Did Canada's Olympic Jersey Leak?
Photo from Getty Images
Photo seems to show new Canadian team jersey
We may have gotten our first look at Team Canada's 2014 Olympics jersey on Thursday night. The above photo appears to show Jonathan Toews posing for a photo wearing a never-before-seen Canadian sweater. Since the United States and Russia unveiled their jerseys last week, it makes sense that Canada won't be far off.
Screen shot from Getty Images websiteThe photo was first distributed by Getty Images, described in the caption as follows.
NEWARK, NJ - SEPTEMBER 5: Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks poses for a photo shoot at the 2013 NHL Player Media Tour at the Prudential Center on September 5, 2013 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Melynda Pilon/NHLI via Getty Images)
The photo was available for some time on Friday before being taken down by Getty. I grabbed the screen shot to the right before that happened.
This alone is decent evidence we're looking at an unreleased jersey — or something that somebody didn't want the world to see yet.
But there are other indications that it's the Olympic jersey. We can match up some of the details seen previously on the American and Russian sweaters designed by Nike.
First, you have the Nike swoosh near the right shoulder. Take a closer look and you'll notice the faux laces below the collar. That's definitely a new feature of Nike hockey jerseys — and not a welcome one if you've read the many tweets and blog comments.
Add to that all that the glossy shapes around the shoulders which I would assume are maple leaves — not unlike the stars seen on the American jerseys.
I made the case earlier on Twitter that the IOC doesn't allow corporate logos (such as Hockey Canada's) on jerseys anymore and made reference to the type element on the front. Then @Univers47 reminded me that it was featured on the 2010 jerseys as well.
All the evidence — and the timing — tells us that this is probably the Canadian Olympic jersey that will be used in Sochi this winter. It's just not confirmed yet.
Still, I know that won't stop anyone from assuming it is, so feel free to sound off in the comments. What do you think of this Nike-made Canadian jersey? Specifically, how do you feel about the asymmetry of the giant white stripe found only on the left sleeve?
Chris
Hockey Canada has put out a statement regarding their Olympic jerseys. From their press release:
Hockey Canada will unveil and launch the jerseys that its men's, women's and sledge hockey teams will wear at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi on October 8.
We look forward to telling the story and innovation behind the jerseys at that time.
They will be officially unveiled on Tues., Oct. 8. Mark your calendars!
Reader Comments (74)
Are we sure this isn't a tshirt? I think Toews face explains his thoughts on it.
Good grief. Could they be any blander? They look like practice jerseys for the Swiss.
I want to murder someone at Nike. These are just awful.
THE OLD SWEATERS WERE CLASSIC.
DO LIKE SWEDEN AND STOP CHANGING YOUR DAMN JERSEYS CANADA.
meh looks blah. the Vancouver Olympic jerseys were way better. still loved the 2002 salt lake ones, those were the best. im not a fan of the hockey Canada logo anyways and I think its been way overdone. maybe the white version of this jersey will look a lot better.
Nike Olympic sponsor deal, 100,000,000 dollars. Team Canada Replica Jersey 200 dollars. The look on Johnothan Towes face, PRICELESS!
You thought that Red Wings jersey was the most simple and plain from all - well, guess again. Nike made that Team Canada jersey look more like Russia or Poland, doesn't it ? I think that Nike has been bought by some communist group to create a home sick jerseys back in days... Thank you, Vladimir Putin for your 100% behind all that!!! You can bet who's neck will wear a gold medal in Sochi, 2014. Ooooooooooooooovechkin.
meh, could be worse, I like the minimalist leaf on the front with the name underneath, reminiscent of the 1972 jerseys in a way. with the style of the US ones it seems as though NIKE is trying to create some sort of heritage type jerseys for the olympics, we'll have to wait and see, i'm sure it will grow on most people and if they win gold all will be forgiven.....one question though, what's with the minor hockey type canadian flag on the arm, like the big maple leaf on the front wasn't enough???
All of these jerseys they are making look sort of weird but I don't think I've seen any of them with pads- I feel like that will make them look more like a hockey sweater. As for the one sleeve with a stripe, I am more than okay with it but again I realy want to see the whole uniform.
This "effort" by Nike is truly horrendous! Like everyone else, I think the phony laces are brutal. They have made even some of the classic NFL jerseys look like crap with "flywire" and name and number fonts that are too large, and now these sweaters (can I even call them sweaters?) are pretty much the same. One thing, these will be real simple for the knockoff factories in China to make.
I sure hope Bauer wins the NHL contract in 2016. Since they are not a part of Nike anymore, maybe they will produce actual hockey sweaters that don't follow a silly template (Edge) or the ideas of idiot marketing people.
To me it represents the flag and touches upon heritage, in a modern tone (the one white band sleeve). One way to heighten the heritage feel and break up the geometrical feel, would be to have the bottom of the torso be white like the blackhawks jersey. This would help break the bland geometrical overall bland focal point feel of the jersey. It would add heritage but still maintain Nike modern style with limited banding and striping.
Any chance the one arm stripe and the chest stripe are in place to make this Canada's only Olympic jersey, with no alternate?
Hockey Canada's facebook page issued the following statement 35 minutes ago:
"Hockey Canada statement re: 2014 Olympic jersey
Hockey Canada will unveil and launch the jerseys that its men's, women's and sledge hockey teams will wear at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi on October 8.
We look forward to telling the story and innovation behind the jerseys at that time."
Awful. Looks like the kind of chintzy t-shirt you would find in a tourist shop, shelved next to maple leaf-shaped syrup containers and totem pole keychains.
The red is not even red-- it's more like an orange tomato bisque, and the gold outline on the leaf looks tacky and has no relation to the national colors.
The flag on the bicep ruins the cleanness of the stripe wrapping around the sleeves, and furthermore is conceptually baffling. Is it supposed to be a flag-within-a-flag? I know Jasper Johns made this work once but that was never intended to be worn by a hockey team!
It appears this jersey is the real deal...
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=431291
http://hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/olympic-jersey-statement
What a time we live in with the jerseys we've seen released over the last month or so. Mind-numbingly terrible, one and all. This looks like a prison jumpsuit. And what in the blue hell is with this fake rubbery reflective.....whatever you call what that fake lacing is made of? Looks like Nike moved their underage sweatshop workers from the production floor to the design studio. Why is almost every jersey being released in pro sports inferior to 99% of the concepts on this very site, most of which are designed by people who are just doing this for fun?
Oh. My. Fucking. God.
That's a horrible, horrible jersey.
I am disappointed in these. Canada is known for hockey and this is the best they can do??
Nike should stick to making shoes.
I just don't get the glossy maple leaves on Canada, stars on USA. Same thing with the glossy fake laces. Are they going to be playing under black lights?
The Canada flag on the sleeve, is that just one, or is it an armband repeated all the way around?
And in other Olympic espionage news : Nike stole all these designs from the speed skating and down hill skiing design teams!
So this is just one of 3?!?!?!! Hopefully it's the alternate and the other look nothing like it but stay similar to what they were, which were some of the best Olympic hockey jerseys IMO.
It is beyond me why Nike insists on puting the worlds best hockey players in these cheap looking roller hockey jerseys.
The shiny stuff on the USA and Canada jerseys is not a good trend from Nike. Looks like they're intent on ruining hockey unis the way they are with football.
Looks like something you would buy at walmart for Canada day.
I actually really like it. It has a certain serious, esoteric quality to it that I think in some odd way pays respect to Canadas singular hockey history. That being said, the fake strings are terrible, as are the gawdy maple leaves.