ECHL Unveils 2013 All-Star Jerseys

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?

Icethetics Gets Another New Look

Welcome to the redesigned Icethetics.info! What do you think?

Every so often, I get tired of looking at my own blog. And I get an itch to flex my creative muscle. So every year around this time, Icethetics gets a whole new look. This year is no different in that regard. After a few weeks of toying with different ideas, I finally settled on a design I'm happy with. Hope you guys enjoy it as well.

Along with the new look comes new features to be rolled out over the coming weeks. I'm adding member accounts so that you can register and post comments without moderation and track changes to your favorite sections of Icethetics. (For example, get an email every time new concept art is posted.)

I'll be adding some all new sections to the site (details to come) and I'm also considering trying out a message board. (How long it lives will be determined by you guys.) Let me know what you think and drop me a line if you have any suggestions.

And lastly, for the sake of posterity, here's what the site looked like before today.

Gotham City Crusaders Defend Tulsa

For tonight only, the Central Hockey League's Tulsa Oilers will be rebranded. The team will assume the role of the Dark Knight on Black Friday as they become the Gotham City Crusaders. And it actually goes beyond just dressing up like Batman.

From Tulsa Oilers (Facebook page)Of course any good theme night in the minor leagues will have a fun specialty jersey to accompany it. The Oilers certainly have that covered with these bad boys (right and above).

On Black Friday, November 23rd, the Tulsa Oilers will be transformed into the Gotham City Crusaders. Dressed as heroes, this band of Crusaders will extinguish the oncoming Bloomington Blaze and rescue Gotham from disaster.

The Crusaders are asking all Gotham citizens to wear black to the BOK Center. Fans dressed as Batman or other characters will be eligible for special prizes and all kids 12 and under are admitted free with a special voucher which can be printed off on www.tulsaoilers.com or the Tulsa Oilers facebook page.

But if seeing them isn't enough and you want one of these sweaters for yourself, there's good news. The team is auctioning off the game-worn threads following the game. You can place your bids on the team's website.

By the way, I might've had more to say on the subject, but Puck Daddy's Greg Wyshynski has us fully covered. No way I could beat his write-up. He suggests other ways the Oilers could expand on this particular theme night. Definitely worth a read!

By the way, thanks to everyone who sent emails and tweets about this jersey. Always helps!

The Anaheim Aprons

As you sit here on your computer/smartphone while your mother/wife/other relative cooks Thanksgiving Dinner, take a moment to note what they're wearing to keep from wearing the food. It's probably an apron. But probably not one like this.

Yes, to anyone who has ever referred to the Reebok Edge piping as apron strings... you are hereby forever vindicated. If this isn't the worst thing ever, it's at least in the Top 10.

The photo above and many more like it can be found in a photo gallery on the Ducks' official website. They're from an Anaheim Ducks Foundation event last year in which certain players made their mark in the kitchen by preparing sushi.

Lehigh Valley & The Mustachioed Phantom

The AHL's Adirondack Phantoms will have a new name and color palette when they move back to Pennsylvania in 2014. They will be relocate to Allentown, Penn. and be known as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. And their iconic purple will be replaced by electric blue.

All of this comes from a report in the Lehigh Valley newspaper, The Morning Call. But it's no surprise. It was always intended for the Phantoms to head back south after they left Philadelphia in 2009.

Photos from ShopPhantomsArena.com (official website)

The first move came when it was announced in 2008 that their arena would be demolished to make way for a new entertainment district. The Philadelphia Phantoms temporarily relocated to Glens Falls, New York and assumed the Adirondack moniker.

After a five-year stay in upstate New York, the team will move back to Pennsylvania to start the 2014-15 season and be named the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. See? It's not all that confusing.

But wait, there's more. If we leave the future and head back to the present, we find the Phantoms will be wearing a special Movember jersey next weekend. (You know, Movember, where you grow a mustache to remind everyone that dudes get cancer too.)

We actually get two mustachioed Phantoms logos with this event. The team will actually wear this jersey on Saturday, Nov. 24. They'll be auctioned off after the game with the proceeds going to medical causes.

So, what do you think? Both about the Phantoms coming name and color change as well as these Cancer Awareness Night jerseys? Is this the next pink-in-the-rink fad? Putting mustaches on your jersey? Can I fit in one more question mark?