What if "The Trade" never hapened

[Number 8]

Ok so im from southern California and a huge hockey fan and i wonder a lot about how hockey would change if Wayne Gretzky was never traded to the Kings in 1988. It would change the NHL a lot and this is what i think the uniforms might look like. I think they would be brighter with less black because the NHLs premier player in Gretzky never wears the dark Kings jerseys and stays in the Bright colored Edmonton jersey. Im starting with Chicago in honor of their sweep of the Sharks(who dont even exist in my scenario)

Home

Away

C and c please. If I get a good response ill continue, I already have nearly half the league done

[FGWB]

I thought the goal here was less black?

[Viper]

Im starting with Chicago in honor of their sweep of the Sharks(who dont even exist in my scenario)

By the same line of thinking, are the North Stars still in Minnesota? For that matter do any of the other Sun Belt teams exist either, without Gretzky in LA to pave the way?

As for the Hawks jerseys you did, they look more or less the same as they do now, and as they always did, except without those awful black 3rds of course.

[Has2916]

Yeah, why did Chicago add more black, or even change their jersey. This is a good idea, but why would Chicago change their jerseys because Wayne never played for the Kings? Maybe an explanation for each team is necessary?

[Number 8]

Ok so Chicago changed because with all the other teams opting for bright colors I thought Chicago could change and stay unique while still keeping the traditional feel, I also just feel that this is an improvement as well. Some of the sunbelt teams are staying but not all, your going to have to wait and see which ones

[BBTV]

Ok so Chicago changed because with all the other teams opting for bright colors I thought Chicago could change and stay unique while still keeping the traditional feel, I also just feel that this is an improvement as well. Some of the sunbelt teams are staying but not all, your going to have to wait and see which ones

OMG, I can't wait!! I'm dying to know what teams would have brighter jerseys!!!! Please don't keep us in suspense for very long.

[bulldogbarks55]

Ok so im from southern California and a huge hockey fan and i wonder a lot about how hockey would change if Wayne Gretzky was never traded to the Kings in 1988. It would change the NHL a lot and this is what i think the uniforms might look like. I think they would be brighter with less black because the NHLs premier player in Gretzky never wears the dark Kings jerseys and stays in the Bright colored Edmonton jersey. Im starting with Chicago in honor of their sweep of the Sharks(who dont even exist in my scenario)

Home

Away

C and c please. If I get a good response ill continue, I already have nearly half the league done

You need to reverse the stripes on the Red sweater back to like they were in 1955-56 when that style debuted. Then you've got it. And to answer your question-If Number 99 wasn't traded to the pretty-boy Los Angeles Kings then Kerry Fraser wouldn't have swallowed his whistle and the Leafs would have won the 1993 Stanley Cup!

[wildwing64]

For some reason, I kinda like the way this set looks a bit better than what they use now, but like others have said, I don't see why they'd even change to this in the first place.

Since the series theme is more to do with the Gretzky trade never happening, therefore no sunbelt expansion teams, etc, I'm more interested in seeing where you think any more expansion teams would even have been placed (unless these franchises don't even exist in this alternate history of yours).

[Number 8]

Ok you guys are right I should do teams that would change a lot so here i have the team that would change the most, so here are the LA Kings

The original plan for the 1988 season was to switch to dark blue, silver and white, but The plan was changed due to the fact Wayne owned a team in Hull that wore silver and black so the black was to appease Wayne, so heres what the Kings may have looked like if they wore blue instead of black

I did not make this logo it was used on merch for the kings in the purple and gold years

C+c please

[Number 8]

Any c and c?

[Number 8]

Bump

[Buster]

If Gretz never played for the LA Kings, I believe they would not exist at this point. Hockey in L.A. would never have had any reason to grow and become popular. Wayne saved hockey in LA, likely for California and all warm western cities.

The fans wouldn't have been excited enough about Luc Robitaille to sell out hockey games in L.A.

[Number 8]

The Kings lasted over 20 years without him so I dont see why they wouldnt last

[oddball]

A few things. I don't understand the Blackhawks changing their uniform based on the idea that if Wayne wasn't traded to the Kings. That makes no sense at all. Secondly, the Kings were gonig to the Black and Silver with or without Wayne because the uniforms were already developed, so that debunks the Kings wearing anything else. I also don't get the point of styling it as a year 2000 style jersey, close to what the Penguins had before the edge. If you look at jersey styles, the striping is horizontal. You also don't have consistancy in your striping between the sleeves and the waist.

As far as the comment that if Gretzky wasn't traded the Kings wouldn't be here. That's false. Gretzky came in their 22nd year. Now grant you, they didn't always have the greatest teams, but there is a strong loyal fanbase that other franchises would die to have. These are some of the most knowledgeable and passionate fans in the game and a lot of them have been there since day 1 of the franchise. Gretzky didn't save the Kings, he created other teams such as Anaheim, Florida, and Tampa. Minnesota was threating to move to San Jose, and that is how the Sharks came to be, so Wayne had nothing to do with that. Gretzky did to the Kings what Modano, and Yzerman did to their teams, brought them from average at best to good and brought the band-wagon fans in the door. I have nothing against band-wagon fans, as long as they stay. You could even say the same thing about Derek Jeter as you could about the players that I mentioned.

[Number 8]

Next we have what could have happened to the Phoenix Coyotes. Rather than the Jets moving to Phoenix the move to Seattle to become the Washington Wolves. As you should know wolves are typically silver, white, and black so those are the colors of this team Keep in mind this color scheme is unused because the Kings are blue rather than black.

[Shane Does Art]

At first I really liked this idea, but now, none of it makes a lick of sense.

That and the concepts aren't that great, they all seem pretty bland and inconsistent.

[FGWB]

At first I really liked this idea, but now, none of it makes a lick of sense.

That and the concepts aren't that great, they all seem pretty bland and inconsistent.

First we eliminate black. Then the Jets move to Washington instead of Phoenix to become the wolves.

Whut?

[Generic]

I don't think Washington should be in the teams name if the Washington Captials are still around, but maybe this NHL doesn't have a Washington Capitals... As for the concepts, most of it is recolouring, nothing unique. It's a cool idea though.

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

i'm fairly sure butterflying the trade wouldn't have this drastic effect on the league. The yotes probably still go to the desert. most of the uniforms would stay the same as the fashion trends was leading towards heavy uses of black and the use of teal, purple etc. With or with out the trade, teams in the solar belt was getting teams. kings would still be around. The only thing this would do would create a butterfly where the leafs win the cup.

[infrared41]

Ok so Chicago changed because with all the other teams opting for bright colors I thought Chicago could change and stay unique while still keeping the traditional feel, I also just feel that this is an improvement as well. Some of the sunbelt teams are staying but not all, your going to have to wait and see which ones

OMG, I can't wait!! I'm dying to know what teams would have brighter jerseys!!!! Please don't keep us in suspense for very long.

I'd share your excitement but I'm still trying to figure out what the the Gretzky trade has to do with this.