Rbk EDGE Review: Red Wings
Thursday · Oct 11 · 2007 | 3:18 PM PDTPart 18 of 30. All 30 NHL clubs have unveiled new jerseys under the new Rbk EDGE Uniform System for the 2007-08 season. Here at the NHLToL, we're going to review every one of them. Read up and then rate the new sweaters. We'll do a full ranking after completing all of the reviews.
The Unveiling
Wednesday, August 8. The Red Wings unveiled their new jerseys to no fanfare via their official web site.
Home vs. Road
Home: Red. Road: White. The two sweaters are essentially mirror images of each other with slight differences on the sleeves.
The red home jerseys feature a thick white stripe around the elbows as well as at the bottom around the waist. The collar is red and the primary logo serves as the crest.
The white road jerseys feature red sleeves with an indentation at the shoulder where a white shoulder yoke would end. A thick white stripe wraps around the elbows and a thick red stripe wraps around the waist. The collar is red and the primary logo serves as the crest.
In The Details
The captains' letters on the front of the sweater have been moved from the left shoulder to the right since the tip of the wing rises so high on that side. The Red Wings are the only team to wear the letters on that side. The same numbering and lettering style has been retained.
New & Old
Aside from the league-wide collar change and the adaptation to the new Rbk EDGE cut, the Red Wings have made no major alterations to their jerseys.
Standard FAQ
Numbers on the front? No.
Laces at the collar? No.
NHLToL Editorial by Chris
In my book, tradition and history don't win you anything by default. It still has to be earned. The Red Wings are the only team that can pull off the monochrome uniform and still look good. Despite my curiosity of what a new logo and uniform might look like, I wouldn't ever want to see it really changed. It's great the way it is. It's not perfect though. Because it hasn't really evolved over time, it's stale. The Bruins proved that minor yet marked alterations in striping style can result in turning a good jersey into a great one. Overall, I like it. 4/5
Reader Comments (13)
Elegant, sleek, overall a sweet jersey. Thats why i have 2.
Stale, schmale. You don't mess with awesome. And while the Bruins recent alterations have been very good, they went through a period of less-than-successful alterations to get there. I'd rather the Wings just stay the way they are than risk the same process in the spirit of change for change's sake.
Additionally, the Bruins have the advantage of a two-color scheme. To implement changes like the Bruins made, the RedWings would probably have to add some black or silver or other non-brand, which is a peeve of mine.
worst jersey ever. its sooooo boring. and as for the logo..come on a flying tire??? blah. in the words of every hawks fan ever "DETROIT SUCKS!!!"
Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't the same lettering style in fact not been retained? If I'm not mistaken the Red Wings used to have thing lettering that was in an arch, whereas they now (from the preseason photos I've seen) have more detailed lettering that goes over the numbers straight.
(Just look at Lidstom's jersey from when the movement of the C and As were first announced and then look at the on-ice photos of the back of anyone's jersey)
Classics stayed classic - Gotta like it
When it comes to logos and iconic images, doesn't having history and tradition imply that it has been earned? Granted, just because a team keeps the same logo and jersey for several decades doesn't automatically make it great, but longevity and tradition are not the same thing. It has to have something special to make it traditional, or iconic, in this sense.
The Ducks could keep their awful wordmark "logo" for 50 years and it wouldn't mean anything. But teams like the Habs, the Hawks, the Wings, the Bruins' spoked "B" - that's history and tradition, because they have that something special. They're more than logos, they're icons. Those logos and jerseys aren't special because they've been around forever. They've been around forever because they're special.
jeremy william...
wings use different lettering every year in preseason, it has been like this many years.
i think the reason is that in preseason when you have so many palyers trying to get in the team all the way from rookiecamps,its easier to make nameplates and switch them. since real jerseys they dont use nameplates, letters are right on the jersey.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't the same lettering style in fact not been retained? If I'm not mistaken the Red Wings used to have thing lettering that was in an arch, whereas they now (from the preseason photos I've seen) have more detailed lettering that goes over the numbers straight.
Adding to aaris in the previous comment, check out http://images.sportsline.com/u/ap/photos/MIJM110101022_lower.jpg" REL="nofollow">this picture from a recent Wings game. They're playing the Flames and you know it's this season because Calgary is wearing the Alberta flag patch on the shoulder. The Detroit name and number styling is the same as it has been.
Anyway, thanks for the comments, everybody!
the only weird thing about the wings' unis this year is that they blew up the logo too big, and now have to put the Cs and As on the other shoulder. i did a double take the first time i saw that... just looks weird.
Well that's good to see, here I was thinking the EDGE had ruined arching names.
I'd still get a vintage Wings jersey over an EDGE one purely to make sure RBK dosen't get my monetary support for these disasters, but I take solace that Detroit came out as one of the best-looking jerseys under the jersey change. Stuck to the traditional look, and added a change that's both pratical (the tip of the wing makes placing the patch there awkward anyway), as well as providing another nod to their old jerseys. Perfect.
Tradition is the only reason this jersey gets a 2/5 from me. Otherwise, it's a 1.