2013-2014 NHL Uniform & Logo Changes

[Sodboy13]

Eggplant!

And yeah, I was fine with the glow puck. As someone who grew up in Chicago with no cable, it really did help my first exposure to televised hockey. The red streak on shots (and accompanying sound effect?) was the classic 1990s step too far, though.

[bowld]

Anyone remember when Tinkerbell would come on screen and wave pixy dust all over the place when the Ducks scored? Believe it was only on fox sports west but it used to crack me up

[Puckguy14]

Does anyone know what the limitations are for the Ducks to use the Mighty logo?

I thought they couldn't use it at all and yet now it's on their third jersey?

For the record, Anaheim's original jersey was amazing but I loved the Nike alternates. In fact there's a supposed prototype on eBay right now.

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?index=0&sbk=1&nav=SEARCH&itemId=140980657666

[tigerslionspistonshabs]

I really hope the Ducks go back to using the mask logo. Use the new colors if you must (although I'd love a return of the eggplant/green; or a hunter green/orange), but their set is so blah.

[dgnmrwrw]

Todays Canes teaser seems to confirm the red yoke on the white sweater and the loss of the shoulder patches.

Ugh. Disappointing.

[Sport]

WRONG MOVE, Hurricanes. WRONG MOVE.

[habsfan1]

Piece by piece, it's pretty much building up to a massive, gigantic, epic fail.

[NYYNYR]

I'm a little confused as to why people are SO down on the Canes' new look? They're not changing the logo or colors (did you want them to?) Besides removing the flags (which could lose an element of originality), they're also removing a lot of unnecessary clutter with the empty yokes and the shoulder emblems....I think when people look back on this era of hockey 10-15 years from now, we'll view all the shoulder patches as ghastly overkill which was hardly necessary. Clean it up, I say! Why does every team need shoulder patches and empty yokes? Yuck

[bowld]

looks to me like the new Cane's uniforms will be very traditional. The shoulder yoke without an outline reminds me a lot of the Leafs white 3rds from a few yrs ago

[The Giant Pacific Octopus]

and the shoulder emblems....I think when people look back on this era of hockey 10-15 years from now, we'll view all the shoulder patches as ghastly overkill which was hardly necessary. Clean it up, I say! Why does every team need shoulder patches and empty yokes? Yuck

Shoulder patches are some of the coolest parts of any jersey. And teams have been using them on thier jerseys as far back as the 1970s and into the 1980s.

[Morgan33]

Ugh...

Just unveil the thing so we can burn it. Thankfully there are only two more teaser images... Wonder if they can do the impossible and make me even more unexcited to see the finished product.

[NYYNYR]

and the shoulder emblems....I think when people look back on this era of hockey 10-15 years from now, we'll view all the shoulder patches as ghastly overkill which was hardly necessary. Clean it up, I say! Why does every team need shoulder patches and empty yokes? Yuck

Shoulder patches are some of the coolest parts of any jersey. And teams have been using them on thier jerseys as far back as the 1970s and into the 1980s.

I think the crux of what I said makes sense. Newer designs are going for something with these false yokes and shoulder-patch overkill... It takes a nice jersey and muddies it a touch...

Look how clean this jersey is:

Now look at this:

Sometimes, less is more

[IceCap]

It might not scream "Old Tyme Hockey" but that doesn't mean they have to dress up in clownsuits. They should wear their respective primaries from that era. That would look fantastic.

That depends on who you ask.

I'm sorry but anyone who says this jersey is anything less than fantastic is wrong

Then I don't want to be right

[dgnmrwrw]

@NYYNYR: I certainly agree with your general point that cleaning up is good and "less is more," and with your more specific point that the demise of the phantom shoulder yoke piping is a very good thing. But to me, the Canes have a very strong secondary logo that looks great on the shoulders that--coupled with the unique warning flag squares--helped make the Canes instantly distinct and recognizable, helped differentiate them from the other red and black (Devils, Sens, Hawks, even Flames) or red (Wings) teams.

But I feel the bigger problem is the (quickly becoming apparent) insistence to force the square peg (modern style, unique features, non-traditional market) into a round hole (make it simple, clean, and "classic!"). They could have easily cleaned up the uniforms and simplified/unified the striping while still keeping the elements that gave their identity some sort of character (the typeface, the warning flag squares, more silver, the shoulder logos, etc.).

It all just feels so half-assed and superficial. Remember when it seemed like every team was adding black for black's sake? To me this (and maybe it started with the Lightning and the retro craze) feels like "forced faux-classic for forced faux-classic's sake."

[The Giant Pacific Octopus]

I think the crux of what I said makes sense. Newer designs are going for something with these false yokes and shoulder-patch overkill... It takes a nice jersey and muddies it a touch.

I'm still not buying shoulder patch overkill here. If you look at the 1981-82 season

http://www.nhluniforms.com/1981-82/1981-82.html

9 of the 21 teams had shoulder patches. Thats only a little less than half.

I do agree with the shoulder yoke point, but I don't see nothing wrong with shoulder patches. Personally the shoulder patch (and checkered striping) were some of the best parts of Carolina's previous jerseys.

Altough I will agree with your Calgary Flames example. The flags on the current set look way too muddled.

[LMU]

Sounds like we need a new term for truly awful, because "epic fail" has officially been neutered to being defined as mediocre.

[NYYNYR]

@NYYNYR: I certainly agree with your general point that cleaning up is good and "less is more," and with your more specific point that the demise of the phantom shoulder yoke piping is a very good thing. But to me, the Canes have a very strong secondary logo that looks great on the shoulders that--coupled with the unique warning flag squares--helped make the Canes instantly distinct and recognizable, helped differentiate them from the other red and black (Devils, Sens, Hawks, even Flames) or red (Wings) teams.

But I feel the bigger problem is the (quickly becoming apparent) insistence to force the square peg (modern style, unique features, non-traditional market) into a round hole (make it simple, clean, and "classic!"). They could have easily cleaned up the uniforms and simplified/unified the striping while still keeping the elements that gave their identity some sort of character (the typeface, the warning flag squares, more silver, the shoulder logos, etc.).

It all just feels so half-assed and superficial. Remember when it seemed like every team was adding black for black's sake? To me this (and maybe it started with the Lightning and the retro craze) feels like "forced faux-classic for forced faux-classic's sake."

Good points. I think I misspoke earlier...When I said warning flags before, I meant the squares at the bottom hem. I enjoyed those. It made them uniquely Carolina, so I'm totally with you there. I think that's the one regrettable element to this (if it truly comes to pass)...

I think also we're coming out of (slowly) a truly gaudy period of hockey sweaters, and the push toward a more traditional striping pattern (by some teams) I think is a positive sign. I'm all for creativity (flag borders/ the Ducks' looping line, etc.) and bright colors, but hockey jerseys are made to be "square cut" at the bottom and need the hem stripes to separate them from the rest of the "uniform system -- love that old RBK term" since hockey's unique for NOT TUCKING IN its jerseys.

To me, once you have the basic elements of a hockey sweater, go wild with colors and designs. So, in essence, I'm happy to see some ridiculous modern elements leave the Canes (like the phantom yoke), but I agree with you on the point that we don't want a 90's team to start playing dress-up to pretend that they're the Wings, etc. I feel ya there.

[Morgan33]

I think the crux of what I said makes sense. Newer designs are going for something with these false yokes and shoulder-patch overkill... It takes a nice jersey and muddies it a touch...

Sometimes, less is more

You're putting these designs in the same category? Carolina only needs to remove the phantom yoke to have a solid design. Calgary on the other hand has zero redeeming qualities. Remove the the tacky flags and the jerseys are still in bottom 5 of the league if not the very bottom...

[NYYNYR]

I think the crux of what I said makes sense. Newer designs are going for something with these false yokes and shoulder-patch overkill... It takes a nice jersey and muddies it a touch...

Sometimes, less is more

You're putting these designs in the same category? Carolina only needs to remove the phantom yoke to have a solid design. Calgary on the other hand has zero redeeming qualities. Remove the the tacky flags and the jerseys are still in bottom 5 of the league if not the very bottom...

No they don't belong in the same category. One needs touch-ups; the other requires reconstructive surgery.

[Lights Out]

I'm a little confused as to why people are SO down on the Canes' new look?

Because they're not an Original Six team yet they're trying to dress like one.

They also had a fine look already that was uniquely theirs, one that saw a Stanley Cup victory. Now they're abandoning all that brand equity in order to hop on the retro-for-retro's-sake bandwagon. God forbid any pro team gets creative anymore! People whine about college uniforms but at least colleges are willing to try new things.