I'm normally opposed to posts based entirely upon rumor, but I can make an exception in the name of a slow news day. Yesterday, a commenter called LF3240 left us a couple of links to interesting message board threads that explore potential third jersey options for the Nashville Predators.

I'll start with the realistic and slowly move into the silly. To start, a user at HFBoards (echlfreak) claimed to have had an "inside look" at the new alternate sweater. Whether this is true or wishful thinking remains to be seen, but I'll take a page out of CNN's book and report on the reports of others for a moment.

The following is that user's description of the jersey, verbatim.

There is no yellow or gold at all. They have brought in a steel grey, same blue color and some other shades of grey to the logo. Same Pred logo...just different color scheme.

The arms and bottom have two white stripes separating a thick middle stripe. The middle stripe is black and blue checkers. Tie on the front.

Thats it. Looks cool from far. But, the checkers is kind of dumb up close. From far away the checkers are not noticeable.

That spurred another user to create the following concept design.

I'm not a fan, but then it's not geared toward me. It's more for the Nashville/NASCAR fan, I think. (The checkered pattern?) What I do like is the simplified color scheme. However, echlfreak replied, "The checkers are only two rows and the Pred's eye is red." Mulligan.

Not much different, but also not any better. Typically a lot is lost in translation when people get a quick glance at a new sweater. So we'll just have to see when in comes time for the Preds to release the real thing.

The aforementioned message board threads also featured a handful of other concepts based on what fans are hoping for. Two stuck out for me — both featuring the relatively new saber-toothed skull logo. The first is based on a more traditional striped look.

The other looks like something you might seen on someone working in a construction zone.

Philadelphia can get away with orange. Maybe even the Ducks one day. This concept convinces me the Predators should never attempt it.

I wish I had more to offer tonight. But unfortunately, rumors reign when facts are few and far between. Take all of this with a grain of salt and believe none of it until you read the word "official" in the Icethetics post headline.

And Happy 4th of July!

The most important events of the off-season calendar are behind us. The Stanley Cup has been awarded. The prospects drafted. And now the biggest day of free agency is at an end with players like Mattias Ohlund, Nikolai Khabibulin, Marian Hossa, Dwayne Roloson and Marian Gaborik finding new teams.

Now more than three months away from the new season's debut in Europe, what does that leave us to look forward to this summer? New third jerseys, of course. I have to be honest and up front when I say that this post isn't so much about disseminating new information as it is creating a reference for what's to coming in the next several months.

Ever since the revival of Icethetics, I get emails every day from folks asking if a certain team will be getting a new third jersey this year. This post will contain all the information I have and any predictions or expectations I'm willing to share — presented alphabetically.

Calgary Flames. The days of the flaming horse head are clearly behind them, however that very design does indicate a willingness on the Flames' part to experiment with alternate logos. If you remember, last September I wrote about this very subject.

At that time, Flames president Ken King said the sweater design was being finalized and that there would be a departure from the Flaming C. What sort of a departure remains to be seen. He also hints that the jersey will be black, but that's no surprise considering the team already wears red and white.

King was confident fans will embrace the alternate look and I'm sure I speak for most of us here when I say I can't wait to find out.

Chicago Blackhawks. As previously reported, the 'Hawks have said their Winter Classic sweater will be used in games with roofs beginning in 2009-10 as it takes on the new role of third jersey — banishing the old black one.

For the first time, I will have absolutely nothing bad to say about a Blackhawks uniform. I'm sure many of you will appreciate that.

Colorado Avalanche. Icethetics last reported on a future Avs third jersey back in December when a Denver Post writer indicated the team's plans. The article didn't go into detail about the design, but rather expressed a hope that it would include some sort of Quebec connection. Not a bad idea now that the Avalanche are playing more like the Nordiques.

But I digress. I would expect to see a burgundy alternate much like what the Avs wore until the Age of Reebok. However, I'm not sure how well the diagonal text would work after the issues the Rangers had with the EDGE cut. And personally, I'd rather see Colorado go in a different direction. Pun.

Florida Panthers. We have little information on the Panthers, but they are expected to be one of a handful of teams to debut new thirds in the fall. I fully expect more of the same from the Cats. In other words, a red sweater with the logo that features a stick-biting panther.

If the Panthers were to try to exceed my expectations, they might try something completely different. Perhaps a new logo featuring the profile of a big cat on a red jersey with a unique design. But I think we all know not to set our goals too high.

Minnesota Wild. Green will make its glorious return! Gone for just a couple of seasons, it's my understanding that the Wild will use this opportunity to relaunch the green sweaters for their 10th anniversary season.

I imagine design will be much like the current road uniform. And despite that, I hope it doesn't overtake their red one anytime soon. Despite its ubiquitous color, it's got that classic hockey feel that we just don't get to see much of anymore.

Nashville Predators. The Preds officially announced plans to release a third sweater back in March during my leave of absence. So I'm telling you about it now. The article tells us that the old "mustard jersey" it describes as both "revered and reviled" will not be back. (Between us, I think they were playing it fast and loose with the definition of one of those words.)

Then Preds Business Ops President Ed Lang started speaking incoherently. "I don’t want to give too much away," he teases, "but ours will be kind of a mix between a traditional and a retro look." If anyone knows what that means, you know how to get in touch.

It's almost like he said it's going to be cobalt crossed with denim. Why don't we just call it "faded blue"? Speaking of which, that brings up an important question. If mustard is out, what color will this new sweater be? Grey can be done right if done carefully.

We're told to expect the debut of the new threads prior to Christmas. Hint, hint. You can even get one for free if you're willing to shell out for season tickets.

Those are the only teams who have talked officially about bringing third jerseys into the mix this year. I've said it before, but I'm really hoping the Rangers and Capitals get on board. We could use a blue Weagle sweater and Lady Liberty needs to be free again. But that's just my two cents.

However, you may recall the Detroit Red Wings recycled their Winter Classic jerseys for their final game last season against the Chicago Blackhawks. Icethetics reader Bill writes in wondering if this could be an indication from the club that they are in fact open to an alternate sweater.

I sure wouldn't mind seeing it on the ice more. The Wings have said nothing publicly about this so as always, we'll just have to play that wait-and-see game.

What's left? The New Jersey Devils, who have never worn a third jersey, the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets have announced no sweater-adding plans. The Montreal Canadiens still have a couple more 100th anniversary throwbacks to debut this season.

You are now up to date on what to expect in terms of third jerseys as we press on this summer. And of course, keep checking back for the latest news and updates.

By the way, if you haven't been by lately, check out NHLUniforms.com, which is now called the Hockey Uniform Database. It has recently been given a facelift and is cooler than ever.

Just days ago, hockey fans in Moline, Illinois were mourning the loss of hockey as the Abbotsford Heat unveiled its new logo and uniforms. But happiness now reigns as the league that once hatched the Quad City Mallards resurrects them — and with six new logos to boot.

Today the International Hockey League announced the approval of the expansion franchise. The team now has a bare-bones web site set up with the following splash page graphic — from which I borrowed tonight's headline.

It features six different logos, two of which are textless. I didn't think you could make a mallard look intimidating but somehow these guys actually managed. And while I'm impressed by the look of this club, I can't help but wonder how wise it is to exist in the first place.

An article in the Quad-City Times points out the frequency of attendance trouble the i wireless Center has faced for hockey in the last decade. (Also talks about the management's marketing strategy for getting fans back.) The arena has been home to the sport since 1995, but has also lost two different teams — the original Mallards shut down when the Calgary Flames moved the AHL's Ak-Sar-Ben Knights to town in 2007.

Now they're gone and I hate to pass judgment on the fans, but it just doesn't seem like there are enough of them in Moline to warrant a team. Maybe you just make the 90-minute trip down I-74 to see the Rivermen in Peoria.

Having said that, there's more to this story. See, the IHL used be called the United Hockey League — the home of the first Quad City Mallards club. So in a way, it's like they just took a two-year vacation while the AHL tested the waters of a market that it found couldn't quite support it. So maybe they're right where they're meant to be.

Thanks to J.D. for the tip on this story and for making the "Mallards are re-hatching" joke. And now that you've heard enough from me, what do you guys think of the menacing green-headed bird logos above?

Why repair what's not broken? Tradition is a common response in this sport. The only thing that bothers me about it.

The London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League officially announced last month their intentions to sport a new — or old, rather — look for the next season. Interestingly, they didn't even bother to post their own news release on their web site, but rather borrow from Ryan Pyette of the London Free Press.

The Knights recently updated their web site to reflect the new symbol, seen here to the left. I'm all for a throwback except for when it goes out of its way to be aesthetically unpleasing. Which I feel like this does.

What I will give them is the new shades of green and gold. Huge improvements over the previous design. That's what you should be seeing on a hockey jersey.

GM Mark Hunter said, "When we took over the team, we didn't know what that Spider-Man Knight thing was. We wanted to go back to the old look, the green-and-white."

I half-agree with him. That logo was always a little off. While I don't know where he got "Spider-Man" from, it never seemed like it was balanced quite right. Despite its lack of clean, sharp design elements, this new logo is actually balanced.

However, I think hundreds of Icethetics readers and fans might disagree. After all, it was just over a year ago that the previous incarnation of the London logo beat out 19 others and was declared the best in the OHL by voters here. And not two months later, deemed to have the overall best logo of the 60 Canadian Hockey League clubs.

I think there could be no better reason to call a rematch. As we move into the summer, I plan to relaunch a feature that allows Icethetics readers to do what they do best: Express your opinion and vote! Logo tournaments will be back with a new format and everything. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

After the Knights unveiled their new logo, shouldn't a jersey have followed? Reebok has infiltrated even the OHL now and has deemed it inappropriate for any team to unveil their new look prior to the giant, soul-crushing corporation's say-so. Or more accurately, "The OHL has a new sweater agreement with Reebok so teams have to wait for the cue in early September." Right.

So we'll wait until then to see it, but in the meantime, the article says to expect something from the early days circa 1968-70. For a better idea of what that means, we visit KnightsHistory.com, an offshoot of the Knight's official web site. See the following image.

I really hope Knights fans are happy with this. I mean it's for you guys anyway. It just seems like taking a giant leap backwards. On one hand, yes, it truly looks like a hockey sweater. But on the other, "Those sharp-looking green third jerseys are done," writes Pyette.

Being a Lightning fan, I don't think I deserve a vote. So let's hear from some Ontarians. (Is that what you're called?) Is the retro look an improvement or did the Knights already have the best logo in all of Canadian junior hockey?

Flyers fan Sal wrote to me this afternoon with a slew of good questions.

I was just wondering if you've heard anything about what the Flyers were going to do this season. I've heard different grumblings that the orange retro jersey would become our home sweater and the black jersey would be used for special occasions. Does this mean the Flyers will change their away jersey to match the retro design? Also, since the Winter Classic game at Fenway Park between the Bruins and the Flyers seems to be official, what jerseys do you think the Flyers will wear?

So I sat down to do a little quick research. Looking into the Icethetics archives, I reported back in February that the Flyers would be making the third jersey swap this fall. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The orange retros will be the new standard home uniform while the blacks will take on a secondary role. As far as the road whites, I have no new information at this time that would indicate a redesign to match the throwbacks. If I were to guess, I'd say they will remain the same as last year, at least for now. But hold that thought.

That brings us to the 2010 Winter Classic. We know the Bruins are hosting it at Fenway Park, but that may only be half the story. On June 19, TSN reported that the Calgary Flames would be also be hosting an outdoor New Year's Day game, creating hockey's first open-air double-header.

The Flames' opponent remains a mystery, but that may no longer be the case for the Bruins. It's not official yet, but on Tuesday, Delaware County Daily Times beat writer Anthony J. SanFilippo wrote on his blog that the Flyers would be making the trip to Fenway Park — not the Rangers, as I would've expected.

By the way, I highly recommend a read of SanFilippo's article as he goes into detail regarding the circumstances that led to this. Apparently, the NHL wanted the Capitals so they could promote Ovechkin but NBC was unhappy with the Rangers-Capitals TV ratings during the playoffs.

So this brings up an interesting question. All four teams that have participated in Winter Classics have done so donning classic attire. With the Flyers taking their classic attire full-time this season, how will they manage to make this special occasion stand out?

Unfortunately, while I have no solid answer for you at this point since nothing is official yet anyway, remember that thought I told you to hold on to earlier? This would be the perfect opportunity for the Flyers to introduce a white version of the orange retro sweater. With the Bruins hosting, they will likely be in gold or black. And in case you missed it, I posted a great concept on Twitter, showing a uniform the Bruins could wear. (Great work by Bruins 37.)

While we're on the topic of the Winter Classic, don't forget that the Chicago Blackhawks said that last year's black third jersey will be replaced by their Winter Classic sweater. Those will be fantastic to see on the ice more than once a year. Unfortunately, there are no plans for the Red Wings to do the same.

That reminds me. At some point this week, I'm going to have a post to get everyone up to speed on which teams we're expecting third jerseys from this season. And I'll be accepting concepts for what they might look like. Who's excited?

So we've got some theorizing to do in the comments today. What will the Flyers wear to the Winter Classic? What will the Bruins wear? Who will face the Flames in Part II of WC '10? And will anyone look cooler than the Blackhawks in their third jerseys this year?

Update on Sunday // 28 Jun 09 @ 5:05 PM by Chris

Looks like I didn't do my homework on one aspect of this post and I apologize for that. Several of you have written in to point out that the TSN article suggesting there would be a second outdoor game at the 2010 Winter Classic hosted by Calgary was not set in stone. A follow-up story this past week pointed out that in fact there will be no Flames-hosted match. At least not on January 1, 2010.

The NHL's competition committee met last week to discuss the topic, saying that there may still be a second special event on New Year's Day in a Canadian city. Perhaps the Habs playing a game at Montreal's Olympic Stadium as part of their 100th anniversary celebration? Maybe against the Flames. Or Leafs?

Once again, I apologize for not being up to speed on this and I appreciate the help from those of you who wrote in to set me straight.

In case you aren't following along on Twitter, I'll summarize yesterday's draft coverage. And if you aren't, you can check out updates in the sidebar.

First, my Bolts nabbed Victor Hedman which I am thrilled about. We have Lecavalier, St. Louis and Stamkos. While it may not seem like it, we have the scoring. What we need is someone to stand in front of Mike Smith the way Dan Boyle and company stood in front of Nik Khabibulin. But I digress in only the second paragraph.

To the No. 1 overall pick, John Tavares, the New York Islanders gave the sharp new third jersey. Being out of the loop for the most part the past few months, I questioned whether this was a signal the Isles would be taking on the retro look full time.

My reliable Icethetics sources, along with several other readers, tell me that while the team would love nothing more for the fall, the total switch won't take place until 2010 or 2011. In the meantime, this season will certainly see a ramp-up in frequency of third jersey action. We're told to expect the alternates in more than a quarter of regular season play.

So while we're talking orange and blue, the Edmonton Journal tells us the Oilers will be donning the retros a whopping 27 times in the coming 2009-10 campaign. This leaves just 14 opportunities for the dark blue sweater effectively making it the alternate this year.

The road white jersey will remain the same. As the Journal writer points out, the Oil performed better in those anyway. My thanks to PuckDrawn for pointing out this info. And allow me to once again point out what a great job Johnny has done in my absence and still continues to do.

And lastly, in case it got overlooked by anyone, I have a bit of AHL news. Well, it's really more of a rumor at this point. But with the Phantoms headed to Adirondack, the Hershey Bears are now one of only two teams left in Pennsylvania. Could they be getting a new look in '09? The fans want it. Does the ownership? I'll be tracking this story for you throughout the summer.

Stay tuned for more news and keep your eye on Twitter for regular briefings.

The obligatory Icethetics Twitter account is now active. Feel free to follow. I intend more frequent updates there than on the blog here at least while news is slow. You can also expect more than a few concept art posts over there. I'll be adding a widget to this site so you'll never even have to leave.

Visit twitter.com/icethetics and never miss a thing!

Update on Friday // 26 Jun 09 @ 3:32 PM by Chris

Off to the right side of the page you can now find Icethetics' Twitter updates. Handy for those uninterested in getting a Twitter account. Keep an eye on it. I'm updating it all the time, even when I don't have anything new for the blog.

Words I love to write: "unveil... new... logo." Always exciting.

Yes, legitimate Icethetics news coming in today! The Abbotsford Heat, the newest addition to the American Hockey League unveiled their new logo this morning. And despite my hype in the previous graf, it is rather unremarkable. I mean, I looked at it, started writing this post, and had to look at it again to remember what it looked like.

See for yourself.

Now then, some of us may need a quick history lesson (I know I did). Who are the Abbotsford Heat and when did they join the AHL?The Heat is just another in a long line of aliases for a team I'm not entirely convinced isn't in witness protection.

This franchise began life in 1987 as the Utica Devils, the natural minor league farm club of the New Jersey Devils. That lasted only six years, until Calgary Flames took over the team in 1993, moved it to Saint John and shared its own moniker. The Saint John Flames lasted a full decade before it all hit the fan.

In 2005, following two years of absence from the league, the club was reestablished in Nebraska and were re-dubbed the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights. ("Ak-Sar-Ben" being "Nebraska" with some hyphens in your rear view mirror.) After two seasons, the franchise was relocated to Moline, Illinois and reunited with their parent club's nickname. Known then as the Quad City Flames, they were responsible for the immediate death of the UHL's Quad City Mallards, who had occupied the same arena for the 12 years prior.

Now for the worst part. After just two seasons in Moline and two stints in the American Midwest, the Flames ultimately decided that it really wasn't for them. This fall, the AHL's globe-trotting club returns to Canada once again after a zig-zagged trek across the continent. For the record, it's been 4,888 miles of relocations and counting. (If you're really bored, I've mapped it out for you.)

Now, about the logo from before that by now you've forgotten about. Go look at it again real quick. Responsible for the rather banal basketball-esque logo is a local company called Domain7.

The alleged lead designer Stephen Bau excused the drabness by saying, "We wanted to capture the essence of hockey and position Abbotsford as a destination for world-class hockey in the logo and branding."Before you assume he's about to follow up with an apology for failing, he goes on by saying "and I think we were able to do that." Out of curiosity, do you think he's actually seen it?

Furthermore, I was ready to express my sympathy for the fans of Abbotsford before I read that they voted for the name! Really? The Heat? Miami can get away with it. Your average high for the year is 74 degrees. Unless it's irony. And then it's funny. But I think we all know you aren't that clever, Abbotsford.

Not that you'll necessarily want to see it, but Heat's web site is claiming to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the new brand. Someone actually wrote the following line describing this logo: "the movement of the puck looks somewhat like a flaming comet." Really playing it fast and loose with the phrase "looks somewhat like," aren't we?

Not even joking about that.

Anyway, I apologize if I've been a little harsh this afternoon on this, my first logo unveiling since the return of Icethetics. But I'm just unimpressed. I will say one thing in its favor, however. I'd sooner buy something with a "flaming comet" on it than that horrible Quad City Flames logo.

Anyone else have an opinion?

Thanks to Ian for the tip.

I wish I had more for you guys lately. There's not been much to report as far as news. A few bits of concept art have trickled in here and there so I thought I'd take some time to share some.

Untvar sends in this Maple Leafs re-imagining, saying "If Burke is able to turn the Leafs around, they might need an upgrade to their uni. I tried to think of something that would update their traditional look, but keeping in mind that they WANT it to be simple."

Thoughts?

From Kevin (aka Koho) comes a new Lonestar-based look for the Dallas Stars.

Certainly reminiscent of the old days of hockey and I wouldn't be surprised if a 1960s era club called the Texas Lone Stars had worn something just like it.

Kevin writes, "I think [the Stars] should've changed to [this] when they moved from Minnesota to Texas. Being that Texas is the Lone Star state I think that they should've rebranded themselves from the Minnesota North Stars to the Dallas/Texas Lone Stars after the move. I used an old police badge shaped like a star with the Texas flag inside as the logo and slightly based the jersey off of the retro Oilers third jersey."

Evan submitted a couple of interesting jersey designs for the Oilers and Senators.

Hope that holds you guys over for a little while. I hate saying "I'm back" and then going so long without a post. I'm doing my best to get some legitimate information with regard to the new crop of third jerseys for 2009-10. At the moment, I don't really have anything new. But keep checking back, it'll be right here when I do.

And as always, feel free to get in touch with any suggestions, comments, ideas, questions or criticisms you may have. I may not necessarily reply to them all, but I'll at least give them a ready. It's icethetics@gmail.com.

It's been over four months since the last post, but it appears there are enough of you interested to keep Icethetics around a little while longer. And I did say I'd try a relaunch this summer. The Stanley Cup has been awarded which, in my book, is the official start of summer.

In all likelihood, it'll be a slow return to normal. I've reopened the blog and last summer's Third Jersey Central. I'll update the blog whenever there is news to report. And we're expecting yet another round of third jersey unveilings this summer (although considerably smaller than last year's).

I know a lot of folks enjoyed the Concept Art aspect of Icethetics, so that is the first feature I'm going to reincorporate. If you've got artwork worth posting, send it my way.

Before you ask, I do hope to return to all of our other features, including the IceHL. That is a great project and I would like to see it through. However I do not have a timetable. Just keep checking back for more information.

So the news is that Icethetics is back, at least for now. Until there's news to report, enjoy the archives.