Reversing the Curse of the Cannon
Saturday · Jan 8 · 2011 | 9:51 PM PST
One of the last stories I posted before my brief leave of absence — to move 5,000 miles from my home in Tampa — was the unveiling of the Columbus Blue Jackets third jersey. That story then proceeded to take on a life of its own while I was getting settled in Seattle.
R.J. Umberger / photo by Bill Wippert/NHLIIf you're all about superstition in sport, then this story I'm about to recount is certainly for you. It's been said the Blue Jackets were cursed by the cannon jersey. Why?
It started with the official unveiling at a mall in Columbus while the players were on the road facing the Islanders — who, by the way, were 0-11-3 in the 14 games leading up. The Jackets took a 2-1 lead into the intermission. Then the jerseys saw the light of day for the first time between periods back at the mall. It only took 51 seconds of the second period for the Isles to tie the game.
A team that hadn't won a game in over a month proceeded to force the Blue Jackets into overtime. It was a W for Columbus, but only just. Still, it put the Blue Jackets atop the Central Division. So it was back home to take on the perennial division champ, the Red Wings.
The jersey made it's debut on Nov. 26, as scheduled, as the Jackets hosted the Wings. But Columbus was edged out, 2-1, ending a five-game winning streak. Two nights later, they brought the new threads to Detroit. Lost again, 4-2.
Almost a week later, the third jersey was on the schedule again. This time, the Blue Jackets were demolished by the Sabres in Buffalo, 5-0. And the next night, back in Ohio's capital city, the Penguins handed them a 7-2 thumping.
Head coach Scott Arniel had enough of this. The cannon sweater was back on the schedule a week later, Dec. 11, when his team was hosting the Rangers. Yet they skated out in their standard-issue home attire.
Blue Jackets wear the cannon / photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLIColumbus Dispatch writer Michael Arace quoted Arniel as saying, “I just thought our red pants against their red pants would look really cool.”
Sure, coach. It wasn't the 0-4 record in the third jerseys. It was your sense of style. Still, the Jackets came away with a 3-1 victory that night. It broke a streak of seven games in which Columbus couldn't close the deal in regulation time.
On the heels of the swirling rumors that superstition was behind the last-minute change, the third jersey schedule was mysteriously removed from the team's website. But it remained on Icethetics for fans to be reminded of the team's original intentions. So we watched and waited for Dec. 18, the next third jersey date on the calendar.
Sure enough, the Blue Jackets wore the alternates against the Stars. If they had killed the jersey, it would've been bad. For one thing, there was all the publicity surrounding the unveiling. And let's not forget the boatloads of fans who bought them. But Dallas won. That made Columbus 0-5 in the new duds.
The losing streak finally came to an end on Dec. 27, when the Blue Jackets beat the Wild in a shootout. And four nights later, they closed out 2010 with an overtime win against Ottawa, all while wearing the third jersey. But they still haven't managed a regulation win in the alternate sweater.
Is the cannon jersey really cursed? If so, their next chance to break it is Jan. 14 against the Red Wings. But let's not forget this is a team that struggled all month, regardless of what uniform they wore. And the remaining dates originally scheduled for the third jersey are back on the team's website.
So, now I have to ask: Do the hockey gods have something against the cannon? Against it being the umpteenth dark blue alternate jersey in the NHL? Or is it just getting a bad reputation for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Reader Comments (14)
Sorry, I saw a fan at the Kings game, wearing the alt jersey.
Sorry...its still cursed.
Maybe the hockey gods have something against a team that's barely a decade old wearing the so-called "vintage white" because they claim it's a "traditional" element.
Wrong place wrong time. The sweaters look great. It would be unfortunate if the Jackets retired them so quickly.
The red in the logo on the helmet just make these look awkward. Yes, I believe that the hockey gods are upset about copy-cat jerseys, much like we are. Make the baby-blue red, and this becomes one of the best thirds in the league.
It's because people are confused at their own home games......which team is out there? Blue Jackets? Blues? Sabres? Lightning? Predators? Winter Classic Penguins 2.0? Panthers? Rangers? Team USA? I don't know!!! They all look the same! What happened to the unique team identities we used to enjoy?
It's just coincidence, but hockey players can be a superstitious lot, so Arniel was right to make the change against the Rangers. Some of the things hockey players do are just hilarious. Witness Crosby's November mustache that kept living all through December (don't want to break that points streak, after all), or how Patrick Roy used to always avoid skating across the blue lines on the ice. All I know is that as stupid as these things seem, if it actually lifts the confidence of the player or team, do it.
KB, here's something funny to your comment about superstitions. The Washington Capitals told Karl Alzner after his first year in main camp to cut out any on ice superstitions, and try to limit them because they felt it was damaging his confidence and thus play. It was weird when he got back to Calgary with the Hitmen when things you're used to see him doing in warm up wasn't there. It's a little odd that they'd make him change something that he feels was making him successful on the ice.
As a troper, may I suggest that the jersey is simply Too Cool To Live?
I really do not like the uni,, too close to Florida's 3rd, and I just don't know,, It's awful . Sorry,,, my take on it,,
Worst 3rd ,,, I like the old HAT logo , that was on the shoulder
I have the Original White Jersey , but haven't been too impressed with the Jackets overall look
again,, just my take on it
Wrong place, wrong time. This is a fantastic jersey that I hope becomes a permanent fixture in the National Hockey League, with a white counterpart. It sure beats the mono-chromatic abomination that they wear for their regular home games.
I think it makes more sense for the Blue Jackets to wear jerseys like these because it suits their name. I don't remeber seeing red on any union soldiers uniforms and in that way I think these are better. I think if you used something like this with the hat logo and kept the cannon it would be perfect to the Jackets.
@ Sean Reilly actually sean the artillery uniform for the union army in the civil war was a blue jacket with red lining. See here.
the artillery were blue and red, infantry blue with light blue, and calvary were blue with yellow. That said I wish the third would have taken this into account as it features a cannon and the jackets are clearly trying to make the cannon the focal point and get away from "stinger."
Don't get me wrong I bought one and love it but just throwin some knowledge out there haha.
The Jackets just beat the Wings in a shootout. I still think they should be burned, though.
@ Truebluejacket
Thank you for clearing me up on the matter. I like them too even if I'm an Oiler fan. I hope they make the playoffs this year too.