2023-24 NHL Jersey Changes

[Morgan33]

36 minutes ago, Chromatic said:

Every time I see these thirds I hate them more and more. 

Agreed.  The Skate should be a special event jersey, worn a couple times a year, and not be a part of their main identity package.  Moving away from blue and green is where the Canuck's identity problems began and I don't want to see history repeat itself.  Their primary set looks great, especially now that the script is gone.  Also don't see any problem with the team owning the Agency font...  Enough teams use a Bloc already.

[ruttep]

3 hours ago, JohnnyCowboy5 said:

 

 

From a distance, that helmet almost looks brown. Not sure that matte helmets are the way to go for hockey.

[ruttep]

1 hour ago, Morgan33 said:

Agreed.  The Skate should be a special event jersey, worn a couple times a year, and not be a part of their main identity package.  Moving away from blue and green is where the Canuck's identity problems began and I don't want to see history repeat itself.  Their primary set looks great, especially now that the script is gone.  Also don't see any problem with the team owning the Agency font...  Enough teams use a Bloc already.

 

The current alt modernizes the Skate, but what they fail to understand is that it's a mediocre logo and color scheme on its own that's being propped up by nostalgia. Taking away from the nostalgic aspect by modernizing the design leaves you with something that's not all that interesting to look at. The Black Skate needs the block font and the original striping pattern like the Rangers need diagonal letters and the Habs need a chest stripe. They're foundational parts of that uniform. Either wear a direct throwback, or don't even bother.

 

Again, not the biggest fan of Agency, but it's passable. I can live with it. Just add the stripes back to the pants and the primaries are great.

[nash61]

9 hours ago, JohnnyCowboy5 said:

 

Not sure why, but Twitter is giving me a sensitive content for these pictures. 

[Chromatic]

8 hours ago, Morgan33 said:

Agreed.  The Skate should be a special event jersey, worn a couple times a year, and not be a part of their main identity package.  Moving away from blue and green is where the Canuck's identity problems began and I don't want to see history repeat itself.  Their primary set looks great, especially now that the script is gone.  Also don't see any problem with the team owning the Agency font...  Enough teams use a Bloc already.

The Skate's appeal is nostalgia.  I agree with you in principal but if they're going to use the skate as a special event jersey, they should use one of the original throwbacks to capitalize on that.

 

The "updated" skate jersey is just bad. It's as if they took the original and decided to add as many downgrades as they could to get rid of the appeal of it being a throwback.

 

The sublimated 'V's on the arm don't look like 'V's at all. They just make it look incredibly cheap, like the stripes were put on with masking tape.

 

The complete absent of white as even the smallest trim makes it look dreary, rather than the striking like they original skate. The separation between the gold and red makes what is supposed to be the 'intimidating' (according to skate apologists) colour scheme look more muted. That, or they muted the shades they use, in which case that's another 'L'.  I haven't looked into which it is but either way, it doesn't look good.

 

 The new matte helmets add another layer of looking cheap, like a kid took a can of spray paint to his helmet in his garage, or you bought a hockey player toy set for your toddler at the dollar store which included a cheap plastic helmet essentially as a costume.

 

As for the number font, ignoring the bush league move of not having them match across the uniform, while I'm not really a fan of the agency font, I think its okay on the home and away. I just wish they would use a thicker version, like the one used on the retired number banners. However, it looks awful on the new skate thirds. The thin, modern font in yellow with red trim and zero white evokes the feeling of a neon sign outside of a dive bar or strip club. 

 

The whole uniform just looks dingy, I think that's the best way to describe it. Its like they tried to infuse the 'dive bar' or 'grimy hot dog stand' aesthetic into a hockey uniform. 

 

I will say I like the hanger effect of the North Shore mountains on the collar, but that's about all the praise I have for it.  

[The_Admiral]

53 minutes ago, Chromatic said:

The whole uniform just looks dingy, I think that's the best way to describe it. Its like they tried to infuse the 'dive bar' or 'grimy hot dog stand' aesthetic into a hockey uniform. 

 

Interesting, because the original spaghetti-skate uniform had no such foresight: it was just the end of the gradual calming-down of the Flying V sweaters: putting the logo in front, adding normal stripes, muting the colors. 

[Ridleylash]

1 hour ago, the admiral said:

Interesting, because the original spaghetti-skate uniform had no such foresight: it was just the end of the gradual calming-down of the Flying V sweaters: putting the logo in front, adding normal stripes, muting the colors. 

Honestly, this whole thing is a clear example of the team massively overthinking what should have been a piss-easy assignment. Nobody complained when the Canucks were wearing these as alternates because we all knew what they were trying to be, which was a throwback;

 

But with the new version, they've decided to go to this really weird uncanny valley between throwback and new design...

...and so they instead end up creating the equivalent of a Walmart knockoff of their own alternate jersey that is too new to work as a throwback but too similar to the one it replaced to feel truly distinct.

 

If they really wanted to do a different version of the Skate this time...why not just do the white Skate throwback? I feel like more Canucks fans would've gladly eaten up an Adidas version of the white Skate than a bootleg version of a jersey they already bought.

[spartacat_12]

10 hours ago, Morgan33 said:

Agreed.  The Skate should be a special event jersey, worn a couple times a year, and not be a part of their main identity package.  Moving away from blue and green is where the Canuck's identity problems began and I don't want to see history repeat itself.  Their primary set looks great, especially now that the script is gone.  Also don't see any problem with the team owning the Agency font...  Enough teams use a Bloc already.

 

I don't mind the skate jersey in a vacuum, and actually prefer the current version to the throwback, but I hate how every post about the uniform gets flooded with, "They should be wearing these full time" comments. I would hope that the Canucks marketing team know better than to actually bring them back as the primaries, but as Don Draper says, nostalgia is delicate but potent.

[ruttep]

49 minutes ago, Ridleylash said:

 

 

Side note, that has to be one of the worst jersey ads in the league. It has literally none of the colors that are present on the rest of the uniform.

[VancouverFan69]

13 hours ago, Morgan33 said:

Agreed.  The Skate should be a special event jersey, worn a couple times a year, and not be a part of their main identity package.  Moving away from blue and green is where the Canuck's identity problems began and I don't want to see history repeat itself.  Their primary set looks great, especially now that the script is gone.  Also don't see any problem with the team owning the Agency font...  Enough teams use a Bloc already.

 

Disagree on all counts except for keeping the blue and green. Nothing wrong with having a secondary colour scheme for a 3rd. The reality is, is that the Canucks are a 2-colour scheme franchise, like it or not. As for the font, the Canucks always have used the legible and timeless Athletic block font since their pre-NHL days in the Pacific Coast/Western League days prior to the Reebok rebrand in '07. The Agency font is cheap and weak and has no place on a professional sports uniform.

[Morgan33]

8 hours ago, VancouverFan69 said:

Nothing wrong with having a secondary colour scheme for a 3rd.

It's a problem  if the two schemes are complete opposites of each-other and one of them is a carbon copy of a divisional rival.  Sure, the Flames dropped black from their main jerseys but its still prevalent on their alternate.
 

Quote

The reality is, is that the Canucks are a 2-colour scheme franchise, like it or not

 

The reality is that their entire identity amounts to never being able to decide on an identity.  And putting the Skate back into full rotation is the latest chapter in said crisis.  

Usage of the Skate should be confined to a direct throwback on special events only.  Everything Chromatic said about the new version is correct.  The Skate's appeal is entirely rooted in nostalgia.
 

Quote

As for the font, the Canucks always have used the legible and timeless Athletic block font since their pre-NHL days in the Pacific Coast/Western League days prior to the Reebok rebrand in '07. The Agency font is cheap and weak and has no place on a professional sports uniform.

 

I've come to really like the way agency looks on the back of their otherwise traditional looking uniforms.  It's become impossible to separate from Burrows slaying the Dragon.  Would I be upset if they switched to a Bloc?  Not really.  But the only way a green outline would work is if it was separated from the blue base with another white one.  Blue and Green should never touch.

[benpc21]

21 hours ago, DTConcepts said:

 

Top looks like a promo design for a Hurricanes pride night. Bottom left is definitely a 2020 All-Star jersey. Bottom right looks kind of like a  color-pitched photo of a chainstitched Flyers logo.

 

19 hours ago, tBBP said:

And the graphic has "LIBERTY BELL JERSEY" screened across the front.

 

I'm all kinds of lost on this one...

Liberty Bell Jerseys is a customizer who has created a fair number of unique jerseys and has a good following on the socials. Looks like they've created a new pride jersey they've been teasing based on their latest post.

 

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by officeglenn
Embedding single tweet instead of whole feed

[Ark]

Canucks identity should be having a million different identities, like Oregon

 

It's too late to stick to one and the orca isn't even that good of an identity.

[Ridleylash]

5 minutes ago, Ark said:

Canucks identity should be having a million different identities, like Oregon

 

It's too late to stick to one and the orca isn't even that good of an identity.

I feel like if it were not that good, they wouldn't have kept it around for the last 25 years and would've moved in another new direction; the Canucks have never been afraid to change their brand if they think it isn't working, after all.

[ruttep]

11 minutes ago, Ark said:

Canucks identity should be having a million different identities, like Oregon

 

It's too late to stick to one and the orca isn't even that good of an identity.

 

I think the Hurricanes take the cake in that regard...

 

And that's just in the past two seasons.

[DTConcepts]

34 minutes ago, ruttep said:

I think the Hurricanes take the cake in that regard...

 

Different jerseys =/= Different identities.

 

I mean seriously dude, we get that you dislike the Hurricanes' mismatching helmets but come on. Aside from the Whalers jerseys they wear literally once a year, every jersey you showed is very obviously a part of the same brand.

[ruttep]

10 minutes ago, DTConcepts said:

 

Different jerseys =/= Different identities.

 

I mean seriously dude, we get that you dislike the Hurricanes' mismatching helmets but come on. Aside from the Whalers jerseys they wear literally once a year, every jersey you showed is very obviously a part of the same brand.

 

I was trying to make a point about how Carolina's brand has been muddled by all these different jersey designs. Are they a primarily black team? Are they a primarily red team? Is their primary logo supposed to be the hurricane, the flags, or the ripoff Rangers diagonal script? Are they looking to the past for inspiration with the throwback jerseys and the Whalers cosplay, or are they moving into the future by trying out red helmets, making the black alt the primary, and updating the original red jersey? As far as I can tell, the Hurricanes can't decide what they want to be, and I feel like the Canucks are in danger of being in a similar situation if they keep pushing the Black Skate as anything more than a one-off throwback.

[DTConcepts]

21 minutes ago, ruttep said:

the Hurricanes can't decide what they want to be, and I feel like the Canucks are in danger of being in a similar situation

 

You're right, the team whose jersey history looks like this:

 

Clearly has an identity just as muddled and confused as the team whose jersey history looks like this:

 

obvious /s

 

They may not be your cup of tea, but the 'CANES' script, warning flag logo, and even the mismatching helmets are all clearly a part of the same brand. Whether they wear the black or red jersey at home is irrelevant to your point, because they both clearly feel like Hurricanes jerseys. Their brand isn't confused, their hierarchy is.

 

I understand trying to connect the dots between the spaghetti skate and Whalers jerseys, but one is a full-fledged alternate and one gets worn for a single game. C'mon now.

Edited November 22, 2023 by DTConcepts
added context

[ruttep]

25 minutes ago, DTConcepts said:

 

You're right, the team whose jersey history looks like this:

 

Clearly has an identity just as muddled and confused as the team whose jersey history looks like this:

 

obvious /s

 

I understand trying to connect the dots between the spaghetti skate and Whalers jerseys, but one is a full-fledged alternate and one gets worn for a single game. C'mon now.

 

It's not just the Whalers alternate, though (Honestly, I didn't even need to put the Whalers in the original post to make my point). My point was how alternate jerseys can muddle up the team brand. I consider the Hurricanes to be the ultimate cautionary tale in that.

 

Yes, the Canucks have had three distinct brands and color schemes over the course of their history, but since switching to Reebok jerseys in 2007, they've stuck consistently with blue/green, the orca logo, and Agency font as their look. Notice how little the jerseys change from 2007 onward.

 

The Hurricanes? Take a look at that again. Since 2007, the last time the Canucks primary jerseys changed in any meaningful way, the Canes have had the following:

- The original Reebok uniforms (the originals but with shoulder yoke outlines). There was the warning flag alternate, but it never challenged the main brand.

- The strangely traditional 2013 rebrand featuring different striping on the home and away jerseys (not really a problem, plenty of teams do that), including the warning flag alternate as a holdover from the previous era

- They keep the 2013 road uniform heading into the Adidas era in 2017, but introduce an updated version of the original home uniform

- The next year in 2018, they introduce the black hurricane flag jersey and immediately wear them in the playoffs

- The year after in 2019, they dump the 2013 road uniform and introduce the diagonal "Canes" uniform. This brings them to three different chest logos on three different jerseys. They finally stay consistently inconsistent from 2019-2022, wearing the black alts in the playoffs each year.

- In 2022, they promote the black jersey to primary status, mothballing the red jersey and re-introducing the original red jersey as an alternate. Now, neither primary jersey features their official logo. They then wear the throwback red as their home jersey in the playoffs, kicking off speculation that they'll end this madness and return to the original look the next year. 

- 2023: Nope! Throwbacks are thrown out the window for the red jersey that was the original Adidas home jersey. Black jersey remains the primary. Impossible to tell what they'll wear in the playoffs.

 

Do you see what I'm talking about? Jerseys and logos have just been yanked around in every direction for the last few years. When someone asks you what the Hurricanes jersey looks like, what do you say? Their main look is never consistent.

 

That's what happens when a team mismanages their alternate jersey situation. And it would be 1000x worse for the Canucks if said alternate is a completely different color and brand.

 

TL;DR: The Whalers cosplay isn't the main issue here. It's that the Hurricanes can't maintain a consistent brand.

 

Edit: Didn't see your edit before I typed this out. I don't think it's as simple as gathering a collection of looks that all "feel" like the same brand. I think mismatch looks need time to gel together to create a strong brand. Brand hierarchy is still important. There are brands that were able to stay consistently inconsistent that are now looked back upon fondly, such as the Screagle Caps, the RoboPenguins, and the 2000s Sens. But the key here is that after an initial switch from alternate to primary, the jerseys weren't yanked around any further, and alternates weren't shuffled in and out at random. And all three of these inconsistencies were fixed down the line: The Caps and Pens rebranded completely, and the Senators rebranded to something similar, but not identical to their home jersey during that era. 

[Morgan33]

5 hours ago, Ark said:

Canucks identity should be having a million different identities, like Oregon.  It's too late to stick to one...

 

Why is it too late?  They've essentially had the same primary set for 16 years, which is the longest they've stuck with anything...