Sens Announce 20th Season Plans

Official 20th anniversary logo vs. March sneak peekThe Ottawa Senators announced plans on Thursday to celebrate their second decade of NHL hockey during the 2011-12 season.

The club also unveiled its official 20th anniversary logo which, as you can see in this side-by-side comparison (right), differs from the 20th logo we saw in March when the team gave us a sneak peek at the Heritage Jersey.

Two things bug me right off the bat. The official anniversary logo, which is no better than the prototype seen in March, is awfully generic. Generic fonts, generic banner. Nothing about it furthers the Senators brand.

The other thing is the beige, or vintage white as we've come to know it. It's trendy, we get it. The 86-year-old Bruins used it in their Winter Classic throwback jersey. The Rangers used it last year when they turned 85. A little less understandably, the Sabres did it at age 40. But guess what. Two years ago, the Montreal Canadiens celebrated 100 years without that dingy shade of white.

So why is a team that's barely 20 breaking out the antique colors? This is not the same Ottawa Senators club that was a founding member of the NHL in 1917. There was a massive 58-year gap between that team and this one.

I'm not against them celebrating their city's hockey heritage, I just think that trendy beige is silly. And it's just being overused now. I mean, look at that logo. It says 1992—2012 on what's meant to look like a white material that's been aging in the attic for a century or more. Silly.

The Senators did not unveil their new Heritage Jersey at yesterday's press conference, though the design was leaked on the blog this week. The official release will come closer to the season, and the team confirmed some details about when it will be used.

Twenty home games this season will be devoted to the first two decades of the modern franchise. Another 11 are being set aside to recognize the 11 Stanley Cups won by the original Senators, a founding member of the NHL and the league's first true dynasty. The current team will break out a new 'heritage' jersey on those occasions.

In Tuesday's leak we also learned that the Heritage Jersey will see action twice on the road, in Montreal and Toronto. The Canadeisn and Maple Leafs already have white throwback jerseys so I can't help but wonder if they'll wear them for those games against Ottawa.

Though it's not in the press release on the Sens' website, the Ottawa Citizen reported yesterday that the Heritage Jersey will make its game debut on Oct. 13 when the Senators host the Colorado Avalanche.

CTV falsely reports jersey unveilingThat brings me to some shoddy reporting that needs to be cleared up. CTV Ottawa said yesterday that the Senators had unveiled their 20th anniversary jersey. Which they hadn't. Le Journal de Quebec also used the same image in their story, though in their defense, a translation of their article from French reads "the jersey will be unveiled," not that it had been already.

And get this: The design these "news agencies" published was nothing more than a concept pulled straight from this very website more than a year ago.

On March 10, 2010, I posted artwork designed by Tyler Allen that, in terms of design, is identical to what was posted by these two news outlets. Only the shoulders, name and number have been altered (right). The overall design remains completely intact. Lay one on top of the other and you'll find no differences.

Granted, this design isn't far off from what was leaked earlier this week, but it is enough for us to notice. Check out the sleeves and the striping around the waistline. Plus, the numbers on the back are supposed to be white, not black. And where's the new shoulder shield?

I understand CTV Ottawa wanting to give their web vistors and viewers an idea of what the jersey will look like, but reporting "Senators unveil new jersey" is flat out false. They haven't yet. We'll certainly know it when they do.

I hope that clears up any confusion. I know a number of you had emailed me links and been left scratching your heads.

One other thing before I move on from the Senators. I thought this was pretty cool. The Ottawa Citizen referenced Icethetics on Wednesday regarding the leaked Heritage Jersey. They were able to get a response from the team on its validity:

“There have been a number of jerseys that have been produced online and speculated upon as the new heritage jersey,” Brian Morris, the Senators director of communications, said Tuesday. “We anticipate the heritage jersey will be well received by the fan base, but we won’t confirm its design until it is officially revealed prior to the season.”

Nice to see the site getting a little recognition from the big guys. Now one more item, unrelated to the Sens...

Olympiques go colorless in 2011

The QMJHL is getting another black-and-white team this season. The Gatineau Olympiques are going retro, switching back to the colors (or lack of color, as it were) that they wore when they were known as the Hull Olympiques from 1976 to 2003 — black and silver.

An article from LeDroit (translated) explains the transition and even includes a photo of the newly-painted center ice logo which is now black and white with shades of grey. The author says the team hasn't confirmed this change yet, but the writing is on the ice, as it were.

Plus, the new splash page on the club's official website features the desaturated logo. You can see it at the bottom of this post.

The Olympiques are the third hockey team this year to drop their distinguishing colors in favor of a black and white look. First the Los Angeles dropped the purple, then the Q's Montreal Juniors became the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and got rid of the red.

That Olympic torch logo may have had an unusual color palette — purple, yellow and orange with orange jerseys — but it stood out and gave the club its own identity. I know my argument falls down when you consider they're just going back to the colors they previously wore for decades, but it's just so bland.

QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques alter logo colors / Olympiques

QMJHL Adds Armada

The QMJHL team that didn't really have a name has been rebranded — and now it doesn't really have colors. The Montreal Junior Hockey Club moved about 20 miles northwest and are now the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

The new name, logo and uniforms were officially unveiled today at a press conference at team's arena in Boisbriand. The bland palette is black and white with what appears to be an inkling of silver as a trim color — a lot like the Los Angeles Kings' depressing new look.

Despite its unfortunate lack of color, I like the design of the primary logo. It's very clean and bold. And it looks like every element of the mark was carefully positioned. You'd think that'd be a given in logo design these days — but then you saw the WHL's Victoria Royals logo, right?

The sweaters are simple, but they almost feel like an afterthought. Here's a look from the QMJHL's website:

Blainville-Boisbriand Armada jersey design unveiled / QMJHL

One thing I will say about this branding is it's definitely not targeting children with bright colors and cartoon creatures. This is an all-out effort to create a professional look for a junior hockey club. I give it a tenuous thumbs-up overall. A solid effort in design but sorely lacking in personality.

Loose Threads: Red and the Rest

Obviously the big news yesterday was the announcement of the sale and intent to relocate the Atlanta Thrashers. But that's not all that went down yesterday. Here's a quick run-through.

Panthers Bringing Back the Red

Panthers 1993-2007 / from Getty ImagesAccording to Miami Herald beat writer George Richards, the Florida Panthers are revisiting the past with new red sweaters starting in the 2011-12 season.

I highly recommend reading his latest On Frozen Pond blog post. But if you can't be bothered, here's some of what he wrote on the subject.

The Panthers are shifting their marketing focus this summer to coincide with their return to their orginal look.

A restyled red jersey will become Florida's primary jersey this season — the first time the red will be the team's primary home jersey since the early 2000s when it was relegated to alternate thirds and then dropped during the Reebok restyle in 2007. I was told Alan Cohen hated the red look, and for parts of his ownership, the team only wore that color on weekends.

I have seen mockups with the new circle logo — which debuted on the Tampa Bay JetBlue thirds — on them although I have been told it will be the leaping cat on the front. Sans stick.

No word on whether the JetBlues will return as the alternate for a third season. Florida may keep the home blue jerseys it has worn since the 2007-08 season as the alternate. When I find out about the thirds, will let you know.

He says the secondary logo — sun with crossed hockey stick and palm tree — will remain on the new sweater, which will be unveiled at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on June 24. The new draftees will be the first to sport the new design.

So look for lots more red from the Panthers this summer. Personally, I think this is great. Always like the Panthers better in red than navy.

Moves Around the Minors

The rest of this post can be done with bullet points and, since I'm up against the clock, that's a good thing.

• The Telegram in St. John's is reporting that a deal has been reached to relocate the AHL's now homeless Manitoba Moose to Newfoundland for the start of the 2011-12 season. With the acquisition of the Thrashers, True North was obviously eager to unload the minor league franchise that filled Winnipeg's NHL gap for the last 15 years. No word yet on what the team's new name will be. full story
• Chicago Express jerseys unveiled / ExpressThe ECHL's newest expansion team, the Chicago Express is set to begin play in the 2011-12 season. So yesterday, they unveiled the jerseys they'll wear. Unsurprisingly, they're based on the Blackhawks' uniform design in the Express' blue and silver color scheme. They grey third jersey steps outside the box a little bit, but overall an unimpressive set. full story
• In other ECHL news, the league approved the membership of the Colorado Eagles, formerly of the Central Hockey League. With the folding of the Victoria Salmon Kings and the addition of the Express and Eagles, the ECHL will begin play with 20 teams this fall. full story
• Joining Victoria and Atlanta in losing hockey teams this summer is Lewiston, Maine. The QMJHL's Lewiston MAINEiacs have folded and the league announced that in 2012, it will expand to Sherbrooke, Quebec — which is actually where the MAINEiacs relocated from in 2003. Ouch. full story

That's all I have for now. Be sure to follow @icethetics on Twitter or keep an eye on the feed in the sidebar for the latest updates. I intend to have more updates on these stories throughout the summer or, at the very least, full coverage in the 2011 Icethetics Season Preview in September.

CHL Third Jersey Fever, Part 2

After a few weeks of daily updates, I needed a bit of a breather. But it's time now to get back to it. We first need to get to a few more third jerseys from the CHL, as a continuation from last week. That post included only new alternates from the WHL. Today's will be from all three leagues.

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Photo credit: John AllenThe WHL's Tri-City Americans unveiled a new red third jersey just a few weeks ago.

The design was first seen on Annie Fowler's Tri-City Herald sports blog on Sept. 23. The jersey then made its on-ice debut a few nights later, Sept. 26, for the Ams' first game of the season.

For the record, the Americans beat the Spokane Chiefs in the new threads in front of their home crowd in Kennewick, Wash. by a score of 6-3.

The standard home and road jerseys for the Tri-City club are dark blue and white. Though the red clearly works very well. The primary logo is the same on those sweaters so it might've been a nice change to see something else there.

Still, this is the CHL and even though it's a junior league it's hard to complain about most of their sweaters. They usually put a lot of work in and tend to hit the mark — unlike a certain major professional hockey league we all know well.

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Oil Kings unveil third jerseyJust yesterday, the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings unveiled their new blue alternate sweater.

Typically, the Oil Kings' dark jerseys are red with more traditional striping so this is a change of pace. And while the rest of the sweater changes, the logo remains the same. A post at etownhockey may have put it best:

The jersey's take on a new modern look but their gaudy symbol is still intact. I like the look but I was really hoping for a completely revamped 3rd jersey which saw a new logo.

The yellow logo is very dated and looks out of place with the rest of the uniform. I understand this goes back to the original Oil Kings days, but with an alternate jersey they had free range to add something new. Unfortunately this wasn't the case.

The Oil Kings' own press release makes no excuses for the design, just pointing out that it will look like a whole new team when the new sweater hits the ice for the first time (in a game) on Friday night against the Medicine Hat Tigers. They also have an extra photo for your enjoyment.

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Photo credit: Dave ChanOne of my favorite CHL third jerseys has got to belong to the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL.

The Mooseheads' new black sweater is actually a revisit of a previous third jersey, only now it's made by Reebok. And despite being black, it looks great. You know why black works in the CHL? Because it's used sparingly.

The jersey first hit the ice on Oct. 1 in a shootout loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs. But they sure looked good, aesthetically speaking. Not that they normally look bad. On any other night, the Mooseheads normally look like the Minnesota Wild, whose jersey design they use for both their home and road uniforms.

In other jersey-related news from Halifax, the Mooseheads will hold Pink in the Rink III on Oct. 22. That will involve specially-colored sweaters and the ice surface painted pink. Also, if you have a minor hockey team in Nova Scotia, the Mooseheads could wear your sweater for a night. Details on the Great Mooseheads Jersey Race on their website.

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St. Michael's Majors third jerseyThe OHL team with the most ridiculous name ever, the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors, has a new third jersey.

It's a nice one but all these "fauxbacks" are starting to look the same. You got your circle crest in your Habs-style stripe across the chest. We get it. Even jerseys from way back in the day had their own styles. Still, most NHL teams struggle for a look this clean and simple.

The new sweater was unveiled Sept. 26 at the Meet the Majors event. This photo (right) was posted on Twitter by Tony Ambrogio the following day but the team has a small photo gallery on its website. Unfortunately, the "fauxback" thing only gets worse when you see the back. Yes, that's a dark blue nameplate on a vintage white sweater. When did this become a thing?

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Greyhounds' new third jerseyWe'll wrap up today's CHL third jersey post with the OHL's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

I don't know if they're trying to keep this new sweater a secret, but the Soo Greyhounds are doing a good job of it. A reader, Ryan, emailed in this photo (right) with no details on where it came from. There's also this article on the team's website.

The Greyhounds usually wear red and white so this is certainly something new. Still, it looks like they're trying (badly) to borrow an idea from the Mooseheads (mentioned above).

But I guess it's no worse than writing SENS or BOLTS across the front of your alternate uniform. The striping is hard to make out in either image but it appears to be pretty plain as well. Not that that's a bad thing.

Hoping the uniform looks better on the ice than in this photo, though. By the way, if you guys can track down a better shot (perhaps game action), let me know by email.

CHL Adds the 3rd Jersey

Retailers across Canada are reporting that the CHL junior leagues (WHL, OHL and QMJHL) will all be adding third jerseys for the 2010-11 season. Yes, this comes just one year after all 60 teams got brand new Reebok Edge jerseys in the first place.

Tracking all 60 unveilings will be an impossible task for me alone. If the minor pro leagues aren't my forte, then the Canadian junior leagues really aren't. Heck, it was easy last year. The league posted all 120 jerseys in one convenient location on their website for all to enjoy. I can only hope they'll do it again.

If they don't, I'll be counting on the best fans in the hockey blogosphere to help out. Indeed, that is you. If you see something, say something. I'll do my best to get it on the blog. Meanwhile, there are five teams that have either unveiled a third jersey recently or are about to. I'm going to try and speed through them — in no particular order. (And I'll do my best to credit the tipsters.)

Attack unveil throwback jerseyFollowing up on an earlier report, the OHL's Owen Sound Attack unveiled their Owen Sound Mercury's throwbacks.

The new sweaters were revealed on Aug. 18 and the following is from the official release on the team's website:

Attack captain Garrett Wilson was on hand to introduce the Attack’s new third jersey for the upcoming season.

The Mercury’s jersey will be worn for every Wednesday night home game for the 2010-11 season, along with other specified dates throughout the year, including the home opener on Saturday, Sept. 25 vs. the Guelph Storm.

The Mercury’s operated from 1947-1957, winning the Canadian Sr. Men’s Hockey Championship (The Allan Cup) in 1950-51 and produced many players who either had strong local ties at that time or created those ties while playing here in Owen Sound. Many of the Attack’s year end awards are named after past Mercury players and still presented by their family members.

A cool, retro look. Hard to find any faults. Thanks to Blair W. for the tip.

Pats unveil vintage jerseyOn the same day, the WHL's Regina Pats unveiled their throwback thirds for the 2010-11 season.

Garrett Mitchell and Jordan Weal sported the new threads at the team's press conference. The vintage look is pulled all the way from 1925. Here are some details from the release:

With over 90 years of history, there are many different jerseys the Pats could have picked from. The selected uniform is from the 1924-25 and 1925-26 seasons with the Pats winning the Memorial Cup in this jersey in 1925.

The jersey is cream coloured with the traditional red and royal blue piping. There are specially designed letters that spells “PATS” on the front between the horizontal red piping through the middle of the jersey. The current Pats logo will be on the shoulders. The socks are also cream coloured with red piping and will be worn with blue pants and either the red or blue helmets.

There are more pictures on the Pats' website, including some old photos of the 1925 team — I guess as proof they weren't just making this design up. A bit plain, but it's hard to go wrong with a retro third. Kudos to Kev S. on this one.

Raiders reveal third jerseySticking with the WHL, the Prince Albert Raiders were the third CHL team to unveil a third jersey last Wednesday.

They are celebrating their 40th anniversary this season with a special new sweater, though according to their website, it doesn't appear to be getting much use. 

Highlights of this season’s birthday bash include Dec. 11 and Feb. 18 home games against the Everett Silvertips and Moose Jaw Warriors, respectively. On both nights, the Raiders will wear specialty jerseys. The Dec. 11 birthday tilt will be one night prior to the anniversary of the Raiders’ first game, a 9-2 win over the Regina Pat Blues on Dec. 12, 1971.

That's literally all they say about the jersey. There's barely a picture of it. The photo above comes by way of John MacNeil of the Prince Albert Daily Herald. That's Raiders marketing director Bruce Vance showing off the sweater.

And for the record, the Daily Herald says the Raiders will first wear this jersey on Oct. 22 against the Medicine Hat Tigers. The Raiders' website says nothing about that. My thanks to Brad D.

Wildcats unveil third jerseyThe QMJHL's Moncton Wildcats will be celebrating 15 years with a brand new third jersey for the 2010-11 season.

A brief posting on the club's website features a photo and explains the jerseys were unveiled Aug. 13. There's really nothing beyond that:

The 2010-11 season marks the 15th anniversary for the Moncton Wildcats in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and in honor of this anniversary the Moncton Wildcats unveil their new jersey today.

Actually, I think this one is my favorite of the bunch — if only for the logo on the front. In terms of overall sweater design, I'd probably pick Owen Sound.

Rebels unveiling third soonThe WHL's Red Deer Rebels also have a third jersey on the radar.

The splash graphic on their website promotes the unveiling of an alternate sweater as an upcoming event. However, as you can see, it's not entirely clear whether it will happen when training camp opens next week or some other unspecified time.

The divider between the training camp and third jersey lines is what makes me question this. But we'll keep an eye on it and I'm sure Scott B. will email in again when the sweater is unveiled.