The Jersey Brief: ECHL Edition
Wednesday · Jan 30 · 2013 | 6:26 PM PSTEver since the return of the NHL, I've been back to ignoring the minor leagues. Sorry about that. Hopefully I can make up for some of what I've missed with this post and others to come.
Solar Bears disappoint with third jersey
I've had this one in the chamber for a little while now. But I can't ignore it anymore. The Orlando Solar Bears — of the ECHL's current top-selling jerseys — debuted their third jersey on Dec. 28 against the Florida Everblades. And it was extremely disappointing.
Photos: ©2012 Gary Bassing/OSB via Solar Bears official Facebook page
The Joe Bosack Graphic Design Co. created a wide and varied set of phenomenal logos for this team last year. And despite that, the Bears managed to create a rather boring jersey. So they play in the Sunshine State, you say? I'm all for simplicity, but it just feels like there's a big hole in the middle of this sweater. If you're interested, you can find more photos on the Solar Bears' Facebook page.
Solar Bears go pink for one night in January
While we're talking Orlando, might as well mention the Solar Bears' Pink in the Rink jerseys. That fad isn't going anywhere. The team's cancer awareness night was Jan. 19 and they were fully clad in hot pink and their familiar purple in front a crowd of 9,000-plus.
Photos: ©2013 Fernando Medina/OSB via Solar Bears official Facebook page
Those are certainly bright. But as pink jerseys go, they aren't the worst we've ever seen. Of course that contrasting nameplate thing won't die. Don't think the Bears have worn a single jersey yet that didn't have it. (Way to go, Flyers.) Of course you can find more photos on the team's Facebook page.
Wranglers to go "topless" on Over 18 Night, Feb. 4
Fresh off their Indoor Winter Classic victory, the Las Vegas Wranglers are going "topless" next week. The club known for weird and wacky theme nights will be wearing these jerseys on Monday.
Photo by IIA Photography
Since there's nothing I can think to say, I'll give you an excerpt from the press release:
“Going bottomless was simply out of the question,” said Wranglers President and Chief Operating Officer Billy Johnson. “Yuck.”
The specialty Wranglers jersey, featuring a bare chest and sculpted abs, has a Wranglers crest tattooed over the right pectoral. Adorning the shoulders are a “topless hockey” and Wranglers word mark, with light arm hair filling out the details.
“The guys have never looked to be in better shape,” said Johnson. “Nor have they appeared to be as identical.”
The Wranglers host the Colorado Eagles for "Over 18 Night" on Feb. 4. "In addition to topless hockey," the team says, "fans can enjoy mild adult humor throughout the game, including uncensored clips from well-known movies applied to game situations."
Also the numbers look absolutely illegible. Can't wait to see pictures from the game.
Stingrays set to sport pink-infused jersey on Feb. 23
Rounding out our ECHL coverage tonight are the South Carolina Stingrays, who yesterday unveiled their Pink in the Rink Night jersey. As pink jerseys go, it's surprisingly decent. Icethetics reader Sean M., who let me know about the unveiling, even called it "tasteful."
Again, as pink jerseys go, I can't say I disagree. The pink-infused sweaters will be worn by the Stingrays on Sat., Feb. 23 when the host the Greenville Road Warriors.
I understand this doesn't completely make up for my lack of minor league posts recently, so there are more to come. For one thing, the AHL's Outdoor and All-Star Classics were this month, complete with lots of neat jerseys. Stay tuned for more.
Reader Comments (20)
I actually kinda like the Solar Bears alternate. No where close to as good as their main jerseys though.
Those Orlando thirds are so close to being awesome. You're right, it looks like a big bullet hole in the middle of the sweater. Maybe if they just filled it with yellow. Love the striping and simple color scheme. Sometimes there's a really thin line between success and failure!
I think those 3rds have potential if they kept the orange and the stripes and altered the crest they would look pretty great.
I actually kind of like the solar bears unis... It would be cool if there was more colour on them, but the "bullet hole" through the sun makes an "O" shape... O for Orlando. Clever if you ask me, just not a strong enough logo for the front or such a simplistic, mainly white jersey.
i actually think those Orlando thirds are awesome. A big sunny O. and it's nice and simple and classy.
Actually pretty fond of those Solar Bears alts. It's hard for teams to pull off a single colour jersey, and I think they did a good job of it, I like the empty sun "o" on the chest.
South Carolina may have just done the best Pink jersey I've seen. They've managed to make it look like it's an actual team jersey where Pink is a team colour, instead of just dunking their whites in a pink dye vat.
I don't mind Orlando's one bit, maybe not great but not horrible either.
yeah, actually, i kind of like the solar bears 3rd. okay, maybe they aren't as cool looking as their regulars, but if the regular ones didn't exist, what would you think of these?
the logo is nice and simple. (almost classic looking, like the sen's heritage sweaters) the orange striping is great. i think the only things i would change about these would be to change the color of the number to something not orange- to make it less like a squirt jersey- and take the "orlando" off the bottom stripe on the back.
i'd buy that if i was a fan.
The absence of something in the white of the O makes it disappointing. It feels like there should be something there, like a polar bear or something. But I love the orange and white.
Wow, I saw those Orlando 3rd jerseys when they came out and thought they were some of the slickest I'd seen in a while. The minimal design is what makes them so nice, in my opinion.
i love the thirds! First time seeing them and i think they are pretty awesome
@JonathanC:
The Orlando part is one of the ads on the back of the jersey that reads "Visit Orlando." You even see it on the main and road jerseys too.
It's obviously an O for Orlando. I like it.
I would like the thirds better if they had the paw print from the shoulder patch in the "O".
JohnathanC, The "Orlando on the back striping is an ad that says "Visit Orlando". They have it on the normal home and away jersey.
Majority of the comments around me at the game when they first wore those white jerseys were all pretty negative. I like simple designs but as a fan of the original team the orange just doesn't belong. They're trying way too hard to force the orange onto the fans. The sun was the one part of the new logo that most fans didn't like and they made a jersey around it. I think they completely missed it and should have had a black or teal jersey. And something that nobody has mentioned is that the shoulder patches are that of the Minnesota Wild and Houston Aeros yet no where on the jersey does it have an Orlando Solar Bears logo or say Orlando. (The Orlando on the back says 'VisitOrlando.com' for an ad. Replica jerseys do not have that.)
I agree that the paw-in-sun logo would have been the optimal choice, but the design of the rest of the jersey is neat. Their home/away are pretty outlandish, so if you're going to make an "alternate" the different direction would be simple. However, this is the only one of their jerseys that SHOULD have the inverted nameplate, their ultra-modern home/away jerseys really don't look right with it.
Just something more on the front.
I actually love the Solar Bears 3rds. Only way to improve them that I see would be to make the pants orange. That would be awesome
15 out of the 18 comments made for the "phenomenal" Sun Bears logo were negative, whereas you now have 14 out 19 positives for their "disappointing" thirds. They are slick.
Men !!!! THIS SOLAR BEAR 3RD JERSEY IS AMAZING!!!!!!
simple, clean and freaking on the target ... with a touch of vintage with the name stripe on the back !!!