Classic Look on Tap for Lightning
Sunday · Jan 23 · 2011 | 11:23 AM PST
We recently learned from Reebok that the Tampa Bay Lightning will be one of a number of teams getting new uniforms in 2011. But according to a St. Petersburg Times article, maybe we should be expecting a complete rebrand!
In this morning's paper, Bolts beat writer Damian Cristodero confirmed that the team has submitted paperwork to start the ball rolling on uniform changes for the 2011-12 season.
Also today, in his Lightning Strikes blog, Cristodero revealed new details and speculation about the upcoming changes, including dropping black from the color scheme and the possibility of a new logo. But rather then paraphrasing, I'll let him tell you:
Here is what you might expect when the uniforms are unveiled, perhaps as soon as this week:
The primary colors apparently will be blue (close to what is used now with the third jersey) and white. Sounds as if the color black, which has been the team's prominent color, and the silver trim will be gone. The logo on the home jerseys is expected to be just a prominent lightning bolt without the words Tampa Bay that are used now.
The road jerseys are expected to have the lightning bolt and the words Tampa Bay, though no immediate word on how the design will look. It is believed there also will be the classic strings at the front of the collar.
It also is unclear whether the third jersey will be retained as its color is believed to be so close to that of the home, dark jersey. Anyway, sounds as if GM Steve Yzerman had a lot of input into the details or at least into the idea of trying to create a classic look that will endure for a long time.
I completely agree with that assessment. It indeed sounds as if Yzerman is trying to make the Lightning look like the Red Wings — only blue instead of red. Not that I have a problem with that. One thing the team has never had is a look that will "endure for a long time."
As a Lightning fan, I'm skeptical about the idea of dropping the black and silver. I know the Wings have gotten away with nothing more than red and white for decades, but I'm not sure a monochrome look is the best thing for the Bolts. But I trust in Stevie Y.
I know it's all conjecture, but I'm a fan of almost everything Cristodero has written. The simple design, the lace-up collar, and the idea of dumping the "BOLTS" third jersey. I'm also eager to see a crest that doesn't have any text on it for the first time in 19 years — though I'm happy for the road jersey to still say Tampa Bay (as long as we steer clear of the Stars' look).
However, what shocked me about this article is where Cristodero says that the new uniforms could be unveiled as early as this week! As we know, teams usually wait until the summer to launch new sweaters, if for no other reason than to keep selling current inventory.
And this is also worth pointing out:
Neither the NHL nor the Lightning, which last changed its logo before the 2007-08 season and added a third jersey for 2008-09, would confirm changes are coming. But it makes sense a new ownership group, with principal Jeff Vinik and minority owner and CEO Tod Leiweke, would want to rebrand the franchise.
Announcements from the team are expected soon, perhaps as early as this week, concerning business and fan initiatives and what is believed a renovation of the St. Pete Times Forum.
Sounds like things are getting exciting in Tampa! Obviously, I'll be keeping a close eye on all this. But I think I may have picked the wrong year to leave Florida.
Reader Comments (34)
I don't like the fact that they're not sticking with their original colors. I like their current color scheme. I don't see why they need to change their whole image. Look how well that worked out for Buffalo...
Thank god.
Sounds good to me. One less black jersey in the league, the better.
I really don't want to see that silver go! It's one of "THEIR" colours! At least some form of silver or grey will have to stay if they're going to keep their underarm "Championship Stripes", right?
It makes sense to display the jersey design early... IF the team makes changes based on series fan backlash, unlike Buffalo and The Slug. For instance, if the two colour approach makes the Lightning look like the Leafs, the fans are going to revolt. Thus, hopefully the powers that be would realize their error and have a chance at fixing it before the jersey goes into full production. Kind of a failsafe, if it's used properly. I'm really quite curious to see what they come up with, but I agree, black and silver should be there as well.
I'm now beginning to wonder exactly what that paperwork involves. I mean, what does the NHL need to know from its teams to approve a uniform change? Who has final sign-off? Is Bettman involved?
Never liked BOLTS on the 3rd,, but I loved the original look and have a Black Jersey ( 33 Rheaume) that I wear a few times a year
Another blue and white team ?!? Leave the Leafs alone.....geez...
They had a unique color scheme with silver and black, don't over-simplify things !
Renovating the Forum? Good call. To say that place is dated would be understatment of the century. Small concourses, cracked concrete floors, and single coat white painted brick make that place look about 30 years older than it is. What a dump.
Another team to copy the Leafs colour scheme? first Nashville, now Tampa, who's next to go blue and white?
I am also skeptical about dropping the black too.. The Black really represent the lightning better. Black = night sky to bring the lightning out of the sky.
Hmm. I think it would be a mistake to lose the black. The black, white and blue is a nice combination and it wouldn't really be recognisably Tampa Bay without the black. Similarly, the "Tampa Bay" text fits nicely with the bolt logo but without the wordmark, and a monochrome look, I fear the whole uniform would look a bit too superhero-ish. There's a danger it could resemble DC's "The Flash" but in blue at worst and a bit too Leafsy at best.
Sure, black was en vogue during the 90s expansion, but it suits the Lightning and it would be a shame to see it go. I'd rather see San Jose ditch the black from their home and roads.
One thing I do hope Tampa Bay do if they are really going for the classic look is to get rid of the front uni numbers. Don't like them on any team.
Interested to see what the reveal is though! Hope it's great.
The color scheme worked so well for Toronto....
That's right Chris - your beloved team will echo the hapless Leafs.
I think its a mistake to completely jettison black and silver. Have a look that is primarily blue and white, fine, but leave a bit of at least one of black or silver as an accent colour. Personally, I think teams in non-traditional markets should avoid trying to manufacture a "traditional" look. If Detroit, Montreal, etc... are going to stubbornly refuse to step out of the 1920s even a little, teams like Tampa should at least make an attempt to move the sport's esthetic forward. That said, I'll reserve judgment until I see it
Sounds like they're copying the colors of the maple leafs
I hope that they keep black and/or silver as trim, but I'm totally on board with making blue the prominent colour. And almost any time a team simplifies things, I'm happy.
Sounds interesting, I like the sound of a Blue and White jersey for them
I've never really cared for any of the Lightning's uniforms. Or logos. Hell, the only thing I've ever liked about their jerseys are the underarm stripes. So this is good news.
This is pretty surprising news to me. I'm not sure why they would want to eliminate the black out of their uniforms? the blue white grey black color sceme looks real good together IMO, and unique. If they take away the black and grey I think it would look too much like Toronto's unis. I was hoping they would use the current third jersey design (minus the bolts script) as the new home and roads.
As a Lightning fan since 95, I have to say that getting rid of the black is the worst idea this franchise has come up with. I dint care if it was Stevie Y or Jesus Christ, black is our team. It's our first jersey, it's at the core of everything we have ever done as a team, including winning a Stanley Cup. We were black decades before all these other black pretenders showed up (Carolina, San Jose).
To so completely destroy the integral part of this team is a travesty, and I for one fail to see how any "true" Lightning fan can think that this is a good idea. Change the crest, change the fonts, the stripes, the third jersey, that's fine with me. But don't take away our identity, don't replace with something boring and predictable.
Toronto, Islanders, Rangers, Vancouver, Edmonton, Nashville, Florida, Columbus, Buffalo are ALL a shade of blue. I mean, how much less creative can we possibly get?! Please!!! Don't take away our identity! TBL 4 life!!!
I don't like it, to be honest at least from the "rebranding" stand point. Sure it is always cool to see something new but the edge Lightning jersey's just looked bland as hell to me, specially without shoulder yokes.. (note to all NHL teams, shoulder yokes in some form or another make hockey jersey's HOCKEY JERSEY'S!!) I know you Chris would prefer a "rebranding" but like I said I don't like the sound of it especially if it goes two tone.. boring ( the wings pull it off but really that is because they never tried anything else).
Now to me what would be sweet is if they just brought back the original jersey's in all their glory! Because they had a unique look, I know Ottawa was sporting black when they came into the league but it wasn't like the color combo the "bolts" chose back then. And the white shoulder yokes were nice touch on a black jersey.
Nice to hear that they're moving away from the generic click-and-fill template look. But the Bolts got everything else right only four years ago, and I'll be disappointed to see it all go so soon, unless they can pull the new look off really well.
just blue & white?? sigh.....ladies & gent's, meet the toronto lightning........
drop the black, fine, got to keep the silver tho.
Blue is to the 2000's as Black was to the 90's.
I, like many others here it seems, am also not a fan of dropping both the black and silver. They should at least keep one of them. Of course I can't judge until I see it, but they better not copy the leafs colours or any other team for that matter.
very intersting. im not really a fan of the current lighting jerseys, but im glad to see the black go
I'm fine with the decision to promote blue, but to dump black and silver, even as trim colors? That doesn't make much sense to me. And laces? Can we please stop with the friggin' laces already, especially on teams that didn't exist when they were worn the first time around? I mean, really... the Red Wings never wore laces, not until the 2009 Winter Classic.
oh no
I may be in the minority here, but I absolutely love TB's 3rd jersey. If they slap the logo in the front sans the Tampa Bay script, that may look even more awesome. But they have to keep the black and grey going forward...that is their identity. No other team has it. I'll be really disappointed if they drop those colors to a dull monochrome color scheme.
I, for one, am glad they're getting rid of the black. I always thought the black pants and black socks made them look like they were wearing roller hockey pants. They could use black as and outline color but I'm interested to see what they look like.
Esthetically (lawl..) The current third is actually quite appealing, especially in person.
It may be hard to, but try to ignore the fact that "BOLTS" is written across and just take a look at the balance of colour.
I realize that as men we only actually see 7 colours of the spectrum, but the Bolts jersey actually has a unique shade of blue.
Deep and entrancing, offset by a bold and clean amount of white.
The best thing they can do for themselves in this rebrand is to adopt a Rangers/Islanders esque tail stripe using Black Blue and White.
damn I have to admit, the lightnings color scheme is what attracted me to the team when I was younger. Dropping the black and silver will really rewrite history.. I also like the 3rd jersey, cept I would like it alot better if it said Lightning instead of Bolts, or just have the regular logo on it... I really hope that it doesnt turn out they dont end up looking like the leafs...
So another team wearing Blue and White? Awesome....so the Panthers 3rd uni, the Jackets, the Preds...get a little creative
This is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of. Looking at the current black jerseys, no team in hockey history has had that colour combo. Also the pants are so unique to the team, and i don't see how they will be able to keep that graphic on the side with only white and blue. The team looks intimidating in the black jerseys.This is a mistake to change the teams black/blue/silver/white trademark hockey look. Especially with the laces also. I understand and like the idea of the vintage look, but when a good amount of the players on the team are older than the franchise itself, it begins too look as thought they are trying far too hard to create a vintage look , that they never had. Keep the vintage looks for the older teams, and the black and silver in Tampa Bay
I kinda thought the current 3rd Lightning jersey was the best in the league. the Bolts one.