NHL JerseyWatch 2015: July
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A few weeks ago, the NHL Draft delivered a smorgasbord of new logos and jerseys. With that in mind, let's get NHL JerseyWatch 2015 fully up to date!
ANAHEIM DUCKS
third jersey expected
Reebok is telling retailers to expect the Ducks to hop back into the third jersey fray in 2015-16.
This season, the team debuted new home and road sweaters based on its previous alternate uniform, which launched in 2010.
What can we expect with this new design? No details have emerged yet but I suspect an orange jersey for the club from Orange County. (Maybe something like this?)
For what it's worth, Fanbrandz recently opened up their vault to reveal some of the many concepts they created as they handled the Ducks' 2006 rebrand. The unused designs could inspire an incredible third jersey.
via Fanbrandz
The Ducks haven't said anything about when to expect an unveiling, but we usually see new thirds around the beginning of the season. Maybe September?
Arizona Coyotes
NEW primary jerseys, logos unveiled
The biggest splash of draft day came by way of a semi-rebrand in the desert under a cloud of uncertainty with regard to the Coyotes' home in Glendale.
Despite the ongoing legal issues, the club will continue to play in Arizona next season and will do so while wearing new uniforms — an attempt to reinvigorate the brand.
Everything apart from the primary logo is new or refreshed here. The centerpiece is the new paw-shaped shoulder patch with an "A" hidden in the negative space. That design will be seen only on the red home uniform.
The white road jerseys are getting an updated version of the existing patch inspired by Arizona's shape and flag. On top of that, there's a new wordmark — the franchise's fifth since moving from Winnipeg in 1996.
Boston Bruins
winter classic jersey
As we get closer to the season, I'm adding individual sections for teams participating in outdoor event games during the 2015-16 season. This will give us an opportunity for a bit of educated speculation.
The Bruins will lead the charge, hosting the 2016 NHL Winter Classic and Gillette Stadium on Jan. 1 against the Montreal Canadiens.
In their last outdoor appearance at Fenway Park, the Bruins skated in gold sweaters trimmed in brown. Maybe this is their chance to go with brown jerseys — a fitting tribute to the club's original sweaters in 1924.
Winter Classic jersey unveilings tend to come in late September to early October so we may have a few more months to wait.
Chicago Blackhawks
Stadium Series jersey
In February, the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks will land in Minnesota to participate in the first of two 2016 NHL Stadium Series games.
For Chicago, it will be their third outdoor game in as many seasons. For Minnesota, its first ever. That should make for an interesting dichotomy.
What sort of sweater will the Hawks go with? Well, two years of Stadium Series games have yielded futuristic jerseys unlike anything we'd previously seen in the NHL. It's likely a safe bet that trend will continue.
So let your imagination run wild.
Columbus Blue Jackets
New secondary logo
Among the draft day unveilings was the new shoulder patch that will be worn on Blue Jackets uniforms beginning in the fall.
It's a recolored version of the cannon logo that's been used as the third jersey crest since 2010. The team feels it better represents the brand going forward than the Civil War era cap previously used as a secondary logo.
No other uniform or logo changes are expected.
Colorado Avalanche
New secondary, anniversary logos
The Avalanche seemingly have it all going on this year from an Icethetics perspective. Two new logos have been unveiled and two new jerseys are on the way.
And yet, the biggest thing that needs changing — the awful apron-string piping on the home and road sweaters — has been left entirely untouched. Go figure.
On the day of the NHL Draft, the Avs showed us their new shoulder patch — a stylized version of the "C" seen in the Colorado state flag and the logo of the old Colorado Rockies NHL team. And your eyes aren't fooling you, the new logo adds navy blue to the Avs color scheme. It's not the same blue seen in the rest of the uniform.
In addition, we got confirmation that two 20th anniversary logo patches will be in use this season. The version without the primary logo at the top will be seen on the home and road jerseys.
NEW ALTERNATE, STADIUM SERIES jerseys
The new third jersey will make use of the other — leading many to the conclusion that the primary logo will not be the crest. Will the "Colorado" wordmark remain? Or could the new secondary logo replace it?
In addition to all of that, the Avalanche will be hosting their first NHL Stadium Series game. So add another jersey there. And their opponent will be...
Detroit Red Wings
stadium series jersey
The Red Wings will participate in their third outdoor game when they visit Denver next February for the NHL Stadium Series. They previously participated in the Winter Classic in 2009 and 2014.
Sweaters from both of those games were inspired by historical designs. This one probably won't be.
Last season, it was mid-December before we got to the Stadium Series jerseys. Will we have to wait that long again? Stay tuned.
Edmonton Oilers
throwback jersey unveiled
Draft day usually holds a cool surprise or two and this year's coolest was the revealing of the Oilers' orange throwback jersey — given first to Connor McDavid.
As the club embarks on its final season at Rexall Place, it will pay tribute to its WHA days with a replica of one of its original jerseys.
The Oilers have not worn orange since joining the NHL, but fans have been hoping for it. The seven games when it will be worn should be a real treat.
In addition, the team has revealed a "final season" tribute patch for Rexall Place. It's not clear yet whether it will be worn on the uniforms during the season.
Montreal Canadiens
primary jerseys updated
Another surprise on draft day was the unveiling of changes to the timeless and untouchable Canadiens sweaters. But fittingly, the changes only served to further cement the jerseys as classics.
The club added collar ties and the home sweater — worn almost exclusively in the French-speaking city of Montreal — now features the LNH shield in place of NHL.
These revisions, subtle as they are, take these jerseys even closer to the realm of perfection.
Winter Classic jersey
As mentioned up top, the Habs will meet the Bruins in Boston for the 2016 Winter Classic. In both of their previous outdoor appearances, via the Heritage Classic, their regular jerseys were worn.
However, for their 100th anniversary in 2009, they launched a series of pre-NHL throwbacks. Could one of those be repurposed or will we get a new design?
Minnesota Wild
new anniversary logo unveiled
This fall, the Wild will set out on their 15th season of NHL action and plan to mark the occasion with a special logo.
It's hard to believe they've been around so long. But it's not at all hard to like the logo they've come up with. Time and time again we've seen the best designs tend to be the simplest ones.
Stadium Series jersey
As part of what should be a memorable season, the Wild will play in their first outdoor game, hosting the Chicago on the University of Minnesota campus for the 2016 NHL Stadium Series.
Again, the trend has been create progressive and futuristic sweater designs for these outdoor games in contrast to what we see on New Year's Day at the Winter Classic.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
NEW THIRD JERSEY EXPECTED
A new home comes with a new jersey for the newer New York team in the new season. (Nailed that.)
When the Islanders move into the Barclays Center in Brooklyn this fall, they'll mark the occasion with a redesigned alternate uniform.
Last season, the team used its 2014 Stadium Series sweater for a handful of games. That will give way to a new black-and-white design perhaps inspired by their new housemate, the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.
From a BloombergBusiness article in March:
After the move the Islanders will have a black-and-white third jersey as a way of incorporating Brooklyn, [Barclays Center spokesman Barry] Baum said.
The story was about how the "I" in the team's logo points to the location of the NVMC on Long Island, but neither that the logo nor the team's name will change when after the move to Brooklyn.
If you're curious when we'll get to see it, Newsday's Arthur Staple expects to see it by early October. If I had to put money on it, I'd bet on a mid to late September unveiling. Either way, it shouldn't be too much longer now.
San Jose Sharks
New anniversary logo
The third team joining the anniversary logo fray in 2015-16 are the Sharks, who will celebrate 25 years. We first saw the logo itself months ago, but the draft was our first chance to see it on a jersey.
We wondered how it would fit onto the already covered shoulders of San Jose's sweaters. As it turns out, the small number on the upper chest has been replaced by the new teal diamond. Thank goodness!
The question now is whether the Sharks will wise up and keep those numbers off after next season.
New throwback jersey
Following the draft came some big news. The Sharks will, in fact, wear a "Heritage Jersey" for a handful of games during the anniversary season.
Disappointing to many fans hoping for a true throwback was that the team described the jersey as representative of "the present of the Sharks franchise while paying stark homage to its past."
The unveiling of the jersey, in addition to the dates it will be worn, are still to come. More for a future JerseyWatch!
Washington Capitals
new third jersey unveiled
Making it easier to wear their retro third jersey in front of their home crowd, the Capitals revealed a new design a few days prior to the NHL Draft.
Beginning in the fall, the Caps will don their original red jersey a dozen or so times a year. Of course this means at least another two years without the blue "Weagle" jersey we keep hoping for.
2016 NHL ALL-STAR GAME
NASHVILLE, TN · JAN 30
All-Star Weekend hits Music City next winter when the Predators host the NHL's elite. Back in May, the club unveiled the logo that will represent the big event.
The NHL hired Fanbrandz to create the design collateral. For more on the genesis of the 2016 All-Star look, head over to their web site and read up.
As for the uniforms, the previous set of All-Star jerseys was used in back-to-back seasons. Does that mean an encore for the neon green numbers we got this season? Needless to say, they were not exactly greeted warmly. Let's hope the NHL tries again in 2016.
2016 NHL Winter Classic &
2016 NHL STADIUM SERIES
The six teams involved in these outdoor games have already been referenced above, but we're also still awaiting logos for the events themselves.
The Winter Classic logo is always original and distinct, inspired by the city hosting it. Given the history of the two teams taking part this time around, expect a design with a lot of historical significance.
Regarding the more generic Stadium Series, we saw some revisions to the logo from 2014 to 2015, but nothing major. Maybe another update or more of the same?
And as a recap, these are the outdoor games in 2016:
- WC: Bruins vs. Canadiens
Jan. 1 · Gillette Stadium · Foxboro, Mass. - SS: Wild vs. Blackhawks
Feb. 21 · TCF Bank Stadium · Minneapolis, Minn. - SS: Avalanche vs. Red Wings
Feb. 27 · Coors Field · Denver, Colo.
That's a lot of great jerseys and logos to look forward to!
So there we are. Another NHL JerseyWatch post is behind us. Keep checking Icethetics throughout the summer and into the new season as we keep an eye on the other new logos and jerseys waiting to be revealed to the world!