Ducks 3rd Jersey Unveiled!

The Anaheim Ducks skated out in their brand new alternate uniforms for this afternoon's game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Ducks debut new thirdsThe jersey was leaked online some time ago but today provided our first look at the smaller details like socks, numbers and nameplates. And I will say this — they've handled the orange rather well. By that I mean there's a lot more of it on this uniform.

In addition, the duck mask logo from the '90s makes its glorious return to the Anaheim uniforms with this effort. But probably the best sign that the team is moving forward with its identity is the full webbed D on the chest.

The wordmark has been the second biggest downfall of Ducks sweaters since 2006. However, the biggest issue was the overuse of black and that hasn't gone anywhere, as you can see.

My favorite part of this uniform is the added orange. I don't see the point of it outlining the shoulders, but I like it on the socks, jersey cuffs and sides. Just wish they could've outlined the numbers in it, rather than gold.

The Ducks neat stuff related to the jersey on their website. Here's a PDF talking about the design development and here's the third jersey schedule.

So now that you've seen the uniform in its entirety, what do you think? Has your opinion changed at all? Is black becoming more acceptable in a league where blue is becoming the go-to alternate jersey color?

Ducks 3rd Jersey Leaked

Anaheim Ducks 3rd jerseyThe Anaheim Ducks new alternate jersey has been leaked by the online sports retailer FansEdge.

That can't be good for their Reebok account. However, it is good news for us jersey geeks as Icethetics can now provide a visual sample of what you've read about for weeks.

By the way, Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy was actually first with this story. Check out his take on the new threads.

Despite it coming from a third party, this is official Reebok photography (right). We should all be very familiar with it. So at least for me there is no question whether this is the Ducks' actual jersey.

It makes sense that Reebok has provided images to retailers ahead of the November launch of the new sweater — though retailers were probably asked to keep it under their hats until then. Oops.

But one image wasn't enough. FansEdge kept going. Here's a look at the back of the jersey (left).

Since it's not customized, we can't be sure about the number and lettering style. We could assume it will be the same as the home and road sweaters but you never know.

According to the Ducks, the jersey will make its official on-ice debut on Nov. 26 when they host the Chicago Blackhawks (on Black Friday, of course).

As far as the design, I'm not crazy about the striping up and down the sides. Of course these shots don't provide the best view. We'll have to wait to see it in action next month.

The upshot is the "D" logo on the chest. Been waiting for that since 2006, when the current home and road sweaters were unveiled. Plus, as you can see on the shoulders, the original Mighty Ducks logo returns in the new color scheme, as I mentioned previously.

What do you guys think? What did they get right? What did they get wrong?

Update on Tuesday · Oct 19 · 2010 | 11:33 AM PDT by Chris

By the way, in case you didn't click the link earlier today, the image at FansEdge has since been removed. It will remain here on Icethetics, however, for informational purposes.

Ducks Detail 3rd Jersey Debut

The Anaheim Ducks have officially confirmed that their new alternate uniform will be unveiled when they hit the ice on November 26.

The third jersey announcement was made on Wednesday via the team's website. The new sweater will be worn 14 more times during the season following the game against the Blackhawks. For the record, the Ducks will wear their regular home jersey during warm-ups so the new uni truly won't be seen until game time.

A general description of the new jersey design was included in the release.

“After introducing a new name, logo and colors to our fans four years ago, we felt it important to give our original look due time to establish itself in the market,” said Ducks Vice President of Sales and Marketing Bob Wagner. “At this point, we’re excited to introduce an additional look for the team in 2010-11, one we feel confident our fans will embrace.”

Since the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim became the Anaheim Ducks on June 22, 2006, the club has worn a jersey with a color palette of black and metallic gold with orange accents as a metaphorical link to Orange County. The primary logo emblazoned across the front of the jersey is a strong typographic mark anchored by a stylized “D” that echoes the image of a duck’s footprint.

The third jersey will put an alternative spin on the traditional colors and logo, also paying homage to the club’s history.

Ha! You mean the "strong typographic mark" that Icethetics readers just can't get enough of? That one? Funny. But I digress.

Paying homage the club's history? Likely a popular choice. Who thinks Wild Wing is making his glorious return? I still have that old jersey in my closet. But while a Disney character is unlikely on the new uniforms, it's cool to see the owners are willing to revisit that chapter.

The last line of the pull quote above makes my head spin, though. An "alternative spin" on the "traditional" colors and logo? Is this to say jade and purple could be as much in the Ducks' future as in their past? Or maybe a Duck-shaped goalie mask incorporating the orange and gold?

Whatever it is, I'm excited to see it. It's just too bad we have to wait three months. In the meantime, got any concept ideas? Email them my way.

Thanks to all of you who sent in this story today while I was busy working.

The Week in Unis and Logos

Good evening all! I appreciate your patience these past several days while I was away. Spent the week on the awe-inspiring Oasis of the Seas, on a cruise through the Eastern Caribbean. If you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend it.

In that time, I was completely out of the hockey loop, freeing myself entirely from the chains of my computer. I didn't even know the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup until we docked in Fort Lauderdale early this morning. Anyway, that being said, I'm relying mostly on your emails — and forgive me if I don't mention you by name if you sent in a tip as there were so many I lost track.

Leafs to reveal new captain, uniforms

Obviously the biggest news of the night is coming out of Toronto.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have set a press conference for Monday, in which they are expected to introduce Dion Phaneuf as the new team captain, but more importantly, unveil new home and road sweater designs.

Both TSN and The Hockey News corroborate this. For more on what the redesigned jerseys will look like, we turn to fellow jersey-hound Howard Berger — never at a loss to provide the early info we all desire. Turns out, the day before I left for my trip last week, he provided another detail-filled blog post.

Maple Leafs jerseys, 1992-97Here are some of the bullet-points of his story, alongside a sample from our friends at the Hockey Uniform Database:

• New home/road unis comparable to 1990s Gilmour-era sweaters
• Both feature current primary logo, 11-point maple leaf introduced in 1970
• Both incorporate new lace-up collar instead of V-neck
• Dual horizontal stripes return to sleeves/waist
• Outlined number font goes away in favor of solid color block numbers
• 90s-era shoulder patches (veined leaf) return
• Third jersey will remain unchanged for 2010-11

At last, the Leafs' Reebok Edge jerseys will have some character! Berger's write-up contains no new details on the rumored third jersey redesign said to happen for 2011-12.

And for what it's worth, LeafsHQ has combined all of this new information into a couple of handy bits of concept art.

Official: Ducks to get thirds in 2010-11

The Anaheim Ducks have officially confirmed plans to launch a brand new alternate jersey during the upcoming 2010-11 season, according to the Orange County Register.

The Register quotes Ducks senior VP and chief marketing officer Bob Wagner in an article published yesterday:

General manager Bob Murray, coach Randy Carlyle, president and CEO Tim Ryan and Wagner were involved in the new design. Ducks players were also consulted, which was a major source of input.

"They're the most excited about it, which makes me feel we’ve completed 'mission accomplished,'" Wagner said. "I’ve gotten a lot of positives."

Wagner could not reveal any details about the new look but he was confident it will be received well. Said Wagner, "I think the fans will really embrace it based on the fact that there is meaning to it."

The only clue as to the new jersey's design: Wagner says "there is meaning to it." Whatever that means. Anyway, it's official confirmation from the team on previous rumors and that's always a plus.

Devils move AHL affiliate, unveil new logo

In what should be the final major change going into the 2010-11 AHL season, the Lowell Devils have been relocated and renamed the Albany Devils as of Thursday.

The logo (left) was unveiled on the team's new website. It continues the tradition of the New Jersey Devils and Lowell Devils logos, by creating a subtle letterform out of an abstract devilish shape.

At least they didn't just arch the word "Albany" above the NJ logo like they did in Trenton (ECHL). But this makes me wonder if they could do it with any letter of the alphabet, or if they've just gotten lucky with NJ, L and A. Surely, they can do it with the T.

Oh, and don't forget about the U in the Utica Devils logo from back in the day.

New logo tourney starts Monday!

As promised, the next logo tournament will kick off on Monday morning. In a poll that ran in the sidebar for two weeks, 50% of you preferred an NHL secondary/shoulder logo competition so that is what we're doing. Sometime on Sunday I'll post the format. This one is going to be a little more complex than the previous tourneys we've done. For one thing, we'll be starting with 45 individual logos, the most yet!

Meantime, I'm going to get back to relaxing as my vacation doesn't end until Tuesday and I have a lot to clear off the TiVo. As always, feel free to email me with anything I've missed.

The Big AHL Affiliate Swap

It's been a busy week for affiliate relations between the NHL and AHL. Three teams from each league were involved in the big swap. Here's how it all breaks down.

---

The Edmonton Oilers started it all on February 9 by announcing plans to resurrect their dormant AHL franchise in Oklahoma City, ending their partnership with the Springfield Falcons.

The Oklahoma City team will be a relaunch of a franchise that has existed since 1984, most recently as the Edmonton Road Runners for the 2004-05 season, during the NHL lockout. The club gets back in action in 2010-11 but has yet to be named.

Some have predicted that it will be called the Blazers after the Central Hockey League team which was originally founded in 1965. The latest incarnation of the club, assembled in 1992, folded in 2009. The head of that ownership group is now involved with the AHL franchise.

Count on Icethetics for details on the new name and logo when it is officially announced.

---

Falcons announce new NHL partnerAbandoned by the Oilers, the Springfield Falcons announced a new affiliation agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

During the press conference, the Falcons said they would be changing their colors to match their new parent club. The recolored Falcons logo was unveiled along with renderings of the new uniforms.

• See the new dark jersey
• See the new light jersey
• See the recolored Falcons logo

The Falcons are still affiliated with the Oilers through the end of the season, so the new colors and uniforms will not be adopted until next season.

The Blue Jackets' new deal suddenly left another AHL team without an affiliate.

---

Crunch joins forces with DucksThe Syracuse Crunch wasted no time, announcing the same day that the Anaheim Ducks would be their new NHL partner.

And just like the Falcons, the Crunch announced they would also be changing their colors to match the Ducks. The red and blue will give way to orange and gold. A recolored logo and uniform set has yet to be officially released.

The Ducks have spent this season without an affiliate, partnered previously with the Iowa Chops, who were suspended by the AHL on July 7, 2009. Recently, the Ducks expressed interest in placing an AHL franchise in San Diego. Costs led them to back down. Instead, they opted for an existing team on the opposite coast, a geographical head-scratcher.

---

As of now, each of the 30 AHL franchises set to play in 2010-11 are affiliated with their own NHL teams. Most wear their parent club's colors and/or logo on one or both shoulders of their uniforms.