Sizing Your New EDGE Jersey

Earlier, I posted photos of my new Lightning Rbk EDGE jersey that just got delivered to me today. Since then, I've been getting lots of questions about sizing. So here's what I know.

The Philadelphia Flyers have a great FAQ posted on their web site regarding the Rbk EDGE jerseys. Specifically, they have a sizing chart that seems like it would give you a decent idea of what size jersey to buy for yourself.

Basically, it suggests jersey size based on chest size. So wrap a tape measure around your chest or something and figure out which jersey is right for you.

Obviously, the numbers above are in inches. I didn't realize they had a sizing chart until after I'd purchased my jersey, but as it happens, my chest measures out to about 43 or 44 inches, meaning medium was the suggested size for me. And it worked out because, as I've said, my jersey fits me perfectly.

And might I add, if you do end up buying a jersey and feel like supporting NHLToL, click on one of my IceJerseys.com ads and place your order with them.

I'm going to add this information to my Rbk EDGE FAQ. Let me know if this works out for you guys. Good luck!

No New Poll Today

I don't want anyone to wonder where today's poll is so I'm just letting you know now that we won't be having one today. That's just the way the schedule worked out. So for the first time in almost six weeks, you won't have anything new to vote on, unfortunately.

However, there are still several open polls, including the Canadiens versus Flyers for Eastern champion and Oilers versus Blues for Western champion in the tournament. Click on VOTE NOW! above to place your votes on any polls where you haven't done so yet.

Plus, there's an open poll in the sidebar. Cast your vote for the next tournament to be held here at NHLToL. You can choose from Vintage Logos (where we'll use a pool of 16 logos that are no longer used, chosen at random), Secondary Logos (where we'll use a pool of all the current secondary marks), and Third Jersey Logos (the pool will consist of all third jerseys since the program was introduced in 1995). Later this week or early next week I'll post all of the logos for each pool so you all can get a visual idea of what each tournament would look like.

And tomorrow we'll be voting on the best logo in the history of the San Jose Sharks! Later today we'll have some more concept art and starting Monday we'll have reviews of each new Rbk EDGE uniform.

EDGE Unis Get Official Web Site

Reebok has relaunched their Rbk EDGE Uniform System web site to now feature photos of all 60 new NHL sweaters alongside renderings from EA Sports' NHL 08.

You can visit the site by going to www.rbkedgeuniform.com. And that spells the official end of the Rbk EDGE releases. I hope you all will continue to visit the site for the logo tournaments as well as the concept art which is returning in full force this week.

That reminds me. Remember the "Just To Freak You Out" series I ran for a short time that you all seemed to enjoy so much. It's coming back as a weekly feature starting this Friday — assuming we have enough content to warrant it every week.

Anyway, enjoy that site and keep checking my Rbk EDGE photo gallery for new pictures of these uniforms in action during the preseason.

Get Ready For A New Tourney!

As you know, the hockey season is nearing and that means the inaugural NHL Tournament of Logos is winding down. After tonight, just four logos will remain as we prepare to name one the best logo in the National Hockey League.

Planning Ahead
So I'm planning ahead. A lot of you have expressed interest in this site continuing past the unveilings of all the new Rbk EDGE jerseys and the logo tournament. Well as I've said, there's so much more we have left to do.

We can decide on the best secondary logo, the best vintage logo, the best third jersey logo — the list goes on and on. But we have to go one step at a time. Today I added a new poll to the sidebar so you can vote on which logo set we should decide the best of next. You can vote for one, two or all three categories if you'd like.

Like I've said before, this blog is for you guys. Just let me know what you want to vote on next, and we'll do it. Currently, you can choose from vintage logos (we'll use a pool of 16 chosen at random), secondary logos (we'll use a pool of all the current secondary marks), and third jersey logos (the pool will consist of all third jerseys since the program was introduced in 1995).

I know many of you have inquired about doing a jersey tournament. We'll get to that. But first let's do another set of logos. The site is called the NHL Tournament of Logos after all.

Reebok Reviews
That reminds me. Beginning a week from today I'm going to start a month-long Rbk EDGE series. Each day, I'm going to review a different jersey until we've done all 30 teams. Along with each review will be a poll so you guys can rate each new uniform.

Then sometime in the winter, midway through the hockey season, we'll do a tournament of jerseys. We'll set up a new bracket and you'll be able to vote on which is the league's best. I want to wait until the winter so that we can have some time to get used to them. Don't want to go around making snap judgments now, do we? We'll give them some time to sink in and then they'll be fair game — pitting one sweater versus another.

Your Opinion Matters!
And one final thought. I know I've only offered up three categories for the next logo tournament, but if you have an idea you think should be considered, I'm all ears. You can leave a comment on this post or email me directly at nhllogos@gmail.com.

Also worth mentioning is this. You've noticed the Logo History polls that I've been conducting on the days when I don't have a new poll for the tournament itself. The same will go for the next tournament, except with a twist. You'll be voting on the best logo of a relocated franchise. For example, we'll pit Whalers against Hurricanes, Nordiques against Avalanche, and Jets against Coyotes.

Anyway, I can't tell you how excited I am about this! The response from everyone has been amazing. I really can't believe how many people continue to visit this site and vote everyday. As long as you guys keep making it worthwhile, I'll keep updating the blog. Thanks again for dropping in and please email at any time!

EDGE Jerseys All Unveiled By Monday

Just thought I'd remind everybody that all 60 new Rbk EDGE sweaters will have been unveiled by Monday — the San Jose Sharks being the last to go. Reebok has confirmed this on their web site.

So all the anticipation is winding down. The EA Sports leak notwithstanding, we're still waiting to see photos of uniforms for three more teams — the Sharks, Coyotes and Oilers. Still waiting to see official photos from the Sabres, Coyotes and Blues today.

See The NHL 08 Gallery

I understand some folks are having trouble viewing the link I put in the last post. Someone grabbed stills of the new Rbk EDGE jerseys for all 30 teams as shown in EA Sports' NHL 08. If you would like to see them all, I've compiled them in my Rbk EDGE gallery in a separate album so as not to confuse them with official team images.

View the NHL 08 Gallery here!

Hope you guys enjoy that. And I hope you'll keep coming back to the blog for the official unveilings — as well as the tournament! — now that you can see decent shots of the overall designs of all 60 sweaters. Enjoy!

The Unofficial Rbk EDGE FAQ

I've been noticing a trend in the comments and elsewhere of people not having all the information that's out there relating to the new Rbk EDGE uniforms and the 2007-08 NHL season. So in this post I'm going to compile a list of frequently asked questions regarding the uniform switch.

Why should you take my word for it? Maybe you shouldn't, but I'm going to try to cite a reliable source where applicable. Plus, I've been researching this topic since way back in January when the first Rbk EDGE jerseys were unveiled for the All-Star Game in Dallas. I've read a lot on the subject.

I hope this will be helpful. And if you come across any information that's inaccurate or missing, please email me so I can correct it. You can reach me at nhllogos@gmail.com. Happy reading!

First off, Reebok issued their own official FAQ back in January when it was announced the NHL would be making the big switch. You can read that for the public relations information. Download the PDF here.

RBK EDGE UNIFORM SYSTEM

Is Reebok redesigning the uniforms of all 30 NHL clubs?
Depends on your definition of "redesigning." Every team will be adopting the new Rbk EDGE cut and style which is different from what they have been wearing, but not all of them will feature an actual design overhaul — though many have. My understanding is that Reebok is coming up with the designs and going through an approval process with each team. So the individual club (along with the league) has the final say in the jersey design. (So don't take out your frustrations on Reebok or Gary Bettman, necessarily. Take them out on your team's management.)

Are teams required to choose from a set of prefab templates when designing their new jerseys?
There isn't anything official regarding "templates" per se, however, we have been noticing that some jerseys that have been unveiled have very similar elements to others. I'll take a more in-depth look at this after all of the uniforms have been unveiled.

When will the new uniforms be unveiled?
The unveilings have been staggered over the course of the summer. For a complete list of confirmed and speculative unveiling dates, see the countdown in the sidebar of this blog. All uniforms will be unveiled by or before Friday, September 21 as that is when they are all scheduled to go on sale in sports stores everywhere.

Are any other hockey leagues adopting the Rbk EDGE jerseys?
The American Hockey League is the only one I know of. The AHL is keeping a photo gallery of all the new jerseys on their official web site. You can view it here.

THE NHL IN GENERAL

Is the league switching back to home whites?
No, teams will continue to wear dark sweaters for home games and white sweaters for road games. I can't say for sure this won't be the case in the future, but it is true for the 2007-08 season. One source of this information is the NHL.com shop where each jersey is labeled appropriately — home or road.

Will any teams have third jerseys?
No, the league has announced that there will be no third/alternate jerseys this season. However, there have been a few indications that the third jersey program will return as early as the 2008-09 season. For example, the Flyers' official web site has an FAQ about the new uniforms. It states, "Black and white jerseys are available this year. A third orange jersey will be released next year." You can read more here.

What do the new uniforms look like?
I'm compiling an online gallery with photos of the new uniforms for each team as they are unveiled this summer. Click here to view it.

BUYING A JERSEY

How do I know what size jersey I should buy?
This sizing chart (measured in inches) should serve as a good basis for deciding what size Rbk EDGE jersey is right for you.

I hope this FAQ has been somewhat helpful to you. If you have a question that hasn't been addressed here or have discovered inaccurate information, please let me know in the comments or email me at nhllogos@gmail.com. Thank you!

Listen To The CBC Radio Interview

For those of you who missed it, CBC Radio One in Vancouver interviewed me on yesterday's On The Coast about the blog. You can listen to the interview — along with a few of the promos leading up to it — right here. Just click the play button.

NHLToL: CBC Radio Interview 9/5 on Vimeo

You can let me know what you think in the comments area.

By the way, I know today was a light day, but for those of you who enjoyed last week's "Just To Freak You Out" feature — you're in for a treat tomorrow. I have a cool post coming up. Plus I'll have more concepts as well. Have a great night, all!

CBC Radio Appearance For NHLToL

So you've been reading the blog, but would you like to hear me talk about it on the radio? CBC has asked me to do an interview tomorrow afternoon about my NHL Tournament of Logos blog. Can you believe that?

Apparently, we're going to tape the interview early in the day Wednesday and it will air on CBC Radio One in Vancouver (690 AM) at about 4:40 PM locally (7:40 PM Eastern time). So be sure to tune in! My guess is we'll talk about the tournament in general as well as our thoughts about the new Rbk EDGE uniforms of which I've been trying diligently to cover this offseason.

For those of you who live outside of Vancouver, the show will be streamed online at cbc.ca/bc. Then under the Listen Live link, choose 690 AM Vancouver. I'm pretty excited!

I hope most of you will listen and I hope I don't trip over my mouth too much!

What To Expect In September And Beyond

Just wanted to pop in with some quick news and notes relating to the blog. As you know, September is upon us and that means 18 teams have about two weeks to unveil their new uniforms. It's going to be hectic this month but I mention it because this means I'll be more focused on actual jersey news than concept art. Not to worry though, I'll fit it in where I can and I'll keep adding stuff to the gallery.

Which brings me to my next point. I haven't written a lot of posts today, but I've been busy behind the scenes adding loads of new images to the two galleries I've set up. I've added at least one new image for every team in the Concepts Gallery. That's definitely worth a look. You'll find lots of new stuff all the time. I've been updating it nearly every day.

I've also been adding pictures to my official Rbk EDGE gallery — including the Philly and Minnesota leaks from the last couple of days. Even though the two teams haven't "officially" unveiled them, I'm counting them because they came through official team channels — the respective season ticket books.

It would be cruel of me to publish an entirely text-only post, so look at this. Somebody slapped a Whalers logo on the new Canucks unis. They forgot to write "HARTFORD" above it.

Anyway, I also wanted to let you guys know what I'm working on for the future of the blog. As you know, the primary focus of the site is the logo tournament. As of right now, nearly 225,000 votes have been cast. So I'd call it a success. A lot of you have emailed in asking what's next. The tournament ends on October 3 — opening night for the NHL. And as for the jersey news, they'll all be unveiled within the next few weeks.

Not to worry, though, NHLToL shall have life in October assuming you all want to keep coming back. Beginning on October 1, I'm going to start a month-long feature wherein I review all of the new Rbk EDGE uniforms. You'll be able to rate the uniforms and comment on the reviews.

On the tournament side, there will be plenty more where that came from. A new tournament is in the works. Beginning on September 17, you'll be able to vote on what the next one will determine. We can see who has the best vintage logo, secondary logo, even new uniform, or anything else you guys come up with. The new tournament will begin on Saturday, October 6.

I'm also working on a couple of spinoffs. We can do logo tournaments for the AHL, ECHL or any of the Canadian hockey leagues. That'll start some time later in the year at a new location. Expect to see the new Tournament of Hockey Logos coming soon. We'll have to get the word out to all our minor league friends.

I hope you'll all stay involved with the blog. I've really had a blast making it and I've been thrilled by the response. On the day the Canucks unveiled their uniforms, this site had a whopping 110,000 hits — the same day it crossed the one-million overall mark.

Anyway, keep reading and keep emailing me. I enjoy hearing the feedback and getting all your awesome concept jersey designs. Thanks so much for visiting!