When Hockey Sweaters Go Green
Sunday · Mar 17 · 2013 | 3:32 AM PDTIt's a time for green beer and greener hockey jerseys. Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! The only way I can think to celebrate here on Icethetics is by sharing the many green warm-up jerseys being worn around the NHL this weekend. Enjoy!
First up — alphabetically — are the Boston Bruins. On Saturday night, ahead of their game against the Capitals, the Bs skated out for warm-ups sporting a color far from their existing palette.
Photos from Boston Bruins via social media
The team shared a number of photos of these green jerseys online today. A shot of the uniforms hanging in the locker room showed up on Instagram along with another of Shawn Thornton on ice. Then on Twitter, they shared a shot of Dougie Hamilton inspecting his own green threads.
Photos from Boston Bruins official website
UPDATE (3/17): Following last night's game, the Bs added a handful of action shots on their website.
The Columbus Blue Jackets couldn't keep their Irish-themed jerseys off of social media. The team suited up in green ahead of their scoreless affair with the Coyotes on Saturday.
Photos by Alison Pegg via Twitter
Team publicist Alison Pegg was perhaps the most prolific sharer of photos, including these shots of the sweaters from the locker room and auction table. She even offered up a moving picture through Vine. Of course green was not absent from the official Twitter account of the Blue Jackets.
And Icethetics reader Dan Caron even shared some of his own photos with us on Twitter. Needless to say, Columbus' St. Patrick's Day jersey was well-covered on social media.
The Dallas Stars were entertaining as ever with their St. Patty's jerseys on Saturday night. No surnames needed. Just add some Ireland-inspired nicknames to the backs of these bad boys.
Photos from Dallas Stars via Facebook
The Stars posted a picture of every player's jersey on their Facebook page. I pulled a couple of my personal favorites to post above — "McJagger" for Jaromir Jagr and "O'Romeo" for Aaron Rome. They're up for auction starting today if you find yourself in need of one.
The Edmonton Oilers are hosting the Predators tonight and may be among those teams donning green duds during warm-ups this weekend. On Instagram, the club posted a shot of a St. Patrick's Day prize pack which includes a green Oilers practice jersey. They also shared pictures of more St. Patty's-themed team merchandise on Twitter.
Conspicuous on this St. Patrick's Day was the noticeable absence of a recent tradition of the New Jersey Devils. Since 2010, the Devils have sported a throwback jersey which featured their original colors — red and green — every year for a home game on or near St. Patrick's Day. But not this year. And they were home hosting the Canadiens last night and everything. Would've been a perfect game for it.
Beating everyone to the St. Patrick's Day punch were the New York Islanders, who celebrated in green last weekend, when they hosted the Capitals on March 9.
Photo from New York Islanders official website
The Isles posted another great photo on their Facebook page after the game last night.
Photo from New York Islanders via Facebook
The jerseys were auctioned online leading up the big game.
Photo from Ottawa Senators via Instagram
UPDATE (3/17): The Ottawa Senators also joined the St. Patty's Day celebrations with the above photo posted on Instagram this morning. I presume they'll be wearing them during warm-ups today prior to their game later against the Jets.
Photos from Ottawa Senators official website
The Sens posted a couple of photos of the players skating in green on their website.
Later today, the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Bruins. But before they do, the players will skate a little while wearing the green practice jerseys seen below.
Photos from Pittsburgh Penguins
According to the team: "The unique warm-up jerseys feature a green skating Penguin crest with Celtic lettering and numbering — and shamrocks on each shoulder." They will be put up for online auction beginning Friday.
Photos from Pittsburgh Penguins official website
UPDATE (3/17): This morning, the Penguins shared some more shots of the green on Instagram. There's one in the locker room and another of Craig Adams on the ice. Later, they posted a few more in the game's photo gallery.
UPDATE (3/17): The San Jose Sharks have been celebrating the Irish all week. The Sharks Foundation has been coordinating auctions of these green jerseys on March 9 and 14.
Photos from San Jose Sharks via Twitter and Facebook
Just today, the team tweeted a shot of the players wearing green at a recent morning skate. They've been a bit more prolific on Facebook with close-ups of the backs of these special sweaters, showing Patrick Marleau as well as Douglas Murray and others. (Thanks to @puckguy14 for the help!)
The Tampa Bay Lightning also joined the ranks of St. Patrick's Day teams on Saturday night by warming up in green before taking on the Hurricanes. The team did share some photos with us as well.
The Bolts posted some close-up photos on Instagram and a shot of the full locker room decked out in green gear on Twitter. There are several photos of players wearing the sweaters on the team's website.
Photos from Tampa Bay Lightning official website
Thanks to everyone who pitched in with links on Twitter yesterday! Let me know if you've spotted any teams I've missed and I'll be sure to add them. I'm also working on a separate post to highlight St. Patrick's Day jerseys around the minor leagues.
UPDATE (3/17): Also joining the St. Patty's Day fray were the Washington Capitals, who hit the ice in green tonight prior to defeating the Buffalo Sabres in the nation's capital.
Photos from Washington Capitals
Earlier tonight, the team tweeted a shot of a couple of jerseys hanging up in the locker room. Later, all of the green sweaters were on display at the arena so they could be auctioned off. And for more photos, check out the game's photo gallery.
Reader Comments (10)
Cracks me up when I see the green St. Patricks day t-shirts that feature a players number along with their name: O'Crosby, O'Malkin, O'Fleury, O'Kennedy...wait what.... O'Kennedy!! I'm 100% Irish and I'm positive that Kennedy is an Irish name. What if Owen Nolan still played, Nolan is a Irish name. Owen was born in BELFAST IRELAND (raised in Canada), so the NHL would feel the need to put O'Nolan on a t-shirt? Seems the NHL is trying just a wee bit too hard!!
Good job documenting all those green jerseys. The info on pre game jerseys is sometimes spotty at best and quickly forgotten shortly after the event many times. Nice work.
Why do all of the teams have gray panels and collars instead of white panels and collars? Surely it must be a manufacturing issue, right? They're terribly ugly.
What is going on with sleeve numbers on the Penguins jersey? The Crosby on looks like it has an 8 on one sleeve and a 7 on the other, but the other shows both numbers on one sleeve.
I hate the B's but those green jersey's with the white shamrock on the shoulders looks fantastic! Also I love the Gaelic font on the back of the Sharks' jerseys. I agree though the O' and Mc in front of surnames is poor taste.
Sure it might be a bit tacky, but I'd kill for a jersey with "McLovin" in the back.
You should see the Oilers' t-shirts.. The put more humourous and creativity to their 3 stars players' surname... Better than just putting the Os and Mcs on the front.. O'Ebs, O'Nuge , and O'Hallsy
The Capitals warm ups have to be the worst one of all.... It's just a green practice jersey, nothing else... No names, numbers, or anything related to St. Patricks Day... It look like they whip this up at the last minute and join in the fray.
The Sharks' backside look awesome. On the front....not so much, look like a heat pressed logo.
Tampa Bay wearing the warm ups, reminded me of the Canucks... The Canucks should make a 3rd jersey in green with a Johnny V logo on the front.
Someone (Alex) doesn't catch the puns on the Stars jerseys?
Ie: MCJAGGER = Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones
O'ROMEO = where art thou? Shakespeare.
I would like to see the others, I think it is quite clever.
91Pens92, a couple of years a go the NHL made up a green Rangers t-shirt for Ryan Callahan, and put "O'Callahan" on the back. Callahan is already an Irish surname. It doesn't need an "O" in front of it.
The best reason us Devils fans can come up with for the lack of retro jerseys for the Devils is that GM Lou put the can on them with the past 2 losses while donning them. He hasn't even let anyone wear #13 in the team's history either. The only other reasoning that might've put a halt to the retro uniforms is that they didn't want to take away from the honoring ceremony they had for the team's long time goaltending coach, Jacques Caron.