2015-16 NHL Uniform and Logo Changes

[Morgan33]

Honest question. What's so special about the 1990s? It seems like such a random cutoff point.

"Every team founded on or before 1989 can look traditional, but teams founded from 1990 onward need to embrace every modern trend that comes along."

As I said. I would rather keep the good 1990s looks because they're good. And ditch the bad 1990s looks because they're bad. And not worry about what a team founded between 1990 and 1999 *should* be wearing.

The 90's were special for the following innovations...

1) New colours.

Just like the second six produced unique looking teams by adding colours like green, orange, purple and powder blue, the 90's did the same with teal, jade, eggplant, forest green and burgundy. Since the league expanded from 21 to 28 teams, I would say these colours were necessary to make new teams in non-traditional markets stand out. San Jose colouring a classic uniform in teal was a revelation, as was the creativity of Anaheim's and Colorado's palettes.

2) Metallic embroidery

While the new colours I mentioned above increased variety, the use of metallic colours that started in 1991 with the Stars, allowed for even more options. Not only did they make for some great looking crests that really stood out on the ice, they allowed new teams to forge an identity around them. Take the expansion class of 1992/93... Without metallic gold and silver, the Lightning and Senators would have entered the league looking like a thousand other identities. Kind of like how Tampa looks now and how Ottawa looks when they wear their boring, overrated heritage jerseys.

3) Angular striping

Around 1991/92 every team was essentially wearing a classic hockey template when angular striping allowed for more variety and options. Pittsburgh's use of it complimented their triangular logo perfectly, The avalanche ingeniously used it to represent their topography, Florida and Phoenix adopted angular shoulders that were modern without going too over the top and the ducks forged some of the best looking uniforms ever created around it.

4) Patterned striping

Two teams come to mind with this one, Phoenix and Carolina. Both the 'Hurricane warning' and 'kachina' striping were ingenious ways of letting two non-traditional markets stand out while representing areas that had yet to see an NHL franchise.

So there are four innovations that improved hockey aesthetics originating in the 90's. What's this decades claim to fame? Hanger effects?

We haven't even seen the new Panthers look. Maybe you're right and it's something entirely devoid of originality. I'm just saying we should wait first. It seems silly to have this much of a reaction over something that hasn't even seen the light of day yet.

I"ll wire you $100 if it's better than their 1994 look.

I would say that the Lightning, Hurricanes, and Panthers all started with modern yet restrained looks, yes. And I would say that they all looked better at their respective peaks then they do now. I'm not defending the Lightning or the Hurricanes' new looks.

No but you're advocating that the Avalanche do essentially the same thing.

You're assigning way too much blame to Reebok and the Edge changeover. It wasn't Reebok. It was the fact that the trends of the 1990s had just run their course. People wanted something new. After a decade and a half of darkening primary colour schemes and "progressive" designs? That something new was a return to traditional aesthetics.

If anything I'm not assigning enough blame. It was Reebok in it's entirety. They took established looks that had lasted well beyond the 90's and shoehorned them onto 'click and fill' templates with innovations no one wanted like piping, side panels, flags, phantom yokes and the "reebox." Nobody ever complained about the Avalanche, Stars, Blues, Flames, Penguins, Wild, Senators, or Panthers pre-edge looks. Reebok effectively wiped out every positive innovation of the last 15 years and that's when people started clamouring for retro looks. The 2008 winter classic had a lot to do with it as well because those two uniforms seemed like a godsend after the countless miserable unveilings of the previous summer. The history speaks for itself as not one team, outside the original six, opted for a retro look during the edge changeover. That was a reaction to how badly Reebok bungled their league re-design.

[Gothamite]

You can't just blame reebok, though - the teams signed off on it.

In the case of the Avalanche, we've talked about how the team could have kept their mountain-hem. Instead, they just took the template Reebok gave them.

Compare that to the NFL, where teams like the Packers said "no, we're keeping our old uniforms." And the Patriots said "we'll take your template, but you have to keep our distinctive neck stripes." And don't tell me Reebok has so much more influence than Nike does....

Yes, Reebok gave teams crap. But I blame the teams at least as much as the manufacturer, if not much, much more.

[IceCap]

I remember watching the unveiling for the Leafs' first Reebok set. They had a Reebok representative on hand who confirmed that they had shown the team more progressive designs. The Leafs ultimately decided to keep their traditional look.

[habsfan1]

I remember watching the unveiling for the Leafs' first Reebok set. They had a Reebok representative on hand who confirmed that they had shown the team more progressive designs. The Leafs ultimately decided to keep their traditional look.

I wonder how strongly they considered going ultra modern. Could have been a close call.

[Gothamite]

[Morgan33]

In the case of the Avalanche, we've talked about how the team could have kept their mountain-hem. Instead, they just took the template Reebok gave them.

Until somebody can provide a source proving this claim, it doesn't amount to anything. I find it hard to believe since the Stars flat out said their similar "star" pattern shape wouldn't translate.

I remember watching the unveiling for the Leafs' first Reebok set. They had a Reebok representative on hand who confirmed that they had shown the team more progressive designs. The Leafs ultimately decided to keep their traditional look.

Minus hem stripes

I wonder how strongly they considered going ultra modern. Could have been a close call.

Very close, I've seen a prototype of a blue Leafs uniform with white, vertical side panels.

Yes teams had to sign off on the changes but Reebok still was responsible for creating those awful designs to begin with. Many teams were either lazy or bandwagon jumpers in the hope of gaining sales based on change alone.

[The_Admiral]

That star-template thing still doesn't explain why the Stars didn't wear their primary color at home for six years.

[Gothamite]

Yes teams had to sign off on the changes but Reebok still was responsible for creating those awful designs to begin with. Many teams were either lazy or bandwagon jumpers in the hope of gaining sales based on change alone.

And that is why I blame the teams. Ultimately, they alone are responsible for stewarding their visual identities.

If Nike can be told "no, thanks" than surely teams could have politely refused what Reebok was pushing on them.

[Sodboy13]

I remember watching the unveiling for the Leafs' first Reebok set. They had a Reebok representative on hand who confirmed that they had shown the team more progressive designs. The Leafs ultimately decided to keep their traditional look.

Didn't it come out that the Leafs' Edge redesign (such as it was) was a remnant of the early phase of development, when Reebok was still aiming for tucked-in jerseys, and Toronto simply forgot to get hem stripes added back on?

[IceCap]

Yep. Same thing with Phoenix's original Edge set too.

Still, they kept their traditional look, more or less. They could have gone with Reebok's modern designs but opted not to. So other teams definitely had the choice.

[Morgan33]

I can't believe Reebok is getting a free pass on these boards for the 2007/08 debacle... 90% of the designs were so awful, it's insulting to think people were actually paid for them. As I recall, teams like the Rangers, Devils had to really fight for basic elements like straight sleeve stripes.... I recall Detroit having to really fight to keep their uniforms intact as well, as original plans called for the addition of black and reflective piping.

[habsfan1]

The Canadiens, I don't recall it ever being a battle to try to save the team's sacred jerseys from being thrown away. But it has been addressed and confirmed by management that RBK legitimately proposed to the Canadiens to go progressive. Reebok are gutless b@stards. So if Geoff Molson would have said yes, they would have done the unthinkable without thinking twice about it? They don't care about nothing but making profits at any cost.

[Sodboy13]

No one's giving Reebok a free pass for their awful designs. We're just saying the clubs are far from blameless for accepting them.

[ColeJ]

where do i sign up to take this hypothetical north stars quiz that's supposed to put me and my fellow stars fans in their place?

they're my team, damnit... and i've read a lot about them in the past 20 years.

[Kevin W.]

That star-template thing still doesn't explain why the Stars didn't wear their primary color at home for six years.

It wasn't their primary color when they moved to Dallas, though.

Not that that excuses the :censored: that Dallas put out with the Edge switch. Those jerseys would have looked wretched regardless of whether they were black or green.

[The_Admiral]

where do i sign up to take this hypothetical north stars quiz that's supposed to put me and my fellow stars fans in their place?

Try the whimsical Jumbotron!

[Sodboy13]

TSN's Rick Westhead is reporting the Leafs will get new uniforms for 2016-17. Don't know if that means new primaries, or the assortment of anniversary throwbacks we've been assuming would happen.

If it is new primaries for the Leafs, I presume it's because Lou thinks the current ones are too flashy.

[Chromatic]

TSN's Rick Westhead is reporting the Leafs will get new uniforms for 2016-17. Don't know if that means new primaries, or the assortment of anniversary throwbacks we've been assuming would happen.

If it is new primaries for the Leafs, I presume it's because Lou thinks the current ones are too flashy.

It will be interesting to see where they go with that, because its hard to imagine the Leafs getting any more of a traditional look than they currently have, and I highly doubt they'll be going modern.

New logo should be interesting though.

[BigBubba]

Holy !

This shocked the HELL out of me. Honestly though, the current leaf is too corporate and is associated with nothing but failure. As long as they don't try to re-invent the wheel, they should be fine.

[T-ROY]

In the case of the Avalanche, we've talked about how the team could have kept their mountain-hem. Instead, they just took the template Reebok gave them.

Until somebody can provide a source proving this claim, it doesn't amount to anything. I find it hard to believe since the Stars flat out said their similar "star" pattern shape wouldn't translate.

Wasn't it because the design wouldn't work in the EDGE format?