67's Bring Back Barber Pole

New 67's jersey / Blitzen PhotographyThe OHL's Ottawa 67's announced yesterday that they'd be bringing back their classic barber-pole jerseys for the 2011-12 season.

The new sweater will be unveiled to fans at tonight's game but the team has posted a preview on their website. In addition, the Ottawa 67's Fan Blog posted a better shot (right).

The 67's haven't been able to wear the full stripes since before Reebok took over the CHL's uniforms for the 2009-10 season. The manufacturer blamed limitations to the jersey "technology" on the inability to recreate the unique effect.

Reebok says the technology has now "advanced" allowing the 67's to bring back their classic sweater. It replaces the black jersey the team had been wearing since 2009.

I may not be the biggest fan of the barber-pole look, but I certainly know it has its place in Ottawa. And with their combination of logo and colors, it just looks right on the 67's.

Now that we've seen the 67's new sweater, could you see the Senators borrowing this look for their forthcoming new third jersey? Do you think it'll be more like the black jersey the 67's just retired? Or will it be something entirely new?

Canadians Heart Stripes

It's been a week since the last blog update, so it's time for a nice long one. Let's take a trip across Canada and try to figure out why the natives like stripes so much. We start in the capital city. The blog's been a little Ottawa-heavy these days, but that's where the news is.

Ottawa 67's dark uniform / Robert LefebvreThe OHL's Ottawa 67's — not the Senators — have announced they will unveil a new dark uniform on Friday. They're bringing back the old barber-pole look from just prior to the Age of Reebok.

According to Reebok, the "high-tech" Edge uniforms were not conducive to the top-to-bottom striping the 67's were known for. So they switched to this (right) and fans weren't very happy with that.

Now, it's apparently "technologically possible" so they're bringing them back once again. Details from the team's website:

The Ottawa 67’s will return to their roots next season by wearing the barber pole jersey/socks as their “dark” uniform. The team was forced to temporarily switch from the barber pole to a solid colour prior to the start of the 2009-10 season when the OHL adopted the new Reebok EDGE jersey.

At the time, 67’s Owner and Governor Jeff Hunt pledged that his team would return to the barber pole design as soon as it was technologically possible, and that time has now arrived.

“The barber pole jersey is synonymous with 67’s hockey,” said 67’s Owner and Governor Jeff Hunt. “It’s the jersey of Denis Potvin, Doug Wilson and Bobby Smith. It’s the jersey of our Memorial Cup winning teams. And it’s fantastic to finally be able to return to it and give our fans the look they’ve been asking for.”

The jersey will be unveiled to 67’s fans at the Rona Centre on Friday evening, just before the start of their game against Niagara at 7:30 PM. Great seats for that game are still available.

Binghamton Senators' barber-pole jerseySo that's cool and I'll get pictures on the blog tomorrow. If any 67's fans in attendance feel like sharing a picture, everyone here would be grateful.

The AHL's Binghamton Senators recently sported the full stripes — though not in the Reebok Edge cut (right).

But that's not all. Now we bring it back to the NHL club. Icethetics reader Dan P. emailed in about what the change-up for the 67's might mean for the Ottawa Senators in 2011.

Given the conversations regarding the Sens jersey changes, this news could likely have an impact as it probably rules out a complete return to the straight barber poles... not likely that two teams in the same town sport the same jersey.

While I can't think of a specific example to refute Dan's claim, I don't see why that necessarily has to be the case — especially if it's just an alternate for the Sens. It might be cool to have that connection with the junior club in town.

Still, let's say Dan is onto something and the Sens wouldn't go full-on barber-pole. Team president Cyril Leeder has said that the barber-pole design will be part of the new third jersey. So that brings me back to the above jersey the 67's have been wearing since 2009. I think it would work perfectly for the Senators and it will no longer be in use by the 67's.

So that's that put to bed for the time being.

Here's an interesting one. Remember my April Fool's joke in 2008? It was about the NHL dropping Reebok Edge jerseys and turning to Project Runway for redesigned uniforms. Maybe it was just crazy enough to be true.

ESPN The Magazine asked fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger for his take on the uniforms of the most historic teams in major sports for their Style Issue (March 21 edition). He tried his hand at the Yankees, Lakers and Cowboys before turning to the Montreal Canadiens.

Tommy Hilfiger gives the Canadiens a new look / ESPN The Magazine

Here's what Hilfiger had to say about his Habs' redesign:

I wanted to go in a different direction than the current Canadiens uniforms, which are solid colors. We loved the idea of taking the traditional rugby stripe and incorporating it into a hockey uniform. The tie at the neck area allows a wider opening for putting on and taking off the jersey over all the pads. The zigzag stitch along the front is one of the strongest stitches that can be applied to a garment to withstand pulling and tugging. It gives the uniform a cool twist, but it's functional, too. There has to be a balance.

I like the rugby stripes much better than the barber-pole the 67's are talking about. But it would be hard to see the Habs in a uniform that didn't bear the CH. If you're so inclined, you should check out Hilfiger's other redesigns.

This next item relates to Canada, but not stripes. Chris Creamer tweeted a link to a story saying the sale of the WHL's Chilliwack Bruins  is "70% done" — meaning it's looking like they'll be playing in Victoria next season.

And it apparently relates to the possibility of the Phoenix Coyotes moving back to Winnipeg if they can't sort things out in Glendale, Ariz. This pretty much sums it up: "With the impeding collapse of the Phoenix Coyotes in Glendale and their move to Winnipeg in the cards, it is imperative to the WHL that they move into the Victoria market before the Vancouver Canucks affiliate, the Manitoba Moose does."

I don't know all the ins and outs of this story, but I do know the ECHL is already in Victoria with the Salmon Kings — and they're affiliated with the Canucks and Moose. I guess it'll be interesting to see what new team names and logos we end up with next season when all of this gets worked out.

By the way, I have an extra-long Winnipeg Jets concept post in the works for tomorrow. Thanks to all the artists who've submitted their work!

Islanders 2001—2007 / Getty ImagesAnd now to drop my Canadian theme altogether, we'll move on to the subject of the New York Islanders  and their new third jersey.

In a video blog on NYI Point Blank, Chris Botta addressed a reader's question. He says the Isles will indeed launch a new alternate sweater for 2011-12.

The reader asked what we're all thinking by pointing out that the Islanders already "got it right" with the new white sweater this season. So why risk a "fishsticks" ordeal?

The simple answer: money. As Botta points out, if the club adds a new jersey, even if it has a fisherman on the front, fans will buy it. And the Isles would like to have their money.

Botta had no details to offer on the design, but did say he was working for the club when the orange jersey was launched. He liked it. Personally, I'm not a big fan, but it is different and we have seen worse. Much worse.

Thanks to Andy F. for sending along the link. 

Junior Jerseys You Should Know About

Amidst all the recent NHL news, Icethetics readers have been emailing in to let us all know about some rather fascinating specialty jerseys hitting the ice in the Canadian Hockey League. And these you need to see.

Nuclear Night jersey / John AllenOver the weekend, the WHL's Tri-City Americans, based out of eastern Washington, held a special theme night which required special sweaters.

Friday, Jan. 28 was Nuclear Night in Kennewick, Wash. And they wore some rather radioactive uniforms to mark the occasion. Just look at them.

Full graphic rendering of jersey

I don't know what to say about that. Except that it's awesome! (We're supposed to think it's awesome, right?) I mean just look at all the colors... electric green, fuchsia, to name a few. 

Nuclear Night jersey (back) / John AllenThe event was announced Thursday on the team's website and that all of the jerseys would be auctioned off following Friday's game.

A special website was set up to take bids. (So if you have to have one of these, you know where to go.) It says the proceeds will benefit the Players' Continuing Education Fund.

Honestly, I love seeing this sort of thing in the minors/juniors. It's one night and it's fun. We'd never want to see it attempted in the NHL, of course, but if not for teams like this and their charitable causes, we'd never know what a Nuclear Night jersey would look like. Would we?

For the record, the Americans were victorious in all their atomic glory, defeating the Portland Winterhawks 5-2. And you know the Winterhawks didn't look this good.

My thanks to Josh S. for the tip.

If you though the Tri-City Americans had eye-catching jerseys, let's head to the Ontario Hockey League.

Alumni Night jersey / Erie OttersThe OHL's Erie Otters unveiled their Alumni Night jerseys last week.

These bright yellow sweaters will be worn this Saturday, Feb. 5, to celebrate the Otters' 1,000th regular season game.

These game-worn jerseys aren't going up for auction, however. (I think we know how that would go.) Instead, they'll go on sale following the game for $240 each (with a $20 discount if you're a season ticket holder).

Frankly, I'm not familiar with Erie's hockey past. Are there any readers who can shed some light on the history behind these colors?

Kudos to long-time reader Jeff S. for emailing this in.

Lethbridge throwback / from Joshua SchroederThe WHL's Lethbridge Hurricanes celebrated the 60th anniversary of a hometown team's world championship last week.

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Hurricanes hosted the Brandon Wheat Kings sporting the sweaters of the old Lethbridge Maple Leafs, who won the World Amateur Hockey Championship on the same date in 1951. They won 4-3.

This is a very cool tribute, and one of the few times "vintage white" is an acceptable color on a 2011 hockey uniform. They're honoring a team that played six decades ago. The cream color adds to the illusion that the guys are sporting the old club's sweaters. Even if we know better.

Now for all the links: Read a recap of the game on the team's website. Learn about the history of the Lethbridge Maple Leafs and the significance of the throwback night.

And while the auctions may be over, it's worth checking out what some of the sweaters sold for. One went for as much as $1,000! Who is Max Ross?

Thanks again to Josh S., our WHL watchdog.

I've got some other minor league jersey photos I'll try to get posted this week. Also preparing to give a stagnant Icethetics feature a big makeover. It'll give you another reason to keep coming back.

CHL Third Jersey Fever, Part 2

After a few weeks of daily updates, I needed a bit of a breather. But it's time now to get back to it. We first need to get to a few more third jerseys from the CHL, as a continuation from last week. That post included only new alternates from the WHL. Today's will be from all three leagues.

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Photo credit: John AllenThe WHL's Tri-City Americans unveiled a new red third jersey just a few weeks ago.

The design was first seen on Annie Fowler's Tri-City Herald sports blog on Sept. 23. The jersey then made its on-ice debut a few nights later, Sept. 26, for the Ams' first game of the season.

For the record, the Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs in the new threads in front of their home crowd in Kennewick, Wash. by a score of 6-3.

The standard home and road jerseys for the Tri-City club are dark blue and white. Though the red clearly works very well. The primary logo is the same on those sweaters so it might've been a nice change to see something else there.

Still, this is the CHL and even though it's a junior league it's hard to complain about most of their sweaters. They usually put a lot of work in and tend to hit the mark — unlike a certain major professional hockey league we all know well.

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Oil Kings unveil third jerseyJust yesterday, the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings unveiled their new blue alternate sweater.

Typically, the Oil Kings' dark jerseys are red with more traditional striping so this is a change of pace. And while the rest of the sweater changes, the logo remains the same. A post at etownhockey may have put it best:

The jersey's take on a new modern look but their gaudy symbol is still intact. I like the look but I was really hoping for a completely revamped 3rd jersey which saw a new logo.

The yellow logo is very dated and looks out of place with the rest of the uniform. I understand this goes back to the original Oil Kings days, but with an alternate jersey they had free range to add something new. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

The Oil Kings' own press release makes no excuses for the design, just pointing out that it will look like a whole new team when the new sweater hits the ice for the first time (in a game) on Friday night against the Medicine Hat Tigers. They also have an extra photo for your enjoyment.

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Photo credit: Dave ChanOne of my favorite CHL third jerseys has got to belong to the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.

The Mooseheads' new black sweater is actually a revisit of a previous third jersey, only now it's made by Reebok. And despite being black, it looks great. You know why black works in the CHL? Because it's used sparingly.

The jersey first hit the ice on Oct. 1 in a shootout loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs. But they sure looked good, aesthetically speaking. Not that they normally look bad. On any other night, the Mooseheads normally look like the Minnesota Wild, whose jersey design they use for both their home and road uniforms.

In other jersey-related news from Halifax, the Mooseheads will hold Pink in the Rink III on Oct. 22. That will involve specially-colored sweaters and the ice surface painted pink. Also, if you have a minor hockey team in Nova Scotia, the Mooseheads could wear your sweater for a night. Details on the Great Mooseheads Jersey Race on their website.

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St. Michael's Majors third jerseyThe OHL team with the most ridiculous name ever, the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, has a new third jersey.

It's a nice one but all these "fauxbacks" are starting to look the same. You got your circle crest in your Habs-style stripe across the chest. We get it. Even jerseys from way back in the day had their own styles. Still, most NHL teams struggle for a look this clean and simple.

The new sweater was unveiled Sept. 26 at the Meet the Majors event. This photo (right) was posted on Twitter by Tony Ambrogio the following day but the team has a small photo gallery on its website. Unfortunately, the "fauxback" thing only gets worse when you see the back. Yes, that's a dark blue nameplate on a vintage white sweater. When did this become a thing?

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Greyhounds' new third jerseyWe'll wrap up today's CHL third jersey post with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

I don't know if they're trying to keep this new sweater a secret, but the Soo Greyhounds are doing a good job of it. A reader, Ryan, emailed in this photo (right) with no details on where it came from. There's also this article on the team's website.

The Greyhounds usually wear red and white so this is certainly something new. Still, it looks like they're trying (badly) to borrow an idea from the Mooseheads (mentioned above).

But I guess it's no worse than writing SENS or BOLTS across the front of your alternate uniform. The striping is hard to make out in either image but it appears to be pretty plain as well. Not that that's a bad thing.

Hoping the uniform looks better on the ice than in this photo, though. By the way, if you guys can track down a better shot (perhaps game action), let me know by email.

A Trio of CHL 3rd Jerseys

A large chunk of Canadian Hockey League teams are adding alternate sweaters this season. It would be impossible for me to keep up with all of them on my own. So I thank all my awesome Canadian readers for their emails. Today, a trio of new third jerseys for your enjoyment.

WHL: Rebels go for retro feel

Rebels unveil third jerseyThe Red Deer Rebels unveiled their new third jersey on Wednesday morning.

I'm starting with this one because I'm a huge fan. It is by far one of my favorite junior league sweaters, with a great vintage look. And that's what they were going for.

Here's an excerpt from their news release:

The most noticeable change from the previous "R" uniform is the base color. The predominant burgundy has been replaced by a beige color that adds both a retro tone, along with a western feel.

The standalone "cow skull" shoulder patch, taken from the teams primary logo, reinfoces this western concept. The striping has been moved to the middle of the jersey, and a burgundy shoulder "yolk" [sic, I hate it when I get egg on my jersey] added to the top of the sweater.

The most predominant feature of the jersey, the popular "R" logo which the team has worn since 2001, has been made over. The black fill adds strength to the logo, and compliments the neck collar.

The team will wear black pants and black helmets to complete the look. Player socks will be beige with two burgundy stripes through the middle.

The jersey will make its debut on Oct. 2 when the Rebels face the Medicine Hat Tigers.

OHL: Frontenacs add impressive third

Frontenacs unveil third jerseyThe Kingston Frontenacs also unveiled an impressive new third jersey on Wednesday.

I'm really blown away by the uniform designs that come out of the CHL. Their designers really need to take a stab at the NHL because rarely do we find a bad one in the bunch. In fact, a Frontenacs official may have put it best:

“We went for a retro look and they turned out better than what we ever imagined,” said Jeff Stilwell, Director of Marketing and Communications.

Indeed, Jeff. You really don't need to say any more than that. Well done, Kingston!

And here's another picture, because it's just that good.

OHL: Rangers rely on fan favorite

Kitchener unveils third jerseyLastly, the Kitchener Rangers unveiled their 2010-11 third jersey about three weeks ago.

I may be a little late to the party picking this one up but it's still very much worth a mention. This is a sharp sweater that is a big fan favorite. The team's press release has details:

This exciting new jersey was influenced by the Rangers 2008 Commemorative MasterCard Memorial Cup Jersey, and will feature the same highly popular soldier crest.

The crest on the front of the jersey was designed by the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club in honour of the Canadian Forces. The design was derived from a recruiting poster that was used in England during WWI. This popular recruiting poster was inspired by "Lord Kitchener", the same individual that the City of Kitchener was subsequently named after.

The poster's popularity led the United States to use it as the basis for the creation of their "I Want You - US Army" poster in their recruiting efforts on this side of the Atlantic.

As I said, if only NHL teams were this thoughtful and inspired when it came to uniform designs. Time to stop marketing your slick, flashy jerseys to A.D.D.-addled children and think about what real hockey sweaters are meant to look like. Call the CHL. They can help.

Thanks to Andy for the email on this jersey and to everyone who wrote in about the Rebels' top-notch sweater. Remember, if you see something that hasn't been on the blog, drop me a line and I'll share it with everyone.