More Talk of Changes for Cats, Sens

In the days following the inaugural JerseyWatch 2011 post, a couple of mainstream media outlets have picked up on NHL uniforms changes set for 2011. And they're providing some new details for us.

George Richards of the Miami Herald says he's also heard red is returning to the Florida Panthers. He was prompted by the Icethetics post to share on his blog, On Frozen Pond, some of what he's heard from the players and team officials.

I wrote, regarding the Panthers forthcoming new home and road uniforms, that all we have is speculation. "You want speculation?" Richards wrote, "You got it!"

Panthers 2003-2007 / On Frozen PondSo since he was kind enough to quote me, I'll quote him so you can have a perspective from someone who covers the team:

At least five players have said they had heard the reds were coming back. Bill Torrey, Dale Tallon and Mike Santos have all alluded to their return. 

This is a big turnaround from the summer when it appeared that everything was going to the Michael Yormark-favored JetBlue uniforms.

So what are the Panthers going to do? Again, it's just speculation. But I wouldn't be surprised to see the Panthers keep their traditional color scheme for home and away — with a new logo, or just a modified one — with the third jerseys sticking around for Chevy/Ford/Pontiac Fridays.

And I think everyone could live with that.

Although ... Was talking with some friends last night as we watched the replay of the Atlanta game and the Panthers current dark blue home jerseys have finally worn on me. I dig them. I liked the blue alternate when they came out in the late 1990s and I think it's a good look today.

I wouldn't mind the Panthers going to white-dark blue-red as their three jersey combos and dropping the Tampa Bay JetBlue Rays look completely.

But I don't see that happening.

Nor do I. And look, we're not going to win every jersey battle. Sometimes we'll take what we can get. And if it means getting the Panthers back in red, we'll take it.

As long as they stay at the bottom of the Southeast Division.

The Ottawa Sun is reporting, independently, that the Ottawa Senators will indeed have a new look next season.

They say the Sens will launch a new third jersey as part of their 20th anniversary celebration, which will include hosting duties for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game. I hadn't considered that in my original post but it does make sense.

This was the paper's only speculation on the design:

While their alternative black third jersey has been a success, they might be looking at a design that includes a stylized 'O.'

They don't specify the basis for this speculation but, to be fair, this is a widely held assumption.

And by the way, if the Sens are turning 20, that means the Lightning are too. Perhaps the new home and road jerseys expected in Tampa have to do with the special anniversary as well. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough what both teams plan to take into their third decades of NHL hockey.

And on an unrelated note, I've just come to the realization that I've been following my Bolts for more than 18 years now. When did I get old exactly?

All-Star Team Captains Named

All-Star team captains named / NHL.comWe can stop referring to the 2011 NHL All-Star Game opponents as Team Red and Team Blue. This morning, the league revealed the two team captains.

Eric Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom were selected by a vote of the 42 players named to this year's All-Star roster. Team Staal will wear red and Team Lidstrom will sport blue.

I'm not questioning the validity of the vote, but it does seem rather convenient that one of the captains plays for the host team, and as a pair, we have one from the East and one from the West.

To be fair, hockey players seem like a magnanimous bunch when it comes to things like this, so I could see them picking the hometown hero. And Lidstrom, well, he's an 11-time All-Star on his own. No question.

It is refreshing to see that Crosby (unless his injury keeps him out) and Ovechkin will be standing behind the fence waiting to be picked, and — perish the thought — not the center of attention. But it just goes to show who's popular among the players.

So how do you see the Fantasy Draft playing out? Does Staal take the North Americans while Lidstrom goes with the Europeans and Russians? Do they each get a Sedin twin? Do they snub their rivals?

An All-Star cover-up / Uni WatchWhile you ponder that, here's something else. Uni Watch posted a photo yesterday that clearly shows the decision to reformat the All-Star Game was made after the jerseys had already been designed — and produced for that matter.

As you can see, this All-Star jersey (left) on display at the NHL store in New York City is covering up a little secret.

The blue jerseys were originally going to be worn by the Western Conference team. Red would've been worn by the East, of course. And each conference would've gotten a brand new All-Star logo, as this does not match what was used in 2009, 2008 or 2007.

My guess is that the rest of the jersey design remained the same — the NHL shield as the crest and all — while the conference would've been identified only on the back beneath the number. I'm sure it would've looked just fine, but I'm glad they chose to reformat the game.

Regardless, it looks like Staal and Lidstrom ended up in the right sweaters anyway. Now the question is, who will join them? We find out on Friday, Jan. 28.

Update on Monday · Jan 24 · 2011 | 12:16 PM PST by Chris

via NHL.comLooks like the NHL's graphics guys have been busy Photoshopping player's heads onto jerseys they haven't yet worn.

Just saw this image (right) on the the All-Star page of NHL.com and thought some of you might find it amusing. It shows recently announced captains Eric Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom "wearing" their All-Star Game sweaters.

Clearly, the jerseys are the same photos that were released earlier this month. If you don't believe me, take a closer look at the creases and folds compared to the images posted here.

It's no big deal and it makes sense from a marketing standpoint to give us something visual to tie these players to the teams they'll be drafting. It's not worthy of its own blog post but I did think it was funny. I'll be pulling for Team Lidstrom, what with Marty St. Louis being named an alternate captain. Hope he lobbies hard to get Stamkos picked first overall!

Predators Peering Into the Future?

Predators "limited edition" jersey / from Seth WrightIt seems Nashville Predators fans at tonight's game may have been treated to a preview of a possible new sweater.

Teams hold special auctions and giveaways at games all the time. But Icethetics reader Seth W. wrote in to let us know about one in Nashville that involved a rather unique prize. He sent this photo (right) along with the following note:

I'm a graphic designer from McMinnville, TN and a Nashville Predators fan and season ticket holder and also a big fan of your blog. Your blog combines two of my biggest obsessions: design and hockey. Thanks for all you do.

At tonight's Predators-Blackhawks game, they had this jersey on display at the silent auction table where they auction off memorabilia for charity. The card next to this jersey identified it as a "limited edition" jersey that will be auctioned off for the Predators Foundation.

It seemed to match up with all the speculation I have read on your site about what the rumored new Preds road jerseys will look like next year. That's all I know about it. Hopefully you can shed some light on it for me.

First of all, as you can see, it's exactly what was rumored through most of the JerseyWatch 2010 updates. We believed the Predators were adding this design to their arsenal all the way up until September. Even The Hockey News was unaware of the last-minute change.

In case you weren't following along, here's the gist: Last year, the Predators were planning to ditch their current home and road sweaters, promote the new third jersey to home and add a white version for the road. It seems at some point over the summer, these plans were nixed.

To see the jersey now being auctioned off means it clearly moved beyond the prototype phase. So what do you do with a product that won't see action this year? Sell it to the highest bidder, of course, as a "limited edition" item. Not only that, but it serves as a convenient way to get feedback from the fans.

Jersey koozie / from PredatorsBy the way, this is unrelated to the auction jersey, but it is timely. Tonight the Predators tweeted a photo of a jersey koozie they were giving away at the game. What I wouldn't give to have a Lightning one like that.

Anyway, my impression is that last year's sweater-swapping plan will be revisited and this jersey will hit the ice to open the 2011-12 season. I think the Predators have been looking to lose the current look for a while, in favor of simplified logos and sweaters.

Things probably didn't materialize properly to get the jerseys out this season. If I had to guess, I'd say the league wasn't happy with a third jersey being promoted that quickly. It would've been an awfully fast turnaround.

We'll see where it goes when summer rolls around, but I think it's a good sign to see fans now getting a look at the jersey at least. And hey, if it's not a popular design, maybe they'll go another route. What's your theory and do you like this white jersey better their current one?

B-Sens Sport Ottawa Throwbacks

B-Sens throwbacks / photo by Just Sports PhotographyThe AHL's Binghamton Senators hit the ice last week looking about 100 years old — at least as far as their uniforms went.

On Saturday, the B-Sens wore striped specialty jerseys that paid tribute to the original incarnation of the NHL's Ottawa Senators from 1930s — complete with the barber-pole stripes and the big O. While wearing them, the Senators beat the Rochester Americans 2-1.

For the record, I would've posted this sooner, but you may have noticed the All-Star jerseys took center stage this week. So we go from super-futuristic to super-old today.

The game-worn sweaters are currently up for auction on NHL.com by MeiGray.

So the question is this: Should we expect to see these in Ottawa at some point to come? And while I can't answer that for certain, I can tell you the SENS jersey is going away.

Multiple sources suggest that a new alternate sweater is in the works for the Senators, being prepared for a 2011-12 launch. Many fans have been pushing for a throwback jersey for years, especially concept designer Jacob Barrette. His design is absolutely outstanding.

It's unknown what the new third jersey would look like, but I do hope they avoid the B-Sens' throwback. The Montreal Canadiens did something similar for their 100th anniversary and it did not turn out well. It's fine for a game or two, but let's not make a habit of it.

Update on Saturday · Jan 15 · 2011 | 3:09 PM PST by Chris

There were a couple of links I forgot to include when I posted this yesterday. First, the Ottawa Senators posted a photo gallery on their website from the Binghamton-Rochester game. So if you want to see more, that's where to go.

Also, the blog Sens Town did a write-up on the specialty jersey in advance of the game last week. They express their disappointment that the farm club beat Ottawa to the punch on these throwbacks — among other complaints. But the way I see, Binghamton was a test market. Say what you like about the NHL, but at least they don't go all willy-nilly with the specialty jerseys — regardless of what charities may benefit. Structure is good. My two cents.

All-Star Sweaters from the Back

On Tuesday we were inundated by images of the new 2011 NHL All-Star Game uniforms. But there was one problem. All we saw was the front. And that's left us with a few questions.

First, what does the design on the back even look like? And second, how are the numbers and surnames styled? Today we have our answers.

Backs of All-Star jerseys / from NHL.comThe NHL's online store now has the sweaters available for customization and that means we can preview the numbering and lettering in advance of All-Star Weekend.

Of course we won't know who'll play for which team until the Fantasy Draft on Jan. 28. So if you want to get your favorite player's name and digits stitched on the back, you'll just have to guess until then.

One interesting feature you notice straight away about the design on the back is that, while we all thought the pinstripes just stopped at the elbow, it turns out they didn't. They just teleported to the other side of the sleeve and kept going.

Some have called it a baseball-inspired uniform element. I'm not so sure. But regardless, I do like it. It's one of those things that I've not seen on a hockey jersey before.

I talked Monday about how I liked the outside-the-box thinking on these and all All-Star jerseys. One commenter then said, "there's such a thing as going too far."

I have to laugh at the overblown rhetoric for a simple website like this. Going too far? The Florida Everblades decorated their jerseys like Christmas trees this year. That's going too far. This is an attempt at something new that still keeps a very professional feel while attracting a younger crowd.

And sure, you're free to disagree. Many of you seem to be traditionalists when it comes to hockey sweaters. But personally, I hope you don't win out. Because that will make our sport look really dull. And I like that it stands out, especially at the All-Star Game.

Update on Thursday · Jan 13 · 2011 | 1:17 PM PST by Chris

2011 All-Star jersey numbers / from NHL.com

Even though no one asked, I thought some of you might like to see what all of the numbers look like. So rather than forcing you to go to the website and do it yourself, I've saved you some time. They're pretty standard, and the font is the same on the white/red jersey as well.