NHL changes 2019-20

[habsfan1]

6 minutes ago, Ark said:

- Better collars.

 

It's the Adidas template. There's only so much teams can do.

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, Ark said:

- A darker shade of blue. The twitter post is probably accurate to what they actually wore, but even their throwback in the 06-07 season appears to be darker.

 

Oh, for sure something a tad darker is the right shade to use. It's the lighting in the picture of my post that's off. We all want some good royal blue.

[Fitzy0220]

17 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

The Kings never won anything in purple and gold. Meanwhile black and silver is associated with the greatest player of all time, three Western Conference Championships, and two Stanley Cup Championships. The Kings are a black and silver team, dude.

I GET IT, it's like the argument that people have with the Pens. Skating Penguin is associated by the Cups won vs the "modern" pigeon thingie that the younger fans like. For me I LOATHE the pigeon thingie and it's more because of the devious BS that then Owner howard baldwin did that essentially forced the Franchise into it's 2nd bankruptcy

[IceCap]

37 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

EXACTLY!  Huge reason why I wish the NHL would go back to Home Team wear white.  '91/'92 Season they split, half the season was Home whites and the other half was Home darks! What about Alternating year by year? Even Years = Home Darks, Odd Years = Home Whites! I miss the days of going to Pens games at the Civic Arena and seeing different colors

The league goes with darks at home and whites on the road because of alternate jerseys. Alternate jerseys are usually dark, and teams want to wear them at home in front of their hometown fans. And alternates sometime require new helmets or pants or even gloves, depending on the colour scheme. So it makes sense from an equipment point of view to wear whites for road trips. Teams can opt to wear alternates at home if they want and the road team won't be effected. They only have to pack one set of gear.

 

37 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

Now it's like I'm watching a Chess Match at Home Games.
Pens Home Black vs Whomever Away White

That argument was valid in the 1970s when they switched to white at home. It's 2019 though. I can watch any game being played on any given night from my phone. So the argument that you need the home team in white for home fans to see everyone else's colours is no longer valid. There are multiple options for almost anyone to watch any game at any time. You don't need the Penguins to wear white at home to see everyone else's dark sweaters.

 

8 minutes ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

The shades I agree may have been a bit overly-dark; but the concept was very solid and it's kinda sad that the team doesn't really seem to pay it that much attention anymore; you see more love for the (in my opinion) gaudy Lakers era then the era where I'd argue the identity was essentially perfected minus some minor quibbles. 

There's nothing worth romanticizing about the Kings in purple and gold either, but at least you get a bit of that "our roots" nostalgia that resonates with fans.

And I would disagree about the black, purple, and silver set being "perfect." It was very much a product of its time. Dark, overly aggressive, over-designed, clunky. It comes off as very dated. It was a very conceptual identity, which was neat. That doesn't mean it has to be brought back though.

 

8 minutes ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

And to be fair, one can also associate the black-purple-silver look with the Stunner at Staples, as well.

How many Wayne Gretzkys or Stanley Cup wins were involved in that?

 

9 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

Aye but Gretzky could have made Purple / Gold Cool! 

Yeah but he didn't. 

 

9 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

When I think Kings, I think Royalty and when I think Royalty, I think Purple / Gold

When I think of the Kings I think of either a bad team in black/purple/silver or a good team in black/silver.

[AstroCree]

When I see purple and silver, I think of Daron Malakian. 

[Ridleylash]

15 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

There's nothing worth romanticizing about the Kings in purple and gold either, but at least you get a bit of that "our roots" nostalgia that resonates with fans.

And I would disagree about the black, purple, and silver set being "perfect." It was very much a product of its time. Dark, overly aggressive, over-designed, clunky. It comes off as very dated. It was a very conceptual identity, which was neat. That doesn't mean it has to be brought back though.

Again, I mean more the general color scheme, not the exact same set. I agree that the exact look is pretty dated, but the general colors were a perfect merging of the pre and post-Gretzky eras into a single concept which looked great when put together. 

 

Quote

How many Wayne Gretzkys or Stanley Cup wins were involved in that?

I mean, to be fair; how many Wayne Gretzkys or Stanley Cup wins were involved in the Miracle at Manchester? That's still an iconic Kings moment in spite of not involving Gretzky or the Cup, just like the Stunner at Staples.

 

EDIT: Something like this is generally what I mean, for a visual reference. Maybe alter the hues to make the purple more vibrant and definitely add some hem stripes, but otherwise I think that'd be pretty solid. Don't reinvent the wheel drastically, just give it some new rims, essentially.

[IceCap]

Just now, DastardlyRidleylash said:

I mean, to be fair; how many Wayne Gretzkys or Stanley Cup wins were involved in the Miracle at Manchester? That's still an iconic Kings moment in spite of not involving Gretzky or the Cup, just like the Stunner at Staples.

I'm not romanticizing the Miracle at Manchester either though. It and the Stunner at Staples are both "nothing" moments compared to landing the greatest player of all time, going to the organization's first Cup Final, and winning two Cups.

"We upset the Red Wings at home and then lost the Avs in the second round nearly two decades ago" isn't exactly the stuff a fanbase clings to when they have two actual Cup championships in recent memory to celebrate.

 

3 minutes ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

Again, I mean more the general color scheme, not the exact same set. I agree that the exact look is pretty dated, but the general colors were a perfect merging of the pre and post-Gretzky eras into a single concept which looked great when put together. 

That set had a lot of problems, but the biggest was the use of stripes. They insisted on black on purple or purple on black stripes, which were themselves surrounded by silver. When really they should have had black or purple framed by silver on the other. The way they did it led to the purple and black bleeding into each other and it just looked muddled. It was made worse by the Edge switchover, because the dazzle silver became flat grey and I swear the purple got darker. Removing the waist stripes hurt the look too.

 

Beyond that? It's all just too much. The faux-medieval slab/armour font, the stylized robo crown, the stylized quasi-medieval/quasi-futuristic coat of arms. It was all too much. I'll be honest, I have a soft spot for the purple alternate with the coat of arms logo because of the chain mail-inspired collar, but on the whole? It didn't age well once we moved beyond the overwrought design trends of the early/mid 2000s. 

 

I'm sure you could design a better, more contemporary uniform with those colours but then I run into the question of "why?" To me black/silver/white is associated with the best Kings teams of all time. That is, imo, what they should endeavour to emulate.

[Fitzy0220]

1 minute ago, Ice_Cap said:

The league goes with darks at home and whites on the road because of alternate jerseys. Alternate jerseys are usually dark, and teams want to wear them at home in front of their hometown fans. And alternates sometime require new helmets or pants or even gloves, depending on the colour scheme. So it makes sense from an equipment point of view to wear whites for road trips. Teams can opt to wear alternates at home if they want and the road team won't be effected. They only have to pack one set of gear.

 

That argument was valid in the 1970s when they switched to white at home. It's 2019 though. I can watch any game being played on any given night from my phone. So the argument that you need the home team in white for home fans to see everyone else's colours is no longer valid. There are multiple options for almost anyone to watch any game at any time. You don't need the Penguins to wear white at home to see everyone else's dark sweaters.

 

There's nothing worth romanticizing about the Kings in purple and gold either, but at least you get a bit of that "our roots" nostalgia that resonates with fans.

And I would disagree about the black, purple, and silver set being "perfect." It was very much a product of its time. Dark, overly aggressive, over-designed, clunky. It comes off as very dated. It was a very conceptual identity, which was neat. That doesn't mean it has to be brought back though.

 

How many Wayne Gretzkys or Stanley Cup wins were involved in that?

Yes I know. Why can't 3rds be White though and worn at Home? Home Fans are going to buy the teams merchandise regardless correct? Chicago's and Detroit's ICONIC Red uniforms can't be seen on the Road which for someone like me sucks arse (I'm a nerd like that LOL). Which is why I suggested maybe Alternate every year, this way Opposing Fans get to see opposing Teams full uniform set. Someone in LA at a Kings / Pens game sees (in person) the Pens Road Dark uniform and might say that's pretty F'n sharp, gotta buy me one. I wasn't a fan of the Golden Knights grey uniform until my best friend came home on leave (US Air Force, he was stationed in Vegas the year before the Knights came into the League  LOL) but he bought himself a Home Grey Fleury Knights jersey, to me it looks better, In Person, than it does on my TV! The local stores around here sell Pens gear not VGK stuff so, unless I get to see it in person (whether it be at a Pens Home game or going to Vegas and seeing it in the Team store) I won't buy it. Maybe it's just me  LOL!

[IceCap]

Just now, Fitzy0220 said:

Why can't 3rds be White though and worn at Home?

That limits design choices. There's a reason most alternates are dark. If your team's colour scheme is blue, orange, and white then you likely have a white and blue jersey. So the obvious alternate choice is something with an orange base. Alternates should either be throwbacks or they should do something fun with the brand the primaries don't. That usually means emphasizing a part of the colour scheme that's not usually emphasized. Which means a coloured alternate.

 

7 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

Chicago's and Detroit's ICONIC Red uniforms can't be seen on the Road which for someone like me sucks arse (I'm a nerd like that LOL).

You should probably watch some Red Wings or Hawks games if you want to see those uniforms then. It's 2019. Technology and a multitude of viewing options makes that a very easy thing for you to do. This isn't 1970 where you have to wait for them to play your hometown team to get a glimpse of them.

 

9 minutes ago, Fitzy0220 said:

Which is why I suggested maybe Alternate every year

The goal should be making things easy for the viewer. And I'm not talking about you, or me, or anyone else who comes to this nerdy niche corner of the internet. I'm talking about your average fan who doesn't follow uniform news. Your average fan should know instantly who's home and who's on the road just by glancing at the game. So alternating may screw with that.

 

Also I'm all for whites on the road because it's easier for equipment managers. Why should they have to lug around two separate sets of gear on a road trip just to appease nerds on the internet who want it to be 1985 all over again?

[Ridleylash]

17 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

That set had a lot of problems, but the biggest was the use of stripes. They insisted on black on purple or purple on black stripes, which were themselves surrounded by silver. When really they should have had black or purple framed by silver on the other. The way they did it led to the purple and black bleeding into each other and it just looked muddled. It was made worse by the Edge switchover, because the dazzle silver became flat grey and I swear the purple got darker. Removing the waist stripes hurt the look too.

To be fair, the Edge switchover screwed a lot of things up, not just the Kings' jerseys. The real killer for the look was removing the waist stripes, since it made basically the entire center mass of the jersey all one solid wall of black, which completely messed up the color balance of the jersey. A lot of teams had similar issues at that time, and some (glares in San Jose) haven't fixed it.

 

Quote

Beyond that? It's all just too much. The faux-medieval slab/armour font, the stylized robo crown, the stylized quasi-medieval/quasi-futuristic coat of arms. It was all too much. I'll be honest, I have a soft spot for the purple alternate with the coat of arms logo because of the chain mail-inspired collar, but on the whole? It didn't age well once we moved beyond the overwrought design trends of the early/mid 2000s.

Which is why I think merging the two, rather then going hardcore into that look, is the best way to go about it. Bring a version of the crown logo in, move the banner logo (sans small crown) to the shoulders, add in a more vibrant shade of purple (something closer to the original Kings purple, maybe), but keep the rest very similar.

 

The team isn't that same Cup-winning team anymore, they're in the midst of rebuilding and I think going for a new identity with a fresh set of jerseys that keeps the general idea but improves on it once they come out of said rebuild would be an excellent way to go. 

[mcj882000]

I know it will never happen because of the way the sport is sold now, but personally I'd be perfectly happy if alternate jerseys were just given the axe and never used in the NHL ever again. It really feels like most of them are "meh" at best, and any "worst jerseys in NHL history" list someone makes will inevitably be loaded with Third Jerseys of bygone years. I just don't think the program's worth it anymore. 

also it totally isn't because I prefer whites at home and this would be the only way that would ever happen again

[habsfan1]

 

Anyone notice the little oval center is white and not black in the graphic? Could that be a new version of the primary logo?

 

Since the storm warning logo will now be inserted onto the new road jersey shoulders, the homes are gonna have them as well, right?

 

[Ridleylash]

2 minutes ago, habsfan1 said:

Anyone notice the little oval center is white and not black in the graphic? Could that be a new version of the primary logo?

That's likely to make it distinct in a colorless outline, not an actual design element of the jersey.

[B-mer]

Think that’s just what they do for the monochrome logo

 

[Morgan33]

I hope the return to royal blue comes with the permanent end to front numbers. 

[Echo]

1 hour ago, Morgo said:

I hope the return to royal blue comes with the permanent end to front numbers. 

It's the Sabres we're talking about.  They'll screw it up somehow.  Keep in mind they were involved in designing this thing.

 

[Fitzy0220]

2 hours ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

To be fair, the Edge switchover screwed a lot of things up, not just the Kings' jerseys. The real killer for the look was removing the waist stripes, since it made basically the entire center mass of the jersey all one solid wall of black, which completely messed up the color balance of the jersey. A lot of teams had similar issues at that time, and some (glares in San Jose) haven't fixed it.

 

Which is why I think merging the two, rather then going hardcore into that look, is the best way to go about it. Bring a version of the crown logo in, move the banner logo (sans small crown) to the shoulders, add in a more vibrant shade of purple (something closer to the original Kings purple, maybe), but keep the rest very similar.

 

The team isn't that same Cup-winning team anymore, they're in the midst of rebuilding and I think going for a new identity with a fresh set of jerseys that keeps the general idea but improves on it once they come out of said rebuild would be an excellent way to go. 

Exactly! howard baldwin did a complete uniform overhaul of the Pens uniforms after Winning back to back Cups in '91 and '92 (many long time fans despise that pigeon logo) but it's not like a Team has never switched uniforms before after having a certain look / style that has won a Championship

[IceCap]

6 hours ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

The team isn't that same Cup-winning team anymore, they're in the midst of rebuilding and I think going for a new identity with a fresh set of jerseys that keeps the general idea but improves on it once they come out of said rebuild would be an excellent way to go. 

Identities don't have an opportunity to become "classics" if they're dumped as soon as the rebuilding process starts. You think it was all Cups all the time for those Habs uniforms? No. Part of what makes them untouchable is the sheer longevity they were worn. 

[AHcreative]

Are the Kings' unis great? No. Is their logo lackluster? Yes.  But they shouldn't change anytime soon.

 

They went on a crazy playoff run to win The Cup almost immediately after dropping the old uniforms and embracing the black and silver color scheme. The Kings have never had an identity that has stuck for more than a decade without some sort of changes. The Gretzky-era identity was probably their best, and, outside of their current set, the most memorable. Two Stanley Cups within a few years of rebranding has to count for something.

 

Even though I'm not too fond of the look, I don't see the Kings changing for a while and I hope they don't. Purple and yellow/gold is a color scheme that I would love to see in the NHL but the Kings identity is black and silver and it should stay that way. 

[-Akronite-]

14 hours ago, Fitzy0220 said:

I know it's a rare occurrence but what about Mr. Pittsburgh Penguin himself Mario Lemieux? Player, Owner / Player and then just Owner!
Lemieux the Player is responsible for a huge portion of the Franchises Biggest / Emotional moments
Lemieux the Owner also responsible for the Franchises Biggest / Emotional moments

 

Could you imagine the kind of betrayal that would be felt if he tried to move the team out of Pittsburgh?

[SFGiants58]

14 hours ago, insert name said:

Caps don’t need that retro clown uniform. That’s a situation where I feel they’re better off with what they have now. 

 

The one season that they won the Cup was the one season where they didn’t have a ‘70s-‘90s throwback third. Let the throwback die.

 

Also, the Kings should never, ever, bring purple back. Black/silver/white is their proper identity, the one worn for The Great One and the two Stanley Cup titles. Likewise, the Devils should never embrace green again (and should restore their classic, Cup-winning design, but that’s another rant) and the Blues shouldn’t restore red.

 

Sometimes, it’s best to let the past die.