It's Shoulder Patch Saturday

Photos from Minnesota Wild (via Twitter) | Buffalo Sabres (via Instagram)

Wild, Sabres show peek of same part of new sweaters

The Minnesota Wild released the sixth in a series of seven images leading up to tomorrow's unveiling of a new road uniform. Based on proportions and stitching patterns, we're looking at a shoulder patch — and it's a new one. For the first time the crest from the red home jersey will be used on the shoulders.

This has led to a bit of Twitter speculation as to whether that means we're getting a script on the front — perhaps not unlike what's on the green third jersey. But I don't see it that way. If the Wild don't keep their regular primary logo on the white jersey, then it won't be on any of them.

It could be a Dallas Stars type of situation. The primary logo is on the front while a roundel with the primary logo in the middle is used on the shoulders. So I have no reason to doubt the crest will stay the same here for Minnesota.

Also, based on the bit of stitching seen in the corner of this photo, it appears the shoulder yoke is rounded — as opposed to a straight one like the Hurricanes have on their new road jersey. Was there a chance of that? I don't know. But the first teaser photo does make the yoke look larger than normal.

Then, there's the Buffalo Sabres shoulder patch. (UPDATE: Now, I'm not so sure. A reader has suggested this might be a hat. Think I'm just seeing what I want to see. Fail.) Technically, that photo was posted to Instagram on Thursday — so the title of this post is a little misleading. Anyway, given the yellow in the corner of that photo, I was assuming it's another third jersey teaser. (Maybe not!)

But if it is, it means, just like the Sabres original jerseys, that classic logo will be used both on the front and shoulders of the new sweater. So it's sounding like a strange mix of traditional and non-traditional elements on this one. Really curious to see the whole thing. Would love to learn the release date.