Pens' Prospects Exhibit New Sweaters

One last post today. We've got a few pictures of Pittsburgh Penguins prospects wearing the their new jerseys while playing the Ottawa Senators in Kitchener this weekend. Thought I'd share.

As has been pointed out, the players aren't wearing the new socks and pants, only the sweaters.

You know, the Panthers and Penguins come to town wearing their new Rbk EDGE uniforms. It begs the question: Why aren't the Sens' prospects wearing theirs? They've been unveiled already. Anyone know?

Anyway, for me it's just another example of the new Rbk EDGE jerseys looking better on players than hangers. We'll make t-shirts: "Better on players than on hangers." Have a great night all!

Prospects Put Cats' Threads Into Action

Seems a handful of teams have sent their rookies to Traverse City this weekend with their new Rbk EDGE uniforms. All right so not everybody is in Michigan. These guys are in Kitchener, Ontario. (Thanks for pointing that out to me in the comments, guys. I should read more!)

Anyway, it's cool because it gives us a preview of what's to come, not only in talent, but aesthetically as well. The Florida Panthers prospects were wearing the new threads and we have pictures courtesy of the Ottawa Senators' official web site.

I know a lot of people have been complaining, but if you ask me, these jerseys look pretty damn good in action.

What do you guys think? Do you like what you're seeing so far? Or are you dreading the new season?

Isles Players Show Off Jerseys

Single-game tickets for the New York Islanders went on sale yesterday and a couple of Islanders players were on hand to sign autographs. A couple of people who were there and took pictures have emailed them to me to share.

Wade Dubielewicz, Bruno Gervais and Richard Park kept fans occupied while they waited in line for tickets.

All three wore white road jerseys to the event. All of the photos I was sent have been added to the Islanders album in my official Rbk EDGE gallery if you want to see more.

Thanks to Kevin and Dale for the photos!

I'm still not crazy about these jerseys but here's another perspective. Dale said, "I think they do the jersey more
justice on the player than on a hanger."

Fair point.

By the way, if you have or know of any other photos for the Isles or any other team, feel free to email them to me at nhllogos@gmail.com. I'm always looking to expand the photo gallery.

Wings Prospects Wearing EDGE?

It seems that the members of the Detroit Red Wings at the Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan are wearing the new Rbk EDGE jersey. RedWingsCentral.com has a great photo gallery up from Friday. I recommend taking a look.

You can see Thrashers and Lightning players in a couple of the photos but they appear to be wearing last year's sweaters.

If I get permission from the photographer, I'll post some of the pictures here in case the link ever goes away.

UPDATE (9:03 AM): I've been given permission to repost some of the photos so check these out. They were taken by Sarah Lindenau for RedWingsCentral.com.

From the previous photos we'd seen of the road sweaters, it wasn't clear if the sleeve element would remain the same. Seems it will. You'll also notice the "A" on the right shoulder for the alternate captain in this photo. Here's another for your viewing pleasure.

Huge thanks to RedWingsCentral.com from me! I should point out, too, that the folks at RedWingsCentral.com are not confirming that these are Rbk EDGE jerseys, but I believe they are. The collar and tight fit lead me to this assumption. Just wanted to put that out there.

Incidentally, there's a gallery of photos taken yesterday also available here.

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!

No Word On Ducks' Jerseys?

We've managed to go this long without hearing anything from the Anaheim Ducks regarding the unveiling of their new uniforms so I'm not anticipating a big announcement.

However, Anaheim was the only team left not yet in the sidebar countdown so I added them for this Thursday, September 13. The reason being they have their first preseason game then and will likely be wearing them. So while we may get no unveiling ceremony, I expect we'll see them on that date.

As a side note, I just wanted to mention that I'm working on a Rbk EDGE FAQ because there seems to be a handful of people with inaccurate information. Just to clear everything up, I'm going to put all the facts in one easy-access post. Hopefully I'll have that up tonight at some point.

One big thing that seems to be misunderstood: Teams will be wearing darks and home and whites on the road this season. I don't know if that will change in the future, but that's how it stands now.

Atlantic Division Concepts

I've been going through my email looking at all the concept art I've been sent in the past several weeks. Let the Concepts Gallery serve as a small indication. Anyway, I've grabbed a couple of designs for the Flyers and Devils I thought were interesting.

First off, one designer said, let's rebrand the Philadelphia Flyers a little. Here's what he came up with.

The designer had this to say about his creation.

The idea for the primary is just an updated Flying P - a little faster and sleeker looking than the current one. I've always been bothered that the current logo just doesn't evoke speed to me. As for the secondary, it's supposed to suggest something flying away from a planet or something.

Just something interesting to share. There's also this design which has been floating around a little bit. I think the idea was to fit as many letters as possible horizontally across the front of the sweater. Mission accomplished.

I can't see the Flyers ever wearing anything like that, though. However, something interesting that was sent to me was this concept for a secondary logo for the Flyers. Many who've suggested a secondary logo for Philly have simply gone with the Liberty Bell. What woudl you Flyers fans think of something like this?

Pennsylvania's nickname is the Keystone State. That should explain the outer shape — a keystone. What I like is the white sun in the background because the first thing I thought of was the orange circle in the Flyers' primary logo. Very clever.

I was impressed with that. I was also impressed by a third jersey someone came up with for the New Jersey Devils.

I know the league is abandoning those this year, but I think it could work just as well as a home sweater. I've always thought a black jersey would make the logo on the chest stand out more.

But I guess we'll never know. Devils brass have stated that the jerseys will be the same as the previous design, merely adapted to Reebok's new cut. Still, I figured this was worth a look.

Expect to see the Flyers' new sweaters on September 16, followed by the Devils' a day later in their first preseason game.

On A Western Swing

California is the running theme of today's concept art. We'll kick things off in the City of Angels. This first concept jersey for the Los Angeles Kings makes use of the original 1960s logo with silver replacing yellow.

Not terrible, but my personal favorite was the king face logo used on the mid-'90s third jersey. While the jersey sucked, I thought the logo was the strongest in the team's history. Once again, the gold is changed to silver producing a jersey that might look something like this.

I'm not a Kings fan, but I'd buy that jersey or one like it in a heartbeat. As a great alternate to a set like this, there's this design.

I like the silver in the beard of the king face logo on the shoulders. I think that would work better on the purple jersey above. Maybe it could be one of those logos where the colors change depending whether the jersey is light or dark — like the Flames and Canucks.

Moving along now to Anaheim, we have a Ducks jersey that isn't black.

Unfortunately, if it's gold, the logo (read wordmark) almost completely disappears. And I'm not sure it could be orange without looking like the Flyers. So black it is.

This concept might well turn out to be what the Ducks' new jerseys actually look like. I'd expect to see the team change the logo to the duck foot only, but that may just be wishful thinking.

My only other issue with this design is its lack of gold. That's an important part of this color combination and they should make good use of it.

And now we'll finish off this post with a trip up to San Jose. Got some interesting Sharks concepts to share.

These next images are renderings from a video game — not NHL 08 — featuring a concept someone created for the Sharks. Very simple and classic. Shouldn't garner many complaints.

This cool jersey concept utilizes the shield logo unveiled by San Jose back in July. I really like that idea and it's not completely unheard of to use two different logos on NHL uniforms. Look at the new Wild sweaters.

The white one feels a little plain but not terrible.

Now Californians, let us all know how you feel about these concepts.

We've already seen the Kings' new uniforms, but we're still waiting on the Sharks and Ducks. Word out of San Jose is we should expect to see the new jerseys on September 17 while Anaheim has a preseason game on September 13. So at the latest, we'll see the new Ducks duds on Thursday if they don't unveil them sooner.

Just To Freak You Out... Some More!

Yes, you read that title right. Back by popular demand, I'm going to get your weekend off to a kicking start. I have the weird and crazy; a whole slew of new and wacky concept designs just meant to freak you out. So buckle in, it's going to be a long one.

I'm going to have a theme of red and black tonight. You'll see what I mean, but first I need to show you this.

From the brilliant creator of the Sabres and Canucks mish-mash logos comes this gem. True art in its rawest form. I dare anyone to attempt to improve upon that.

But since you can't, we'll move along. Do you like the color combination of red and black? Sure, if you're a Devils, Hurricanes, Senators or Coyotes fan. But what about Sabres, Predators and Canadiens fans? What about Leafs fans? Look on if you're brave enough.

It's a little blinding, isn't it? You might be surprised to discover that these designs all came from different people. Bad enough to have one disturbed mind out there Devil-ifying all these jerseys. There are at least four.

This Canadiens concept just scares me so I want to stop looking at it. The Sabres one just looks like a bloody slug (I knew that comment was coming so I wanted to head it off). And the Predators... well that doesn't look half bad if you ask me.

But imagine what kind of disturbed mind I must be to posting this stuff.

Wait. You need to catch your breath before you see this. Maple Leafs fans, ready your eyeballs for this one.

Wow, you're still here. I'm impressed.

All right, now I'm going to ease off a little bit. These designs are not so much horrifying as funny.

Dude, you spilled some oil on your— oh, wait... I see... yikes. Yeah. Oilers fans, I'm genuinely interested to know how you feel about this particular concept. I know it's been floating around a little, but it's just so... out there.

So what if the Rangers did this?

We probably ought not think about it.

Someone spent at least 30 seconds making this.

A missed opportunity, I say.

As a tribute (or not so much) to what I'm going to start calling the "VANCOUVER Incident," someone had some fun with other jerseys.

Similar work on the Sens, Isles and Jackets can be found in the Concepts Gallery. Now I'm going to wrap up where I began — Long Island. Imagine if Reebok decided the NHL should go the way of basketball.

Check out that outline of the island in place of a horizontal stripe. All is well.

Just remember, you guys asked for this. Let this be an object lesson in the notion of being careful what you wish for. Actually, if this keeps up, we'll make it into a weekly feature. So if you've made or found crazy crap like this, feel free to send it my way at nhllogos@gmail.com and who knows, you just might freak somebody out.

Pens' 250 Patch Is Only Right

Quick note for anyone interested in this aspect of the new Pittsburgh Penguins Rbk EDGE jerseys. I came across some definitive proof that the new "Pittsburgh 250" shoulder patch is only worn on the right shoulder.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has posted a video from the unveiling event on its Empty Netters blog. Frankly, I'm surprised we didn't see it sooner. Following the ceremony, the video shows players being interviewed by the press. The cameras are on the left side of the players, clearly showing that there is no patch on that shoulder.

I'm almost positive that this is of absolutely no consequence or interest to anyone aside from Pens fans, but so be it. Have another look.

So to anyone who was still wondering, you can now put the thought from your mind. Right shoulder only. Now get ready for next week when the whole rest of the NHL unveils their uniforms. We're going to see 26 different new jerseys in the span of about a week. It'll be busy times.

UPDATE (8:03 PM): By the way, I'm not sure I've ever actually stated the significance of the "Pittsburgh 250" patch. And a few of you have indicated you weren't sure of it. The patch commemorates the 250th anniversary of the city of Pittsburgh, which was founded November 25, 1758. This is odd because the 2007-08 season will be over by the time that anniversary actually comes around.

If you ask me — and nobody is — I think they should've waited until the 2008-09 season to wear the patch and get the league to schedule them a game on that night... perhaps against Philly? Any takers? In any case, that's what it's there for, for better or for worse.

It is bland though. Isn't it?