Entries from September 26, 2010 - October 2, 2010

Saturday
Oct022010

Caps Unveil Winter Classic Jersey!

Washington Capitals unveil their 2011 Winter Classic jersey

No surprises here.

The Washington Capitals unveiled their 2011 Winter Classic sweater today at the Capitals Convention. As anticipated, the Caps will wear their 1970s throwback jerseys.

W.C. jersey from behindThe original design has been modified to fit the Reebok Edge style which includes an NHL logo at the front of the collar. The jersey is white with a red shoulder yoke and the vintage logo emblazoned across the chest and six blue and red stars aligned above it.

There are blue and red stars running the length of the sleeve from the number to the wrist. The heavy red, white and blue stripes around the bottom of the sweater would be perfect but for the curved hem of the Edge design.

Outside of that, it looks just like what the Capitals wore from their inception in 1974 until 1995 when the dumped they red, white and blue color scheme for dark blue, bronze and black (personally, my favorite era until the black jersey came along).

What do you think? Did the Caps hit the mark here with a simple classic for the Winter Classic?

Friday
Oct012010

NHL JerseyWatch 2010

October Edition The seventh update to JerseyWatch 2010 is the final part of the 2010 Icethetics Season Preview. It contains everything you need to know relating to new NHL jerseys set to debut in the 2010-11 season. Some information from Reebok is based on planning documents sent to retailers in the spring and is subject to change. Teams are listed alphabetically.

Anaheim Ducks

New alternate jersey The Anaheim Ducks have apparently confirmed plans to launch a new third jersey for 2010-11. On June 27 at the Select-a-Seat event for season ticket holders, Ducks GM Bob Murray said the alternate uniform would be released on November 26.

Thanks to James for this information. He points out that Anaheim hosts the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks that night. He did not specify whether "released" meant the jersey would be unveiled that day or simply worn for the first time — it could be both.

Icethetics has it on good authority that the jersey will be black with the standalone "D" logo front and center on the chest. No wordmarks! The sleeve striping will be similar to that of the black jersey but with orange cuffs.

Most intriguing is the return of the classic Mighty Ducks logo inside an oval-shaped shoulder patch, recolored in orange and gold of course. In addition, the jersey features orange piping around the shoulders as well as orange, white and gold piping up and down the sides a la the Flames' jerseys.

The home and road sweaters will remain unchanged this season.

Buffalo Sabres UPDATED

New home, road & alternate jerseys The Sabres are undergoing big changes to celebrate their 40th anniversary season.

Their former third jersey — a throwback with some modern influences — will take over as the home jersey, as has long been rumored.

On Sept. 18, the Sabres officially unveiled brand road and third jerseys. As rumored, the road uniform is a white version of the new home sweater with a navy blue shoulder yoke.

The third jersey is royal blue with a vintage script that pays homage to the AHL's Buffalo Bisons, who played from 1940 to 1970. Beneath the script and set to the right side is the Sabres' 40th anniversary mark — the retro logo with 19 and 70 inside the blue circle. The design confirmed an earlier report by Icethetics.

An interesting element of this sweater is the numbers, which are vintage white with blue cross-stitching inside. The nameplate on the back will be gold with royal blue lettering.

Calgary Flames

New alternate & specialty jersey As the Flames have already announced, they will be bringing back the red retro jersey that was worn for a handful of games this season. The major difference is that it will be adapted to the Reebok Edge cut. The striping will remain unchanged.

The home and road sweaters will not change. The rumored black jersey that was previously in the works has likely either been tabled for a few years or scrapped entirely. We may never know. Unless Flames president Ken King gets chatty.

Flames players model Heritage jerseyOn August 4, the NHL announced that the Calgary Flames would host the Montreal Canadiens in the 2011 Heritage Classic, an outdoor game to be played at McMahon Stadium on February 20.

The Flames used the opportunity to unveil a specially-designed sweater for the event. It pays tribute to the Calgary Tigers, the city's original pro hockey club in the 1920s.

The deep red- and gold-striped sweaters will be worn with vintage-style beige pants and canvas-colored gloves. The Flames worked with Reebok to create the unique look.

Columbus Blue Jackets

New alternate jersey & anniversary patch The Blue Jackets have not made an official announcement, but the Columbus Dispatch confirmed earlier this month that a new third jersey is in development and will be used in the 2010-11 campaign.

This is corroborated by Reebok. According to the newspaper, a cannon will be the central feature of the crest on the new uniform. The jersey will be publicly unveiled in November 2010.

Additionally, the Blue Jackets unveiled their 10th anniversary logo on June 22. It will be worn as a patch on the front of the right shoulder of each player's sweater.

Dallas Stars

Road & alternate jerseys swapped Reebok confirms that the Stars will officially switch their road and alternate jerseys next season. Both jerseys are white. Currently, the third is a white version of the home jersey, which features DALLAS arched above the sweater number.

As of the fall, the white DALLAS jersey will become the primary road sweater. The one crested with the Stars' primary logo will become the alternate.

Los Angeles Kings

New specialty jersey Rich Hammond, a blogger affiliated with the Kings' official website, stated on April 27 that the team will don purple-and-gold throwback uniforms for at least one game, and as many as four, next season.

Specifics about the actual design of the jersey were not discussed.

Hammond said the sweater would be worn against the Vancouver Canucks and referenced their 40th anniversary. So what is the significance of the Kings in Canucks history? Vancouver played its first ever game against Los Angeles on Oct. 9 1970. The clubs will open the season together exactly 40 years to the day on Oct. 9, 2010.

To lend further credence to this rumor, the Kings gave a throwback gold-and-purple jersey to first round pick Derek Forbort at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, which they hosted on June 25.

Minnesota Wild

New anniversary patch The Wild recently unveiled their new 10th anniversary logo. The team announced it will be worn as a patch on the upper right shoulder of all three jerseys throughout the season, except for their first two games which will take place in Finland.

Aside from the new patch, none of the three uniforms are expected to be changed.

Montreal Canadiens

New specialty jersey On August 4, the NHL announced that the Montreal Canadiens would face the Calgary Flames at McMahon Stadium for the 2011 Heritage Classic on February 20.

At the press conference, the Canadiens unveiled the white sweater they will wear for the game. It's the same jersey "worn for home games between 1974-75 and 1995-96," according to the club's website.

It differs from their current road jersey only in the number and nameplate stylings. A traditional block text will be used and white inner-stroke on the numbers is removed. The striping is unchanged.

Nashville Predators UPDATED

No changes Planning documents that Reebok sent out to retailers this past spring indicated new home and road sweaters for the 2010-11 season. Icethetics has since learned that any plans to change the uniforms will not happen until 2011-12 at the earliest.

It's anticipated the Predators will promote their third jersey to home and add a white version of it for the road. The change would also include a simplified color scheme for the logo, meaning no more orange and gold.

The Predators will not be making any changes to their logos or uniforms this season.

New Jersey Devils

Specialty jersey returns Last season, the Devils wore a red-and-green retro sweater for one game only on St. Patrick's Day. Originally believed to be a one-time occasion, new information suggests the Devils may have plans to make it a yearly tradition.

Fire & Ice blogger Tom Gulitti reports that the Devils have been promoting "retro night" inside season ticket packages. The game is set for March 18, 2011, the day after St. Patrick's Day, when the Devils host the Washington Capitals.

The Devils have not said anything publicly about the throwback jersey returning and this would not be considered and alternate jersey. Home and road uniforms will not change.

New York Islanders

Brock Nelson gets Isles' new road jerseyNew home & road jerseys On June 25, the Islanders unveiled their new road jersey to fans at a draft day party. It is a white version of the current blue third jersey. The new sweater was also given to draftees at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

John Tavares, Matt Moulson and Trevor Gillies were on hand at the Draft Party to model the new jerseys to fans.

Additionally, the Islanders' previous third jersey will now officially be the team's home sweater.

No word yet on whether the old navy blue home jersey will be switched to alternate status or if it will go away entirely, leaving the Isles without a third uniform.

New York Rangers UPDATED

New alternate jersey Reebok verified the Rangers would wear an alternate jersey this season.

We then got our first look at it when it was leaked online via Sean Avery's official website.

The new retro-style sweater is navy blue with NEW YORK emblazoned in red, diagonal text down the front. However, it's not the typeface we're used to seeing on the Rangers. It's more of a "retro" font, similar to what the team wore in the 1930s and 40s.

In addition, there is a thick red stripe that wraps around the sleeves and bottom of the jersey, bordered in thinner vintage white stripes. The collar is vintage white with vintage white laces and the little Reebok triangle is red.

The Rangers are celebrating their 85th anniversary this season, hence the throwback look. For the record, Rangers blogger Greg Caggiano was first with the details back in March that the jersey would read New York across the chest.

The team's home and road sweaters will not change this season.

Philadelphia Flyers UPDATED

New road jersey The Flyers will don new road threads for the 2010-11 campaign.

In fact they aren't really new; the new road sweater is the retro white jersey that debuted at the 2010 Winter Classic in Boston. It was officially unveiled on Sept. 17 and Mike Richards was on hand to model it.

The Flyers have worn the jersey on at least one occasion in front of the home crowd since the outdoor game at Fenway Park. Their home and alternate jerseys will remain unchanged.

Pittsburgh Penguins

New specialty jersey In March, Reebok noted that the Penguins would ditch their powder blue thirds in favor of a new alternate uniform for 2010-11. The manufacturer did not release any details of the design.

On July 27, the NHL announced that the Pens will host the 2011 Winter Classic, making it more likely that the powder blues will stick around as an alternate uniform for one more season. This will allow them to introduce a new sweater for the outdoor game which could later replace the current thirds.

Tribune-Review beat writer Rob Rossi said in December that blue would be returning in some fashion to the new third jersey — or perhaps Winter Classic sweater. With the Winter Classic announcement came the unveiling of the retro logo the Penguins will use on New Year's Day. It indicates the club may resurrect its original sweater from 1967, powder blue with PITTSBURGH stretched diagonally down the front.

Recently, a local retailer, House O' Hockey of Monroeville, Pa., reported that the Penguins scrapped plans to replace their current third jersey and will wear the powder blues for at least one more season. This is likely due to the Winter Classic announcement.

The home and road jerseys will stay the same.

San Jose Sharks

New anniversary patch On June 22, the Sharks unveiled five new 20th anniversary logos, one of which will be used on the uniforms for the 2010-11 season.

The mark, left, will be used a patch, sewn just below the sweater number on the left sleeve. There will also be a sticker on each player's helmet.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs unveil new 2010-11 sweatersNew home & road jerseys On June 14, the Maple Leafs unveiled their revamped home and road sweaters.

The changes, first reported by Howard Berger, included the addition of two stripes around the base of the jerseys and the veined leaf shoulder patches. Also, the jerseys now feature tie-up collars.

The retro alternate jersey will remain the same. However, this could be the last season for it, according to the National Post. Leafs COO Tom Anselmi says it could be ditched as early as 2011 in favor of a redesigned third jersey, based on another era in Toronto's hockey past. He says the team has been working with Reebok on changes but wouldn't give up any specifics.

Vancouver Canucks

Canucks unveil throwback sweaterNew specialty jersey On July 7, the Canucks unveiled a throwback sweater, based on their original uniform from 1970.

The white retro jersey features the vintage stick-in-rink logo on the front and classic block numbers on the back and sleeves. The sweaters shown in promotional photos do not feature nameplates but the the Canucks would need special permission from the NHL to omit them during games.

The throwback uniform is scheduled to be worn five times throughout the Canucks' 40th anniversary season, including opening night when they host the Los Angeles Kings.

Washington Capitals

New specialty jersey On July 28, the NHL held a press conference announcing that the Washington Capitals will participate in the 2011 Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh. The Caps displayed a retro logo that will be used for the outdoor game.

The club has also said it will unveil a special jersey for the outdoor game on October 2 at the Capitals Convention. Typically, teams look their past for design inspiration but no details have been made available as to what the Caps are planning.

NHL All-Star Game

On July 26, the NHL unveiled the logo for the 2011 NHL All-Star Game which will be hosted  by the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh on January 30. Uniform designs for the game were not released and are expected at a later date.


This information is subject to change. This post may be updated throughout the season. By the way, the Senators and Bruins were removed in this edition as we had only unconfirmed speculation to go on.

Thursday
Sep302010

Season Preview 2010, Part IV

It's been a rather busy week around here catching everyone up on what's new for 2010. Today we're taking a look at new uniforms around the AHL.

AHL Jersey Watch 2010

A handful of teams will wear new home and road sweaters beginning this season. Others are simply adding third jerseys. But a special group will sport throwback jerseys that pay tribute to the earliest days of the American Hockey League. All of this is outlined in today's edition of the Icethetics Season Preview.

New Home & Road Jerseys

Syracuse Crunch get new sweatersOn July 29, the Syracuse Crunch unveiled new sweaters to go with their new colors.

Earlier this summer, the Crunch announced a new affiliation agreement with the Anaheim Ducks, which included switching to the parent club's colors. You saw the new logo here on Tuesday's Season Preview post.

The new jerseys featured the Ducks' "webbed-D" logo on the shoulders as well as a standard Reebok Edge striping pattern in black, orange and gold.

Falcons reveal new sweatersLike the Crunch, the Springfield Falcons also joined up with a new NHL partner. Last spring, on March 25, the Falcons announced the new agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets and unveiled a recolored logo and uniforms.

At the unveiling, only drawings of the jerseys were on display. We still haven't gotten a look at the physical sweater itself, but the season is right around the corner and we'll be able to see it in action soon enough.

Milwaukee Admirals unveil road jerseyThe Milwaukee Admirals are ditching the gray road jersey for a new black one.

The unveiled the new threads on back Aug. 5 via their website. The team's press release expressed excitement for the new look. Certainly that logo looks much better on black than it did on the old grays.

My guess is the old one wasn't as easy to distinguish from the home team wearing white — at least for TV cameras.

Also new, the Albany Devils and Oklahoma City Barons weren't around last season, so clearly they will have uniforms that will hit the ice for the first time in 2010 — sort of. Both the Devils and Barons will wear the same thing as their NHL parent clubs, only with their own primary logos on the front. So no big surprises there.

Checkers unveil new uniformsThe Charlotte Checkers, formerly the Albany River Rats, unveiled three new sweaters on June 25 at an event for fans. 

Like the Devils and Barons, the Checkers' sweaters are identical to those of the Hurricanes, their big league affiliate. The only difference is the logos on the front and shoulders.

The Checkers are using the same primary logo as the ECHL team of the same name from last year. The owner of that team bought the River Rats, relocated them and re-appropriated the moniker.

The one truly new logo in their arsenal is on the black third jersey, in a mark that awkwardly merges Checkers' and Hurricanes' branding elements. (I've said it before, but: a polar bear carrying a tropical storm flag? Really?)

New Alternate jerseys

Unfortunately, I'm running out of time to write this update (what with having an actual job and all). So instead of writing something new for each of the three teams that have released new third jerseys, I'm just going to post pictures here with links back to their original blog post for now.

The Rochester AmericanWilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Hershey Bears unveiled new alternate sweaters over the summer.

If I missed any new AHL third jerseys, you guys will have to let me know.

Throwback jerseys

As part of the AHL's 75th anniversary celebrations, six of the league's oldest cities will see their teams open the season by squaring off in retro uniforms.

That's the schedule an the logos that will be worn. To date, only the Springfield Falcons/Indians and Syracuse Crunch/Stars retro sweaters have been officially revealed. If you'd like to see those, the AHL has set up a special image gallery on its website.

I apologize if the end of this post felt rushed, but I'm keeping pretty busy lately. Tomorrow's update of NHL JerseyWatch 2010 will be as comprehensive as possible and will wrap up the Season Preview. Then as a bonus, a handful of Canadian Hockey League teams have unveiled third jersey. On Saturday, we'll be taking a look at some of those.

Wednesday
Sep292010

Connecticut Whale Logo Unveiled

Connecticut Whale reveal logoThe AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack will be renamed the Connecticut Whale at midseason. Today, the marketing team unveiled the new logo that will take over when that happens.

Now I should preface this next part by saying regular readers know I'm never among the first to be critical of a new logo. I try to be neutral and let you guys make your minds up first...

...but this is just horrid. I mean it. This is an organization that's supposedly trying to recapture the excitement that once surrounded the Hartford Whalers. And this is the logo they plan to do it with?

Guys, what happened? Very disappointing.

There's a story on the AHL's website that contains a quote from Howard Baldwin that explains everything:

According to Howard Baldwin, chairman of the Whale franchise: “We have created a fun logo that not only captures the family-oriented approach of the Whale, but also represents the competitive nature of Coach (Ken) Gernander’s Whale team.”

There's your problem. Marketing to kids is important but that doesn't mean your professional hockey team's logo has to be a silly cartoon.

The logo was designed by Baldwin, the Whale marketing team and designer Erik Carlson. The Whale will introduce a secondary logo mark and official Connecticut Whale jersey designs at a later date.

After this, I'm not looking forward to the secondary logo, but my theory is that they can only improve from here.

Wednesday
Sep292010

Season Preview 2010, Part III

The Icethetics Season Preview is giving you a chance to catch your breath here at mid-week. There have been plenty of new logos to digest over the past two days. Now it's time to take a look at some of them in action in the place where every game begins: center ice.

New Center Ice Logos

A handful of NHL teams will display special anniversary logos inside their center ice circle for the 2010-11 season.

Sabres center iceThe Buffalo Sabres have painted their 40th anniversary logo inside the big circle at HSBC Arena.

The team is trying its hardest to rebrand itself with that original logo. It is on everything these days. As it should be.

Also, the center red line now features a string of white stars running across it. A number of teams are getting more creative with the design of that red line. We'll outline some of them this afternoon.

Canucks center iceAlso celebrating 40 years in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks are using their anniversary mark at center this season.

The logo itself remains mostly intact, but for a few minor alterations. In order to prevent overlap with the red line, the small Canucks primary logo was been removed from its spot between 1970 and 2010. Also, as you can see, the ends of the ribbons are cropped to fit the logo nicely inside the circle.

GM Place was renamed Rogers Arena over the summer and obviously the new paint job represents that change.

Wild center iceCelebrating a decade since the NHL's return to the state, the Minnesota Wild will have their 10th anniversary logo on the ice inside the Xcel Energy Center.

The Columbus Blue Jackets having also unveiled a logo for their 10th anniversary but are not joining the Wild by placing it at center ice. The Jackets' standard primary logo remains there at Nationwide Arena this year.

Also confirmed as remaining unchanged is the Nashville Predators logo at Bridgestone Arena. It was rumored over the summer the Preds would be altering the color scheme of their primary logo to match their third jersey. It now appears that won't happen until at least next season, 2011-12.

Rangers center iceFinally, the New York Rangers are celebrating a big year — their 85th as a member of the NHL. The logo commemorating the event is already in place at Madison Square Garden.

It's a great logo, but I'm not sure the vintage white was such a good idea on white ice. At least the Sabres knew better than to do that.

Additionally, I understand the San Jose Sharks have their 20th anniversary logo painted at center ice at HP Pavilion but I haven't managed to come across any photos yet.

I tried to be comprehensive with this post, but same as yesterday, I'm counting on you guys to help me out if I missed anything. Tomorrow it's the minor league edition of JerseyWatch 2010 as the Season Preview pushes toward the last big pre-season update to NHL JerseyWatch 2010.