New Sweaters Abound!

Big night for classic hockey jersey enthusiasts! The Nashville Predators unveiled their new third jersey as the Boston Bruins gave fans a first look at what they'll wear on New Year's for the Winter Classic — both with tradition in mind.

Let's start with my favorite of the two — the Bs' 60-year-old throwback.

A photo leaked last week but didn't really do this jersey justice. For one thing, I don't think it was clear enough that it's brown and gold. That's awesome! Nobody else wears brown. And it's used rather nicely here.

Check out David Krejci sporting the new threads.

David Krejci models the Bruins' 2010 Winter Classic sweater

I don't know. It may well be the best of the six Winter Classic jerseys — and that's some stiff competition. It barely beats out that Blackhawks jersey if you ask me. Just barely.

What we really need is a side-by-side comparison of the sweater it was based on, which was worn for a single season (1948-49) — to celebrate a quarter century of existence.

The Bruins are now just 15 years shy of their 100th anniversary. That's quite a bit of history. And there's no doubt in my mind they picked the best looking uniform for this event. By the way, I haven't seen any head-to-toe pictures yet. Anyone know if they're going with those classic socks too?

Leaked pictures take the wind out of jersey unveilings a little bit. I disappoint myself being part of that machine. Still, the Nashville Predators officially debuted their new alternate sweater for 2009-10 before their preseason tilt against Atlanta.

David Legwand, Martin Erat and Joel Ward gave fans their second look at the sweater — Taylor Swift having given the first one at a recent concert.

Legwand, Erat and Ward model their new threads (John Russell/Getty Images)

The big question you're surely asking: What of these wretched checkerboard patterns we heard about? Were they mere rumors? Sadly, I'm afraid not. Check out the close-up.

The checkerboard stripes

I mean it may not ruin the jersey, but it sure doesn't help things. Why are they there? They don't seem to serve any visual purpose as they're only visible up close when well-lit. But I've learned not to question what goes on in the Age of Reebok.

The jersey sticks with a classic numbering and lettering style in plain white and the primary logo on the front has undergone a bit of desaturation — now featuring only shades of blue. The shoulder patch features the now standard skull logo on top of its very own checkerboard pattern.

Icethetics reader Matt has provided these close-ups for us.

I think that covers it. The Icethetics Season Preview kicks off in just three days!

Update on Thursday · Sep 17 · 2009 | 11:16 PM PDT by Chris

Almost forgot about these. Both teams have short videos worth taking a look at.

Cam Neely talks about the elements that went into the design of the Bruins' Winter Classic sweater...

...and the Predators unveil their alternate with a unique video.

Best part of that was Diller trying to defend the mustard.

Update on Friday · Sep 18 · 2009 | 9:43 AM PDT by Chris

...and this is how the Bruins Winter Classic sweater was leaked.

Thanks Colin!

Winter Classic Windfall

If you've been following the comments in the previous post today, then by now you're aware of what I'm posting tonight. If you steer clear of the comments as I do, it's time to catch up on the big news of the day and it's all about the 2010 Winter Classic.

First, the Philadelphia Flyers officially unveiled their new jersey for the outdoor game.

Keeping in step with the previous four Winter Classic participants, the Flyers will don a classic look that harkens back to their earlier days. Unsurprisingly, it is simply a reversed version of the orange jersey introduced as an alternate last year. (It will become the new home sweater this season.)

Flyers players shoot at a wall of ice to reveal the jersey

Daniel Briere, Simon Gagne and Braydon Coburn were on hand today to reveal the new design by shooting pucks at a wall of ice that concealed it. The three Philadelphia skaters then modeled the sweaters for photos.

Briere, Gagne and Coburn model the Winter Classic threads

Interestingly, the biggest talker with this unveiling wasn't even the design itself — which had been rumored expected for months. From the comments and emails I read, many people could not get over the black nameplate on the back of the white sweater.

Notice the black nameplate on the white sweater...

Personally, I don't mind it. It fits well in context with the orange jersey (which features a white nameplate). It opens the door to making this the new road jersey in the near future. I know many of you are hoping for that. Maybe an orange nameplate would've been better, but black will certainly be more legible.

I recommend checking out the full photo gallery on the Flyers' web site.

The surprise of the day? The Boston Bruins third jersey was leaked online! And no, not at the hands of Icethetics. (Surprisingly.)

In fact, I'm actually not sure where this picture originated. But it clearly shows Tim Thomas wearing a yellow jersey the Bruins have never used before. (Much better than yesterday's poor excuse for a leaked image.)

Take a look.

Is Tim Thomas wearing the Bs' new Winter Classic sweater?

There's little doubt in my mind that this is the real thing — the Bs' brand new Winter Classic sweater. We'll get official word on that next Thursday when it is unveiled at the State of the Bruins event.

As far as the source of this image, the closest I could find was The Boston Sports Network blog. But I am not certain. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I certainly don't want to credit the wrong source.

Anyway, that wraps up today's big Winter Classic news. Just 110 days until the big event!

Preds 3rd Launch Date & More...

Lots to cover tonight so let's dive right in.

The Nashville Predators have revealed their plans for the unveiling of their brand new third jersey. According to the team's web site, the sweater will be introduced on Thursday, September 17.

That night the Preds face the Atlanta Thrashers in an exhibition match at the Sommet Center and fans in attendance will get their first look at the new threads during a pre-game ceremony.

Here's the text pulled from the web page.

Prior to the start of the Sept. 17 game, the Predators new Third Jersey will be revealed in a pre-game ceremony. Players debuting the new jersey will be available for autographs on the main concourse during the first intermission. 

If you're there, feel free to snap some photos and send them along. I'm sure everyone here will enjoy seeing them. Thanks to Paul for pointing out this new information.

To recap earlier news, it sounds like the third jersey will make its regular season debut sometime in November. Team owner David Freeman says it has a traditional look based on some Original Six teams. And back in July, a fan claiming to have seen the sweater, posted a description online which was followed up by a concept rendering.

Now onto the Boston Bruins.

This story may turn out to be nothing, but I got several emails so I thought I'd share it. A new video on NHL.com featuring Tim Thomas appears to show a retro-looking Bruins sweater we've never seen before.

Could it be a sneak peek at their new Winter Classic threads? Take a look at this screenshot and judge for yourself.

Sneak peek at Bruins Winter Classic sweater?

It's the yellow one there in the equipment bag. It's tough to say but it certainly isn't out the question. Like I said, I'll let you guys make up your own minds about its legitimacy. Feel free to discuss.

The design will be officially unveiled a week from tonight at the Bs' State of the Bruins event.

My final piece of news for the night is sort of a follow-up to Wednesday's late night post regarding the classic Buffalo Sabres logo continuing to appear at center ice. It's good news for fans who've been awaiting the imminent death of that awful yellow logo which debuted in 2006.

The final nail in the coffin may have come straight from the mouth of Buffalo bigwig Larry Quinn early today. Icethetics reader Kevin wrote in today with this report.

Hey Chris,

Larry Quinn, managing partner of the Buffalo Sabres was on Leafs Lunch with Bill Watters on AM 640 Toronto today. He let slip that the Sabres are migrating to wearing the retro sweaters full time. Audio isn't up on the website yet, but I'm sure it will be soon. Thought you'd like to know. Goodbye Buffaslug!

Kevin

I'm sure you guys can keep an eye (ear) out for that but it is certainly positive news. I think we'd all be better of if they just listened to John Slabyk in the first place. But we should all be grateful for the little victories where we can get them.

That's all for tonight.

Classic Bruins Jersey Coming Soon

The Boston Bruins will unveil their 2010 Winter Classic jersey next Thursday at the State of the Bruins event. The B's unveiled their new third jersey at last year's event.

The announcement was made in an email sent only to season ticket holders just this afternoon. According to the message, those in attendance "will get an exclusive first look at the 2009-2010 Winter Classic jersey."

Here's a screenshot from the email.

The event will take place September 17 at 6:30 PM.

This news comes just a day after the Philadelphia Flyers announced their own plans to give fans a preview of their special outdoor jerseys this Friday. Check back here at Icethetics both nights for pictures of the new sweaters.

Thanks to Jeff and Jeff for sending along the email!

Bruins Plan Outdoor Jersey

The Boston Bruins are hard at work right now deciding what they'll wear when they take to the frozen pond against the Philadelphia Flyers at Fenway Park this January.

The Boston Globe had some interesting notes regarding the discussions and a few quotes worth repeating. You can find the full article by Fluto Shinzawa here or read it with the Icethetics commentary that follows.

Sizing Up a Classic Jersey

The Bruins, deep in discussions about the sweater they’ll wear for the Winter Classic, are hoping to create a jersey that can catch a piece of the magic the Penguins created two years ago. For the 2008 outdoor game at Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium, the Penguins went retro, pulling their 1968-69 jersey design out of mothballs. Today, the powder blue sweater —the Penguins switched to black and gold in 1979-80, following in the footsteps of the Steelers and Pirates — remains one of the league's top-selling items.

"That worked," said Bruins principal Charlie Jacobs, "because they’re not necessarily their team colors. There's no black or gold. It's a powder blue jersey, and that made it unique. It's certainly recognized in their market. It's not like the Pirates, Steelers, or anything else. It's unique."

No one has hit it as big as the Penguins with an alternate jersey. I think the Chicago Blackhawks are hoping to grab a little piece of their success by turning their Winter Classic uniforms into an alternate for the upcoming season.

Jacobs hopes that by the end of August, the Bruins, in conjunction with Reebok and the NHL, will settle on a design that will serve multiple purposes: capture the Bruins’ heritage, stand out as a unique item for the New Year’s Day game against the Flyers at Fenway Park, and convince fans to hand over their money.

"We've had some really good meetings with Reebok and the NHL regarding what we think will be most appropriate to our market," Jacobs said. "We’ve looked at some traditions of our organization and our storied history."

Jacobs keeps using the word unique and likes that the Penguins went with a color that is no longer part of their regular uniforms. This leads me to think he'd be a fan of brown jerseys for the 2010 Winter Classic.

So far, the Bruins have audited every jersey in team history, looking at elements they like and ones that, in retrospect, might have been tweaked. Jacobs said the final product could be a retro jersey, or it could be a new uniform that incorporates different treatments. Black and gold would most likely be involved in the final design. But the Bruins also have worn jerseys featuring dark brown and mustard yellow tones.

The mustard yellow could work in the context of the Winter Classic but I say they go with something out of the ordinary. Brown is definitely out of the ordinary. I also think that some version of the logo currently seen on the third jersey should not be out of the question. After all, it too is based on the Bs' logo history.

It needs to stand out from the Bruins' current home and road sweaters, which are widely considered to be among the best in the league right now. That being said, it needs to be better than or on level with these. A disappointing design will take a lot of the steam out overall feel of the game.

But that's only my point of view. I know you have one too. Share it and share any concept designs you may have put together. Email them to me if you want them added to this post.