NHL 2011-2012: Possible Uniform Changes

[BBTV]

What do people think of Nashville's Pre-Edge look? I know it's not as good as the new look but compared to the sheer awfulness of the Edge jerseys, I thought it was acceptable. Almost admirable in it's uniqueness.

I liked the navy jersey / shiny silver sleeve / yellow trim look a lot, save for the logo. I simply can't get passed it.

[JackFr]

Yeah the Columbus logo is a direct rip-off of the Avs logo. It doesn't help that the swooshes both make Cs and the city names are right next to eachother alphabetically.

Also, the Avs' logo really doesn't look like a C.

What I meant was like in NHL 11, or on NHL.com Colorado and Columbus are right next to eachother when the teams are listed in alphabetical order.

Also, it doesn't visibly, but it's subtle.

[nwtrailtrekker]

img]http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/660199/7n5p.jpeg

now, i'm usually pretty accepting of jerseys with that unique or modern look...but my goodness, i can't believe i'm in the minority in saying that I HATE these.

yellow is simply a terrible colour for a hockey jersey. Boston could get away with it, but look at Vancouver's and Los Angeles' old yellow jersey. (Now, I actually liked the black flying V jersey), but both of those yellows are visual nightmares. But it isnt just that. Those white vertical stripes...they look good on paper but awful on the players. I don't like the shoulder patch on only one side, but I can get over that. I despise the 'guitar strings' on the numbers...and the name font isn't good. The new logo is acceptable to me, but they blew it on these new uniforms.

[The Giant Pacific Octopus]

Speaking of the Leafs, this just in from Howard Berger

The re-designed alternate will look very much like the jersey the club wore at Maple Leaf Gardens on May 2, 1967 - the night it last hoisted the Stanley Cup. The 12-point maple leaf is identical to that worn by the team from the start of the 1967 playoffs to the end of the 1969-70 season. The striping is also identical to the '67-'70 version, though larger on both the jersey-bottom and sleeve.

http://howardlberger.blogspot.com/2011/07/maple-leafs-new-third-jersey.html

I suspected they would do that. When I heard they were going with another retro-style jersey I knew they would base it on the design from the last time they won the Cup. They wore the blue jersey the night they won the Cup so my guess is the new alternate will look something like this.

[CGL77]

Awesome news from Leafland. Though, it won't be too complimentary to the regular set. It's kind of like having two girls who are 7/10 on the sexual appeal scale bringing along their 10/10 friend to the club. The guys will forget about the two 7's and look to take only the 10 home. In other words, they'll just have me (and, I'm sure, others) wish that the alternate were made to be the new home jersey and a white interpretation was brought into the replace the current road.

[charger77]

Speaking of the Leafs, this just in from Howard Berger

The re-designed alternate will look very much like the jersey the club wore at Maple Leaf Gardens on May 2, 1967 - the night it last hoisted the Stanley Cup. The 12-point maple leaf is identical to that worn by the team from the start of the 1967 playoffs to the end of the 1969-70 season. The striping is also identical to the '67-'70 version, though larger on both the jersey-bottom and sleeve.

http://howardlberger.blogspot.com/2011/07/maple-leafs-new-third-jersey.html

I suspected they would do that. When I heard they were going with another retro-style jersey I knew they would base it on the design from the last time they won the Cup. They wore the blue jersey the night they won the Cup so my guess is the new alternate will look something like this.

When can I buy one?

[demondg1]

Speaking of the Leafs, this just in from Howard Berger

The re-designed alternate will look very much like the jersey the club wore at Maple Leaf Gardens on May 2, 1967 - the night it last hoisted the Stanley Cup. The 12-point maple leaf is identical to that worn by the team from the start of the 1967 playoffs to the end of the 1969-70 season. The striping is also identical to the '67-'70 version, though larger on both the jersey-bottom and sleeve.

http://howardlberger.blogspot.com/2011/07/maple-leafs-new-third-jersey.html

I suspected they would do that. When I heard they were going with another retro-style jersey I knew they would base it on the design from the last time they won the Cup. They wore the blue jersey the night they won the Cup so my guess is the new alternate will look something like this.

Absolutely beautiful.

[BBTV]

Speaking of the Leafs, this just in from Howard Berger

The re-designed alternate will look very much like the jersey the club wore at Maple Leaf Gardens on May 2, 1967 - the night it last hoisted the Stanley Cup. The 12-point maple leaf is identical to that worn by the team from the start of the 1967 playoffs to the end of the 1969-70 season. The striping is also identical to the '67-'70 version, though larger on both the jersey-bottom and sleeve.

http://howardlberger...ird-jersey.html

I suspected they would do that. When I heard they were going with another retro-style jersey I knew they would base it on the design from the last time they won the Cup. They wore the blue jersey the night they won the Cup so my guess is the new alternate will look something like this.

I only count 11 points on that leaf - or does the stem count?

[Lee.]

Wouldn't the stem make it 13?

[Lights Out]

I'm not really feeling that. IMO, it would have been nice if they went with this sweater:

...with the fonts from this one:

[BBTV]

Wouldn't the stem make it 13?

I'm missing something. Looking at the points, starting from the left of the stem and ending at the right, I only count 11.

[BBTV]

Wouldn't the stem make it 13?

I'm missing something. Looking at the points, starting from the left of the stem and ending at the right, I only count 11.

[steve61]

Wouldn't the stem make it 13?

I'm missing something. Looking at the points, starting from the left of the stem and ending at the right, I only count 11.

I think he's counting the two "points" on the stem as 12 and 13.

[The Giant Pacific Octopus]

Wouldn't the stem make it 13?

I'm missing something. Looking at the points, starting from the left of the stem and ending at the right, I only count 11.

He must be including the stem. That is the jersey they wore when they last won the Cup. If what Howard (Don't call me "Ham") Berger says is true in regards to them wearing a uniform based on the one they wore the night they last won the Cup.

Meanwhile, I was hoping for the white jersey (since the blue leaf looks nicer than the white leaf in regards to the logo) but they wore the blues he night they won the Cup.

[IceCap]

I'm not really feeling that. IMO, it would have been nice if they went with this sweater:

...with the fonts from this one:

The throwbacks they're going with represents the last time the team won the Cup. The first sweater you posted is representative of decades of futility. It's a nice design, and I have a replica myself, but it's not really a part of Leafs history that the organization should play up.

[andrew.]

I like the veined leaf much more than that one, and if it were my call I'd simply use a blue version of the alternate the leafs have used for the last ten or eleven years, but I was hoping for a dark third for them for once so I'm not going to complain.

Nashville's new uniforms are awful. There are some jerseys you like straight off the bat and some you don't but reckon might grow on you, but Nashville's are neither - they're terrible. The worst part to my eyes is that I like the idea of teams adding little knick knacks to their uniforms to give them local flavor (apart from primary and secondary logos, I mean) but what Nashville's done with the guitar strings is a great idea implemented badly. One of the worst sets in the league, and the yellow version in particular is in with a shout for the worst jersey in the entire league.

I can't see why a yellow and gold version of last year's navy third with updated logos wasn't a smarter option.

Ummmm.....

If it's the primary logo you don't like, I do have some trouble understanding why? I do agree with those who say that the yellow stripe in the middle is a distraction to the eye and that it kind of look a bit out of place. But then I think maybe it's something I will completely get used to over time. Because the fact of the matter is that the new logo is good for it's time. The old one had colors and patterns that reeked 90s way too much. I don't even have enough fingers on both hands to count all of the colors used on that logo.

If it's having a primarily yellow home jersey you don't like, I could see where that's comming from even though I love the new mustards! I also don't care if all Nashville home games are with the team in yellow and the opposition in white. I liked their old mustard alternate and I'm very happy that they dug down into that part of their history for the new look. Only this time, it's a full-time look. As for recoloring their checkered alts in navy and yellow, I have yet to see a (decent looking) concept of the old alt in those colors. So until then, I'm going to think that it's a bad idea.

I like both the primary logo with the yellow streak and the yellow jersey. The logo is one of the better ones in the league and I think yellow is a great colors for hockey jerseys, it's just the piping that ruins it for me, along with the stupid lines through the numbers.

[IceCap]

Reaction to the Jets logo is pretty funny, we've heard it's round, blue with a two toned silver jet, and has a maple leaf and everyone is saying it's the best thing ever. lol, let's see it first. I agree with one of the above posters about feeling disappointment over the fact they're relying on the maple leaf design element crutch. It's becoming as played out as the Texas state flag and lone star motif is done in Texas. An air force inspired look would be awesome though. The Air Force ice hockey team and the Houston Aeros have shown that some pretty good looks can be pulled off with that theme.

Well if they're going the Air Force route they kind of have to use a maple leaf since, you know...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Roundel_of_the_Royal_Canadian_Air_Force_%281946-1965%29.svg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RCAF-Roundel.svg

I mean if you want to see them go the air force route it kind of has to reflect the Canadian air force, no?

Again, how is the maple leaf motif overplayed in the NHL? Toronto has it. It's relegated to the back of Ottawa's helmets (a logo that, according to the team, isn't even official). Calgary's use of the flag is stupid for reasons unrelated to the maple leaf as a design element. Montreal, Vancouver, and Edmonton don't use it. So where is this "they're overusing the leaf" sentiment coming from?

Yes, McDonalds Canada uses a maple leaf on the golden arches, and yes it's stupid. How that effects the NHL is beyond me, however.

Yeah my post doesn't read at all like I meant when I re-read it. lol

What I'm trying to say is I think the air force theme could work really well. My (separate) point about the maple leaf being it seems to be lazily slapped into a lot of logo packages...

Well if the Jets go with a RCAF/CFAC theme then the maple leaf wouldn't be lazily slapped on, would it? The maple leaf is the central emblem on the RCAF/CFAC roundel. From all reports the Jets' new logo is a homage to the RCAF/CFAC roundel, so the leaf works. You say the Blue Jackets get a pass on using a star because the flag of Ohio features stars prominently. Well the emblems of Canada's air force feature a maple leaf prominently. Consistency, man. Consistency.

...not exclusive to the NHL but across all levels of hockey. A contingent of fans do lap it up though so I guess you can't fault someone for playing to the crowd.

First of all, NHL teams and teams in the minors do not play each other. From a design standpoint each league exists within its own vacuum. Who cares if the leaf is overused in the minors? It's not in the NHL, and further the Jets' use of the leaf would entirely be justified if the logo homages the emblems of Canada's air force.

Secondly, is the leaf overused in other levels of hockey? Turns out it isn't.

The AHL has four Canadian teams. Hamilton, Toronto, St. John's, and Abbotsford. Toronto uses the leaf (two actually), but then again they're the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs, so can you blame them? Hamilton doesn't use the leaf at all, St. John's hasn't unveiled their identity yet, and like their parent club Calgary, Abbotsford's use of the Canadian flag doesn't integrate the flag into the team's identity, it's stupid for unrelated reasons. So only 1 of 4 AHL Canadian teams use the leaf, and their parent club is the Maple Leafs.

The ECHL doesn't have any Canadian teams.

The C(entral)HL doesn't have any Canadian teams.

The LNAH has 7 Canadian teams. Not a single one uses the maple leaf as a design element.

The OHL has 18 Canadian teams. Not a single one uses the maple leaf as a design element.

The QMJHL has 17 Canadian teams. Not a single one uses the maple leaf as a design element.

The WHL has 17 Canadian teams. Two use the leaf. Vancouver and Victoria. Victoria could be given a pass, given their patriotic name, but we'll include them anyway.

So across the primary minor leagues there are 63 Canadian franchises. 3 of them use the maple leaf as a design element. 4.76% of minor league Canadian hockey organizations use the leaf. Even across "all levels of hockey" use of the "design crutch" that is the Canadian maple leaf is rare. Even if the St. John's AHL franchise does use a leaf, it wouldn't raise that percentage substantially. So I ask you again, where is this "the maple leaf is overused" sentiment coming from?

As an experiment I counted all the American teams across these leagues, noting the ones that made use of patriotic American imagery.

The AHL has 26 American teams. 2 make use of American imagery as a design element. Houston and Rochester. Houston's is understandable, as like the new Jets, they're going with an air force theme.

The ECHL has 20 American teams. 1 makes use of American imagery as a design element.

The C(entral)HL has 17 American teams. 1 makes use of American imagery as a design element.

The LNAH doesn't have any American teams.

The OHL has 2 American teams. 1 makes use of American imagery as a design element.

The QMJHL doesn't have any American teams.

The WHL has 5 American teams. 1 makes use of American imagery as a design element. Like Abbotsford we won't count Spokane's use of a flag.

So across the primary minor leagues there are 70 American franchises. 6 of them use American imagery as a design element. 8.57% of minor league American hockey organizations use American imagery. As it turns out American imagery is more of a design crutch then the Canadian maple leaf.

What does this all mean? The "the maple leaf is a design crutch" complaint has lost all validity, at least until that 4.76% comes up a bit

[Sodboy13]

What do people think of Nashville's Pre-Edge look? I know it's not as good as the new look but compared to the sheer awfulness of the Edge jerseys, I thought it was acceptable. Almost admirable in it's uniqueness.

I liked the navy jersey / shiny silver sleeve / yellow trim look a lot, save for the logo. I simply can't get passed it.

Heck, I liked it even with the logo, as long as the "N" secondary was on the shoulders. Once they put the fossil/wordmark on the shoulders, I felt that really crapped up the look. Really liked the name & numeral fonts, too.

[Billy B]

It looks like I'm one of the only one here that likes the Leafs current jerseys over this throwback. I think the current home/road set is just about perfect for the Maple Leafs.

[_RH_]

From an aesthetic standpoint (disregarding history of each logo)

and

look SO much better than

and

or

and

I don't understand why they don't use the 35 (if I remember right?) point style!