Wild Mulling New Road Sweater?

There's another possible jersey redesign in the pipeline for 2013-14 — that's assuming the NHL has finally resumed by then. This lockout is well beyond absurd.

Report: Wild getting fan feedback on potential redesign

Recently an Icethetics reader emailed in to report that the Minnesota Wild are in the process of getting feedback from fans regarding a possible new road sweater design. I'm told that during a tour a couple of Wild fans were invited to take a look at two different concept designs and give their input.

The reader provided descriptions but got the information secondhand so the details are somewhat sketchy. I'm relaying them here but take them for what they're worth.

One was a white sweater with the large, Wild head crest on the front, vertical stripes are gone. Replaced with 2 horizontal green stripes on the arms. He said the "red was gone" from the shoulder yoke, but didn't specify whether the shoulders had any color left.

The other option was basically a reverse of the current alternates. Antique white base with the Minnesota Wild Script and green accents.

I'm eager to see what the Wild come up with if they do redesign the road sweater, if for no other reason than their current road uniforms are my least favorite. They just don't fit in well with the club's home and alternate jerseys. Very different look and feel. But it's one that was carried over from the team's inception in 2000 to the Reebok Edge league-wide redesign in 2007.

If this report pans out, what would be the timeline? As we've learned in the past, teams generally have until the end of December to make uniform changes for the following season. Check out the calendar. Assuming the team has its new design picked out this week, a change could certainly happen in time for next fall.

Another one to keep an eye on. Think we may need to get JerseyWatch 2013 started in the coming weeks to keep track of what's on the way because it's starting to add up.

Sound Tigers Honor Sandy Hook

Bridgeport, Conn. AHL club holds touching tribute

The AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers had the youngest victims of last week's school shooting on their mind when they hit the ice yesterday against the Adirondack Phantoms. Twenty children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14.

There's no one who doesn't already know the story. But what you may not know is the Sound Tigers' close connection to the school.

“Sandy Hook Elementary School has been a part of our family, supporting the Sound Tigers at games and community events since the team began calling Bridgeport home, 12 years ago,” Sound Tigers president Howard Saffan said. “We are honored to recognize the victims of the heartbreaking events that happened less than 20 miles up the road.”

Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images via Sound Tigers (official Facebook)

Players wearing names of young victims in place of their own

From Thursday's Sound Tigers press release:

In place of each player’s last name, every jersey worn at home beginning on Sat., Dec. 22 when the Sound Tigers take on the Adirondack Phantoms, will have the name of one of the 20 students whose life was lost on Dec. 14 in Newtown, Conn. The names of the six adult victims will appear on the center hung digital scoreboard throughout the entire game.

The Sound Tigers will wear their black alternate jerseys for these games. The month-long tribute concludes on Jan. 20 when the team hosts the Springfield Falcons.

During that game, the Sound Tigers will honor the Newtown community, as members or representatives from each family will be invited to take home their jerseys off the players’ backs at the conclusion of the contest.

The Sound Tigers will hold a number of promotions and auctions over the next few weeks, the proceeds of which will go to Sandy Hook Elementary.

Sound Tigers tribute will continue through rest of season

The tribute to the Sandy Hook victims doesn't end on Jan. 20.

Earlier this week, the team announced that they will wear commemorative ribbon patches on the jerseys and stickers on their helmets for the remainder of the 2012-13 American Hockey League season, and a graphic with the initials “S.H.E.S.” and the date “12.14.12” will be painted into the ice behind each net at Webster Bank Arena.

For more pictures of the black jerseys worn during last night's game, The AHL's Official Facebook page has a great photo album you can check out.