Some Unconfirmed Third Jersey News

I got an email earlier in the week that I was unable to post until now. It was from a reader who wrote in that a Reebok representative has apparently confirmed which teams will be wearing third jerseys next season. I'll say right off that neither I nor this reader can completely vouch for the veracity of this information, but having said that, I see no reason not to put it out there anyway as mere speculation.

The list includes the Sabres, Oilers, Flyers and Blues, which we've already heard rumors about. However, it doesn't include the Penguins who are apparently looking to don the retro jerseys they wore at the Winter Classic.

The rest of the list shapes up like this, in alphabetical order:

• Atlanta Thrashers


• Boston Bruins


• Carolina Hurricanes


• Chicago Blackhawks


• Dallas Stars


• Los Angeles Kings


• Minnesota Wild


• New York Islanders


• Ottawa Senators


• Phoenix Coyotes


• San Jose Sharks


• Tampa Bay Lightning


• Toronto Maple Leafs


• Vancouver Canucks

From that list, all but four had third jerseys last season. One would assume most of them would stay the same.

Boston, Toronto and Vancouver wore retro threads. An obvious choice to keep. Vancouver switched back to their original colors this season. However, the introduction of a new Johnny Canuck logo leads me to wonder whether they might head in that direction for an eventual discontinuation of the whale altogether. But that may just be wishful thinking.

Chicago, San Jose and Ottawa simply wore black versions of their standard jerseys. Seems to me they'd probably do something similar with new thirds. Also, Carolina has never had a third but black seems like a smart option. And since introducing their new colors and logo, the Coyotes have yet to try out a third. But if they do, you might see it in black as well.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Kings and Islanders stick with last year's thirds. They utilized different colors, and a different logo in Los Angeles' case. Minnesota made their red third into their regular home sweater this year but the green may well make a comeback if they go with an alternate.

Dallas' most recent attempt at a third left a lot to be desired so we might see something completely different for them. Or we might just see a green jersey with "STARS" written across it in white. Also, Atlanta recently converted its original third to the current home jersey, so I'm not sure what to expect from them. Perhaps something in dark blue reminiscent of their early days?

And finally, there's my Lightning. Very few people liked Tampa Bay's blue third with rain drops, waves and lightning bolts on the arms from the late '90s. I was one of them. But I wouldn't expect to see anything like that if we do end up with an alternate next year. I would expect to see a nice blue sweater though.

Enjoy the speculation. As hard facts become available, you can count on me to have them posted right here at NHLToL.

So if you guys want to start coming up with concepts of what you think next year's crop of third jerseys might look like, go for it! Email them to me and they may well find their way onto the blog.

Comments

[Brian C]

Awesome! im so glad that teams are bringing back the Third jerseys!

[wade little]

Dale Tallon, GM of the Blackhawks, confirmed there would be a return of the black third jersey. He never said it'd be this coming year, but he did confirm it would be making a return, sooner rather than later.

[Bill]

I think that The Blackhawks black jersey is probably the best one they wear.

[Washington]

Glad to hear that some are coming back (although unconfirmed). It was inevitable and hopefully this will help assuage some of the fans who weren't happy with some of the changes made in this season's set.

Just a comment that last year's Sharks 3rd was not just a black version of their previous jerseys. It was pretty different.

I do hope that many of these teams will try to break away from that trend/temptation to just use a black version of their regular jerseys though. Even though the end result may be really nice for some, my personal opinion is that this is an opportunity for some teams to get creative with the emphasis on their secondary colors and designs.

For example take the current Wild and Thrashers home jerseys which were 3rds and went toward an unconventional route, and came out with something that no other team has really ever done before. (I am a fan of the ATLANTA sleeve btw). That being said, I'm not advocating crazy St. Louis roller hockeyish, Wild Wing bursting, Burger King-on-shoulder white jerseys, but something that can break the somewhat status quo of "been there, done that" with these thirds.

Look at the changes made in the NBA and the way their unis have evolved even within just the last decade. Granted, they don't have to deal with a league wide jersey template, but many teams changed to adopt fresher, more modern cuts and designs and even color schemes.

Please teams of the NHL, don't just opt for the black. (Although I'd bet my laptop that San Jose will do just that)

[awildermode]

I agree with Washington. There is simply too much black in the NHL right now. Going black for their thirds will show just how crappy the NHL and RBK design teams really are.

I would like to see different colours in the new thirds. Kings purple, Islanders orange, Wild green, Stars green, Bruins yellow...

Welcome back to internet, Chris.

[Jason]

So much black. I wish so many teams wouldn't go with the easy and obvious and do something creative.

[Lucas]

The Islanders are most likely using the 1972 royal blue jersey next year for the third jersey.

[Andre]

The Johnny Canuck V is A CLASSIC. Very original. I recently bought a T-shirt with this logo on eBay. You can take it to the bank that the Canucks will have this on their third jersey next season and eventually the full-time jerseys. The Canucks recently removed the Orca Bay moniker from their corporation and now the company is called Canucks Sports & Entertainment. The Johnny Canuck V will sell like wildfire. The Orca may represent Canada's West Coast, but this new logo will truly represent and define the Vancouver Canucks. As much as I love the original Stick 'n Rink logo, it's too bad the Canucks never came out with a Johnny Canuck V logo. They wouldn't have had all these logo and uniform changes, let alone all the controversy and criticism surrounding these changes. Once Johnny Canuck V merchandise is available, I will have my debit card ready, plus a suitcase to carry all this JCV merchandise in.

[Erik]

its too bad the rangers wont be introducing lady liberty back, although i think it could still happen

[Jeff]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Senators used their updated side profile logo if they get a third jersey next year. I wondered what the point of having a logo only for merchandising purposes was, but what better merchandise is their than the sweaters? I'd look for that logo on more than likely a black sweater.

[anonymous]

imo the canucks should used the modernized stick in rink logo over the johnny canuck one.