Blues Considering New Uniforms
St. Louis rumored to be making uniform changes
It got a little lost in the shuffle last week, but on Thursday we got the first report of potential changes to the St. Louis Blues uniforms from St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Jeremy Rutherford.
During a live chat with readers, he was asked if the Blues were among the teams considering a uniform update for next season. To which he replied:
I'm hearing whispers that there may be changes in store for the Blues' uniforms. Don't have any details whatsoever. But don't be surprised if we hear something.
It's news to me. The Blues were not on Reebok's list of teams making uniform changes for the 2013-14 season. Perhaps it's something in the works for the following year. Or maybe the Reebok list was incomplete. Who knows. Definitely keeping ear to the ground, though.
Personally I like the Blues' uniforms. If anything, I could see losing the piping for some more traditional striping and trim. You might think the obvious choice would be promoting the third jersey, but Rutherford had something surprising to say on that as well.
BigBruiser69: Heard Stillman is discussing probably scrapping 3rd logo. Any truth?
Rutherford: Haven't heard that specifically but could be true. Third logo has Dave Checketts imprints all over it. I know folks who would consider that a crime scene.
Tom Stillman bought the Blues a year ago from Checketts. What's odd about that exchange is I think many people would say that the best-looking sweater St. Louis has is their alternate. So the idea that the new owner would kill it just because it was conceived under his predecessor is silly.
I hope they keep it or some version of it. Even if they dump the Arch logo and go with the standard Blue Note. And I really hope they're not thinking of changing the Blue Note. Talk about a crime.
You have my thoughts. Let me have yours. Should the Blues change their uniforms? And if so, how?
Chris
Report: New uniforms won't happen in 2013
We now have another Blues beat writer saying that any uniform change will not happen in time for the 2013-14 season. From Andy Strickland via his blog True Hockey:
Despite the rumors the Blues have no plans of changing their uniforms next season. There are deadlines in place to make this happen which have already passed. This process takes time when you consider the production, marketing, color scheme, design, trademarks etc…
It makes sense. If the Blues were going to make changes for next season, they would've been on Reebok's list in January. Since they're not, any "whispers" are probably looking further into the future — say 2014-15 and beyond. Still something to keep an eye on anyway.
Reader Comments (30)
Like Chris I think the Blues just need to refine their jerseys. Lose the apron strings, lose the "Reebox" on the back, and bring back the waist stripes that were present before the RBK Edge makeover.
I agree their third jersey is sharp, but I'm tired of the roundel logo designs that have become so generic in the NHL. Another option is to transplant their primary logo to their thirds, and make an away version to match (the roundel logo could be a shoulder patch).
I dislike the back of the sweaters, where the blue square behind the Reebok logo intrudes into the white stripe. In general, though, I like the two-tone blue design. It's certainly much nicer than their old uniforms with the red.
Get rid of the piping and lose the navy blue. Problem solved
That is good news. I'm not a fan of their current jerseys. I sure hope they go with a design similar to their pre Reebok Edge era uniforms.
Hey Chris, out of curiosity, did you change all the bolded words on this website to green cause of the Stars' jersey unveiling you are about to go to? Speaking of the Blues, I hope that they go retro and bring back their uniforms from the early 80s. I have seen pictures of those and I must say, those are some of the most colorful, classic, sweaters I have ever seen. It would be nice to at least see the piping go and if they are going to keep the third jersey, I hope they switch the roundel for the logo.
R: Yep. All the links are green at least until I get back from Dallas. Who's excited?!
I'm excited and I must say, with the grey background on the site, this is looking like a Stars' website. (no pun intended :p) I was hoping for the Stars to go back to the early 90s black and white uniforms but with new bright green uniforms, hopefully the new look will be fantastic cause right now, I'm personally not too fond of the new logo right now but hopefully, the uniforms will change my mind. Also, I was just wondering, has anyone heard anything about the Canadiens' rumored new uniforms? They have gone completely under the radar even though we all know what would happen if they changed their uniforms completely. Finally, Chris, have a great trip!
This is long overdue. I've always considered the Reebok edge jerseys just an inferior version of their previous ones. The third jersey is pretty popular in St. Louis. I can't see them getting rid of it.
Honestly I don't think I would change anything on the home and road jerseys. I know I'm probably in the minority but I don't mind the yellow piping or the lack of waist stripes. Piping is not a good look on most teams but for some reason the Blues make it work, like it seems to flow better or something. Overall the look is sleek and simple. For the third I would just add some light blue, it looks too much like the Sabres to me with just the navy and yellow.
I think the current Blues jerseys need to be scrapped completely. The Blues and Penguins need to wake up and realize that their franchise's have some absolutely great-looking histories behind them dating back to 1967. Most teams would love an excuse to go retro or classic like those teams have an opportunity to. With some of their original looks, the Blues could potentially be one of the very best teams as far as both logos and jerseys go. The Blue Note already is among the best. It's time to update the jersey to a more deserving one for a team with a rich history and wonderful logo.
I love all their jerseys. I like that they are different. I am so tired of seeing the same concepts and the same "classic" jerseys with 3 stripes across the bottom and the arms. Seeing the Blues "piping" is the best thing about the jerseys. I hate that so many jerseys are the exact same design, just different colours. Their 3rd jersey is one of the best looking jerseys in the NHL, but I don't want to see it become the home jersey. I like seeing it only on certain occasions.
I hope that the NHL doesn't just go with the classic look of 3 stripes for every team and that there is some difference in the jerseys. Bring back the days of the Avs original jersey and the Sabres red and black. Those type of jerseys made it fun.
I am a Blues fan through and through. Would love to see them go back to the late 90's to 05-06 uniforms that we last used. I love our third, but it's just that to me, a third. Not something I'd want to see every day. The pre-edge jerseys are among some the cleanest and best jerseys of all-time in my opinion.
Get rid of the piping and add the horizontal stripes back along the bottom like this: http://nhluniforms.com/Blues/Blues14.html
However, I want them to go back to these: http://nhluniforms.com/Blues/Blues02.html
I'm with Ben M. I HATE the Edge-ized revolution, but after playing the Blues on NHL 09, I kinda like them. The piping gives the abstract echo of the Arch, so in that sense I can forgive. I also think the "Blues" are the one team that should get away with two blue tones in their design.
I also like the 3rds, so I'm curious what they might do. I think going back to something pre-90s is the only acceptable option, at least with that as the inspiration. I don't think the red incorporation had many fans. There are other teams in more desperate need of revamping.
It'd be nice to see a return to something similar 1979 to 1984 era Blues sweaters. Otherwise, the only thing I'd change about the Blues uniforms is the piping (and dropping the alternate). Maybe add a waste stripe set similar to the 1998-2007 era. None of its needed though. They're good looking uniforms.
Prior to Reebok taking over, which I consider a disaster, I thought that the Blues had the best looking uniforms in the NHL, with the possible exception of the Blackhawks. So my personal preference would be to go back to the immediate pre-Reebok design.
I like the green links. Nice look for the site.
As for the Blues jerseys, I don't mind them. They're basically their late 90's-2007 uniforms (which were really sharp) based off the Edge template. First thing they could do is get rid of the piping. I mean, it's not much of an eyesore.
For one thing, they could hop on the vintage throwback train like the Bruins, Sabres, Flames, Oilers, Islanders, Flyers, Pens, Leafs, Canucks and Caps have done since the Edge era. The Blues have quite a selection if that's the case. My guess is that they would go with their inaugural jersey design. My personal favorite is the design they had during the mid-to-late 90's, the non-symmetrical triangle design.
I'm not a fan of the navy and royal on the same jersey. It would be cool to go to their classic royal and yellow... and I really wouldn't mind seeing those red accents from the 90's either, that could make for a very unique jersey.
I actually think that the Blues have the worst jersey's in the league, so this would be welcome news. I love the Blues logo, but the edge jersey they have is so unappealing to me. They have some of the most annoying piping for one. So keep the logo ,add some horizontal lines and go with a classic Blues look.
I've bled blue for over 30 years and I love the current wave of jerseys. The first jersey I ever owned was the "Gretzky" era. If they had to make a change, I'd add inner horizontal striping on the sleeves much the way the Rivermen had the past few years. I would also have no issue with the current third being promoted as I've always wondered what a white road would be like, but they'd have to incorporate a hint of the royal blue instead of the entire ensemble being navy.
There's not a lot I love about the Blues, but I love their current uniform sets. I wouldn't mind the lighter blue on the whites turning into the dark blue, but the two-tone blue with the yellow piping is beautiful, and the thirds are also beautiful, but with that fantastic sublimated-arch version of the logo. Don't change, Blues. Don't do it.
I'm a fan of the Blues' current jersey lineup and see no need for them to change in any way! That being said I get slightly giddy when there is talk of a new logo so if thats a direction they want to go in then I'm interested!
Interesting to see what everyone else has to say about St. Louis's jersey set. Personally, one of my favorites in the league. Others on here seem to not think so, haha.
But anyway, I'm just upset about a jersey change because I JUST got the full uniform set together for ice hockey--from the socks, pro stock pants, and the home/alternate jerseys. Hopefully the change waits a year so I can get my money's worth out of my gear...aha
I've been a Blues fan as long as I can remember, so I know exactly what I do and don't want to see in a Blues jersey...
Yes:
Blue and Gold
The current logo
Shoulder Yoke with stripes
New Home and Road Uniforms
Third Jerseys to stay
Horizontal waist stripes
Royal Blue Helmets
Maybe:
Navy Blue (as a third accent color only)
No:
Piping
Red (Blues should not wear red!)
Edge template
Word script on chest
Shoulder patches
Numbers on chest
The Blues have one of the best logos in the NHL, up there with the Blackhawks, Sabres, Bruins, Red Wings, and the like. All the extras they have/have had on their sweaters like piping, horizontal stripes, etc. just distract from the simple beauty of the Blue Note. I was marvelling the other night at how great the Red Wings sweaters look without a shoulder patch. Since when did shoulder patches become a necessity? They are not.
(accidentally posted in the Panthers one, I thought it was one big post :P)
I know I'm in the minority here, but I'd really like to see a bit of red trim return to the Blues' uniforms. IMO their late 80's-early 90's look was their absolute best.
As others mentioned I'd love to see them get rid of the crappy rbk edge pipping for something more traditional and go back to the lighter blue. They better not get rid of those 3rd's b/c they're the best thirds in the league imo. New owner's gota get rid of his big ego and go with what his fans & many across the league want.
I 'm in the camp of liking the current jerseys, though it might be that I just like the colour scheme. Taking a look at the jerseys they had before Reebok, I think those are the cleanest, nicest jerseys around.
Too many teams are trying to capture the vintage look, but yeah, it sells jerseys. I started realizing that many of these teams are never going anywhere, these are forever businesses, so you toggle your look every now and again to "freshen up," and have something you can use in an outdoor game.
I love my Blues and I think they have one of the very best logo's in the NHL. Personally, I would like to see them simplify, but that's hard to do when they use 4 colors. At first I really liked the piping, but over time I have grown to really appreciate the more simple designs of the Red Wings, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, etc. The alternate jersey/logo is great, and I hope they keep it as it is. I wouldn't mind seeing them bring back the trumpet logo as a shoulder patch, though it may be counter productive to my simplification argument.
The Blue Note logo is a perfect sports logo. Just a logo; no wordmarks. Not even a letter. Looks like it belongs to an Original Six team. (Like it more than the Blackhawks logo actually. They actually need to totally change their logo; but for reasons other than aesthetics. But I won't get into that now...) As for the Blues thirds, I think they're one of the best ever since the league started the program. If it was up to me I'd keep them around for many years to come. Heck, I'd even consider making them the permanent dark jersey, while just keeping the Blue Note for the whites. Which is saying something considering my previous remarks about the Blue Note. Anyhoo...