Some more backpedalling from the League on the new uniforms. At first, they were supposed to be tucked in. The players and the GMs hated it, and it was dumped. Then they were supposed to be as tight as Nike's "swift jerseys" from the Olympics. The players and the GMs hated it, and they were loosened up. Then everyone was supposed to follow the new template and re-design their jerseys to emphasize vertical lines and constrasting side-panels, with the traditional horizontal striping on the elbows and hemline due to go extinct. As of even a few days ago, that was still the party line. Now here's the latest revision, as quoted in Thursday's USA Today:
All 30 NHL clubs will have the opportunity to redesign their individual looks this summer, says Jennings. Hockey uniforms for teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens are revered as the best in any sport. Any change causes fierce debate. The Buffalo Sabres unveiled a new jersey last season. While some fans like it, critics say the new logo looks more like a "Buffaslug" than a bison.
Says Jennings: "There will be teams that skate out (this fall) and don't look very different. Others will have more of a vertical design."
The Jennings quoted is Brian Jennings, the NHL's executive vice president of consumer products marketing. Not sure it's ever a good thing when someone with the phrase "consumer products marketing" is involved in messing with the core traditions of the game (although it does lay bare exactly what this is all about, in case there was anyone still left doubting). But I do like the fact that the party line has changed from "all teams will redesign their jerseys" to "all teams will have
the opportunity to redesign their jerseys." That leaves hope for the nice old school jerseys like the Hawks, Bruins, Habs, and Wings. Every step of the way, since this whole uniform redesign issue first reared it's head just after the lockout ended, Rbk and the NHL have come into fierce resistance from those who understand and respect hockey's traditions, and every step of the way they've dialed back just how different and radical the redesign will be. It amuses me. In the end, I don't know how different things will even be.
Sidney Crosby in the 2007 All Star uniform, which uses the new jersey template:
Looks a lot tighter in the arms, and the socks look like spandex. The real fun will be when all 30 teams show what they will be wearing next year, that's when things have the potential to get ugly if some teams go too far. I suspect we won't have answers to that until late in the summer. But hey, it ought to make it cheaper to buy an "old style" authentic jersey for a while, as they churn thru all the old inventory!
-Ricardo
-Ricardo
