Hawks Plan New Third
Thursday · Jan 22 · 2009 | 9:42 AM PSTAt last I have something nice to say about the Chicago Blackhawks. According to the Daily Herald, the Hawks will join the Penguins when they put their 2009 Winter Classic throwback sweater into regular third jersey rotation beginning next fall.
Back in black: If you liked those throwback jerseys the Hawks wore in the Winter Classic, you're in luck. Those will become the Hawks' new third jersey next season, replacing the current black sweater that is identical to the home red and road white. The only addition to the jersey the Hawks wore at Wrigley Field will be tomahawks on the shoulders.
This is what I've been saying. A third jersey should be something different. It'll be wonderful to see it on the ice throughout the 2009-10 season and beyond. A Blackhawks jersey I can truly get behind. If you need a refresher, here's a photo. Just try to imagine it with those tomahawks on the shoulders.
My question to you is this: Should the Detroit Red Wings follow suit and add their Winter Classic sweater as a third jersey to be worn at, say, 5 or 6 games a year?
Reader Comments (126)
That is fantastic news! I'm going to skip out now on purchasing the Winter Classic jersey and go with the new third next season instead.
I think that Detroit should have their Winter Classic as a third jersey next year becauseI think they need a small change with their jerseys so a classic third jersey is the right way to go
yes yes yes! ive always wanted a 3rd for my wings, whenever i see their black practice jersey's i love them, anything new would be amazing!
Yes the wings should absolutely add their winter classic jerseys as thirds. Maybe switch the red and white though so they can be dark at home. I also love the way their primary looks on the shoulders with those jerseys, they are a great salute to the past and tradition of the original six just like the hawks jersey.
I believe that for younger teams their thirds should be something new, but for older teams they should be old updated jerseys that give a salute to their past and team history.
Wings should use them, but I doubt they will. They are one of the most heralded teams ever and they like to look now and forward rather than back. Tradition is fine and all but they think it's for the occasional purpose not a gimmick.
I want them too do it though. Those jersey's are awesome. :-)
The best part of the Hawks Jerseys are the 3 color numbers. I love this decision by the Hawks! When I read it in the paper this morning I couldn't wait to Email Chris I knew he would be a fan!
As for the wings the socks they wore at the WC were awesome and I would say if they wear those socks they definately should use this as their third...possibly wear it on special occasions like when they play some other original 6 teams...
Love the jerseys. I'm surprised that majority of the NHL hasn't realised that VINTAGE IS BETTER. The best jerseys in the NHL are the vintage ones, alternate or home/away, VINTAGE IS BETTER.
I think it's a great idea that the Hawks will use the WC's for a 3rd next year, but no need for the tomahawks on the shoulders. Keep it just like it is - retro. The other 2 jerseys have the shoulder patch.... it's overkill. Understanding how much Detroit hates change... I think they should salute the past by using that beautiful WC Cougars jersey as a 3rd next year! Actually, I think all the pre '75 teams should use a retro for 3rd's, this way every fan, old and new, can enjoy and no one gets slighted. It's not rocket science NHL!
We have been hoping that the Sabres would have gone the same route. The Winter Classic jersey was AWESOM for the Buffalo Sabres. THey should go Winter Classic as their primary jersey with a Royal Blue version of the same for their two primary jerseys..then keep this year's 3rd jersy as the 3rd..and rotate it in now and again. Way to go Hawks..you and the Pens get it.
Great to hear Chicago is going with their Winter Classic Unis instead of their current god-awful third. Compared to most of the Black Jerseys in the league today this one gets rated quite high in my book.
Detroit should take note of this and go with their Winter Classic Uniform and if not go with the Cougers uniform that had DETROIT on the front. The only disadvantage of this is that it would have the same problem as the Leafs Third with teams having to pack twice the equipment on road trips.
But back to the Blackhawks, aren't they the runner up in something on this site?
Can you please just declare the Winner of the Flashback 98 Tournament, Chris!?
This is way off topic... but did anyone see they tested new nets at a toronto practice. Supposed to make pucks bank of the post and into the net not outwards? Apparently uses ovaled posts not round.... Just trying to start conversation
the red wings are so going to make that wc jersey there thirds. its the only reason that they put the present logo on the shoulders
1. I'm glad Chicago is doing something besides the black variation of their home jerseys. Its nice to seem them try it out something newish. I'm curious to see if the integrity of the jersey holds up when the decidedly more modern tomahawks are placed on the shoulders.
2. Picking up from Nick:
I read about that and there were some comments from one of the Leafs. He said that he after shooting on the net for a while he felt that any shot that wasn't straight on just seemed to deflect out. Its pretty obvious from those comments that the design only works if the shots come right in from the slot. I really wouldn't mind a net system that allowed for more post ringers to find the back of the twine. The shooter did beat the goaltender in most cases, but I've also had my team pull of wins because of multiple shots going off the post.
Link i agree with you, BUT this also reduces the shooters need for precise accuracy, the first part is beating the goalie, but you can beat a goalie and it can go wide, so i think they should just leave it the way it is..... I think the league should be geared toward makingthe goalies look better...After all they are the guys who are always out there.... They should be the stars...Not Crosby, or Malkin, or A.O. Could you imagine how lame it would be if all the shots off the post go in? Just my opinion
TSN recently posted a story on the new net system on their web page.....I posted the link under this. You will have to copy paste it. Check it out, and post your comments, it would be cool to see what others think...
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=264137
Responding to KOHO. Most of the "Older teams" do have updated versions....Oilers, Sabres,Islanders, Flyers, Penguins, and Canucks. I like this but i think thirds should be original...creative new designs. Out of the 3rds my favorite is probably the Carolina 3rd....but also i really enjoy seeing the old logo on my home team...The Buffalo Sabres. i Just dont think they should overkill the whole RETRO aspect.
Like Nick said, the retro thing me backfire on teams when they're chosen for the winter classic games and there wearing thirds that are already there thirds. Buffalo and Vancouver were perfect examples of not making there third look exactly like there vintage jersey but making it pretty similar. The Pens are the only team that should were a retro jersey cause they've already been in a winter classic.
I'm just going to throw this out there. But we should have a poll on teams from before the Panthers/Ducks expansion and vote on what jersey should be their "retro" third jersey. I think that would be a fun poll in my opinion.
Connor the Edmonton/Montreal game 6 years ago doesn't count?
I guess Chicago fits too....
To Nick M.... I don't like the idea of 'updated retros'. If you're gonna do a throwback jersey to nod your past, then do it right! Tweeking something original, to look modern riuns the whole idea. We've gone so long with the teams primary home & aways already. Having a 3rd should not be for the sole purpose of $$ intake (although that's usually the reason) but it should be worn at special times through the season, without overkilling it. Obviously, the newer teams cannot participate in a retro since they have none! I just feel that there are a lot of ugly primaries out there(Thanks RBK!) and with an exact retro 3rd like Pitts & Buff. did in the WC, the old -time fans of this game can still feel hockey's great history right in front of them. Baseball & Football do it....... so should the NHL.
I find it interesting how different teams take different approaches to how often the 3rd jersey is worn. Philly seems to strap on the orange 3rds any chance they get, while other teams will only wear them a handful of times this season. I do wonder if the teams that wear the 3rds more often are testing the market to see if they want to switch over to a new style for an upcoming season. I feel like several teams aren't happy with the first generation Edge jerseys and have really gotten a better grasp on design nuances while putting together the 3rds.
wings should def have that third jersey...it looks amazing.
it would be cool if they became one of the only teams in the league without a third... just because they usually do the opposite of everyone else in the league which is cool because it's really their own thing
Every single one of the "classic thirds" this season looks better than its standard counterpart, particularly Pittsburgh, Edmonton and Philly.
I was really hoping this would happen , and I'm thrilled to see it come to pass. Vintage / old school is in anyway, but when you can produce something as sharp as that, it's a no-doubter.
Great move by the Hawks. Wouldn't mind it being their main home jersey. I know this will be met with hesitancy, but I say --- whatever. Do you ever find that when teams take a good / even average logo and place it in a circle with the name (let's call it the Coin effect -- cuz they look like team coins), they just look classic even if they're not -- look at Minnesota for example.
It just seems to work
Great stand-alone logo + coin effect + optional team name written = success
Blues / Hawks/ Wild/ Penguins/ even the Devils , Oilers , Bruins, Sabres to an extent. It just works.
I think the league is going to be outfitted great next year with the original 6's jerseys always solid, plus great thirds in Chicago and Toronto (maybe Detroit), the Oilers/ Isles seeing their classics back full-time, maybe the Sabres will ditch the slug (you'd think they would -- given the center ice logo) and go with the nice thirds and add a version of it as a white, perhaps the Canucks go with Stick in rink finally as a primary...plus we could see the return of orange as the Flyers' home jersey (perhaps), powder blue staying for a while with the Pens and the Wild adding Green. I'm all for color making its return !
nice chris another long hiatus
Hah! The Flyers could put a smaller Flyers' logo inside a bigger Flyers logo. The whole jersey will be orange and the names and numbers will be hand stitched onto the uniforms by Amish.
Cody, high five for complaining about a free service provided by a guy who sacrifices his free time for no personal gain!
Mike, couldn't agree more. Someone on Creamer's logo site referred to it as 'concentric circles... when a logo in a circle is surrounded by an outer circle. For some reason, this automatically gives it a vintage look. It's hard to argue that it's not the coolest look! But if every team tried it we'd probably get sick of it real quick. I think what's happening is after the WC games and their tremendous results, fans are really starting to remember how cool this sport was many years ago. I don't think you can even compare those vintage looks to todays radically 'busy' RBK uni's. The players like them, and the fans obviously like them. I'm glad teams like Chicago, Detroit?, Toronto, Pitts, Isles, Buffalo, Edmonton, Philly, came to their senses and went retro 3rd's. Maybe soon they'll become primaries and more teams will hop on! Adding more color to the game will not hurt it. We've seen enough 'black' in sports uni's today. Time to fizzle it out. Can't wait to see who Bettman selects for next years WC matchup!
"It's hard to argue that it's not the coolest look! But if every team tried it we'd probably get sick of it real quick."
I think the fact that Phoenix is trying it as their shoulder patch on their third is already taking the look a bit too far. These logos only belong as a primarys and only on teams up north. St. Louis is as far south as it should go.
this will never ever ever ever ever ever ever happen and i no that so u dont have to say it but i think that it would be one of the greatest things. Imagine this an outdoor game in winnepeg or quebec have phoenix face colorado and have them wear the Jets and Nordiques jerseys now that would be freaking awesome wat do u think? and again i no its never gonan happen but a man can dream
Wow i never thought of that, it would be awesome! Way better than any of the winter classics they have already had.
And yes david you're allowed to dream. Maybe you should tell Bettman and it could be a possibility for a future winter classic
never say never... it can happen
I don't know much about that area, but is there a stadium in Winnipeg capable of hosting a Winter Classic game?
Link, the CFL season is already over well before New Years, the Blue Bombers' stadium would work.
Judging from expierence no one will ever beat the WC in Buffalo.. I was there and it was the best expierence in my life. Nothing can top the firtst one.
Dave M and Marc L.... An outdoor game in Winnipeg or Quebec for Phoenix & Colorado.... 'Wow, I never thought of that, it would be awesome!'....... I did! Mentioned it in my post about the Winter Classic when everyone was getting on Chris for disappearing from this site. Not sure Marc, if it'd be better than these last 2.... they were phenominal at best!
It's definitely something Bettman should consider though. We must all wait our turn. I'm hoping for my Rangers to be considered REAL soon.
Thanks Matthew! I think playing the game in Winnipeg would a great location. Its about time they had a WC in Canada.
"Its about time they had a WC in Canada." ???? Apparantly Edmonton isn't in Canada? Where were you 6 years ago?
Anyone else seem to notice, that since donations were asked for on this site, the content has diminished greatly?
"Anyone else seem to notice, that since donations were asked for on this site, the content has diminished greatly?"
I certainly have noticed it. While I haven't donated, I'm now less likely to donate since there is an update like once every 2 weeks. It's ridiculous, those who have donated, I feel bad for you cause clearly its going to waste.
Hey Nick May....
Buffalo may have had the first WC but The Edmonton Oilers vs the Montreal Canadiens in Edmonton (the Heritage Classic) will always be remembered as the first NHL outdoor game and it will forever be the greatest!
The Winter Classic is a brand with a certain identity and associations that go with the brand. The first outdoors game was not a Winter Classic, thought it may have been a winter classic. Its a subtle distinction that holds a surprisingly difference in minds of sponsors and a portion of hockey fans. There is a ton of money to be thrown around with the WC and the TV networks want in on that cash flow. Regardless of how many outdoor games have been played, no Winter Classic has taken place in Canada.
"Anyone else seem to notice, that since donations were asked for on this site, the content has diminished greatly?"
Yes, this entire site, from the very beginning, back at blogspot, was all a scam to get a couple hundred bucks worth of donations. I'm sure of it! How about you guys make your own sites if you want updates every day, and keep it going strong for the better part of two years. Give the guy a break.
Ronald-
Sorry i must have missed were you suggested that and the first two were phenomenal events, however they can only get better right? I was even at the Winter Classic in Buffalo and it was even more than i had imagined it would be... but i think that all they are going to do is get better... although the perfect snowfall during the Buffalo vs Pittsburgh game will be one aspect that isn't always going to happen.
On second thought though, the first WC may be the best there will ever be... who knows though
I'd also like to see a Rangers vs Islanders game so i'd at least have some opportunity to go see it since it's not too far away compared to Winnipeg
A nordiques vs. jets throwback game in canada would be great, since neither team had significant shoulder patches they could use the avalanche and coyotes primaries on their shoulders. I think we're a while away from seeing this happen, but i think it has a good chance of being a future winter classic.
I'd love to see a Rangers-Isles or Rangers-Devils WC, two heated rivalries would make for a great outdoor game. Rangers-Devils first at yankee stadium and a few years later when the Isles get better Rangers-Isles at Citi Field.
Marc,
Can only get better? I highly doubt it. Look at the NHL All-Star Game. Not only is it a cluster of corporate bullcrap (what was with the mcdonalds logos instead of bulleyes in the accuracy shooting?! seriously people, when is it too much?!), but the league actually suspended people for not going, that's how much people want involved. At one point in time, it was a total honor to be there, everyone wanted to go, and everyone watched the game. not any longer.
I worry that if the NHL does this every year, it'll lose its luster. Now that other teams and other leagues are trying to jump on the bandwagon (AHL Rochester Amerks trying to get one, and the KHL already doing one), it's only a matter of time until it's "just another outdoor game," which would upset me greatly
Hey John Barnowski,
The suspensions handed down to the Red Wing players were appropriate, last year the NHL GM's voted on the idea and it past, which means a 2/3 majority. If players were to miss the All-Star game based on "injuries" then they had to miss the game before or the game after.
Ian,
you're missing the point, the suspensions are just one example of how bad things have gotten. right or wrong, it still takes a suspension to get players to go. the all-star game was also a major honor that everyone wanted to play in as well...
what went wrong? and how long until the winter classic becomes the same thing?
I understand EXACTLY what you're saying John.... but the huge difference between the All Star game and the WC is that the WC counts! It's a real game.... with all the nice extras!
Everyone knows that these modern day prima donna athletes would rather be home with their families during this mini-break. But the WC game doesn't give you that choice.... you have to play! And what player wouldn't want to. (probably A-Rod!! lol)
I don't know if they'll ever abolish the A.S. game, but if they let the WC grow into new towns with different classic matchups.... I can't see it failing. No one seems to mind the cold element.
It's a great day for hockey when they decided on this. I only wonder what took them so long!
Long live this great sport and it's great traditions. (If only RBK hadn't bud in!)
No, John, You're wrong!
Nah, I really don't care. I just wanted to say that because it sounded really cool when I said it out loud.
I blame everything on Sean Avery
Ronald got in the way, but I forgive him.
I still blame Sean Avery
I Can't bElieve iT! tHE siTe that I used to Come to every day to See what's goIng on in the hockey jersey world iS Done. 8 posts in a month? people can fight it all thEy want but the site isn't making a comeback. anyone cAre to crack the coDe?
"How about you guys make your own sites if you want updates every day"
Ok I did, anyone care to submit concept art to me be my guest. I'll post it for everyone to see. RBKoho@gmail.com I'll give you the link to where it'll be posted if you send stuff or just wanna see some concepts. I'm not trying to take concept business from this site, but if I'm not getting any from here in posts, I'll get some on my own. Please send some in I'm dying for some concepts, just like lots of other people probably are. Once this site gets active posts again I'll stop and come back here.
Seriously...those of you who demand new posts forget things really quickly. Chris is only human! he is not Superman! let him do his own thing! he obviously doesn't post things because there is no news to report! So just deal with it and appreciate the posts that he has done and stop complaining about a FREE service to everyone!