NHL JerseyWatch 2010
Sunday · May 2 · 2010 | 6:51 PM PDTMay Edition This is the third update to JerseyWatch 2010. Everything is rumor until it becomes official but the following information is believed to be as accurate as possible. Teams are listed alphabetically. ⇒ denotes new information; ◊ denotes update.
Anaheim Ducks
New alternate jersey According to the information I have from Reebok, the Ducks will be adding an alternate jersey this season. Their home and road sweaters will remain unchanged.
By the way, the list I have does not detail any design elements so all we'd have is speculation at this point. And I'm going to try to avoid a lot of blind guessing in this post. You guys should feel free to add your speculation in the comments.
Boston Bruins
Speculation only The Boston Bruins are not among the teams noted by Reebok as changing their uniforms for the 2010-11 season. That includes the third jersey.
However, the Bruins have worn their gold Winter Classic jerseys three times since the big event. This has led to speculation that the Bs could be pushing toward making it a new alternate in the near future.
Buffalo Sabres
New home, road & alternate jerseys The Sabres will be undergoing big changes to celebrate their 40th anniversary season. Their current third jersey — a throwback with some modern updates — will take over as the home jersey, as has long been rumored.
Reebok lists the Sabres' road sweater as TBD, but it will most likely be a white version of the current alternates. I also understand they'll be adding an entirely new third jersey, but I'm told it may be only for the 40th anniversary season.
Sabres 2010 third jersey conceptIt will be royal blue with BUFFALO in a white script across the front, containing the vintage logo with the player's number underneath. The concept here to the right is my own rough rendering of the description I've been given. I've added the traditional striping and colors.
Obviously this jersey design isn't exact. But based on what I've been told, it's probably a good estimation. We'll have to wait until this summer to find out for sure.
Calgary Flames
New alternate jersey As the Flames have already announced, they will be bringing back the red retro jersey that was worn for a handful of games this season. The major difference is that it will be adapted to the Reebok Edge cut. The striping will remain as is.
The home and road sweaters will not change.
The rumored black jersey that was previously in the works has likely either been tabled for a few years or scrapped entirely. We may never know. Unless Ken King gets chatty.
Columbus Blue Jackets
New alternate jersey The Blue Jackets have not made an official announcement, but the Columbus Dispatch confirmed earlier this month that a new third jersey is in development and will be used in the 2010-11 campaign. This is corroborated by Reebok.
According to the newspaper, a cannon will be the central feature of the crest on the new uniform. The jersey will be publicly unveiled in November 2010.
Dallas Stars
Road & alternate jerseys swapped Reebok confirms that the Stars will officially switch their road and alternate jerseys next season. Both jerseys are white. Currently, the third is a white version of the home jersey, which features DALLAS arched above the sweater number.
As of the fall, the white DALLAS jersey will become the primary road sweater. The one crested with the Stars' primary logo will become the alternate.
⇒ Los Angeles Kings
New specialty jersey Rich Hammond, a blogger affiliated with the Kings' official website, recently stated that the team will don purple-and-gold throwback uniforms for at least one game, and as many as four, next season. Specifics about the actual design of the jersey were not discussed.
Hammond said the sweater would be worn against the Vancouver Canucks and referenced their 40th anniversary. So what is the significance of the Kings in Canucks history? Many have speculated that it has to do with Vancouver playing its first ever game against Los Angeles in 1970.
⇒ Minnesota Wild
New anniversary patch The Wild recently unveiled their new 10th anniversary logo. The team announced it will be worn as a patch on the upper right shoulder of all three jerseys throughout the season, except for their first two games which will take place in Finland.
Aside from the new patch, none of the three uniforms are expected to be changed.
Nashville Predators
New home & road; no alternate jersey The indication from Reebok is that the Predators will turn the alternate jersey they launched this season into their new home sweater. The road sweater is listed as TBD but a safe assumption is that it will be a light version of the new dark jersey.
Because of these major changes, the Preds will not wear an alternate next season.
The new home jersey (third, currently) features the same primary logo the team has used since its inception in 1998 but with a simplified color scheme — now navy, steel blue, silver and black. The gold and orange have been removed.
◊ New York Islanders
New home & road jerseys According to Reebok, the Islanders are changing only their road jersey. However, Isles blogger Chris Botta also said last year that the current retro thirds would become the new home sweater and a white road variant was in the works.
Now a source with the Islanders recently confirmed to Icethetics that the throwback royal blues will in fact be next year's home sweater and a white version will be adopted on the road. Fans in Bridgeport can already see them in action in the AHL.
The new road sweater will be officially unveiled at the Isles' draft party on June 25, according to an email sent out to fans in April. Last year's top overall pick John Tavares will be on hand to model it.
No word yet on whether the current navy blue home jersey will be switched to alternate status or if it will go away entirely, leaving the Isles without a third uniform.
New York Rangers
New alternate jersey Reebok verifies the news we've all been dying to hear. The Rangers will wear an alternate jersey next season. But will it be the Lady Liberty logo make her glorious return?
Possible Rangers third?Reebok doesn't specify, however, Rangers blogger Greg Caggiano recently claimed to have the inside track on the new thirds. He says he's been told they'll be nearly identical to the current home jersey with NEW YORK replacing RANGERS across the front.
Caggiano doesn't specify a source so it could just be guessing. I think it would disappoint a lot of Rangers fans and Icethetics readers. The Rangers arguably had the best third jersey of the '90s with that Statue of Liberty logo emblazoned on the front.
Those navy blue sweaters were so popular that in 1998 the Rangers even added a white version for a short time. They were used up until 2007 when Reebok took over the league.
The Rangers previously wore a blue jersey with NEW YORK on the front from 1978 to 1987. The team's home and road sweaters will not change next season.
Ottawa Senators
Speculation only According to Reebok, as of February, the Senators had no plans of making any uniform changes. In addition, multiple retail sources confirm the team will in fact be keeping all three of their current jerseys going into 2010-11.
However, rumors have circulated since August regarding the possibility of a new vintage jersey being added to Ottawa's arsenal. It all started when Jacob Barrette's Heritage sweater concept began showing up in artist renderings of the new O Store at Scotiabank Place.
Another rumor was based on markdown sales, which could be more about meeting quotas than selling off existing stock to launch a new product. We'll have to wait and see what news the summer brings.
Philadelphia Flyers
New road jersey The Flyers will don new road threads for the 2010-11 campaign. While Reebok doesn't say so specifically, it is widely assumed they will wear the retro white jersey that debuted at the 2010 Winter Classic in Boston.
The Flyers have worn the jersey on at least one occasion in front of the home crowd since the outdoor game at Fenway Park. Their home and alternate jerseys will remain unchanged.
◊ Pittsburgh Penguins
New alternate jersey It was been widely rumored and confirmed by Reebok in March that the Penguins would ditch their powder blue thirds in favor of a new alternate uniform for 2010-11. Once again, the manufacturer hasn't released any details of the design.
However, Tribune-Review beat writer Rob Rossi said in December that blue would be returning in some fashion to the new third jersey. It's probably a safe bet that the Pens will dig into their past once again for this sweater — likely going with one of the darker blue options.
Now, a local retailer, House O' Hockey of Monroeville, Pa., is reporting that the Penguins have scrapped plans to replace their current third jersey and will wear the powder blues for at least one more season.
The home and road jerseys will stay the same.
Toronto Maple Leafs
New home & road jerseys This may be a tad misleading. Reebok says the Maple Leafs will redesign their home and road sweaters for next year. Technically, this is accurate, but it won't be a major overhaul. At least not according to Howard Berger.
He claims to have seen all of the 2010 jersey changes and says that the white stripes, once around the base of the team's jerseys before Reebok got involved, will finally be returning. He also says the jerseys will have a new shoulder patch, noting that the previous one was a TML logo which debuted in 2000. He doesn't say what the new one will look like.
Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox has since confirmed with the Leafs that there will be minor changes madethat have already been approved by the NHL.
The retro alternate jersey will remain intact. However, this could be the last season for it, according to the National Post. Leafs COO Tom Anselmi says it could be ditched as early as 2011 in favor of a redesigned third jersey, based on another era in Toronto's hockey past. He says the team has been working with Reebok on changes but wouldn't give up any specifics.
Vancouver Canucks
Speculation only Last month, word from Reebok was the Canucks had no plans of changing their uniforms for their 40th anniversary. Now retail sources are reporting plans are in development for a special vintage sweater.
It's been suggested the Canucks would follow in the footsteps of the Flames, wearing a special throwback sweater for a handful of games during the regular season. This jersey would likely be a replica of the one worn in 1970, the team's debut season, with the vintage stick-in-the-rink logo.
Reebok says...
As of February, Reebok listed the following teams as making no changes to any of their uniforms in 2010-11. They are: Atlanta, Boston, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Ottawa, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Vancouver. In addition, Detroit, Montreal, New Jersey and Washington are the only four teams that do not have third jerseys and do not plan on adding or changing anything.
This information is subject to change over the course of the summer and this post will continue to be updated.
Reader Comments (25)
Anaheim.... okay. There's only one thing they can do (and they probably won't do that).
I think Nashville is what I'm most interested in (as a Kings season ticket-holder, as many of y'all already know, we basically know what's gonna happen. And besides, I assume it'll be in Vancouver anyway). I like the third jersey, and don't really like the primaries. They're alright, but the piping is too distracting, and on the home, the silver trim takes away from the color of the jersey.
Okay, I guess I am kinda excited about the Kings purple jersey. Will it be a straight throwback? Or will it be a purple/gold version of their primary jersey? Either way, glad to see gold get some more ice time, as well as being able to see purple in a more prominent role.
i can't wait for the kings throwback!!! and i'm glad nashville is developing a pretty unique identity. the checkers have never really been done before, so although they might be a bit disturbing at first, i think they will grow on everyone. i know theyve grown on me.
3 blue and green uniforms is enough. bring the skate back for even if its just for one game man.
Agree with Connor Hanley, although I think it should be for good. It was their best jersey set.
With the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes to Jerry Reinsdorf, it was in the agreement that the name of the team be changed to either 'Arizona Coyotes", or 'Glendale Coyotes", as the team isn't directly in Phoenix. That being said, The Coyotes will definitely need to alter their jerseys to some degree with the name change, as their shoulder patches say 'PHX" in them, on all of their jerseys.
Food for thought, and something to keep an eye on.
I want to see a Johnny Canuck (either full body lumberjack, or even the V with the lumberjack head) jersey, with green being the primary colour. I'd buy that in a heartbeat!
I don't understand why New York doesn't go with Lady Liberty or Ottawa doesn't go for the O. Both would be great sellers (and in one case, already was!). I live in Ottawa (Canucks fan), and trust me - the only people who wear the SENS jersey are people who've received it as a gift from an uneducated family member or a bandwagon fan with money to blow. During the Sens short-lived playoff run, the campaign in the city was "All in. All red.", as no one really cares for SENS.
I don't understand Dallas' obsession with the basketball-style uniforms. Does any reader here follow the stars well enough to comment on it? Personally, I loved the green jerseys they used with their primary logo - I don't know why they'd remove the green this much.
@ JIM... Dallas wasnt allowed to use those jerseys because they "didnt fit the reebok cut"... Ugh, I hate reebok.. Everyones jerseys were so much nicer before. I think Dallas might as well go back to the jerseys they first broke into the league with back in the mid '90s. At least they had the logo on the front..
Why are the Oilers not making any changes!
@ oilcountry..... I agree with you. I cannot stand the RBK look either. It's supposed to be a Hockey jersey not a NFL,MLB or NBA jersey. Bring back the classic look of the CCM or box cut jersey. NO DIAPER effect, NO needless piping, NO needless armpit stain(Buffalo 3rds), NO pawning off BEIGE as gold(Pens uniform, atleast the REEBOK BOX CUT jersey allowed for the shiny Vegas gold and I hate the Vegas Gold for my Pens).
I don't know why Dallas doesn't just go to a green jersey with their logo on the front, and have a traditional hem stripe at the bottom. Should be a slam-dunk, no?
@91Pens92: Yeah, the Bland Gold the Pens currently wear is disappointing at best. I do have the previous jerseys (bought the black one when it was still the 3rd), and at least the gold striping on that is nice and shiny... but still, I'd much prefer a return to the classic yellow-gold. (Personally, the gold-sleeved jerseys are my favorite.)
@TP71: I seriously hope you're referring to the 90s uniforms... because, while I admit that the Flying V has some novelty appeal to it, I would not want to see that thing back on the ice in any permanent capacity. And the mustard/orange/black late-80s jerseys were only a modest improvement.
@JoelV: Nothing's been finalized yet. In fact, Bettman just came out yesterday and said there's no deadline for closing the sale as of yet. I'd be surprised if a name change comes into effect before 2011.
Of course, they could always follow the Angels' example, and be "The Phoenix Coyotes of Glendale", or "The Phoenix Coyotes of Maricopa County".
@Jim and OilCountry: Agreed on the Stars. I could forgive the vertically arched DALLAS if there were some significant design elements to the jersey itself. A jersey that's well over 90% one color (black or white - white at about 92-93%, black 94-95% by my estimate) can only be described one way - BLAND, BLAND, BLAND! The mid-90s jerseys would be better (and I've even played with that design on an Edge template).
@Rob
The Canucks did not wear mustard in the late 80s. That was yellow-gold(like what the Penguins had before as trimming). The Nashville Predators old third jerseys were mustard. While I loved the Canucks 90s white and black skate uniforms, I always loved the home yellow/away black combo. Like you said, too much black and white is far too bland. Had the Canucks kept the Stick 'n Rink or had a Vancouver Millionaires V-style logo, the 80s uniforms would have looked a whole lot better. More winning would have helped too.
No new sweaters for the Canucks? Worst news I've heard all day...
Good job by Boston and the Islanders and I'm sure the Kings will look sharp.
Quick answers for the ones we don't already know... Anaheim: I'm going to guess there's going to be some Orange in the Duck's Future... ...Boston: 50/50 chance that the WC becomes the third... ...Columbus: While I'd rather see the union army cap logo given a chance, I have a feeling this cannon logo might look like a Bluejackets version of Phoenix's third... ...Dallas: If they didn't already, they now officially have the worst home and away jerseys in the league, can we still call this team the Stars? Maybe they're trying to send the message that the players with DALLAS on their front are Hockey Stars (which they aren't)... ...LA: Hope it's true, but would it just be for Vancouver?... I'll suggest it again, perhaps a Winter Classic is coming to Vancouver. Nashville: Their third was a real improvement over their jerseys at current, I'll be glad to see the mustard go... ...NYR: The Rangers are the only team that can get away with diagonal words, and to have a "New York" third would be fitting, but it's quite unoriginal. Lady Liberty, or the Rangers Shield should get the nod in some way... ...Ottawa: Would be nice to see SENS get the boot, but the chances of it happening this year look slim now... ...Pittsburgh: I don't think the Pens Management have heard the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." For something new though, I think they should go with the striping pattern that was used for the duration of the 1980s, they did wear a navy blue version of this from 1977-1980, perhaps they're going with that... ...Toronto: A new third in a few years? Do I smell a 67 Leafs Third around the corner? Or maybe something way before that... ...Vancouver: I'd rather see the Stick in Rink and Johnny become our team's logos before any specialty jerseys come along. Otherwise my comments are the same as the ones for LA.
there just better be no silver on the leafs shoulder patch this time if they do go back to the tml logo
im going to buy me a captain phaneuf jersey once its announced. on the third of course
@OilCountry... Still though, if I were the Dallas Stars, and I just heard that my new jersey wasn't going to fit RBK's "cut", then I wouldn't think to myself "Oh well. Lets just toss the name of our city on white and black jerseys, and call it a day!" Yeah, the RBK is stuff is ridiculous, but the teams should be working within the system to come up with something that's at least not embarrassing.
As a Stars fan i wish the Stars would get rid of the DALLAS jerseys and my favorite Stars jersey right now is the one they will be making their 3rd jersey so I probably won't see it that much. I would like to see them do some kind of jersey with green and their alternate logo (the state of Texas with the star on it).
As for the rest of the teams, i'm excited to hear so many teams will be making jersey changes especially after this season where it seemed like the league and teams kinda backed off of it a little bit. Anything new for Anaheim is good, and I like Calgary's old jersey so thats good they will bring that back.
The most interesting watch for me will be the currently unannounced one - Phoenix. With the on-again, off-again nature of the ongoing negotiations - and as of today, it looks like they're off again - we could be seeing a new set altogether, if the team does end up relocating.
Could we see the return of the Winnipeg Jets? People seem to think the NHL has a contingency deal already in place with David Thomson and True North Sports and Entertainment to put the team in the MTS Centre if a deal with Glendale can't be met by July 1. If they do move back to Winnipeg, being the original franchise, I can't see them coming up with a new name. So, if they do move back, would they adopt one of their old jersey styles, or something new?
This is all hypothetical, but if we get to the last week of June and no deal looks imminent to keep the 'Yotes in the desert, it could become reality...
Well, I guess you can strike my last comment - it looks like this measure the Glendale council passed on Tuesday night will keep the team in town for at least one more year. It's pretty much a contingency to cover the NHL's estimated operating losses for 2010-11 (up to $25M) should the sale plans fall through before the 7/1 deadline.
And, apparently, neither group is completely out yet. I'm getting sick and tired of this back-and-forth leaking out of info... I'd just like them to have a total blackout until the deal's done, one way or another.
the ducks need to bring back the wild wing jersey for their third. i understand disney owns it, but with all these teams going back to a vintage look, a purple and green third would look crisp in the reebok format. they also need to retire paul kariya's jersey, but that's a different argument for a different day.
buffalo needs to be careful adopting all these new jerseys and constantly changing designs. they've changed looks so many times in the last 14 years, that people are going to become hesitant to buy a jersey.
dallas has now officially become the worst team at being an NHL team. what the crap is with this DALLAS stuff on virtually an all black canvas. bring in the green, and make it look decent. i hope gretzky and hull buy the team, and do he jerseys justice.
i hope the leafs do a third jersey in a similar style to what the marlies have as their third. it's just a much stronger variant of the blue and white. the jersey doesn't have to be just stripes.
as for teams not doing anything, i don't see why new jersey doesn't adopt the jersey they used for st patty's day as a third. same goes with detroit and their WC ones. both looked great.
naiiice!!!
Philadelphia - back in march the flyers were having buy 1 get 1 free sales on their away whites and their alternate black jerseys. It was confirmed by Peter Luukko, president of comcast, that the flyers would be using the WC jerseys as their away whites in the 2010-11 season. Having said that, there could be a chance at a new alternate jersey for the Flyers since they are doing away with their current black alternate jerseys. I would speculate another black jersey with the same designs as their current home and WC jerseys. The jerseys would be all black with an orange belt stripe at the bottom, orange stripe from wrist to should line, and a orange name plate with white lettering and white numbers.
p.s. - ducks stay away from our orange!
nucks definitely need the skate back, thirds are same but difrent logo
I would LOVE to see the sens go with the O logo on a third jersey.I don't hate but don't like the "SENS" 3rd jersey but the rest of the uniform isn't too shabby. I actually think if they used the senator shoulder patch logo on their current thirds as the main logo on the same 3rd jersey design it could work.
I also have a suggestion for the O jersey. Why not have the arrows that lead up to the dot ( on the helmet of the senator on the home and away jersey) in red with a possible white outline run down the sleeves of the jersey?
Lastly, I would like to see a green jersey with Johnny Canuck logo as a possible third if they are sticking to blue,green,and white. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the whale logo, but it just doesn't work for me with the blue,green,and white. I they switched back to the burgundy,navy,and white they had in 03-04 then that logo would work. Anyone else think so?
Nothing is worse than the Ducks setup hahaha! Why they changed from their iconic duck goalie mask is beyond me, design wise. At least they still have the knuckle puck going for them...