Mining the NHL Rumor Mill

We've done enough minor league coverage over the last week. Time to get back to our roots now. There are couple items to address, though primarily rumor.

Word on the street is the Philadelphia Flyers will be the first to break out their Winter Classic sweaters for a second game in the same season.

Claude Giroux #28According to Flyers beat writer Ryan Bright, the white sweaters worn last Friday will get another shot, this time at tonight's indoor game when the Flyers host the Maple Leafs. He said so on his Twitter account yesterday.

Just so we're clear, I haven't read anything official on this from the Flyers yet. (If you have, drop me a line.)

The rumors have been flying since before this jersey was even unveiled that it would become Philadelphia's new road sweater — being a light version of the alternate (now home) jersey launched last year. But I didn't expect to see it back so soon.

To date, only one team from each Winter Classic has gone on to use their jersey in some form on a regular basis. Since we can bet on the Flyers here, will the Bruins break the mold and carry over their awesome gold jersey as a third for 2010-11?

By the way, don't forget that jersey galleries are available on Icethetics for the last two Winter Classics. Take a look and be sure to rate them.

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The rumor mill continues with the Ottawa Senators.

First, let's set it up. You'll recall in August that speculation was rampant that the Sens would be dumping their new "SENS" third jersey in favor of Jacob Barrette's Heritage sweater.

Senators Heritage jerseyWe later held a poll here at Icethetics asking readers to choose between the current alternate and the vintage design. It yielded a predictable result after more than 4,800 votes.

Now Icethetics reader Nevill is writing in with some thoughts on the future of the white road jersey.

I was at the Sens game against the Avs [last week] and noticed that their road white jerseys were discounted down in mass quantities at all the team stores and kiosks.

The retail chains around town are also selling the road whites up to 60% off, too, which leads me to believe that changes may be coming as soon as next season.

The vintage look is more apparent than ever at Scotiabank Place right now and I wouldn't be surprised to see new jerseys in the fall.

Nor would I, but considering this new uniform set debuted only in 2007, it might be a little too soon for wholesale changes. Either way, it's safe to say we're keeping the Senators on the radar for JerseyWatch 2010. Something is definitely going on in the capital city.

Icethetics Season Preview, Part 1

The NHL season kicks off in less than two weeks! It's a very exciting time. But before the season begins, Icethetics is here to catch you up on all the new logos and jerseys that have been unveiled over the summer.

Part 1: New Event & Anniversary Logos

We're starting small this week with new anniversary and event logos from around pro hockey.

Winter Classic 2010 (NHL)

Arguably, the biggest event of the NHL season has become the Winter Classic. The outdoor game played annually on New Year's Day has become a staple of the league drawing huge crowds to freezing open-air venues.

This year, the Boston Bruins will host the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park. The logo offers the look and feel of famous ball park and the winter — complete with the Green Monster.

The timeless design fits in line with those of the previous Winter Classic events, held in Buffalo and Chicago. Bridgestone, this year's primary event sponsor, has had its logo worked into the design.

NHL Premiere Europe 2009

Just like last year, the NHL will send four clubs to play four games in Europe to kick off the season. The Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers will face off at Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland on October 2 and 3.

During that same weekend, the Detroit Red Wings will face the St. Louis Blues at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. This is the second consecutive season the NHL Premiere series will take place in Stockholm. The Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins played there to open last year's campaign.

Both the Winter Classic and Premiere series are entering their third year as major events on the NHL calendar.

Calgary Flames 30th Anniversary (NHL)

A handful of NHL teams are celebrating major anniversaries during the 2009-10 season. The Calgary Flames released this logo in honor of 30 years in Alberta, although the franchise originally existed in Atlanta for eight seasons.

The design is unlike most we've come to expect for NHL team anniversary marks. It will be painted at center ice in the Saddledome in Calgary and worn as a patch on the Flames' jerseys throughout the season.

The Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres are each entering their 40th year but have not yet released any plans or logos to celebrate the event. In addition, the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets are now 10 years old but like the Canucks and Sabres, no details or logos have been announced.

Other minor league teams have round-number anniversaries coming up this season but none have unveiled logos. The AHL's Norfolk Admirals are celebrating 10 years. In the ECHL, the Elmira Jackals are entering their 10th anniversary season.

Stockton Thunder 5th Anniversary (ECHL)

Additionally, the ECHL's Stockton Thunder are celebrating five years in California, though the franchise was actually founded almost 20 years ago, in 1990. The Thunder began life as the original Cincinnati Cyclones in the ECHL.

After two seasons, the club moved to Alabama where they became the Birmingham Bulls. In 2001, the team again relocated, becoming the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. A Kelly Cup championship wasn't enough to keep them there as California investors bought the team in 2005.

The 5th Anniversary logo simply features the Thunder's primary mark within a circle surrounded by the words "Fifth Anniversary 2005-2010."

The biggest annual events in most leagues aside from the playoffs, tend to be the all-star games, where the best players gather to show off their talent. The NHL no longer holds all-star games during the same year as the Winter Olympics, but the minors leagues still do.

AHL All-Star Classic 2010 (Portland, ME)

This season, the AHL All-Star Classic will be hosted by the Portland Pirates and sponsored by Time Warner Cable on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

The logo features the Pirates' primary logo set on top of a large yellow star with a banner that reads "All-Star Classic." To be honest, it's one of the less creative all-star logos in the last decade — in any league.

Portland previously hosted the All-Star Classic in 2003.

ECHL All-Star Game 2010 (Ontario, CA)

The Ontario Reign will play host to the 2010 ECHL All-Star Weekend. The big game will be sponsored by Reebok and played on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at the Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The logo makes use of the shield element in the Reign's primary mark. Elements include mountains, stars and a stylized drawing of the arena where the event will take place. The text simply reads "All-Star" so as to be usable for the entire event and not just the game itself.

This is the second year the Ontario Reign have been a member of the ECHL. The club existed previous as the Texas Wildcatters.

That wraps up Part 1 of the 2009 Icethetics Season Preview. If I've missed any important anniversary or event logos, drop me a line and I'll be sure to add them. Part 2 goes live tomorrow.

New Sweaters Abound!

Big night for classic hockey jersey enthusiasts! The Nashville Predators unveiled their new third jersey as the Boston Bruins gave fans a first look at what they'll wear on New Year's for the Winter Classic — both with tradition in mind.

Let's start with my favorite of the two — the Bs' 60-year-old throwback.

A photo leaked last week but didn't really do this jersey justice. For one thing, I don't think it was clear enough that it's brown and gold. That's awesome! Nobody else wears brown. And it's used rather nicely here.

Check out David Krejci sporting the new threads.

David Krejci models the Bruins' 2010 Winter Classic sweater

I don't know. It may well be the best of the six Winter Classic jerseys — and that's some stiff competition. It barely beats out that Blackhawks jersey if you ask me. Just barely.

What we really need is a side-by-side comparison of the sweater it was based on, which was worn for a single season (1948-49) — to celebrate a quarter century of existence.

The Bruins are now just 15 years shy of their 100th anniversary. That's quite a bit of history. And there's no doubt in my mind they picked the best looking uniform for this event. By the way, I haven't seen any head-to-toe pictures yet. Anyone know if they're going with those classic socks too?

Leaked pictures take the wind out of jersey unveilings a little bit. I disappoint myself being part of that machine. Still, the Nashville Predators officially debuted their new alternate sweater for 2009-10 before their preseason tilt against Atlanta.

David Legwand, Martin Erat and Joel Ward gave fans their second look at the sweater — Taylor Swift having given the first one at a recent concert.

Legwand, Erat and Ward model their new threads (John Russell/Getty Images)

The big question you're surely asking: What of these wretched checkerboard patterns we heard about? Were they mere rumors? Sadly, I'm afraid not. Check out the close-up.

The checkerboard stripes

I mean it may not ruin the jersey, but it sure doesn't help things. Why are they there? They don't seem to serve any visual purpose as they're only visible up close when well-lit. But I've learned not to question what goes on in the Age of Reebok.

The jersey sticks with a classic numbering and lettering style in plain white and the primary logo on the front has undergone a bit of desaturation — now featuring only shades of blue. The shoulder patch features the now standard skull logo on top of its very own checkerboard pattern.

Icethetics reader Matt has provided these close-ups for us.

I think that covers it. The Icethetics Season Preview kicks off in just three days!

Update on Thursday · Sep 17 · 2009 | 11:16 PM PDT by Chris

Almost forgot about these. Both teams have short videos worth taking a look at.

Cam Neely talks about the elements that went into the design of the Bruins' Winter Classic sweater...

...and the Predators unveil their alternate with a unique video.

Best part of that was Diller trying to defend the mustard.

Update on Friday · Sep 18 · 2009 | 9:43 AM PDT by Chris

...and this is how the Bruins Winter Classic sweater was leaked.

Thanks Colin!

Winter Classic Windfall

If you've been following the comments in the previous post today, then by now you're aware of what I'm posting tonight. If you steer clear of the comments as I do, it's time to catch up on the big news of the day and it's all about the 2010 Winter Classic.

First, the Philadelphia Flyers officially unveiled their new jersey for the outdoor game.

Keeping in step with the previous four Winter Classic participants, the Flyers will don a classic look that harkens back to their earlier days. Unsurprisingly, it is simply a reversed version of the orange jersey introduced as an alternate last year. (It will become the new home sweater this season.)

Flyers players shoot at a wall of ice to reveal the jersey

Daniel Briere, Simon Gagne and Braydon Coburn were on hand today to reveal the new design by shooting pucks at a wall of ice that concealed it. The three Philadelphia skaters then modeled the sweaters for photos.

Briere, Gagne and Coburn model the Winter Classic threads

Interestingly, the biggest talker with this unveiling wasn't even the design itself — which had been rumored expected for months. From the comments and emails I read, many people could not get over the black nameplate on the back of the white sweater.

Notice the black nameplate on the white sweater...

Personally, I don't mind it. It fits well in context with the orange jersey (which features a white nameplate). It opens the door to making this the new road jersey in the near future. I know many of you are hoping for that. Maybe an orange nameplate would've been better, but black will certainly be more legible.

I recommend checking out the full photo gallery on the Flyers' web site.

The surprise of the day? The Boston Bruins third jersey was leaked online! And no, not at the hands of Icethetics. (Surprisingly.)

In fact, I'm actually not sure where this picture originated. But it clearly shows Tim Thomas wearing a yellow jersey the Bruins have never used before. (Much better than yesterday's poor excuse for a leaked image.)

Take a look.

Is Tim Thomas wearing the Bs' new Winter Classic sweater?

There's little doubt in my mind that this is the real thing — the Bs' brand new Winter Classic sweater. We'll get official word on that next Thursday when it is unveiled at the State of the Bruins event.

As far as the source of this image, the closest I could find was The Boston Sports Network blog. But I am not certain. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I certainly don't want to credit the wrong source.

Anyway, that wraps up today's big Winter Classic news. Just 110 days until the big event!

Preds 3rd Launch Date & More...

Lots to cover tonight so let's dive right in.

The Nashville Predators have revealed their plans for the unveiling of their brand new third jersey. According to the team's web site, the sweater will be introduced on Thursday, September 17.

That night the Preds face the Atlanta Thrashers in an exhibition match at the Sommet Center and fans in attendance will get their first look at the new threads during a pre-game ceremony.

Here's the text pulled from the web page.

Prior to the start of the Sept. 17 game, the Predators new Third Jersey will be revealed in a pre-game ceremony. Players debuting the new jersey will be available for autographs on the main concourse during the first intermission. 

If you're there, feel free to snap some photos and send them along. I'm sure everyone here will enjoy seeing them. Thanks to Paul for pointing out this new information.

To recap earlier news, it sounds like the third jersey will make its regular season debut sometime in November. Team owner David Freeman says it has a traditional look based on some Original Six teams. And back in July, a fan claiming to have seen the sweater, posted a description online which was followed up by a concept rendering.

Now onto the Boston Bruins.

This story may turn out to be nothing, but I got several emails so I thought I'd share it. A new video on NHL.com featuring Tim Thomas appears to show a retro-looking Bruins sweater we've never seen before.

Could it be a sneak peek at their new Winter Classic threads? Take a look at this screenshot and judge for yourself.

Sneak peek at Bruins Winter Classic sweater?

It's the yellow one there in the equipment bag. It's tough to say but it certainly isn't out the question. Like I said, I'll let you guys make up your own minds about its legitimacy. Feel free to discuss.

The design will be officially unveiled a week from tonight at the Bs' State of the Bruins event.

My final piece of news for the night is sort of a follow-up to Wednesday's late night post regarding the classic Buffalo Sabres logo continuing to appear at center ice. It's good news for fans who've been awaiting the imminent death of that awful yellow logo which debuted in 2006.

The final nail in the coffin may have come straight from the mouth of Buffalo bigwig Larry Quinn early today. Icethetics reader Kevin wrote in today with this report.

Hey Chris,

Larry Quinn, managing partner of the Buffalo Sabres was on Leafs Lunch with Bill Watters on AM 640 Toronto today. He let slip that the Sabres are migrating to wearing the retro sweaters full time. Audio isn't up on the website yet, but I'm sure it will be soon. Thought you'd like to know. Goodbye Buffaslug!

Kevin

I'm sure you guys can keep an eye (ear) out for that but it is certainly positive news. I think we'd all be better of if they just listened to John Slabyk in the first place. But we should all be grateful for the little victories where we can get them.

That's all for tonight.