ECHL Unveils 2013 All-Star Jerseys
Monday · Nov 26 · 2012 | 12:58 PM PST
ECHL's 2013 All-Star Game jerseys unveiled Nov. 21
Last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving in the U.S., the ECHL unveiled the uniforms that will be worn at the 2013 ECHL All-Star Game. The jerseys were revealed at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colo. — home of the host Colorado Eagles — during the first intermission of their game against the Florida Everblades.
Game features Colorado Eagles vs. ECHL All-Stars
The ECHL is continuing with a new format introduced at the last All-Star event in 2011 (the ECHL did not hold one in 2012), where the host team faces off against the top players from across the league. If that seems a little one-sided, you're not wrong.
The Bakersfield Condors lost to the All-Stars 9-3 in 2011. Currently, the Eagles are third in their division (of four teams) with a record of 8-7-1-2 — which is to say they're mediocre. So it's not like the league's best team is taking on the all-star roster. That said, it's easier to sell All-Star Game tickets in Loveland when the locals can cheer on their own team.
Photo by John Babitz
Four jerseys designed for All-Star Week events
Reebok has designed a total of four different sweaters for the ECHL's All-Star Week festivities, one set for the big game and another for the Skills Competition. The Eagles, who normally wear black, will sport a blue jersey with a few stars around the waist. The All-Stars will wear white with the event logo on the front. All jerseys will have the ECHL's 25th anniversary logo on one shoulder.
For the Skills Competition, the Eagles jersey will have the team name written diagonally down the front. The All-Stars will wear the same white jersey but with their own team's crest on the front. And if all these jerseys feel reminiscent of the NHL's old Colorado Rockies, that's sort of the point.
Uniform designs an homage to NHL's old Colorado Rockies
From the Eagles' press release:
With the strong Colorado theme, it made sense for the jerseys to also pay homage to Colorado's rich hockey history. As such, the jerseys worn by both teams will include the main colors from the state's flag (red, blue and yellow) and are strikingly similar to the jerseys worn by the National Hockey League's former Colorado Rockies franchise, which played in Denver from 1976 through 1982 (before moving to New Jersey as the current day Devils). The ECHL's championship trophy, the Kelly Cup, was named after Patrick Kelly, who coached the Colorado Rockies in 1977-78.
If you want to get your hands on one of the jerseys, here's how:
Replicas of each, except the All-Star team Skills event jerseys, will be available exclusively at the Eagles' holiday store in the Foothills Mall in Ft. Collins, Colo. through Dec. 30. After the new year, the aforementioned jerseys will be available online. Game-worn jerseys from both events will be available via auction from The MeiGray Group; details will be announced in January.
This news came just two days before the NHL announced the cancellation of its 2013 All-Star Game in Columbus. Seeing the unique format the ECHL uses, what do you think of the NHL doing something similar in the future? What sort of format would you like to see?
Reader Comments (5)
The dedicated set for the game is so-so. It's not bad, but it's not something I'd jump up and NEED to buy for my collection.
As for an All-Star format for the NHL, I have liked how they've moved away from West v. East and have done a player-based draft. It's unlike any of the other all-star games and watching the draft is pretty fun.
That said, I know it might be a challenge, but I would really like to see the winner of the All-Star Game have to go up against the Stanley Cup champs. I think that could make for an interesting competition.
They remind me of Jokerit's jerseys. the logo is too cluttered, but overall they're pretty nice.
Love the Colorado theme! They're not amazing but as a fan born and raised in Colorado I'll definitely be buying one of these!
I would like to point out that this isn't a new format for the Eagles. When they were in the CHL, they hosted the All-Star game with this same format and they easily won that game. I know, because I was at the game. I love this format because it was actually interesting. People hear this format and assume the all-stars have the advantage. But they forget that they are up against a team that has been practicing together for a long time, they've developed chemistry. It puts talent versus team chemistry. It was more physical than the average all-star game. Basically, it plays more like a normal hockey game versus an exhibition game. I haven't watched the NHL All-Star game in a long time and I've yet to miss it. Second, these jersey's scream Colorado. The 'C' in the middle is straight from the state flag. It has the mountains on it, which is so important to the state of Colorado. For comparison, I was not impressed with the jerseys from when the Eagles hosted the all-star game for the CHL. They resembled what you get now from the NHL. These ones show of Colorado in them and that's why I love them.
The only problem with having the Stanley Cup champs playing an All-Star Team would be the fact that players leave the team over the summer. Would it be the team that won the Stanley Cup or the team franchise that won the Stanley Cup?