Rangers to Reveal New Sweater
Monday · Nov 8 · 2010 | 9:59 PM PST
The New York Rangers have announced their plans for Heritage Week, part of their 85th anniversary celebrations this season, including the launch of their new third jersey.
It all starts Friday evening at Rockefeller Center when the Rangers unveil what they're calling their "Heritage Jersey" — the new alternate uniform that will be worn occasionally throughout the 2010-11 season. This event will take place at 6:30 PM eastern.
Avery in the Heritage JerseyAt the same time at the NHL Store in New York City will be another Rangers Heritage Jersey Event, where fans will be able to purchase the new throwback sweater for the first time. And just so we're not forgetting, we actually have seen this jersey before. Sean Avery leaked it.
Heritage Week continues through the weekend when the new sweater becomes available for fans to purchase at Madison Square Garden during Sunday's game when the Rangers host the Edmonton Oilers at 12:30 PM eastern. That's a 9:30 AM puck drop for west coasters (of which I am soon to be one).
According to the official Heritage Week schedule on the Rangers' website, the new Heritage Jersey will make its official on-ice debut on Wednesday, Nov. 17 when the Rangers host the Boston Bruins.
So there you have it. I meant to post this last week but you wouldn't believe how all planning to move can eat up your day. Thanks to everyone who emailed in about it.
As for the jersey itself, I'm eager to see it in action for the first time this weekend. I'm sure the cell phone quality photo we've had for a couple months now doesn't do it justice.
Reader Comments (13)
According to the press release, the Rangers will not be wearing the sweater against the Oilers, but it will be available for sale at the Garden. They will indeed wear it first against the Bruins. But, interestingly, the press release says, "A special version of the jersey featuring unique embellishments will be available exclusively at Madison Square Garden." I wonder what the hell that means ...
How does a jersey that hails from 1978 qualify as a 'Heritage Jersey'? Particularly when the team wearing it joined the league 52 years earlier! Such an early expansion team (1926) can surely do better than the late 70s for a 'Heritage Jersey'.
In all fairness, the Rangers' home jersey is, for all intents and purposes, their original jersey, so it's not like the Rangers are ones to ignore their history. Even still, I'd prefer to see a slight modification of their current ones, to have one that matches their 1926 jerseys. How about the 1946 one with the arched wordmark? Or how about just calling them Alternate Jerseys, and avoiding the farce of referring to a jersey from 52 years in as being 'heritage' in any way.
I would consider 40 year old jerseys on a 40 year old team (e.g. Vancouver) to be heritage. I just think the Broadway Blueshirts can do better than this.
Yeah, sorry about the confusion Scotty. I did not read that correctly in my rush to get this post written. I've fixed it so as not to confuse anyone else. Thanks.
I really like the jersey. My only criticism would be that I wish it was white instead of cream.
As a Rangers fan I'm fond of the new alternate, and the slightly darker helmet they'll be wearing with it, and Birons matching mask! That thing is incredible.
That said I do have some concerns.
First being, thinking back to the "New York" vs "Rangers" script. They originally went the baseball route, wearing the nickname at home, and the city on the road. Well now this dark jersey is a home piece, that reads the city, just seems odd to me.
Secondly. Where's Lady Liberty? Come on Rangers. I know you're all about tradition and that's awesome. But that jersey was loved by fans, and by people that hate the team, you're really missing out by not giving it new life.
Im just saying, we are all owned if it actually is the lady liberty logo, and they fooled us with this! hahaha!
PS Lady Liberty is on the practice sweaters.
TAOISEACH - this is a throwback/alteration to the '26 sweater, it has nothing to do with the '78 'badge'/JFJ/pajama/Winnipeg Jets jersey that they revived for the 'vintage' stuff a few years back.
And, personally, I hated the Lady Liberty navy sweater. The white fourth version was sharp but as a whole I dislike that logo and look. Can you imagine the Habs with a Youppi jersey?
With the marketing idiots who turned the most traditional franchise in history into the Wal-Mart of hockey, I wouldn't be surprised if my team shows up in the near future with Youppi on the front.
@ Curt S,
The scary thing is, if it weren't for the 85th anniversary and all the heritage talk, I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see them use Sean to leak a fake jersey. But with all their shout outs to the past I think it's a foregone conclusion that this is legit.
@ Scotty Hockey
The original Rangers jerseys said 'RANGERS' on them. The Rangers didn't have a jersey with 'NEW YORK' on it until 1978, as far as I've ever been able to see. Do you have a picture of a 1926 'NEW YORK' jersey?
Is that Avery or Buddy Holly?
Tao - that is why I said alteration - the narrow font and diagonal wordmark is the same. I'm sorry for the confusion.
Fair enough