2015-16 NHL Uniform and Logo Changes

[habsfan1]

The scooped hem really needs to go... Barring a few teams that just don't get it *cough colorado*, it is the only remaining thing wrong with current cut.

If Adidas eliminates the scooped hems in favor of straight hems, they will have done at least one thing right.

[colinturner95]

Kind of off topic but seeing CCM make Arizona State's hockey jerseys gives me hope for the NHL in a few years.

It's just a recolored Blackhawks template, and adidas/Reebok has used CCM branding in every North American league except the NHL for a couple seasons now.

Still gives me some hope.

[Kevin W.]

Of all the bad things Reebok did wrong with the introduction of the Edge template, the scooped hem is low on the list, but yeah, it needs to go.

[BeerGuyJordan]

Of all the bad things Reebok did wrong with the introduction of the Edge template, the scooped hem is low on the list, but yeah, it needs to go.

^^^^^^^^^^This.

The edge branding to me feels like a desperate attempt to be hip and relevant during a time when it looked like the other three leagues were widening the gap.

[Morgan33]

I fail to see how ruining every teams look, to the point of embarassment, could be misconstrued as "hip." If that was what they were truly going for, the debacle was a bigger farce than I previously thought... And that's saying something.

[BadSeed84]

It was trying to hip with the technology it presented, heres an article from then.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2007-01-18-new-uniforms_x.htm

My favorite hyperbole line about the then new edge jersey

Matt O'Toole, chief executive officer of Reebok-CCM Hockey, says the revamped uniforms give players unprecedented performance and protection. "They'll go from driving a Ford to a Ferrari. They'll still be in a car — but a car that's more sculpted and sleek," he says.

[Gothamite]

I fail to see how ruining every teams look, to the point of embarassment, could be misconstrued as "hip."

They couldn't have cared less about maintaining traditional looks, since the point was trying to sell merchandise to new fans.

And FWIW, many of the teams were happy to go along. The Avalanche could have kept their mountain-range hem in the new template but chose not to.

[hockey week]

Idk

I fail to see how ruining every teams look, to the point of embarassment, could be misconstrued as "hip."

They couldn't have cared less about maintaining traditional looks, since the point was trying to sell merchandise to new fans.

And FWIW, many of the teams were happy to go along. The Avalanche could have kept their mountain-range hem in the new template but chose not to.

Idk just how true that is. It came out later that Rochester was forced to give up their hemline stripes, they were told it wasn't possible to do. I think a lot of teams were told similar things about their designs, and reebok was concerned about stripes lining up over different fabrics (or they just didn't want to do it). Edmonton hated their jerseys from the moment they saw them, so I wonder just how much was the team and how much was reebok pushing.

If it was just up to the team, the Rangers would've kept their straight hem instead of having to sew theirs for that first season. In the NFL, Green Bay insisted they keep the old jersey style and they got what they wanted, in the NHL, nobody has that kind of power.

[CreamSoda]

I fail to see how ruining every teams look, to the point of embarassment, could be misconstrued as "hip."

They couldn't have cared less about maintaining traditional looks, since the point was trying to sell merchandise to new fans.

And FWIW, many of the teams were happy to go along. The Avalanche could have kept their mountain-range hem in the new template but chose not to.

This is the oddest part of the whole Edge system and the Avalanche. If they could have kept their mountain stripes, but didn't just to sell more merchandise, then why have they not changed up designs in the next 8 years. So many teams did, and it would seem that they got double the merchandise sells because of it. One for the new jersey, one for going back to the traditional look.

It appears the Avalanche changed purely out of a design choice and have seen no reason to change to a different design.

[Sodboy13]

Idk

I fail to see how ruining every teams look, to the point of embarassment, could be misconstrued as "hip."

They couldn't have cared less about maintaining traditional looks, since the point was trying to sell merchandise to new fans.

And FWIW, many of the teams were happy to go along. The Avalanche could have kept their mountain-range hem in the new template but chose not to.

Idk just how true that is. It came out later that Rochester was forced to give up their hemline stripes, they were told it wasn't possible to do. I think a lot of teams were told similar things about their designs, and reebok was concerned about stripes lining up over different fabrics (or they just didn't want to do it). Edmonton hated their jerseys from the moment they saw them, so I wonder just how much was the team and how much was reebok pushing.

If it was just up to the team, the Rangers would've kept their straight hem instead of having to sew theirs for that first season. In the NFL, Green Bay insisted they keep the old jersey style and they got what they wanted, in the NHL, nobody has that kind of power.

Well, first, obviously, Rochester is an AHL team, not an NHL one. Second, the AHL went Edge a season after the NHL, when it would have been obvious hem stripes were entirely possible. And third, when the AHL made the Edge changeover, I talked to the Chicago Wolves' merchandising manager to see what changes were looming (and if any clearance sales were imminent). He said that Reebok had some redesign proposals for the Wolves, and that the team more or less laughed them off the table, and told Reebok they'd be keeping their old look, thank you very much. They kept it.

So, if Rochester got told by Reebok that hemline stripes just were a non-starter, and Rochester meekly said "okay" and accepted their template crap for two seasons, that's on the Amerks for not having stones. And if an AHL team could have final say on their design, obviously an NHL one could, too, if it wanted.

[CreamSoda]

Idk

I fail to see how ruining every teams look, to the point of embarassment, could be misconstrued as "hip."

They couldn't have cared less about maintaining traditional looks, since the point was trying to sell merchandise to new fans.

And FWIW, many of the teams were happy to go along. The Avalanche could have kept their mountain-range hem in the new template but chose not to.

Idk just how true that is. It came out later that Rochester was forced to give up their hemline stripes, they were told it wasn't possible to do. I think a lot of teams were told similar things about their designs, and reebok was concerned about stripes lining up over different fabrics (or they just didn't want to do it). Edmonton hated their jerseys from the moment they saw them, so I wonder just how much was the team and how much was reebok pushing.

If it was just up to the team, the Rangers would've kept their straight hem instead of having to sew theirs for that first season. In the NFL, Green Bay insisted they keep the old jersey style and they got what they wanted, in the NHL, nobody has that kind of power.

Well, first, obviously, Rochester is an AHL team, not an NHL one. Second, the AHL went Edge a season after the NHL, when it would have been obvious hem stripes were entirely possible. And third, when the AHL made the Edge changeover, I talked to the Chicago Wolves' merchandising manager to see what changes were looming (and if any clearance sales were imminent). He said that Reebok had some redesign proposals for the Wolves, and that the team more or less laughed them off the table, and told Reebok they'd be keeping their old look, thank you very much. They kept it.

So, if Rochester got told by Reebok that hemline stripes just were a non-starter, and Rochester meekly said "okay" and accepted their template crap for two seasons, that's on the Amerks for not having stones. And if an AHL team could have final say on their design, obviously an NHL one could, too, if it wanted.

The only thing I may disagree with here is that last statement.

Reebok paid far more money to get the rights to the NHL so their money has a bigger influence at the NHL level than it does at the AHL level. If Reebok was insisting on changing a design feature, they would have more pull at the NHL level. Not sure if that is actually the case here or not, but just saying money talks.

[logo-maker]

Colorado Avalanche 3rd Jersey News:

Apparently, the Av's are going to present their new 3rd jersey at a special practice at Pepsi Center tomorrow. I'm not sure about whether the practice is open to the public or if you need a ticket to the season opener to get in. Since I'm going to that game, I thought I would go down tomorrow and check things out (no pics sadly).

[CreamSoda]

Colorado Avalanche 3rd Jersey News:

Apparently, the Av's are going to present their new 3rd jersey at a special practice at Pepsi Center tomorrow. I'm not sure about whether the practice is open to the public or if you need a ticket to the season opener to get in. Since I'm going to that game, I thought I would go down tomorrow and check things out (no pics sadly).

Apparently it is for season ticket holders only.

[Morgan33]

I fail to see how ruining every teams look, to the point of embarassment, could be misconstrued as "hip."

They couldn't have cared less about maintaining traditional looks, since the point was trying to sell merchandise to new fans.

And FWIW, many of the teams were happy to go along. The Avalanche could have kept their mountain-range hem in the new template but chose not to.

This is the oddest part of the whole Edge system and the Avalanche. If they could have kept their mountain stripes, but didn't just to sell more merchandise, then why have they not changed up designs in the next 8 years. So many teams did, and it would seem that they got double the merchandise sells because of it. One for the new jersey, one for going back to the traditional look.

It appears the Avalanche changed purely out of a design choice and have seen no reason to change to a different design.

It seems odd because it's a complete fabrication. While I have no doubt they adopted that hideous template to sell more uniforms, I don't believe for a second that the mountain range striping was feasible so early in the 'Edge Uniform System's' life. The Dallas Stars came right out and said that their "all star" striping wasn't feasible on the new cut, and this was before any of the designs were unveiled. Striping wise, the two teams were practically the same before the switchover. One just happened to be shaped like a star, while the other was shaped like a mountain range. I've heard over and over again how the mountain range striping was feasible on the edge cut, and seen no source. If someone can provide a link, I'll believe it.

[Gothamite]

I don't know if the team ever said anything public, but reebok confirmed years ago that the Avs could have kept their mountain-range hem striping. I'll see if I can find a link tomorrow.

[Kevin W.]

I'm sure that the infeasability of the star pattern on the Edge template was part of it, but the fact that the Stars radically altered the balance of their color scheme for the redesign points towards the primary reason being that they wanted a new design to sell.

[Morgan33]

No doubt about it, though I still distinctly remember reading an article saying the pattern wouldn't translate to the edge template... As a matter of fact, I vaguely remember reading a similar explanation concerning the Avalanche.

[Sodboy13]

When you think about the Stars' design, and how it encompassed the torso and down the sleeves, in a fully-sublimated print, I could see how that could be difficult to bring to the Edge template, with its side panels and narrower front panel. If it was just squished to fit the front panel, a la the Rangers' wordmark, it would look pretty terrible.

Mind you, that still doesn't excuse them from picking the crap they did.

[Sodboy13]

From the ECHL Bureau, the Orlando Solar Bears present: "How To Ruin A Look"

Go O6-era fauxback when your colors are peak '90s, shrink your well-received logo inside a thick roundel, and in that roundel, misalign your team name so that, instead of being the Orlando Solar Bears, it looks like you are the Orlando Solar Bears, a rec league team sponsored by the local alternative energy company. Yuck.

[The_Admiral]

That's a damn shame. I loved what they had going.