the watermarking but I'm pretty sure I'm the only one with these graphics and I want to try to track who, if anyone, picks them up for posting elsewhere. By the way, I have no problem with anyone doing that. Just link back and keep the graphic intact.)

Sunday
Jul272008

All 18 Third Jerseys Described!

I know! Described! Woo-hoo! Nothing like words instead of pictures. Seriously though, Howard Berger of Hockey Buzz is about to become our best friend here at Icethetics. He's claimed to have obtained photos of "most NHL third jerseys for the up-coming season."

He's described them in great detail on his blog which is where you should read all about them. But for the purposes of keeping all the third jersey news in one place, see the giant block quote below.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Los Angeles Kings
The Kings will unveil a predominantly black jersey with the letters "LA" 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.

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.

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.

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. The Flyers’ stylized "P" black logo with the orange dot is on the front.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Rather than producing an entirely new design – as many NHL clubs have done — the Leafs' alternate jersey will be identical to the one the players have worn, on and off, since 1998: A replica of the club’s white road uniform from the mid-1960s, with the 35-point, blue maple leaf logo on the front; blue shoulder piping, and two blue lines on the arms and near the bottom of the jersey. A thick blue stripe encircles the tip of the sleeve. The neck has the lace-up feature prominent in the 1960s and early-'70s.

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.


I can't wait to start seeing these sweaters in photographs!

Friday
Jul252008

Thrashers Up In The Air

I've been getting a lot of emails about the Atlanta Thrashers' alleged unveiling of their new third jersey at tomorrow's Select-A-Seat event. So I thought I should make a general clarification of my position on this.

First, the emails I've been getting basically say that an administrator on the Thrashers' official message board is denying any possibility that a third jersey will be released/unveiled/exhibited in any way at the event tomorrow. It should end there. He's obviously connected to the team whereas Icethetics is not.

And I was all set to remove the countdown from the sidebar until I re-read the email that went out to Thrashers fans last week. I wrote about it last Thursday. Even if it does turn out that the Thrashers will not show off their new third jersey this weekend, there's supposedly something going on that I'm sure will be of interest to Icethetics readers.

The email states as follows:

Members of the Thrashers Blue Crew and ticketing staff will be on hand to help direct you to available seats in great locations and give tours of the team locker rooms. In addition, fans will have the opportunity to see a new look for the Thrashers. Kids inflatables and special $1 concessions will be available on the concourse, and parking will be free at the Centennial Parking Deck when you present a printed out version of this message.


Notice the highlighted part. Some are under the impression that "a new look" could mean a new perspective of the game, that is, from a different seat within Philips Arena. But because of the "in addition" part, I'm tempted to believe it must have to do with something else.

"A new look" could also be interpreted as the new players the Thrashers acquired over the offseason, but it's awkwardly worded for that. So it seems to me that this must have something to do with logos or uniforms. I could be way off base here and as such, I'm qualifying the countdown. It now says they'll be unveiling "a new look" tomorrow.

Any Thrasher fans attending, I'd love an email after/during the event with regard to what this is all about. If it turns out to be nothing, then so be it. I'll have unintentionally gotten your hopes up for nothing. And for that, all I can say is... oops.