Flames Go Retro for 30th!
Wednesday · Sep 2 · 2009 | 11:53 AM PDT
This afternoon the Calgary Flames announced their 30th anniversary plans — which includes a special retro jersey to be worn during five regular season games in October, January and February.
First, the thing everybody wants to know about — the jersey!
Al MacInnisThe Flames will wear a vintage red jersey, modeled after what they wore for their inaugural season in Calgary — as seen on Al MacInnis in the picture to the right and Craig Conroy below.
The vintage sweater will be worn for five home games this season — once against each of Calgary's Canadian opponents, including opening night against the Canucks. See the complete schedule below.
- Thurs., October 1 - vs Canucks
- Tues., October 6 - vs Canadiens
- Sat., January 2 - vs Maple Leafs
- Sat., January 30 - vs Oilers
- Thurs., March 11 - vs Senators
The game on January 30 would've been interesting to see if either the Flames or Oilers had a white throwback. Alberta hockey fans would've been transported back to the 1980s for a night.
You can read more about this retro sweater on the Flames' web site.
;)
Jim Peplinski and Craig Conroy unveil 30th anniversary logo and retro jersey
Now the obligatory commentary. I think this throwback jersey is a good thing. It's always nice to see teams celebrate important anniversaries with classic uniforms — so far nobody's done it better than the Canadiens.
Based on comments I've read, it sounds like most of you will be thrilled by the lack of black in this uniform — assuming they lose the black pants for these five games. And unlike what others have suggested, I don't think this uniform is that ugly — it's just very '80s. It was a different time in terms of uniform design. Certainly a lot more colorful than it is today.
;)
Flames' 30th anniversary logoBut wait, there's more. As part of their announcement today, the Flames officially unveiled their 30th anniversary logo. It's basically the same as the supposed "leak" from a couple weeks ago.
They've made a few changes to the lettering to make it appear a little less medieval and they've made some adjustments to the skyline. Barely noticeable unless you really study the two images.
Anyway, the worst part is that, as is typical, this anniversary logo will be painted onto center ice at the Saddledome and used as a patch on the jerseys.
Since I'm assuming the flags will stay on the shoulders, this logo will probably have to go on the front — on the opposite side from where you find the captain's letters, of course.
The Flames have said that more plans for their 30th anniversary celebration will be announced throughout the season.
Reader Comments (51)
red gloves, red gloves, I assume red pants. Also, it's nice to see the neckline back to the old style. Too bad the NHL had to slap their logo on it smack dab in the middle.
Article mentions that the players will wear red helmets and gloves with these uniforms.
Great news. Too bad they aren't going to be wearing them for every game. That's what a hockey jersey should look like.
I'd love to see the Thrashers roll into Calgary and wear the Atlanta Flames whites as a tribute to the teams original home. Still love our Flames here in Atlanta!
absolutely ridiculous that they don't have the saddledome on the skyline in the 30th anniversary logo.
they will sell about 6 of those jerseys cause everyone's already got one....
what a waste of time and money (yet again) by the calgary flames.
sigh
Well what do you know, I was right. What's even bigger is they went against the RBK Edge Jersey System. The Neck Collar is pretty much the same as it was for most NHL teams before the Edge switch minus the NHL Logo on the front of it. Which I personally might have put right below the collar, but it looks good where it is. I also would move that 30th Patch to the Shoulder.
Overall, Calgary has joined the ranks of Edmonton, Vancouver, Buffalo, Etc. in terms of great Vintage (or vintage looking) third jerseys. My only wish is that this someday replaces their current home and away jersey. Why is it that the Alberta teams can't learn that their 80s jerseys are their best. Edmonton is slowly getting it done now we just need the Flames to...big time. 4.5 Out of 5.
I understand walkinvisible's complaint, but as a Flames fan, I am happy to see the players take to the ice with this look again. Ah, the nostalgia. And I might just get one myself. I do miss the old CCM logo on the tail. PLEASE no flags on the shoulders! That has kept me from getting the current jerseys--too Nascar-ish.
Maybe the Oilers will break out the retro white uni's, but seeing as the Flames didn't really do anything to compliment the Oilers last year, that seems unlikely! Personally, I don't see why both teams can't wear their home colours, they contrast very nicely.
Question: Whats up with Conroy wearing the 'C', isnt Iggy the captain, but pretty cool jersey. It doesn't look Reebok even though its got the NHL logo on the front of the collar.
Yeah it definitely isn't an EDGE jersey they have gone for the old CCM look cut.
This is GREAT news. Even as a longtime Canucks fan, I have always loved the Flames' original uniform. Not a single stitch of black. When the Flames sold out to the black phenom of the 90s, their uniforms have gotten worse. There are more than enough teams with red and black. I know the black Flaming C is popular, but that should be a third logo. This vintage uniform, like so many other vintage uniforms, have that classic and traditional feel to it, just like the Original Six. Lanny McDonald, Kent Neilson, Willie Plett, Paul Reinhart, Al MacInnis, etc, etc. Let's hope the Flames do what the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia 76ers have done. And that's go back to their classics FULL-TIME.
Beautiful jersey, one of my favourites! I am so happy about this. Glad to see they are going all out with red helmets too. No black makes me happy!
btw Curtis, buffalo doesn't wear a retro third. The only thing retro about it is the crest. Everything else (the color, striping, vertical piping) is modern reebok garbage
Answer for dverg:
Craig Conroy is not wearing the C. The guy next to him is. That's Jim Peplinski who co-captained the Flames their 1989 Stanley Cup championship with Lanny McDonald. Peplinski wore No. 24 back in his day just as Conroy does now.
As a Flames fan, I absolutely love it. As usual, they have pleased their fans.
I think they should go back to using the Atlanta Flames' "A" for their assistant captain, maybe only on this jersey though. That would be a nice way to pay respect to them in a vintage manner. Also, the patch should go on the shoulder.
I absolutely LOVE the lack of flags on the alternate. Thank you!!!
Also love the lack of black, which while black does seem like a fire color (I'm here in the LA area, where we have the wildfires and the black smoke), I associate fire with brightness and energy. White is that color to me.
While the Flames didn't do anything new with this alternate jersey, remember that neither the Oilers, Canucks, Maple Leafs, or Islanders went with a new look last season. All four of those jerseys were tremendous and well-received, so I've no doubt that the Flames' third this year will be successful, also.
I love it. They just need to make sure and wear the red pants too. I hated the horse head. Nothing but good in these jerseys.
Would have perfered
but Im an Oilers fan
As a traditionalist, I wonder will the saddledome be half empty to get the real vintage feel in calgary?
DISGUSTING!! I think they used CCM-styled jerseys...it looks like they have, don't you think?
You know, I hate to bring this up to ruin a good jersey like this, but that Ronald McDonald challenge...
Wouldn't this have been a better jersey? It has all the right colours...
Not a Calgary fan and wouldn't want those colors for my team, but nevertheless that uniform is just awesome and perfect for the Flames. Much better than the current uniforms
Does anyone know if it is an RBK Edge jersey? Chris?
iMark obviously doesnt know what a good jersey looks like, cause the jerseys doesnt have "CALGARY" or "FLAMES" running diagonaly or verticaly across the jersey. and sting probaly forgets that Calgary is one of the few teams who sell out every night and have the 6th best attendance in the NHL
Soooooooooooooooo sick!!!! Nice, I'm definitely picking one up.
Yes it is RBK, when you go to the flames web site and go to the first news box, if you go to picture four you can see that on Craig Conroys sleeve the little reebok logo
Oilfanner, I know it is RBK. I'm asking if it is the RBK "Edge" template that each team uses. Just because it is RBK, doesn't mean it is an Edge jersey (All NHL jerseys between 2005-2007 were made by RBK, but weren't EDGE jerseys)
tyler212, I do realize that calgary now has very high attendance and that is great for hockey in canada, In there vintage days however, I personally witnessed with those uniforms a half empty stadium, with 3 quaters of those people cheering for there provincial rivals, you think they would not want to revamp those memories as they have much more to build on since everyone became a fan in 2004, but in all honesty not a bad looking uniform its a very traditonal hockey jersey.
i hope it's not an Edge template. The curved hemlines on those things look so awful.
Some people have big foot, others the loch ness monster, some believe in UFOs, but hockey fans have THE EDGE CONSPIRACY.
I like the jersey, I wasn't sure if I would or not after reviewing the history of Flames jerseys. I still think that the 30th patch looks... well... bad. Yeah, that's the word.
I have to agree with most in this thread. Congrats to Calgary for going retro with this jersey. The original jersey is far better than what the Flames wear now! Chris states that the jersey is so 80's, but still very cool with no hint of black. I hate the overuse of black in ALL sports nowadays, but in actuality you can call the original Flames jersey a 70's 'look'. For it was transferred over from the former Atlanta team. All they did was change the letter to a C!
And yes..... the 30th anniv. logo is quite lame.
They very much appear to be Edge style but made out of material similar to the old CCM jerseys. Probably similar to how the Montreal Centenial barbershop jerseys were.
even with that jersey, they still wont beat edmonton, and continue there seven year lossing streak at the rexal place because pasini will get 80 points this year :) and hemskey will break 100. GO OIL GO, GO OIL GO, GO OIL GO WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
agreed EdmontonOilerRingetteMan agreed
There were a thousand ways to do this wrong using the EDGE template.
Needless to say, they took the conservative route and didn't do anything especially adventurous.
Its safe, they certainly didn't screw anything up by any means, but I feel a bit is lacking in taking advantage of RBK.
Personally, I think white draw strings on a red crest would've completed the look - and that's it.
29 days until we see it on the ice! This offseason has been way too long :(
Loving the jersey minus the NHL logo stuck on the collar. It just looks thrown on and out of place.
I have to say though that that 30th anniversary is very sad looking. I was really hoping that they could come up with something better.
love the idea, but as a flames fan, cant help but want to yell at whoever came up with the 30th anniversary logo design, it looks just stupid. O well, as long as Bowmeester is holding Stanleys mug high in June, I can get over it.
I also agree with EdmontonOilerRingetteMan GO OILERS GO. Flames never beat us in that jersey befoer and they wont now!
Loving all the retros, but the stripes at the bottom of the flames is too big.Calgay has one of the worst retros IMO. Best one is Edmonton, then the Pens, Islanders, RedWiings and Blackhawks winter classics, Sabers and then the flames. I would like to see them go out of the box and put a white C on a black jersey.
Checked out the jerseys tonight, basically just the old CCM vintage Flames jersey with an NHL logo stitched to the collar and a Rbk tag on the bottom left like the EDGE jerseys. DEFINITELY not an EDGE jersey, shame, seems they just rushed this jersey out.
Love the jerseys. Way better than the black C imo. The amount of yellow is good for the team.
The jerseys are nothing special. Should have done a black jersey.
Why did they ever switch from these uniforms? they have gone down hill in the looks department ever since.
Agreed Kyle - Flames first jersey (this years retro) was their best....... everything else from the diagonal hem stripes to the black C to the flaming horse went spiraling downward since.
Those who say they didn't do enough to it...... that it looks to much like the CCM vintage shirt.......
Guess what? That's the whole idea....... nodding to the franchise beginnings and wearing the jersey of that year! See: Flyers, Sabres, B Hawks, Penguins, Habs (6), Leafs, Bruins, Isles, Wings, Oilers, Canucks.
It's nice to see that the flames went with the retro instead of black. But Edmonton's 30th logo beats Calgary's hands down.
I like the jersey, and I like the fact that we introduced it, but... only 5 games? Feels like a wasted opportunity to me...
Looks like a new irregular collar on a classic Alberta 3rd (Think Oilers). I like the jersey, though, and I think that it will be WAY underused for its quaility. Atlanta and Calgary should trade 3rd Skeds (Too much Atlanta, too little Calgary)
Huge fan of retro looks, whether the team is newer or older. I'm one who would be voting to make many teams with archives of vintage looks to make them their full time look. Not to mention using colours other than just dark blue or black. Where have original looks gone? I don't want to have to look at the scoreboard on top of the screen to see who's playing. I want to be able to see it on the ice with the jerseys.
Calgary Flames is one of those teams I wish bring both home and road jerseys to this retro look. It's just so classy!!!!
i think retros are thing of the past that that need to remain that way, save for a couple special occasions during the season. as an oilers fan, i was extremely disappointed when they came out with the bright blue and orange jerseys from the 80's. Gretzky and co. wore those and it should stay that way. i was hoping the oil would have come up with another genius third as they did in 01. i currently have no problem with the oilers current reebok edge jerseys as i own the navy home one myself. i think the reebok design is a sleek and modern look.
and calgarys retros are atrocious, they look like uniforms at a fast food restaurant
new change is good for sports so why do people consistently believe these eye cancerous retros are the way to go?