NHL Draft day promises new third jerseys!
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Three weeks from tonight — not long after a first-ever Stanley Cup championship has been won — the NHL will get together in Dallas for the 2018 NHL Draft. It's a night that celebrates the future. For most hockey fans, it'll about future players. For us, it'll be about future jerseys!
You may have read about this already in JerseyWatch 2018, but I thought it warranted a blog post just the same. The Arizona Coyotes and Carolina Hurricanes — and perhaps other teams who have yet to announce their plans — will reveal their new third jerseys to fans during their respective draft parties on June 22.
The first announcement came last Saturday from the Coyotes.
The Coyotes' last third jersey reveal came on Nov. 22, 2008. They wore the black leaping coyotes sweater for six seasons before retiring it in 2014.
Coyotes unveil third jersey in 2008.
While it's become commonplace in recent years for teams to introduce new sweaters on draft day, that hasn't always been the case. The last time the league introduced third jerseys en masse was 2008 and the first one wasn't unveiled until September.
In fact, that honor belonged to the Carolina Hurricanes, who will once again lead the pack. Yesterday, the Canes announced plans for this year.
The last time the Hurricanes unveiled a new third jersey was Sept. 10, 2008. It was black with a tropical storm flag crest. The Canes wore it right up until 2017 when third jerseys were retired for a year as Adidas took over NHL jersey production.
Hurricanes unveil third jersey in 2008.
We'll keep a close eye on these teams come draft day. But don't expect them to be the only ones. I'd imagine we'll get at least another team or two ready for a reveal before the month is out.
For more on what to expect from these new Coyotes and Hurricanes sweaters, be sure to keeping checking back at JerseyWatch 2018.