Kings Unveil Third Jersey!
Saturday · Nov 22 · 2008 | 8:39 PM PST
The Los Angeles Kings became the 16th NHL club to unveil a third jersey for the 2008-09 season, doing so tonight during a home game against the Avalanche.
As the leaked images showed us, the sweaters are black with a new banner-shaped logo on the front. On top are the letters LA and beneath is a black and white version of the current crown logo. Throughout the uniform are very sharp silver accents.
Have a look at Anze Kopitar in action tonight from the Kings' web site.
;)
A quick glance at these sweaters in action certainly does the job of sending you back to the era of Gretzky, Kurri and the like. But what our leaks didn't show us was the classic script logo appearing on both sides of the helmets.
;)
When thinking about the Kings, I think most people don't think about the history of this club. They've been around a long time and have had a lot of uniforms and logos. It's nice to see them remembering that past with this new uniform.
This is another design that has moved way up on my list after having seen it in action. I wouldn't put it at the top but it's certainly nothing to look down your nose at.
I do have one small thing to point out though. On the Kings' web site, it's pointed out that "the jersey was first seen night at 7:34 p.m. when Kings goalie Erik Ersberg entered the bench-area through the covered tunnel just prior to the game."
I hate to get technical, but actually it was first seen on Monday night when it was leaked during an Icethetics Live Chat. I'm just saying.
Can you believe it? After all of the anticipation of the summer, only two teams remain to officially unveil their third jerseys. Makes you wonder what all the fuss was about.
Tomorrow, my Bolts will debut theirs BOLTS sweaters and on Monday, we'll get our first "official" look at the Bruins. I still find it ironic that the jersey that was first to leak will be the last to be official.
Reader Comments (20)
The black / white uniforms are the ones I think of when I think of the Kings. Nice to see something similar. Here's hoping they switch permanently.
The pendant logo is cool, but a bit different.
These actually look better on the the ice. the silver trim reads really well.
Something interesting about this Kings' jersey thing.. as I've said earlier, the team picked 20 season-ticket holders to go down into the tunnel and give the players the jerseys that they would wear during the game. I was selected as one of them, and we were all randomly assigned a player. I got my favorite player, Anze Kopitar, which means that I was the person who gave Kopitar his #11 jersey that you see in this post.
We were all lined up outside the locker room according to the number of the player whose jersey we were giving. For what it's worth, the season-ticket holder who was chosen to give Patrick O'Sullivan his #12 was Pat Sajak, of Wheel of Fortune.
Also, Pat Sajak's son, who was actually the one who gave O'Sullivan his jersey, and who was standing right next to me, noticed that during the pre-game skate, the players were wearing the socks that compliment their alternate jersey. They were wearing their regular home jersey, but with these new socks. Not sure if that was by design or an accidental slip.
I also received a free, autographed Anze Kopitar third jersey, and it looked absolutely sharp. Okay, I'll stop bragging.
Kevin Y, you are right. I checked the photos I took during warm ups and they do have their new socks on with the regular jersey. Probably wasn't a slip up as I imagine thee players didn't want to change their socks (which means their skates) after warmups. Congrats on the jersey exchange, it was a lot of fun tonight.
I compare this Jersey to the Blues Third in a Way. They're making a [Great] New Look But at the same time they're looking at the past for inspiration. However unlike the Blues, LA is using "Their" Past.
The Highlights:
-Colours from the Gretzky Days (They Weren't that Long Ago)
-Shield Logo (Very Nice)
-Helmet Logo (A Nice Touch, Kind of Like the Canucks with the Full Bodied Johnny Canuck)
The Lowlights:
-Piping from the Arm Stripes to the Collar (One Word, Unnecessary)
-Number Font (This Is Kind of a Mixed Reaction With Me)
The Jersey Looks Great! But then again they could have just went vintage with the jerseys from the Gretzky days and it would've looked almost the same. Wouldn't of minded seeing a Gold and Purple vintage throwback.
Overall
4.5/5
Not horrible, not great. If they were going to go black and gray, they should have just worn the Gretzky-era throwbacks. I like the helmet logo, though.
Most importantly, it's another missed opportunity to see the purple and yellow.
Those are pretty sharp!
the jerseys look great in my opinion...definantly a lot better then i had thought it was going to be...
An improvement over thier regular jersey but theres still something about these I dont like, that white/silver piping down the arm bugs me, and the logo is, i dont know, kinda plain jane.
Very, very slick! The helmet logo is great and overall I like silver trim! They look much better when actually on the ice instead of on Icethetics. I orginally wanted vintage, but these are fine!
I still don't get the mix of piping and striping intersecting with one another. Not bad over all but that part bugs me.
Nice to see them use the old wordmark on the helmet at least.
I hate to get technical, but the first 3rd jersey to get leaked was the Flyers jersey that got leaked back when we were talking about the new RBK Edge jerseys. I'm just saying.
http://nhllogos.blogspot.com/2008/03/flyers-leak-thirds.html
March 21, 08
i think these are one of the best released, they should make these and a white one their primaries and save the purple jersey as their thirds.
the shield crest is my only complaint, i dont get it, they could very well just use the crown, and put the shield on the shoulders
The "A" and the "C" patches look absolutely terrible. The font is way too bold and doesnt fit well with the thinner/sleeker lines found in the main crest.
Other than that, I really like these jerseys.
I just wish they had been consistent and used the same back and sleeve numbers on the home jersey and the 3rd. it seems completely silly (and almost stupid) to have changed the silver numbers on the home jersey to have a silver outline, while the 3rd jersey uses the usual silver number w/ purple outline from before this season.
two different styles of silver numbers in the same "typeface"? what's the point?
it may seem trivial, but if you see them side by side they don't look remotely the same, and makes me wonder why they changed the black home jerseys at all.
the "A" and the "C" are fine...I don't really see the problem. I dislike the white under the arm, but you barely ever see it.
and the white jerseys with the crown are fine - they still look really classy, and really pop. I think these new 3rds would work well as their new home jerseys. I doubt that would happen, of course, but just saying.
I also think this particular jersey would look terrible in white, as we've already seen demonstrated from that "women's jacket" abomination that appeared on eBay.
This becomes the home jersey within 5 years. I guarantee it.
I think the white jerseys could be alright just keep the shoulder's black and it would be just fine.
This is the right direction for the kings...now if only they could get a decent team on the ice...
I realize how much people like the black, silver, and white, however, the Kings blew a big chance to distinguish themselves by not going back to their classic purple road uniforms with the classic gold and white crown from the 1960s/70s. Purple and gold go so well together and they say royalty. Anybody can wear black and white, but what team in hockey can wear something as colourful, original, and unique as purple and gold? The Minnesota Vikings have worn purple and gold for generations, so can't the Kings do the same thing? What the Kings should have done when Gretzky arrived was just go with a white home version of their originals and preserve the home gold, which I still love to this very day, for a third.