Sweater Switch 2014: Summer Edition
Less than 24 hours into NHL Free Agency, we've already seen the new sweaters a handful of players will be switching to this fall. So bring on Sweater Switch 2014!
Ryan Miller · Canucks
After 12 years in Buffalo, it was a jarring to see Ryan Miller sporting the Blue Note for the last few weeks of the 2013-14 season. But apparently, he wasn't looking to stay in St. Louis. The all-star goaltender signed on with the Vancouver Canucks.
Within minutes, the team tweeted a photo of his new jersey.
Have to admit some surprise he didn't stick with No. 39. In fairness, I didn't watch the press conference so I don't know if that was addressed. I understand 39 is his preferred sweater, but he wore 30 in Buffalo all those years out of respect for Dominik Hasek. (Maybe he's worried about Dan Cloutier mojo in Vancouver?)
Thomas Vanek · Wild
The Minnesota Wild could not tweet enough photos of their newest member, Thomas Vanek, with his new sweater.
Vanek will take over Matt Moulson's No. 26 — for the second time in a year. Vanek and Moulson were traded for each other last fall between the Isles and Sabres. But Moulson will not return to the Wild in 2014.
Matt Moulson · Sabres
In fact, after he joined Minnesota, I pointed out on Twitter that Matt Moulson held the 2013-14 record as the player who'd worn the most NHL jerseys. He played for three teams, all of whom had three sweaters.
Knowing he was hitting the free agent market, I wondered if he would end up in a 10th NHL uniform in less than 10 months. As it turned out, he ended up back in Buffalo where he spent the middle part of last season. (And there are no new jerseys coming to the Sabres this year. That I know of. Right?)
Paul Stastny · Blues
Continuing with the No. 26 theme, the St. Louis Blues nabbed ex-Av Paul Stastny in yesterday's excitement. He'll continue to wear the number he had in Denver.
UPDATE · Jul 2 · Great catch by "M. March" in the comments, who wrote: "Dmitrij Jaskin gave up his No. 26 to Stastny over Twitter." Here's that tweet.
Brian Gionta · Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres added plenty of new faces to the mix this week, but Brian Gionta got a special press conference this afternoon. It was there he got acquainted with his new sweater.
For even more photos, check out this photo gallery on the Sabres' Facebook page.
P.A. Parenteau · Canadiens
Joining the Montreal Canadiens is P.A. Parenteau. Early Wednesday the team tweeted a photo of the forward in his new sweater. Parenteau will stick with his standard No. 15 sweater.
Dan Boyle · NYR
Brian Boyle · TBL
Jul 4 · Funny point made in the comments by "TheTI2112" who writes:
Dan Boyle signed with the Rangers just as Brian Boyle left to Tampa. Both share the same last name and both wear number 22. So Dan's new jersey looks exactly the same as one the Rangers have been used to for the past several years.
Put your sewing machines away. No re-stitching necessary.
Though it will be funny when part-time Rangers fans not paying attention to offseason transactions show up at MSG this fall. The looks of confusion will be priceless.
Wait, we got a different guy named Boyle? Who also wears No. 22? What.
For those wondering, Dan and Brian are not related. In fact, Dan is Canadian while Brian is American. But Brian does have a hockey-playing brother who was drafted by the Senators in 2012.
Wouldn't you just die if he wears No. 22 too?
By the way, to make things funnier, Dan played with the Lightning during their Stanley Cup championship in 2004. He also wore No. 22 then.
Jarome Iginla · Avalanche
Jul 5 · Jarome Iginla spent 17 years of his life as a member of the Calgary Flames. So it was jarring to see him don a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform in 2012.
By signing with the Colorado Avalanche earlier in the week, Iginla now joins his fourth NHL team in two years.
Earlier today, the Avs tweeted out some photos of the process of creating his sweater. He'll continue wearing No. 12.
Jason Spezza · Stars
Jul 6 · For the second summer in a row, Ottawa Senators fans said goodbye to their captain. Last year Daniel Alfredsson departed for Detroit.
This week, Jason Spezza joined the Dallas Stars. Today, the team tweeted the first photos of his new sweater and new number.
Spezza wore No. 19 for years in Ottawa but it's retired for Bill Masterton, the former Minnesota North Star — a fact Tyler Seguin learned last summer. He went with No. 91.
Spezza will wear No. 90, becoming the first Star ever to do so. And he'll no doubt make his mark with it.
Ryan Kesler · Ducks
Jul 10 · The Ducks sure made a big deal out of Ryan Kesler's arrival in Anaheim yesterday. The team shared plenty of photos of him sporting that new white sweater.
It's been noted that the numbers on his jersey are outlined in gold instead of orange as they were at the draft. We can probably chalk that up to lack of availability either at the team store or in the locker room — depending on who did the customization.
But perhaps the stranger sight for jersey geeks was to see yet another jersey with Kesler's name and number on it.
Any other new free agent jerseys out there? Drop me a line and I'll expand this post.