Caps Basketball had a post earlier today about black jerseys and the teams that wear them, and he asked my my opinion on the black from a fashion standpoint. However, he then decided to eliminate that from his post ;( But, it got me thinking, about jerseys in general.
First things first what teams have an all black jersey:
· Boston Bruins (Home & 3rd Jersey)
· Carolina Hurricanes (3rd Jersey)
· Anaheim Ducks (Home & 3rd Jersey)
· Dallas Stars (Home)
· LA Kings (Home & 3rd Jersey)
· Pittsburgh Penguins (Home)
· Phoenix Coyotes (3rd Jersey)
· San Jose Sharks (3rd Jersey)
· Chicago Blackhawks (3rd Jersey)
· Ottowa Senators (2 3rd Jerseys)
· Tampa Bay Lightning (I believe it was an alternate home jersey)
· Philadelphia Flyers (Alternate Jersey at one point)
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| nhl.com, Coyote or Cute Little Fox? |
So here’s the question what is the deal with the black jerseys? Caps Basketball's theory: cheating, he stated that in the MLB the pitcher cannot have a white glove because it would be hard for the hitters to see when the ball leaves the glove. Which, I never knewI am not sure how this really incorporates the jerseys themselves, causing some puck confusion for the goalies; however, the black tape on the blade may cause some confusion. Also watching the Oilers/Caps game a white stick with white tape against the ice also, almost completely hides the puck, when the blade is over the puck. Could be a reason behind why you don’t see hot pink tape out on the ice.
Reebok now has Black Ice Premier jerseys for each of the teams. These aren’t for the players but for the fans. My brother likes the jerseys because he says, “They bring out the accent colors.” I am against these jerseys being worn to games. As a Caps fan, I know to rock the red. As a fan I go, expecting almost 85% of the Verizon Center to be in red. The players…”my team” wear red. I want to wear red; it is my way of showing support, doing my part as far as a fan goes. I feel the same way about the black jerseys as I do with the Fair Isle Women’s Reebok jerseys and the pink jerseys. As a female, don’t buy it, you are buying it as a fashion statement not as “team pride” or wearing your colors. Remember when Jessica Simpson was going around in a pink football jersey, and how RIDICULUOUS she looked, that’s how you look. I don’t usually wear hockey jerseys, but when I do, you bet your ass it’s a red Reebok Capitals home jersey. I have a Winter Class jersey as well, however I wouldn’t wear it to a game, its white and we don’t rock the white, we rock the red. Just like I wouldn’t show up to a Devils game in angel wings. Quite frankly I would like to get it autographed and then get it framed. (So…John Carlson, what do you say?)
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| Reebok Black Ice Premier Jersey |
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| Reebok Fair Isle Women's Jersey |
It can’t be denied that when sports teams try to be more “modern” they look to one thing, black. I mean just look at the UMD uniforms, the total blackout was awesome, but that is coming from a girl who also really liked their Maryland court jester uniforms… However, with Ice Hockey, I am completely against the black trend. Why black jerseys, do you think it will make your team more intimidating, do you want hipster/emo fans, do you think you’re sexy, or is it because they are stain resistant!? That’s it isn’t it? Here’s the thing guys the only thing that is going to stain your jersey is blood. So I still don’t get why the black is being pushed, and is the emerging trend in the 3rd jerseys. I mean that Phoenix Coyotes 3rd jersey is just terrible. It looks more like a baby fox; I want to say “awwww” as opposed to “ahh!”
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| UMD Football Jersey, or Court Jester, you decide. |
There is also another trend in the 3rd jerseys, and this one, I am completely behind: the vintage revival. These jerseys are like a piece of the past; it’s like antiquing for sports fans! The best things about the vintage jerseys are that their logos are simplified and they take up less space, with more of a centralized design. Which, from a fashion perspective is much more aesthetically pleasing. Hockey is a sport that is rich in tradition, so from a fashion perspective, bringing back the jerseys of the past is always a crowd pleaser, to fans and to players alike.
Minimalism is also another plus to the vintage jerseys. Some teams that don’t have a “vintage” jersey yet, are designing jerseys with minimalistic detailing, one of the mail qualities of the throwback jersyeys. Some of my favorite jerseys are very simple, with traditional logos; Montreal Canadians, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the road jersey for Tampa Bay Lightning. Less is more, and these teams have it down pat. With the good comes the ugly; and with this I have one team, Florida Panthers. Nothing against the team, but the jerseys are awful, the color palate and everything. More of a blood red vs the orange red would make a world of difference for them, the angry kitty doesn’t do much either…demon thundercats don’t belong on the ice…The team is going through a major rebuild I think a jersey change could do a lot for the aesthetic, new team, new look. A close contender for the worst jersey in the NHL would have to be the Columbus Blue Jackets, because they either look like soccer jerseys, or a sweater bought at a civil war reenactment battlefield.
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| Thundercats, or the Florida Panther |
After asking around, the general consensus is usually the same, jerseys with a more simple design, or a vintage revival are crowd pleasers. I mean how many of us wish that the Anaheim Ducks still had the duckbill hockey mask logos? Their logo now looks more like a horseshoe stingray. Patrick McLaughlin, Staff Writer for The Rat Trick, when asked about his favorite jersey said he liked the Atlanta Flames, the Canucks 3rd Jersey, and the Winter Classic jersey for the Caps, his favorite however is the Blackhawks. (I should also say he likes the new home red jerseys for the Florida Panthers, but I still stand by what I said.) This proves however what I stated previously some of the most aesthetically pleasing jerseys (not based on anything but looks) are the jerseys with more of a minimalistic logo. This has stood true for men and women, actually roughly 8 women I asked stated that the Montreal Canadians had their favorite jerseys, be it home (@make_lemons) or away. The Kings were high ranking amongst a lot of the men I asked, and my best friend as well! (@LaichCaps21, who also stated Colorado Avalanche as another contender.)
My all time favorite jersey is The Hockey Writers number 2, the Quebec Nordiques. Let me also point out the Asian dragon that, at one point was the logo for the Calgary Flames…my apologies Panthers, it could be worse.
Minimalist NHL Team Designs Check out the link for some interesting takes on the team designs.
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| Quebec Nordiques |
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| Calgary Flames... |
Minimalist NHL Team Designs Check out the link for some interesting takes on the team designs.
xoxo
alanna.
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