Should NHL go back to white jerseys at home like old days?

[Gothamite]

White at home was better for the fans because you got to see different color matchups each game. It was always your home whites vs your opponents colored jersey. Now with darks at home, every game is the same color template: your home darks vs the other teams white jersey.

That is an unassailable statement of fact, but I still can't figure out why it should be seen as a bad thing.

Don't we want to celebrate the home team? Don't we want the home team to stand out against the predominantly-white ice and boards?

This can't be about becoming bored with the home team's uniform. Even if one attended every single home game, which itself seems unlikely in the extreme.

[DelayedPenalty]

I'm in favor of color vs color, and then white used only as a clash kit.

[VikWings]

I think they should.

[BrianLion]

White at home was better for the fans because you got to see different color matchups each game. It was always your home whites vs your opponents colored jersey. Now with darks at home, every game is the same color template: your home darks vs the other teams white jersey.

That is an unassailable statement of fact, but I still can't figure out why it should be seen as a bad thing.

Don't we want to celebrate the home team? Don't we want the home team to stand out against the predominantly-white ice and boards?

This can't be about becoming bored with the home team's uniform. Even if one attended every single home game, which itself seems unlikely in the extreme.

I dont think any team's whites blend in with the ice and especially the boards nowadays.

Again this may just be from the era I grew up in (80's/90's) but there was just something cleaner about wearing the whites at home and seeing the bright-colored opponents come in. This was also in the days when the NHL actually had vivid color schemes and not every other team was black or navy.

MLB and the NBA also wear whites at home. But you dont have the equipment issues like the NHL does. NFL is a completely different animal since every game is a one off.

[ElwoodCuse]

The AHL went back to white at home years ago but yeah the simple answer is it's never happening because of third jerseys and equipment packing

[AnPheitseog]

the Amerks have a red third jersey they wear at home with no issue, same with the various jerseys the Crunch have.

Marlies last season had a white home and a white Sunday jersey(that has all but offically become the home jersey. and very well could be)

point being; you can manage white thirds and short road trips without too much trouble

[wildwing64]

Yes they should and here's why. If you are a season ticket holder to say, the Detroit Red Wings and at every home game they wear their red sweater, that means their opponent must always wear their white sweater. In short, you have 41 home games where you see one team in red and one team in white EVERY SINGLE TIME!

At least if the home team wears its white sweater then you have visiting teams with various colours so it does not look so repetitive.

Same works in reverse too. The home team's white jersey all the time would also get repetitive.

And PLEASE stop making the "they have to wear colours at home because third jerseys are popular" argument. Thirds are worn at most, 15 games a year.

And when teams are having to lug around two lots of equipment, that's more than enough to warrant it.

[Garren]

Yes they should and here's why. If you are a season ticket holder to say, the Detroit Red Wings and at every home game they wear their red sweater, that means their opponent must always wear their white sweater. In short, you have 41 home games where you see one team in red and one team in white EVERY SINGLE TIME!

Still waiting for the reason why teams should wear white at home.

Seriously, this appeal to short attention spans really baffles me every time it is raised.

To answer the question, no. It is a good thing to go to the arena and see the home team wearing the home team's colors.

You quoted the reason.. I personally don't want to see the same two colour uniforms at every game I go to.

[BrianLion]

Yes they should and here's why. If you are a season ticket holder to say, the Detroit Red Wings and at every home game they wear their red sweater, that means their opponent must always wear their white sweater. In short, you have 41 home games where you see one team in red and one team in white EVERY SINGLE TIME!

At least if the home team wears its white sweater then you have visiting teams with various colours so it does not look so repetitive.

Same works in reverse too. The home team's white jersey all the time would also get repetitive.

No it doesnt because you get home white vs a different color team each game, whereas reversed you get home dark vs white every single game.

[BJ Sands]

I think that teams should be allowed to pick what jersey to wear at home, and let the road team know a head of time, so that you could get home whites, or home darks. So that way some teams could wear their best jerseys at home, ie: Rangers Blue at home, Habs red at home, Or Red Wings white at home. You could also get other teams to have some games at home where they can wear their whites that look great, and the darks because NHL... Like the Wild, Bruins, Hawks, Blues or Dallas... That way the League would have great colors and more great matchups.

Equipment managers already have incredibly difficult jobs. This would make things even more complicated.

[Josh.0]

I'm in favor of color vs color, and then white used only as a clash kit.

I second that -- plus I think pro sports in moving that way, especially in the age of HDTV.

[hbgoo1975]

I would rather have dark colored jerseys from red to black against white or light colored jerseys from yellow to gray. I can't stand yellow or gold vs. white jerseys anyway.

[The_Admiral]

It is a good thing to go to the arena and see the home team wearing the home team's colors.

Teams in white don't not wear their team colors. I would say that, for instance, the Maple Leafs in all blue against the Red Wings in red and white look more alien than they would the other way around.

[SizzlinSabres]

White at home was better for the fans because you got to see different color matchups each game. It was always your home whites vs your opponents colored jersey. Now with darks at home, every game is the same color template: your home darks vs the other teams white jersey.

That is an unassailable statement of fact, but I still can't figure out why it should be seen as a bad thing.

Don't we want to celebrate the home team? Don't we want the home team to stand out against the predominantly-white ice and boards?

This can't be about becoming bored with the home team's uniform. Even if one attended every single home game, which itself seems unlikely in the extreme.

There are ways to work around the equipment issue. As has been said, teams should be required in advance to select games they don't plan on wearing white at home and this could be coordinated well in advance of the season. Perhaps a home team would not be allowed to elect to wear their third uni against a team that is in the middle of a 5 game cross-country road trip.

I also grew up in 80s, and so white at home feels so natural and, to me, looks so crisp and beautiful on the ice. 10 years later, I still have not gotten used to colors at home. I do think that seeing a different color matchup every night is intriguing and valid. Right now, you will always see the road team's whites. Back then, you would probably see the road team's colors, but for 1/4 or 1/3 of the games, you would see their whites because your team was electing to wear their alternates. I loved mixing up the home/road white/color combinations and not knowing when I went to the arena which jersey the road team would be wearing. Now it is too monotonous.

Not to mention, white-outs are sweet, and unless you have a bright primary color like Nashville or Tampa, you couldn't do a team color-out and you would look ridiculous doing a white-out with the opposing team wearing white.

[BrianLion]

^ This. Those Jets/Ducks playoff games in Winnipeg last year looked silly with the entire MTS Centre decked out in white like the Ducks.

[orangefaniniowa]

Of course not. In fact I would love to see the NBA do the same thing. Wear color jerseys at home. We are seeing it more often bow, so why not?

[ConcreteCharlie]

The argument that color at home would create the same matchup every time makes zero sense. Every teams white jersey is completely unique and there are other colors on the jersey too. you act like theyre all wearing plain white jerseys out there

[Satomiblood]

From an NBA standpoint, I'm only okay with the road team wearing whites when their opponent is showing off a new alternate jersey. Other than that, road teams should generally wear their darks while the home team wears their lights. Some teams (Pacers/Cavs/Nuggets) have gold jerseys that can work as both their home and road jerseys, so there are some exceptions (I'm against the Lakers wearing their home golds on the road weirdly enough). In any event, I think the contrast of the road team's colors against the home team's court works best. In hockey, I'm less bothered by the tradition being inversed, but I still understand why fans would be against it.

[C-Squared]

Objectively, it makes more sense for the home team to wear the "team color" uniform.

[BrianLion]

The argument that color at home would create the same matchup every time makes zero sense. Every teams white jersey is completely unique and there are other colors on the jersey too. you act like theyre all wearing plain white jerseys out there

you're being too pedantic. we're aware all of the white jerseys are unique, no one said they weren't, but you're still watching the same jerseys (overall) every game. If you're a Wings fan, you're always seeing red vs white, regardless of the trim colors.