Sneak Peek at New Pats Jersey?

If you haven't heard, Wednesday is the big day for all three Canadian Hockey Leagues. The OHL, QMJHL and WHL teams that have yet to unveil their new Reebok Edge jerseys will do so on 9/9/09. It's going to be a busy day here at Icethetics.

However, it seems Regina Pats fans may not have to wait that long for a sneak peek. The WHL team's new sweater may have been inadvertently leaked by their own play-by-play announcer today.

On his blog, Rod Pederson posted what I would imagine is some kind of marketing photo. It depicts a wild, screaming Pats fan decked out in red face paint and, interestingly, a red Reebok Edge jersey with the Pats' secondary logo on the front. Take a look.

Pederson writes:

I love this photo. Get used to it because I'm going to be using it LOTS this fall/winter whenever discussing the Regina Pats.

You can't see much, but it's definitely red and it definitely lacks the "Pats" wordmark fans have become accustomed to seeing on the front. Instead, it looks like the secondary mark has taken its place.

You can see in this picture to the right — taken last season — it does appear to be the same logo (facing in the opposite direction of course).

I'm not much of a WHL fan but I've always thought of the Pats in blue so it's a little strange to see the jersey in red. However, I can't really say for certain that this is the new dark jersey. Perhaps it's a third? Maybe nothing more than a marketing thing?

Icethetics reader Curtis wrote in with the link to Pederson's blog and even himself questioned the validity of the photo. Obviously we'll know for sure one way or the other on Wednesday. But I at least wanted to share the picture in the meantime.

What do you guys think? I'd especially like to hear from Pats fans. I know you're out there. Are you happy with a change to red in the Age of Reebok and all the piping that goes along with it? Or are you distraught by the hostile corporate takeover of the last remaining bastion of decent hockey sweater design?

(Were those questions a little too leading?)

Update on Friday · Sep 4 · 2009 | 11:31 AM PDT by Chris

Brett LefflerI've warned you guys I'm horrible when it comes to minor leagues — even worse for juniors. As Dustin and Jorden point out in the comments, it seems this jersey was introduced on a promotional night late last season.

As you can see in the picture at right, taken from the Regina Pats' official web site, there's nothing new about this jersey. However, it's still a Reebok Edge jersey worn during the season prior to the WHL's Age of Reebok. 

Therefore, who's to say this isn't going to be introduced as the Pats' new Edge jersey? Perhaps even just something similar.

Still, the red makes better sense in context for that one event — having to do with Canadian soldiers. Here's the description from the web site:

The Regina Pats are proud to put on special red jerseys Friday night [March 6, 2009] against the Medicine Hat Tigers, all in support of the Canadian Forces Soldier On Fund (CFSOF). The jerseys have the Pats bulldog on the front with the Pat logo within the Canadian flag on one shoulder and the Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry patch on the other.

So maybe it is more likely that a blue Edge jersey is in the cards for the Pats and this was nothing more than me not knowing my CHL facts.

But I do appreciate the corrections in the comments. You guys always manage to set me straight to make sure Icethetics isn't doling out inaccurate information. So thanks for that.

Meantime, as I said, Wednesday is the big day for the entire CHL. We'll see over 100 new Edge jerseys and I'm sure most of us will be disappointed by the vast majority.

The Lesser of Two Evils

With each passing season, I'm becoming more concerned over the unwritten rule that says minor league specialty jerseys have to make players look like clowns. I mean it couldn't be more literal than with the most recent entry into the club.

The Albany River Rats recently revealed the results of a poll allowing fans to choose which jersey design the team would wear for Ronald McDonald House Night. Perhaps it would be difficult to create a theme jersey around Ronald McDonald without looking clownish, but this is unbelievable.

Albany River Rats specialty jersey for 2009-10

I'm willing to look beyond this poorly made graphic (HOuse) but professional hockey players — grown men — will be wearing this outside the confines a McDonald's restaurant and without the security of identity-disguising make-up.

The winning design features a yellow body with white shoulders and red trim. Albany’s primary logo is emblazoned on the front of the sweater and Ronald McDonald House Charity patches are displayed on each shoulder. The jersey will be worn with red pants and with Ronald McDonald’s signature candy-cane sox.

All proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region.

At this point you may be thinking, "Well, the fans made their own bed. They had an online vote and this is what they chose." But you don't have all the information. Why don't we take a look at their options?

 

As you can see, the fans clearly went with the lesser of two evils. "Classy" was not an option for the good people of Albany. On the second choice, I count 31 stripes! Seriously!

The first design was obviously created with Reebok Edge in mind while the other was not. Let's talk about that second one. Not only are stripes like that apt to induce seizures, but it inexplicably carries the storm flag stripe of their NHL parent team (the Hurricanes) across the mid-section. Relevance?

Given the choice of bad or indescribably bad, I would've voted the same was the River Rats' fans. But that doesn't make it right. We need to figure out a way to get minor league clubs to let Icethetics artists take a stab at these one-off sweaters if for no other reason than to avoid this kind of trainwreck on an annual basis.

We know specialty jerseys like this are a necessary evil in the minors. They don't have the kind of huge, established fan bases that NHL teams enjoy. For one thing, they tend to be in areas with smaller populations. To keep the team financially viable against those odds, they have to become a big part of the community. That means charity nights are important. 

But they don't have to look like this! This is where you guys come in. I'm challenging Icethetics readers to design a River Rats jersey with a Ronald McDonald House theme that doesn't look ridiculous. It'll be difficult, but it can be done. I'll post worthy concepts here.

Hershey Gets New Jerseys

As I mentioned last night on Twitter, there is an awful lot going on in the minors these days. Time to get everyone caught up. We'll begin with the AHL and work our way down.

The Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears have unveiled brand new sweaters for the 2009-10 season. They did so yesterday on their official web site — while I was busy with the Wild third jersey leak.

The Bears made the switch to the Reebok Edge style uniforms two seasons ago and were one of the few teams that kept changes to a minimum — HERSHEY placed diagonally down the front of the chocolate jerseys and BEARS down the front of the white ones. Those designs are no more.

Hershey Bears' new jerseys for 2009-10

The home and road sweaters will now place the team's primary logo front and center, while reserving a new text-based design for the alternate jersey. The new third takes its inspiration from the Dallas Stars' with the city name arched above the player's number.

The Bears have also announced the launch of the new sweaters will take place during their season opener in October.

The make of the jersey has remained the same, but the appearance has changed. Anyone looking to purchase one of the new jerseys can do so on opening night, October 3. As always, fans can customize their jerseys to have specific names on the back.

Thanks to James for the tip.

Moving right along now to the ECHL. The Ontario Reign will play host to the league's 2010 All-Star Game. It was announced yesterday that the logo for the event will be unveiled this Friday at 1 PM EST.

The Citizens Business Bank Arena will play host to the 18th ECHL All-Star Game which takes place on January 20, 2010. The event is sponsored by Reebok. No word on whether the All-Star jerseys will be debuted on Friday as well.

We'll finish up our look at the minors with the QMJHL. As you know the league is switching over to the Reebok Edge uniforms this season. Scotty from Hockeybums tells me the plan is for the league and Reebok to unveil all of the remaining uniforms on September 9. Not a hard date to remember — 09/09/09.

One more item now regarding the London Knights.

London Knights in their Euro jerseys

The Knights will be hosting the Euro Can Cup in which they and other participating teams will don European-style jerseys — as seen above. It's a rather awful sight. Organizers are hoping for it to be a success. I'm hoping it's not if for no other reason than those terrible uniforms.

You can read more about the event at the London Free Press. If you'd like to punish yourself by looking at more pictures of these jerseys, click here.

MAINEiacs Go Crazy for Edge

— ICETHETICS EXCLUSIVE —

Please see the updates to this post below.

I've got some jersey news from the junior leagues to share this evening. The QMJHL's Lewiston MAINEiacs are joining the other 59 Canadian Hockey League teams switching over to the Reebok Edge Uniform System for the 2009-10 season and this is your first look at what they'll be wearing.

Lewiston MAINEiacs' black Edge jersey

As is the case with all lower level teams, Lewiston is sticking with the standard, recognizable templates, with the Reebok logo front and center on the chest. The sweaters are similar to the Lightning for the darks, above, and Panthers for the lights, seen below.

Lewiston MAINEiacs' white Edge jersey

Nothing spectacular, but it's jersey news at a point in the summer when there's really not much else going on. Any thoughts on these? Are you excited about seeing leaked jersey pictures back on Icethetics again?

Update on Monday · Aug 3 · 2009 | 7:20 PM PDT by Chris

You asked for a comparison with the MAINEiacs' old jerseys. Here they are.

This new look is definitely a downgrade but I think we've been hearing that a lot here in the Age of Reebok. My thanks to RicLaf for allowing me to nab his excellent photos from his Flickr photostream.

Update on Tuesday · Aug 4 · 2009 | 9:43 AM PDT by Chris

At the request of the QMJHL, I have removed the photos of the Lewiston MAINEiacs' new Reebok Edge jerseys. Icethetics is not in the business of making enemies out of the leagues. Sorry about that. With any luck, I hope to at least hear back with an official release date that I can post. The pictures will return to this post after the release.

Ice Flyers Unveil Logo... Ugh!

At my hands journalism takes a beating tonight, but I have to editorialize. Rarely do I feel the need to opinionize (new word), yet evil happens when good men sit idly by. And even when they don't, evidently.

The Pensacola Ice Flyers shocked probably no one but me when they unveiled their new logo earlier tonight. They did so before a small gathering of North Florida hockey fans and supporters celebrating the return of the sport to their town.

The Southern Professional Hockey League is expanding this season by adding the Ice Flyers along with the Mississippi Surge. They shouldn't have bothered. The following symbol will represent this team.

Ice Flyers' new logo

All right, by now you get my outrage, so I'll get back to my journalistic roots now.

Coach Todd Gordon and owner Tim Kerr (photo: Ben Twingley)

The Pensacola News Journal was there with Ben Twingley providing photographic evidence. Team owner and former Philadelphia Flyer Tim Kerr chatted to fans at the event alongside head coach Todd Gordon. Gordon wore the snazzy new shirt but Kerr did not. SPHL commissioner Jim Combs was also in attendance.

Two questions. 1) What did they do? 2) Why are they so happy about it? Damn, I switched back into editorial mode. All right, I know the answers. They sold enough ticket packages to bring hockey back this season and they're hockey fans so they're very excited about that. But honestly, I can't get over the logo.

Two weeks ago, the News Journal posted a poll which I wrote about here on Icethetics. It asked readers which of four logos they preferred. You can see the results here to the left. For reference, "Logo 1" is what's been plastered on the above shirts.

It finished with about 440 out of 3,011 votes. I know the poll was meant "for entertainment purposes only" but Kerr can't take a hint. Two of the logos each grabbed more than a third of the vote and they've been discarded. To see all four logos, click on the graphic.

Once again my strong feelings have emerged. So why do I feel this way? I think it's important that what represents hockey represents it well. This logo does not accomplish that. It was a missed opportunity. I feel bad for Six Zero and the other designers whose superior work was overlooked.

If the gradients, pedestrian typeface, and all-around clip-art feel of the design weren't bad enough, it seems they can't even decide how to properly symbolize the name Ice Flyers. Is it the Blue Angels or an eagle? They clash. Pick one.

I eagerly await the uniform unveiling to see what they're going to do. I literally couldn't begin to guess. It sounds crass, but it wouldn't surprise me to see them print up 20 of these logos on their ink-jets and glue them to jerseys.

Again, a missed opportunity here if you ask me. Anyone agree? Anyone disagree? The floor is yours.