What to watch for Friday at the 2015 NHL Draft
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For most fans, draft day is about previewing the NHL superstars of tomorrow. For some of us, it's about previewing the NHL sweaters of tomorrow. And while the first overall selection at the 2015 NHL Draft will be anything but a surprise, the new jerseys to come might just do the trick.
Here's a quick rundown of what we're expecting to get on Friday!
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes will unveil new home and road jerseys during their draft party at Gila River Arena. The main event will take place Friday at 3pm PT.
Yesterday, the team shared a teaser image of the new uniform — showing what appears to be a computer rendering of a player's leg.
The socks feature a new design, which now incorporates a black stripe. And the pants are black for the first time since the team changed its logos and jerseys in 2003.
Rumors abound, but it sounds like the new home jersey could be red with black shoulders and a unique overall design unlike any currently seen in the NHL.
The Kachina-inspired striping from the original Coyotes' uniforms may be present on the inside of the collar in "hanger effect" fashion. And the moon logo may be going the way of Colorado's Yeti foot.
In fact, even the existing shoulder patch may be replaced by a new paw print logo. Allegedly.
I can't say whether any of that is accurate, but I know you guys love gnawing on rumors and these seem as good as any for now.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche will show off their newly altered home and road sweaters at the draft, according to Denver Post writer Mike Chambers.
Another source tells Icethetics the "minor alterations" will include the replacement of the Yeti-inspired shoulder patch that's been on Colorado's jerseys for 20 years.
Speaking of which, the Avs recently unveiled their 20th anniversary logo, which is likely to find a home on the team's uniforms next season.
They select 10th overall on Friday night so we shouldn't have to wait long to get a look at the new secondary logo and anniversary patch.
The Avalanche also have a new third jersey and Stadium Series jersey in the pipeline for 2015-16, but don't count on seeing them just yet.
San Jose Sharks
Just prior to the Avs, the Sharks will select 9th overall, at which point we may get our first look at how the club will fit a 25th anniversary patch onto their uniforms.
You may recall the 20th patch was squeezed between the numbers and stripes on the sleeves. It was weak.
However, it's worth noting this new logo has not really been used outside of season ticket marketing materials at this point. The team may be waiting until closer to the season to fully roll it out. Or they may do it Friday.
Nashville Predators
Barring a last minute trade, the Predators won't have a pick in the first round on Friday so we'll probably have to wait until Saturday to see what the new NHL All-Star logo will look like on their sweaters.
The design was revealed at the end of May. Host teams generally wear their All-Star patch throughout the season. Nashville should be no different as they plan to make a big deal about their hosting duties this year.
Odds & Ends
I'm really not expecting much more for NHL draft day. The Coyotes and Avalanche will make the biggest splashes with their unveilings and there's probably little else that will pull focus.
An orange Oilers third jersey has been reported, but we're unlikely to see it at the draft. Same with new alternates coming to the Islanders and Ducks. I'd expect to see all three by the end of September.
And in case you missed it, the Capitals unveiled their new third this week.
All that's left are potential anniversary patches. Arizona could conceivably mark 20 years, having arrived from Winnipeg in 1996. But given their fixation with the "Arizona Coyotes – Est. 2014" tag line in all their marketing these days, that's probably a no-go.
Elsewhere, the Rangers, Red Wings and Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks (yeah, I've made peace with it) are all reaching 90 years in 2016. We saw the Bruins wear a 90th anniversary patch last season.
So now we just sit back and watch. The Coyotes unveil their new look at 3pm PT and the draft begins an hour later. Get excited!
UPDATE · Jun 26 · A few tweets in the last 24 hours from the Montreal Canadiens have Twitter buzzing. Take a look, then we'll talk about them.
Thursday afternoon the Habs posted that black and white photo saying "classics live forever." Now this morning photos of parts of a jersey with nothing more than a #GoHabsGo hashtag.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say the Canadiens are adding collar laces to their primary sweaters. We were expecting this in 2013, the last time Montreal was in the NHL JerseyWatch here on Icethetics. Maybe they've finally decided to pull the trigger.
Or could it be a preview of their Winter Classic attire? With any luck we'll find out tonight. For now, the Canadiens have the 26th overall pick.
But if you're thinking that's too crazy, take note of the St. John's Ice Caps — the new AHL affiliate of the Canadiens. They tweeted this in the last 24 hours.
They're also using that background image on their social media platforms and official website. Maybe what Montreal's teasing isn't even about them? The plot thickens.