Did NHL14 Leak New Flames Third?

Photos from Matthew Mahoney

Video game appears to show never-before-seen jersey

Regular readers know how I feel about using video games as a legitimate source for news. It's not that EA's NHL franchise is typically inaccurate — it's not — but the frequency of errors is still a little high for my liking. (For example, they incorrectly listed the Minnesota Wild's green jersey as their home uniform this season.)

That being said, one reader stumbled upon something I'm comfortable posting here. Apparently, the Calgary Flames' new alternate sweater has been spotted in NHL14, according to Matthew Mahoney. I'll explain in a moment why I'm not immediately dismissing this. But first, another look.

Photo from Matthew Mahoney

Check out the squared off shoulder yoke. It's one of the new styles Reebok unleashed on the NHL this year. We saw it on the new road jerseys for the Wild and Hurricanes. Makes sense that one of the new thirds would feature it.

Photo from Matthew MahoneyThe crest feels a bit inspired by the Buffalo Sabres' recently retired third jersey — the royal blue one. But it's the shoulder patch that throw me a bit.

This is an artistic style outside the scope of anything we've seen from the Flames in recent years. Perhaps it shows they're moving in a new direction?

Remember five years ago?

You may recall that in September 2008, Flames president Ken King spilled to a reporter some vague details about a new third jersey in the works. 

He specifically mentioned working on a new shoulder patch. Could this be a remnant from that process? The jersey discussed in that report never saw the light of day as the Flames opted instead for a throwback sweater a year later.

It's very possible that this and other elements from the design developed five years ago carried through to this new look.

They kept the secret pretty well

One thing worth noting is that the Flames didn't breathe a word about a new sweater all summer. It only showed up in the JerseyWatch series because Reebok told retailers to be ready for it last January.

It then, of course, showed up "locked" in NHL14 when the game was released last month. So I have to assume that if it's showing up at this point, it's either a legitimate leak or it's fake.

These shots from Mahoney of the game are clearly photos taken of a screen as opposed to straight screen shots which could be more easily manipulated.

But given the sweater's appearance on the jersey selection screen and within the game itself, I'm comfortable saying I'm convinced it's the real deal. But you might be wondering how it appeared for Mahoney when most users are seeing a greyed-out jersey. Here's what he told me via Twitter earlier today.

@icethetics it was. I downloaded a roster file off the net and there it was in game.

— Matthew D. Mahoney (@MatthewDMahoney) October 5, 2013

If it's true, what do you think? Did the Flames make the right call by dropping the long-rumored black option? Is this a good look to add to the NHL?

Share your thoughts while we wait for something official from the Flames. My hunch is that the wait could be a while. Teams that don't release a new third jersey in the summer tend to hold off until right before Thanksgiving so as to maximize holiday sales. Think there will be a lot of these under Christmas trees in Calgary this year?

Hockey Talks Across Canada

Canada's seven NHL franchises are taking part in a mental health initiative throughout the month of February. Among other things, it involves the players wearing special helmet decals for select games throughout the month. Each team will host a Hockey Talks game night, led by the Vancouver Canucks back on Feb. 1.

The Toronto Maple Leafs picked up the torch the following night on Feb. 2.

Last Wednesday, it was the Montreal Canadiens doing their part on Feb. 6.

The next night, on Feb. 7, it was Hockey Talks night for the Winnipeg Jets.

The other three teams will host their Hockey Talks nights next week, beginning with the Calgary Flames on Thursday, Feb. 20.

The Edmonton Oilers follow up with their hosting duties on Feb. 21.

And finally, things wrap up in Canada's capital city on Feb. 23 when the Ottawa Senators host the Leafs for the final Hockey Talks game night of the month.

By the way, take a close look at each of these seven logos. They're not as generic as they seem. The type is all set in the same font the Vancouver Canucks use for their wordmarks and jerseys. And the hockey stick in the middle, it's from the Canucks' secondary logo.

I know this campaign has a lot to do with Rick Rypien, so it makes sense the Canucks marketing team would take the lead on designing the logos. It's just interesting to see Canucks branding incorporated into that of all the other Canadian clubs.

Not that any of that matters. This is an important issue and it still would be regardless of any silly logos. It's nice to see Canadians trying to take care of their own. We could learn a thing or two about that down here.

Worth a Thousand Words

The Icethetics-related news really tends to dry up this time of year, but I hate to let the blog dry up with it. So I'm declaring today Picture Day. Later this week, I'm planning an update to NHL JerseyWatch 2011. But for now, I'm just offering some things to look at. Feel free to add your comments at the end.

Canucks sport new practice threads at SuperSkills / Vancouver Canucks

For those that missed the Facebook post, over the weekend the Vancouver Canucks were wearing special practice jerseys at their SuperSkills competition, featuring the updated Johnny Canuck logo. It was Team Blue vs. Team Green and these sweaters made it clear that logo doesn't belong on the front. Maybe the shoulders. But definitely the helmet, where it already is on the alternate uniform.

2011 NHL Winter Classic / Pittsburgh Penguins

It's a shame I haven't posted pictures from any of the outdoor games yet. Way back on New Year's Day, we all saw the Washington Capitals defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins on their home turf. (Haha, turf.) If you've been following along with the Jersey Gallery updates, you've seen the Caps' uniform, but I haven't gotten around to the Penguins yet.

I'm torn on it, by the way. Dark blue just doesn't work for the Pens. I think I like the '08 version better. Still...

Dan Bylsma coaching at the 2011 Winter Classic / Pittsburgh Penguins

Nobody rocks a hat like Dan Bylsma. 

2011 Heritage Classic / Calgary Flames

You know what, I'm only all right with this because it was one game. But let's not do this anymore, Calgary. Let's not look like a skating advertisement for a Big Mac. It wasn't a good look a century ago and it isn't now. Even more disappointing than what the Flames wore was what Montreal wore. They're the Habs and they're classic but they've got an entire arsenal of throwback jerseys from a hundred years ago. Why not?

Miikka Kiprusoff in a cloud of snow / Calgary Flames

So many thoughts on this one: Is there supposed to be a goalie hiding in there? ... This is what I imagine to be the Canadian version of walking around with a raincloud over your head. ... If any player could just manifest a cloud of snow around himself, it would make cherry-picking a lot easier. ... Goalies are not born; they simply appear after a snowstorm. ... Should I stop now? ... Abominable goalie? ... Yes, stop? Okay.

WHL's outdoor game / Dylan Lynch

The WHL's Calgary Hitmen and Regina Pats borrowed the temporary ice rink at McMahon Stadium just prior to the Heritage Classic. And like their NHL counterparts, they sported retro-style sweaters. They're pretty much the same jerseys, just in different colors. Spooky.

Canucks' hall of sweaters / Vancouver Canucks

And we'll finish where we started — Vancouver. I'm sure Canucks fans are well aware of the sweaters hanging outside the team's locker room, so you can ignore this. For everyone else, how cool is this? From the Vancouver Millionaires on through to the orange third jersey from the '90s, they have a very rich and very colorful uniform history and it's nice to see they don't bury it and pretend it never happened.

That's all. If you've got any pictures you'd like to share, shoot me an email.

Canadian NHL Uniform Ranking

In preparation for tomorrow's Hockey Day in Canada, Icethetics has been conducting a series of polls with the goal of ranking the uniforms of the NHL's six Canadian teams. It's the very definition of a popularity contest. And with 18 sweaters and more than 75,000 votes cast, the results are in. 

Rating: 8.6 (#1) 1979/2008

Rating: 8.2 (#2) 1917Coming in at No. 1 with an 8.6 rating, the Oilers' alternate sweater, a throwback to the days when things were brighter in Edmonton — both in hue and on-ice talent. Wayne Gretzky lifted the Cup four times in those colors. Now Taylor Hall hopes to lead a new crew to glory.

The Montreal Canadiens' red home uniform was a surprising and relatively distant second place with an 8.2. But it had some stiff competition. It's a look that's existed for as long as the NHL itself has. Its place among the best in well-deserved.

Rounding out the Top 3 is another blast-from-the-past retro jersey, this one belonging to the Calgary Flames. Rated by fans an 8.1, it was initially a hold-over from the Atlanta Flames after they relocated in 1980. And though the logo changed, the sweater remained the same for 15 years until the team's look evolved with black trim.

Rating: 8.1 (#3) 1980/2009 Rating: 7.8 (#4) 1970/2010 Rating: 7.6 (#5) 2008 Rating: 7.4 (#6) 1958/2008

The first white jersey to show up in the rankings appears at No. 4 and it's another throwback! Something tells me we like our Canadian teams in retro sweaters. The Vancouver Canucks are wearing their inaugural season uniform to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

Fittingly, the Canucks also take 5th place with their alternate sweater. Toronto's alternate sweater follows close behind with a 7.4 rating. (Of course we won't be seeing Beauchemin in that jersey anymore.)

Rating: 7.1 (#7) 1992 Rating: 7.0 (#8) 1941 Rating: 6.4 (#9) 1992 Rating: 5.0 (#10) 2007

The next group includes the Maple Leafs' home and road sweaters and the Habs' road threads, making these the only two teams with all of their sweaters ranked in the Top 10. Of course it also leaves one team out of the Top 10 entirely. But we'll get to the Senators shortly.

Rating: 4.9 (#11) 2007 Rating: 4.8 (#12) 2007 Rating: 4.3 (#13) 2007 Rating: 4.2 (#14) 2007

As we start moving into the latter portion of the ranking, a couple of patterns are becoming clear. For every team but one, the alternate jersey is the most popular of the set. And the colorful home jerseys are certainly preferred over the bland road whites.

But the most noteworthy bit is that even though the Ottawa Senators have three sweaters to choose from, their most popular is 14th out of 18 in all of Canada. Perhaps a change is needed in the capital city, because Icethetics readers really do not like what they have to offer.

Rating: 3.9 (#15) 2007 Rating: 2.6 (#16) 2007 Rating: 2.4 (#17) 2007 Rating: 2.2 (#18) 2008

The final group is not a huge surprise. Many have bemoaned the "practice jersey" look of the Oilers original Reebok Edge home/road set. When the throwback won fans over, it became the home sweater. Now, rumor has it, it's getting a partner in white next fall.

And readers always suspected the Senators had a terrible alternate uniform. Now we have the data to back that up. That 2.2/10 rating is an abomination. But it's also supposedly getting replaced for 2011-12.

I found there were a few more numbers to crunch. For instance, what if you average each team's jerseys? How does each team rank overall?

Unsurprisingly, the Habs averaged out at a 7.6, a decisive top finish. The Leafs were second-best with a 6.9 average uniform rating while the Canucks trailed behind with a 6.3.

The Flames' three sweaters work out to a 5.7 overall rating forcing the Oilers to second-worst in Canada with a 4.5, despite having the best individual jersey. Those other two really hurt them. Obviously the Sens sit at the bottom of the group with a meager 3.4 average.

Alternate and specialty jerseys averaged out at 5.9/10. Home sweaters were clearly the most popular with a 6.3 average compared to those road whites with just a 4.8. And the good news is that overall, fans like more than half of all Canadian NHL uniforms.

By the way, for as much as some readers complain about all the blue in the league, these results speak for themselves. Ten of the top 11 Canadian NHL sweaters have blue in them. What's your take on the results?

Update on Friday · Feb 11 · 2011 | 10:58 AM PST by Chris

Just added a new detail to the sweater stats above. In the caption of each photo you'll find the year the jersey was introduced into the NHL (followed by the year it was revived, if applicable). When you look at it that way, all of the bottom 9 uniforms are from the Reebok Edge era (2007). The Canucks' alternate is among the top group but even though it's relatively new, it's inspired by the look of the 1970s. Coincidence?

The Best Sweaters in Canada

Hockey Day in Canada. It's the day on the NHL calendar when the six Canadian teams go head-to-head with each other. It's Saturday, Feb. 12 and it means wall to wall hockey coverage on CBC. I'll be tuning in.

This year the event is being hosted in Whitehorse, Yukon and on Friday, Feb. 11, I'll be talking to the local CBC radio station about the state of hockey uniforms — including those of the Canadian clubs. So the question is, which team has the best sweaters? One way to find out. Your vote.

The polls below will remain open until Thursday night and on Friday, the results will be revealed here on Icethetics.info and on CBC Radio in Whitehorse.

Scroll down, and cast your vote for each uniform. You can rate them 1, 5 or 10. At the end of the week, all 18 sweaters will have an average score to determine how they rank. Happy voting!

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