Maple Leafs Unveil New Jerseys!
Monday · Jun 14 · 2010 | 12:18 PM PDT
Leafs unveil new 2010-11 sweatersThe Toronto Maple Leafs officially unveiled their redesigned 2010-11 sweaters this afternoon while at the same time introducing Dion Phaneuf as their new captain.
As rumored, the new sweaters feature dual stripes around the sleeves and waist, laced collars, and a shoulder patch resurrected 10 years after it was retired.
A release on the Leafs' website talks a little about the changes that have been made:
“Our fans have been quite vocal since 2007. They have wanted the stripes and shoulder patch back on the sweater,” said Tom Anselmi, executive vice-president and chief operating officer for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “We listened to them, and we hope they are as excited about the new, classic look as we are.”
Glad to see they were listening.
The Maple Leafs will debut the uniform beginning with the first preseason game September 21 in Toronto against the Ottawa Senators. The team’s nostalgic white ‘Third Sweater’ that debuted in 1998-99 will stay the same in 2010-11.
This is the first modification to the Toronto Maple Leafs uniform since the beginning of the 2007-08 season and fans will recognize the new changes based on past uniform lineage. The two stripes on the arm and the 11-point front crest, implemented at the start of the 1970-71 season, remains unchanged on the sweater.
The team has brought back the two horizontal stripes around the waist which have been absent for the past three seasons. The ‘classic style’ veined Leaf logo (with no interior lettering) will return on the sweater as a shoulder patch as it did from 1992 to 2000.
In addition, a string lace collar on their home and road sweaters will replace the V-shaped collar. The lettering and numbers of the sweaters will also be single layered again, without an outside trim.
Currently the photo of the jerseys above is the only one that has been released by the team via its website. When more become available, I'll provide links.
In the meantime, initial thoughts? I know we like it better than the 2007 catastrophe, but it is everything we were hoping for?
Reader Comments (45)
Maybe it's just me, but the primary logo looks kind of small.
As a Leafs fan, I'm actually excited to buy my first new Leafs jersey since they switched over to the Reebok style.
The piping looks good, but I think the best thing they did was add the lace-up neckline and leaf shoulder patches.
I actually liked how clean the jerseys looked before. However, I can't get mad at an original 6 going traditional.
was watching the presser on the leafs' website, and it looks TREMENDOUS on the players. Really nice. The blue one pops. The white is improved. I'm not crazy about white laces on a white jersey. Would blue laces be so wrong? But solid, solid job.
Meh... I hate the Leafs so it's hard to not be biased... still, I think they're cool uniforms. Really not the best of the league (Sharks, Wild's 3rd, Blues etc.) but among the Leafs' best.
not bad - i would still love to see the old sixties logo rise again. love the third jersey - should make it the away, with a matching blue for the home.
In a perfect world it would be the 32 point leaf on the home and away jerseys. Overall I was happy with the design, they don't look like practice jerseys anymore. The outlined numbers are gone, block lettering, and the shoulder crest is back. Interesting that they brought back the white collar. I thought that the collar string wouldn't look good but it's growing on me a bit.
It's better, but of course I've voiced my opinion on their jerseys before.
I still think these jerseys are far too plain. Look more like practice jerseys, not like something you'd see from one of the oldest franchises in the greatest hockey league in the world.
I could do without the white collar on the home blue jersey, and the stripes on the cuff feel out of place, but it's nice to see the uniforms finally look complete with the rest of the striping.
I think the Leafs should dump the current logo and use the classic leaf logo pre Harold Ballard. The current logo has never seen a Maple Leaf win a Stanley Cup and just remind us of a terrible eriod in Leafs History. Bring back the veined Leaf full time
They look much better than the old Reebok ones. I actually like the white collar on the blue jersey. Now lets hope the Sabres return to their roots as well!
I love them. Period.
@aaron12 - i assume u meant the 35-point leaf from '38-'67? i totally agree though...
Beautiful! Perfect! To me the only way it would have been better is if the Leafs used their 3rd's as the primary jersey. This is what a hockey sweater should look like, hint hint to my Edmonton Oilers, who still can't seem to take a hint. Way to go Toronto!
Wow! I love them!
To be honest, I really liked the simplicity fo the previous jerseys but these classic threads really look nice. I watched the presser too and they look really nice on Dion Phaneuf (CAPTAIN!!).
At first, I was aprehensive about losing the block lettering which I liked, but the numbers look great and have a vintage feel to them which is always good.
GO LEAFS GO!
I'm reminded of the saying: "You can put make up on a pig but it's still a pig". Isn't this what we have here when we're talking about new "make up" for the Leafs? LOL. Actually still very much prefer the thirds.
I am not a Leafs fan but I am glad they went back to this classic style. They should never have gotten rid of the stripes and changed the leaf shoulder logo.
Personally, I would like them to use a white road and blue home variant of the 3rd jersey as their primary set, that would look 10 times better.
Better... but still not the best. Shouldn't have the shoulder patches and should have the 32 point leaf on the chest. But that's just my opinion (and the opinion of countless others).
Return to perfection:
Added the bottom hem striping back.
Added a much needed shoulder patch without using the lame TML.
New number font is nice and simple.
I love it.
Happy to see the years of the sacrilegious blue unitard/pajama/practice jerseys become a footnote in the great 2007 Reebok desecration of hockey that was the reebok edge redesign.
couldn't be happier can't believe we went back to a white collar on the blue jersey but it looks great, i 'm kind of partial to the blue for the first time . they look old school but still clean. that looks like a hockey jersey.
here is a link for the new 2011 ea hockey game, take a close look at phaneuf in it, he wearing something new
Logo looks a bit small. I prefer the outlined numbers and don't like the laces. Am I the only one that thinks the laces are pointless?
as a sabres fan i have to say they suck...as a hockey fan i have to say they look pretty good...nice traditional look to them...at least the leafs wont look like crap when the sabres kick their asses again this year lol :)
Looks great. The only way it could be improved upon would be to use the old-school leaf found on the thirds. At least it is present in some form as the shoulder patch. A vast improvement.
The funniest thing was reading that a sportswriter said that the previous TML shoulder logo "looks like something that Charles Manson would carve into his forehead".
I hear the Sabres are changing their jerseys this year... maybe the Leafs could adopt the Slug.
Just Kidding.
Well it looks as though RBK redeemed themselves from the embarassment that were the practice - erm game sweaters...I really like the off color collar, and extra subtle striping on the cuff of the sleeves...Was hoping they'd go back to their 3rd jersey design as their primary home/away - however what they'll have for this upcoming season is a significant improvement.
Why this team won't go with the older logo full time (You know, the one they wore when they actually won the cup) is beyond me. Their current logo is the most boring one in hockey and represents decades of failure.
There should be a chart showing how many RBKized jerseys have bitten the dust and how many are left.0
I like the changes, IMO these are a big improvement over the jerseys they've been wearing for the last three seasons. What hasn't been mentioned is the fact that the home jersey's collar is now white unlike the previous '90's era and the pre Reebok Edge era versions, which I think make the home jersey look much sharper.
i heard the reason that they dont go with the old logo all the time is because they dont even own it in that it is the property of the Smythe family and they pay for a fee for use of that logo on any merch of theirs that they use or sell
I must admit they look pretty sharp. The stripes on the bottom make the jerseys look more complete. I love that new "veined leaf" secondary logo. Its much nicer than the one they used from 1993-2000. The only thing I don't like is the laced up collars. Laced up collars should have stayed back in the 1970s where they belong.
I still wish the Leafs would go back to a veined leaf logo as a primary logo and ditch those simplified ones from the Harold Ballard era.
A welcomed change but they should go further into the past and use the 60's uniforms.
The reason MLSE won't go with the third jersey logo full time is because it would defeat the need for having a third jersey, resulting in less jersey sales. What would they use as a third jersey? The current, primary sweaters? If you really want them to go back to the old fashioned logo design, stop purchasing these lame jerseys they introduce every few years. As long as MLSE runs the show the Leafs will never use the thirds on a permanent basis. What I suggested to them was to use the 70s/80s style jerseys with the single horizontal and vertical stripe but with the old veined Leaf crest. Of course that will never happen.
Looks like they finally got it right (as far as Maple Leaf jerseys go...)
Looks good, I really like the contrast outline at the very end of the sleeve..the cuff...that is a nice piece for the fans wearing jerseys..that cuff will probably be tucked in the glove of the players..but for the guy on the street..even more color and striping..Nice
Ever since the great Reebok Edge Disaster of 2007 began, the following teams have either permanently or semi-permanently gone back to horizontal striping.
Buffalo Sabres - going full horizontal in 10-11
Calgary Flames - brought back a horizontal retro 3rd in 09-10
Edmonton Oilers - brought back a horizontal retro 3rd 08-09 and made it a most of the time primary home sweater in 09-10
Florida Panthers - added a horizontal 3rd jersey in 09-10
Minnesota Wild - added a horizontal 3rd jersey in 09-10
Nashville Predators - added a horizontal 3rd jersey in 09-10
New York Islanders - added a horizontal retro 3rd jersey in 08-09 and made it the primary home sweater in 09-10, will go permanent retro horizontal in 10-11
Philadelphia Flyers - added a horizontal retro 3rd jersey in 08-09 and made it the primary home sweater in 09-10, will go permanent retro horizontal in 10-11
Pittsburgh Penguins - added a horizontal powder blue retro in 08-09 for the Winter Classic and kept it as a 3rd jersey
St. Louis Blues - added a horizontal 3rd jersey in 08-09
Tampa Bay Lightning - added a horizontal 3rd jersey in 08-09
Toronto Maple Leafs - going permanent horizontal in 10-11
Hopefully more teams will follow suit in the very near future.
The Leafs should use their original 35 point logo from the thirties full time. It's totally different from the 1964-67 logo. Then they can use their 1964 logo for a throwback OR use one of their jerseys with all the extra stripes.
The Ballard leaf is stuck in time and needs to go.
Well... Gotta say I'm underwhelmed with this sweater. Less was more from a design POV, not perfect, but it was something different. These changes are simply a step backward. To me, they reflect an organization that lacks fresh thought and policy. I get the original 6 angle, but this is not innovative, this should/could be their 3rd.
If you are looking forward to getting yourself a "new" Leaf sweater ... save yourself $125 and dust off your old Sundin/Mogilny/Tucker/Roberts sweater.
As a realistic Leaf fan, I hope Burke has something more progressive than this instore for the Draft and/or FA season on July 1st !
The one Armstrong was wearing at the presser was the best one of the bunch. Clark's jersey would make for a good alternate that would adapt well to the RBK Edge.
I think I would like to see the white jerseys have blue necklaces...
I think that these jerseys belong in a museum, cant wait till October
Great.
i love these jerseys theyre really new looking but they are still classic and keep the same leafs look. the lace up collar and the opposite colors on the collars and wrists give the jersey so much character, especially coming from the plain blue and white jerseys from the last few years
Very sharp. The white collar on the home sweater is a nice touch. And removing the outline on the numbers and changing the player name font looks SO much better and cleaner.
Now all they have to do is use the current alternate as the road sweater, and have the old Toronto Arenas logo (Big T) as the alternate.
That'd be boss.
The stripes are a vast improvement. And I like the classic-leaf shoulder patches. Still not a fan of laces, personally, but one can always yank 'em out, just like Bobby Orr eventually did back in the day.
... I just realized exactly WHY the curved-bottom Edge jerseys have always bothered me, especially when there aren't any stripes along the bottom - they remind me of the bland uniforms from Star Trek: The Motion Picture!
Steve is right, they'll never go back to the "classic" 1950s logo full-time because there's too much money to be made in third jersey sales. Plus, the modern Leaf logo is exactly the kind of bland corporate look that the suits of MLSE adore on letterhead.
My ideal Leaf jersey would be like the new blue one, but replace the two thin white strips with a thin-thick-thin triple stripe like those on the socks (see the '67 jersey for an example of what I mean), and using the 1958-1966 version of the logo. Of course, I know we'll never see it...
wow.....what a let down hahaha kinda looks old and stale!!!like the team!! but if your team sucks, why look good eh????hahahaha