Alternate Expectations

The most important events of the off-season calendar are behind us. The Stanley Cup has been awarded. The prospects drafted. And now the biggest day of free agency is at an end with players like Mattias Ohlund, Nikolai Khabibulin, Marian Hossa, Dwayne Roloson and Marian Gaborik finding new teams.

Now more than three months away from the new season's debut in Europe, what does that leave us to look forward to this summer? New third jerseys, of course. I have to be honest and up front when I say that this post isn't so much about disseminating new information as it is creating a reference for what's to coming in the next several months.

Ever since the revival of Icethetics, I get emails every day from folks asking if a certain team will be getting a new third jersey this year. This post will contain all the information I have and any predictions or expectations I'm willing to share — presented alphabetically.

Calgary Flames. The days of the flaming horse head are clearly behind them, however that very design does indicate a willingness on the Flames' part to experiment with alternate logos. If you remember, last September I wrote about this very subject.

At that time, Flames president Ken King said the sweater design was being finalized and that there would be a departure from the Flaming C. What sort of a departure remains to be seen. He also hints that the jersey will be black, but that's no surprise considering the team already wears red and white.

King was confident fans will embrace the alternate look and I'm sure I speak for most of us here when I say I can't wait to find out.

Chicago Blackhawks. As previously reported, the 'Hawks have said their Winter Classic sweater will be used in games with roofs beginning in 2009-10 as it takes on the new role of third jersey — banishing the old black one.

For the first time, I will have absolutely nothing bad to say about a Blackhawks uniform. I'm sure many of you will appreciate that.

Colorado Avalanche. Icethetics last reported on a future Avs third jersey back in December when a Denver Post writer indicated the team's plans. The article didn't go into detail about the design, but rather expressed a hope that it would include some sort of Quebec connection. Not a bad idea now that the Avalanche are playing more like the Nordiques.

But I digress. I would expect to see a burgundy alternate much like what the Avs wore until the Age of Reebok. However, I'm not sure how well the diagonal text would work after the issues the Rangers had with the EDGE cut. And personally, I'd rather see Colorado go in a different direction. Pun.

Florida Panthers. We have little information on the Panthers, but they are expected to be one of a handful of teams to debut new thirds in the fall. I fully expect more of the same from the Cats. In other words, a red sweater with the logo that features a stick-biting panther.

If the Panthers were to try to exceed my expectations, they might try something completely different. Perhaps a new logo featuring the profile of a big cat on a red jersey with a unique design. But I think we all know not to set our goals too high.

Minnesota Wild. Green will make its glorious return! Gone for just a couple of seasons, it's my understanding that the Wild will use this opportunity to relaunch the green sweaters for their 10th anniversary season.

I imagine design will be much like the current road uniform. And despite that, I hope it doesn't overtake their red one anytime soon. Despite its ubiquitous color, it's got that classic hockey feel that we just don't get to see much of anymore.

Nashville Predators. The Preds officially announced plans to release a third sweater back in March during my leave of absence. So I'm telling you about it now. The article tells us that the old "mustard jersey" it describes as both "revered and reviled" will not be back. (Between us, I think they were playing it fast and loose with the definition of one of those words.)

Then Preds Business Ops President Ed Lang started speaking incoherently. "I don’t want to give too much away," he teases, "but ours will be kind of a mix between a traditional and a retro look." If anyone knows what that means, you know how to get in touch.

It's almost like he said it's going to be cobalt crossed with denim. Why don't we just call it "faded blue"? Speaking of which, that brings up an important question. If mustard is out, what color will this new sweater be? Grey can be done right if done carefully.

We're told to expect the debut of the new threads prior to Christmas. Hint, hint. You can even get one for free if you're willing to shell out for season tickets.

Those are the only teams who have talked officially about bringing third jerseys into the mix this year. I've said it before, but I'm really hoping the Rangers and Capitals get on board. We could use a blue Weagle sweater and Lady Liberty needs to be free again. But that's just my two cents.

However, you may recall the Detroit Red Wings recycled their Winter Classic jerseys for their final game last season against the Chicago Blackhawks. Icethetics reader Bill writes in wondering if this could be an indication from the club that they are in fact open to an alternate sweater.

I sure wouldn't mind seeing it on the ice more. The Wings have said nothing publicly about this so as always, we'll just have to play that wait-and-see game.

What's left? The New Jersey Devils, who have never worn a third jersey, the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets have announced no sweater-adding plans. The Montreal Canadiens still have a couple more 100th anniversary throwbacks to debut this season.

You are now up to date on what to expect in terms of third jerseys as we press on this summer. And of course, keep checking back for the latest news and updates.

By the way, if you haven't been by lately, check out NHLUniforms.com, which is now called the Hockey Uniform Database. It has recently been given a facelift and is cooler than ever.

Flyers at Fenway?

Flyers fan Sal wrote to me this afternoon with a slew of good questions.

I was just wondering if you've heard anything about what the Flyers were going to do this season. I've heard different grumblings that the orange retro jersey would become our home sweater and the black jersey would be used for special occasions. Does this mean the Flyers will change their away jersey to match the retro design? Also, since the Winter Classic game at Fenway Park between the Bruins and the Flyers seems to be official, what jerseys do you think the Flyers will wear?

So I sat down to do a little quick research. Looking into the Icethetics archives, I reported back in February that the Flyers would be making the third jersey swap this fall. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The orange retros will be the new standard home uniform while the blacks will take on a secondary role. As far as the road whites, I have no new information at this time that would indicate a redesign to match the throwbacks. If I were to guess, I'd say they will remain the same as last year, at least for now. But hold that thought.

That brings us to the 2010 Winter Classic. We know the Bruins are hosting it at Fenway Park, but that may only be half the story. On June 19, TSN reported that the Calgary Flames would be also be hosting an outdoor New Year's Day game, creating hockey's first open-air double-header.

The Flames' opponent remains a mystery, but that may no longer be the case for the Bruins. It's not official yet, but on Tuesday, Delaware County Daily Times beat writer Anthony J. SanFilippo wrote on his blog that the Flyers would be making the trip to Fenway Park — not the Rangers, as I would've expected.

By the way, I highly recommend a read of SanFilippo's article as he goes into detail regarding the circumstances that led to this. Apparently, the NHL wanted the Capitals so they could promote Ovechkin but NBC was unhappy with the Rangers-Capitals TV ratings during the playoffs.

So this brings up an interesting question. All four teams that have participated in Winter Classics have done so donning classic attire. With the Flyers taking their classic attire full-time this season, how will they manage to make this special occasion stand out?

Unfortunately, while I have no solid answer for you at this point since nothing is official yet anyway, remember that thought I told you to hold on to earlier? This would be the perfect opportunity for the Flyers to introduce a white version of the orange retro sweater. With the Bruins hosting, they will likely be in gold or black. And in case you missed it, I posted a great concept on Twitter, showing a uniform the Bruins could wear. (Great work by Bruins 37.)

While we're on the topic of the Winter Classic, don't forget that the Chicago Blackhawks said that last year's black third jersey will be replaced by their Winter Classic sweater. Those will be fantastic to see on the ice more than once a year. Unfortunately, there are no plans for the Red Wings to do the same.

That reminds me. At some point this week, I'm going to have a post to get everyone up to speed on which teams we're expecting third jerseys from this season. And I'll be accepting concepts for what they might look like. Who's excited?

So we've got some theorizing to do in the comments today. What will the Flyers wear to the Winter Classic? What will the Bruins wear? Who will face the Flames in Part II of WC '10? And will anyone look cooler than the Blackhawks in their third jerseys this year?

Update on Sunday · Jun 28 · 2009 | 2:05 PM PDT by Chris

Looks like I didn't do my homework on one aspect of this post and I apologize for that. Several of you have written in to point out that the TSN article suggesting there would be a second outdoor game at the 2010 Winter Classic hosted by Calgary was not set in stone. A follow-up story this past week pointed out that in fact there will be no Flames-hosted match. At least not on January 1, 2010.

The NHL's competition committee met last week to discuss the topic, saying that there may still be a second special event on New Year's Day in a Canadian city. Perhaps the Habs playing a game at Montreal's Olympic Stadium as part of their 100th anniversary celebration? Maybe against the Flames. Or Leafs?

Once again, I apologize for not being up to speed on this and I appreciate the help from those of you who wrote in to set me straight.