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.

Sabres Getting A Third?

A reader sent in this link to a story about the uniforms for the Winter Classic. In it, Buffalo Sabres Managing Partner Larry Quinn suggests that the team will be wearing a retro third jersey in the future. He doesn't say specifically it would be worn next season but we do know several teams will have thirds beginning in the fall. I'm going to go ahead and add it to the sidebar with an unspecified date.

Blues Third Jersey Coming This Fall

Good news for Blues fans hoping for a third jersey next season. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Bernie Miklasz wrote today that team has apparently confirmed it.

Blues Chairman Dave Checketts, honored at the Sold on St. Louis awards luncheon on Wednesday, announced that the Blues will introduce a navy-based third jersey next fall featuring a new logo incorporating the Blue Note and the Gateway Arch on the front.

So as soon as the design is available, which likely won't be until late this summer, I'll post photos.

This news had me thinking. We've heard a number of teams including the Flyers and Oilers reference possible third jerseys for next season. I'd like to keep a running list here on the blog of teams that have announced a new third jersey for 2008-09.

To make things easier on me, I'd like to get you guys involved if you're interested. Email me or write a comment on this post any time you see a reference to a potential new third jersey for next year. Cite a credible source too. I can't accept "my best friend's uncle's mother's cousin works in a pro shop and told me so" as a source.

This list now exists as a sidebar element. Enjoy!

UPDATE (2/17 5:20 AM): Just wanted to add that back in December, I posted concept art for the Blues in the form of a third jersey that incorporated the Blue Note and Gateway Arch on a navy sweater. You can find it at the bottom of this post if you're interested.