Wild, Avs 3rd Jersey Info

The Minnesota Wild have announced the dates for the official unveiling of of their new third jersey as well as its on-ice debut, according to their web site.

The Wild will offer fans a first look at the new green sweater on Sunday, August 30 at the Minnesota State Fair. It will then debut on Wednesday, October 21 when they face the Avs — who will also be getting a new third jersey (scroll down for more on that).

The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild announced today that the club will introduce a new third jersey for the upcoming 2009-10 NHL season on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 12:30 p.m. at the Minnesota State Fair’s FAN Central building.

Minnesota’s new third jersey will be unveiled on stage in front of the FAN Central building starting at 12:30 p.m. The event will include Wild players and Nordy. The Wild’s State Fair booth will be located in the new FAN Central building this year at the intersection of Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street.

Minnesota is scheduled to wear its new third jerseys in a game for the first time on Wednesday, Oct. 21 against the Colorado Avalanche.

Not mentioned in this release is the fact that Derek Boogaard will be modeling the new sweater at the event. I'm sure there will be pictures and you can count on Icethetics to do all the heavy lifting for you.

I also added a countdown to the sidebar since we have an actual date! Just 11 days to go...

Now comes the time when I have to eat my words. It doesn't happen too often, but when I do make a mistake, I own up to it. Most of you read my initial reaction to the rumored leak of the Avs' new third jersey. Out of embarrassment, I won't link to it (you can find it), but I basically called it a sham.

I have come into new information that now has me 99% convinced that the rendering originally posted at the SportsLogos.net forums, and later picked up by Mile High Hockey, the Denver Post and Icethetics (damn!), is actually rather accurate.

To protect my source (whose first name is Matt), I won't go into detail, but let's just say, more or less (emphasis on more), this is what the Avalanche will be wearing on several occasions this coming season.

Yep, this will be the Avs' new third jersey

So, to Matt and everyone else who counts on Icethetics for solid information, I sincerely apologize for my rush to judgment. If you guys got some of the emails I get on a daily basis, you'd be cynical too. But it's no excuse. There you have it.

Now, regarding the jersey itself, I think it'll be nice to see the Avs in blue — a subtle nod to their franchise's history perhaps? Burgundy is undeniably the color most associated with the Avalanche, but isn't the purpose of a third jersey to experiment with your look? To color outside the lines?

Based on earlier comments, I know many of you aren't so thrilled about the sweater, but all I can say is give it a chance. And don't rush to judgment the way I did. Wait until you see it on the ice.

And that's my take on that. Later tonight, I'll get to those pictures of the new Team USA jerseys. I'm trying collect the cream of the crop as there doesn't seem to be any official source the way there was for Team Canada.

I also promised to post all of the other Ice Bulls submissions that came in. They'll be up at some point tonight. Over 25 different artists sent in artwork in less than a week! Icethetics readers/designers really are the best around! Also, if you haven't seen it yet, head to IceBulls.org to see the team's new logo.

Alleged Avalanche Leak

There's a story that's been making its way around the web today regarding an alleged leak of the Colorado Avalanche's third jersey.

It started with a post this morning at Mile High Hockey — an Avs blog — and continued on to Denver Post beat writer Adrian Dater's blog All Things Avs. Here at Icethetics, I see this sort of concept art all the time. Rarely have I seen it picked up by so many other blogs before my own (that should tell you something).

For reference, this is the design in question, which originated at the SportsLogos.net message boards.

Avalanche third jersey concept

It's a new take on the burgundy alternate sweaters from several years ago. David at Mile High Hockey is not taking a hard line on the legitimacy of this rumor, but he does sound confident in its source.

Being a bit of a jersey geek, I am familiar with the, uh, "fluorescent" poster who made the mock up from a camera phone pic he says he took of the jersey. I spoke to him a little yesterday and while I haven't seen firsthand evidence of the jerseys, I'm pretty confident this individual has seen the above jersey in person.

If it is the 3rd, I have to admit it's not that bad. I was fearful the fine folks at RBK would find a way to come up with something even more ridiculous than the horrible uniprons they've foisted on us. The above mock up may not be the best looking jersey in the world, but it's a vast improvement over what the team is wearing now. I assume that blue is Nordique blue, a nice nod that many have been suggesting.

I think the Quebec connection is a bit of a stretch, but he may be right in assuming that, if true, these would probably be nice-looking sweaters. The burgundy ones sure were sharp.

I've done some research and asked around among my usual sources and, basically, I can't confirm or deny it. That being said, my gut reaction, based on over two years of tracking this type of news, tells me something is fishy. But when isn't it, right?

Anyway, it all remains to be seen but I thought I'd at least mention it here because of the coverage its getting. Share your thoughts below on this latest rumor.

Alternate Expectations

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.