Kings' Throwback Reigns

Following in the footsteps of the previous post, there's another minor league jersey worth mentioning from a couple of weeks ago.

The Ontario Reign, ECHL affiliate to the Los Angeles Kings, wore a special, one-time throwback jersey as a tribute to the big club. It was a replica of the black Kings jersey which debuted to Californians along with the arrival of Wayne Gretzky in 1988.

Reign throwback nightThe primary Kings logo from that era has been modified into a Reign logo. But at a glance, it looks exactly like what the Great One wore after the big trade.

The Reign's current secondary logo was converted to silver and black and placed on the shoulders. It really is quite a jersey. And I couldn't wait to see what it looked like on the ice.

Lucky for us, this sweater was worn on December 18 when the Reign faced the Las Vegas Wranglers. (They even won in a shootout.) So there are a few pictures available — albeit low quality from the team's web site.

Shawn Germain #5 in action in the L.A. throwback Goalie Curtis Darling #29 wearing the specialty sweater

Coyotes Need Money

I'm just trying to help the Phoenix Coyotes say what they're beating around the bush about this New Year's Eve.

Here's the situation, and it's a doozy. We know the Coyotes are in dire financial straits and the question of whether the franchise will still be in Glendale next season remains up in the air (though Bettman might have you believe otherwise).

I suppose in some sort of misguided effort to make a quick cash grab, the Coyotes are following in the footsteps of many a minor league team. Tonight, bidding begins on a handful of autographed specialty jerseys made just for New Year's Eve.

Normally, a minor league club will have a special edition jersey made to be worn on a promotional night. After which the game-worn jerseys are then put up for auction, usually with a handful of the cash going to charity. The rest back into the team's often dwindling budget.

To the left you see what happens when an NHL team tries it. They're actually nothing more than black practice jerseys with special logos sewn on. Special "champagne-colored" logos. Could they be any more desperate?

Every player on the team has signed a jersey with his name on it but the worst part is they won't even be worn by the players. Ever. Not even during warm-ups before the game or anything. Obviously the NHL has pretty strict rules when it comes to one-off specialty jerseys. And rightfully so. (These are atrocious!)

Still, in a rough economy you have to do what you have to do. And to be perfectly fair, the money is actually going to charity for the most part. But the Coyotes are fun to tease these days. Here's what their official press release has to say about the auction.

Each Coyotes player will autograph a one-of-a-kind New Year’s jersey with his name and number on the back. The jerseys will then be available for bidding on NHL.com beginning at noon on Dec. 31. The auction will close at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit Coyotes Charities, which is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life throughout Arizona communities by supporting non-profit organizations that promote healthcare, education, cultural arts and sports-related programs for children.

So if you're a Coyotes fan, head on over and show your support. The rest of us can just have a giggle at the expense of those ridiculous jerseys.

Thanks to Dan for pointing out this story!

This Is It

I mentioned on Twitter yesterday that the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors will be paying tribute to Michael Jackson on Friday night. The Condors will be honoring the King of Pop with a specialty jersey.

And this is it.

Bakersfield Condors' Michael Jackson jersey

I mean look at that thing. There's just so much to mock. The condor is wearing Jacko's trademark hat. The sweater numbers are laughably illegible. It even has the suspenders. The best part is that each player will also be wearing a single white glove.

Full details can be found on the Condors' web site. Here's a snippet.

Friday night is for all of those "Smooth Criminals" out there looking to honor the "King of Pop." The Condors players will be playing their part during the game, sporting specialty jerseys which will be auctioned off throughout the night.

The night will include music and King of Pop themed promotions as well, and Condors players will even wear one white glove during the game, some of which will later be available for purchase. To top it off, everyone in the house is eligible to win one of five game-worn tribute jerseys that will be raffled off during the game. 

Also, anybody with the name "Michael Jackson" or "Billie Jean" will receive free entry into the game by showing your ID.

For what it's worth, the Condors are no strangers to pop culture-induced jersey designs that activate your gag reflex. Last January, they joined the Wranglers in ridiculing disgraced Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich (yes, teams from California and Nevada — I don't know why). Both teams dressed up as prison inmates while the refs agreed to wear prison guard getups.

I'm dying to see what this Michael Jackson jersey looks like on the ice tomorrow night (unintentional pun). I'll post pictures afterwards. My thanks to John for the tip.