Making Up for the Week

Being sick is not fun. I'm certainly glad to be back. The good news is that the season has started so most of you probably haven't even missed me.

All right, so since I haven't updated the site in a week, there's a lot to catch up on. I'll try not to overlook anything, but it's inevitable. We'll start with your favorite — third jersey news.

First, another rendering of the Colorado Avalanche's forthcoming third jersey has surfaced.

Avalanche's new third jerseyWhile surfing the web, Icethetics reader Colin stumbled across this graphic, which gives us a better look at the Avs' new alternate. It's not a bad looking jersey, though I am surprised they chose not to try something new.

It's a blue version of the burgundy third introduced in 2001, in service until the Age of Reebok in 2007.

The main difference is the addition of a burgundy shoulder yoke and the lack of any striping around the base of the sweater. The primary logo will still appear on the shoulders.

Still no word yet on when the team plans to launch the new sweater or even make official mention of it in any way. All information about it so far has been coming through the media.

That brings us to the Florida Panthers, who are in kind of the same boat. After a summer of silence, I'm now getting mixed reports on whether they will even have a third this season.

However, various sources have me convinced there will in fact be a new sweater in the Cats' arsenal this fall. For one thing, it's available for pre-order on some web sites.

According to the latest round of rumors, the Panthers are set to unveil the new alternate sweater sometime this month, with its on-ice and store shelf debut scheduled for November. I'll keep an eye and ear out for any new information.

It's all speculation of course, but my guess is they'll be red and feature the stick-breaking panther logo on the front, as seen above. Technically, I live in the Panthers' market so I may even see something on TV.

I suppose the biggest newsmaker of the week would have to be Buffalo Sabres when managing partner Larry Quinn went on the radio and told everyone the club is scrapping their jerseys once again.

Charlie at Sabres Not Slugs has a report, which includes a link to the WGR 550 audio interview in question. In it, Quinn confirms that new uniforms are on the way in 2010.

"We have the 40th anniversary next fall," Quinn says. "We will have a permanent uniform change and a new third jersey."

Of course the word "permanent" is used loosely in Buffalo of a team enduring its fourth uniform in as many decades. However, Quinn assures us that fans will not be disappointed this time around and that a return to the classic look is indeed coming.

He says it "probably won't be [released] until next summer." Icethetics will have coverage.

He doesn't say specifically what they'll look like — whether we should expect versions of the current third or something more like the true vintage worn at the 2008 Winter Classic — but it's a safe bet that the slug is on its way out the door.

As a side note, I would guess that the Canucks might have a similar plan in pushing the 40th anniversary celebration back a year so that they can call it the 40th season (damn lockout). Wonder if they too will make a "permanent" uniform change. So many similarities between Buffalo and Vancouver.

So much news to cover still. Although this may barely pass as news, it's a win for all of you who loathe the Age of Reebok. Slowly their fist of stone is being chipped away. Both the Flames and Senators have done away with the socks whose stripes don't go all the way around the calves.

Senators get new socks

Icethetics reader Ryan has provided this side-by-side comparison (right) of Jason Spezza last year to this year.

Notice they've even changed the design of the stripes. I thought last year's worked better because of the similarity to the stripes in the "O" patch on the shoulder.

As you can see, real stripes are back in. This leaves just a single team wearing those other socks — my team, the Lightning. Oh well, it works for them. (What else can I really say?)

And since we're on the topic of socks, my previous report on the Calgary Flames came merely from a video game — NHL 10 to be precise.

It's time to take a look at the real things in action. Look no further — here are the Flames in preseason action against the Islanders.

Flames get new socks as well

Yes, that is Theo Fleury. Poor guy. (Well, not really.) He's also got that laughable 30th anniversary patch on his shoulder there.

But despite all the bad Calgary Flames news, there's some good as well. The 2009-10 NHL season opened this past Thursday with the Flames taking to the ice against the Canucks looking like they haven't in 15 years!

It was the debut of their new retro jersey — which only sees action in four more games this season — one of which is tomorrow. Now this is a hockey jersey!

They're not just celebrating a goal — they're happy about their jerseys too

I like they there were no compromises with either the socks or pants. Flames fans, as I said, you have four more chances to see these in person. If I were you, I wouldn't miss them.

I'm sure there are things I've missed, but I will get to them this week. This should hold you over for now.

Icethetics Season Preview, Part 3

We're midway through the Icethetics Season Preview and after yesterday's three-section post, I'm going to make Part 3 short and sweet. It's a recap of the new logos that will be seen around the NHL this season.

Part 3: New NHL Logos

At least six NHL clubs will have new logos in their arsenal beginning with this 2009-10 season, presented here in alphabetical order.

Boston Bruins (special)

The Boston Bruins will face the Philadelphia Flyers in the Winter Classic on New Year's Day 2010. The NHL's annual outdoor game typically sees its participants dig into their history for special vintage uniforms. And the Bs had a long history to dig into.

For this year's big game, the Bruins pulled elements from five of the different looks they've had over the last 85 years. This logo comes from the sweaters worn 60 years ago to commemorate the franchise's 25th anniversary.

The logo will be used on the jersey as well as other Winter Classic-related merchandise. No plans have been announced to make the jersey the new third beginning in 2010-11, but it's not out of the question. The Penguins and Blackhawks have both given their Winter Classic threads an upgrade.

Buffalo Sabres (vintage)

While nothing has been made official just yet, everything is beginning to point to the notion that the Buffalo Sabres will retreat from the slug and give that classic 1970s primary mark another go. (I'll have details on this from Larry Quinn soon.)

Retro is in right now in the NHL and it seems like a vast majority of the teams are looking backward to move their uniforms forward. Sabres fans have been begging for a return to the team's original look. Their wish may soon come true.

The logo will continue to appear this season at center ice in the HSBC Arena and on tons of merchandise along with the team's official web site and other electronic and social media.

Calgary Flames (vintage)

After scrapping plans to release a brand new black third jersey complete with a fancy new logo, the Calgary Flames jumped on the throwback bandwagon. In fact, forget the black jersey — black is nowhere to be found on the new vintage threads the team is trotting out for their 30th anniversary season.

The club will wear a red jersey that's nearly identical to what was originally worn when the Flames moved from Atlanta to Calgary in 1980. Front and center will be that classic, white-hot flaming C.

No word yet on whether this vintage jersey and logo will be sticking around beyond the five games its scheduled for this season or if that previously designed black third will ever see the light of day.

Florida Panthers (alternate)

After 15 years in the NHL, the leaping cat logo most associated with the Florida Panthers is disappearing. While nothing has been announced officially, this legless feline has been popping up all over the place — everywhere but the jerseys, that is.

The Panthers are also one of a handful of teams expected to release a third jersey this season. They, along with the Colorado Avalanche, have yet to do so. It's not clear yet what to expect for the alternate sweater, but it wouldn't surprise me if this new logo somehow figures in.

For now, you can find it all over the team's electronic media outlets as well as publications and merchandise. And I haven't seen it yet, but it'll will probably be painted at center ice as well.

Minnesota Wild (third jersey)

So far this summer, two teams have unveiled third jerseys and both have involved new logos. The Minnesota Wild's new green duds feature a script rather than a typical logo. But that M will be making its way onto all sorts of Wild gear this year.

The logo is an encapsulation of the history of classic Minnesota hockey. From the simple M to the shooting star which dots the I that, no doubt, calls back to the Minnesota North Stars.

It's not my favorite thing for the front of a jersey, but it has a lot of meaning and the Wild still have the best primary mark in the entire league if you ask me.

Nashville Predators (third jersey)

The launch of their third sweater brought two new logos into existence for the Nashville Predators. However neither is entirely new. The one you see here is a simplified and recolored version of the Preds' primary mark.

A mix of black, grey and shades of blue join a brand new color in the team's identity — the red in the eye. I certainly prefer the simpler version of what is surely the most detailed primary logo in the NHL.

The other logo, found on the shoulders of the new jersey, is an adaptation of the current secondary mark which depicts the skull of a saber-toothed tiger. It's now encircled within the same checkerboard pattern found on the uniform itself.

I might've been more impressed with a completely new logo, but then we do know Nashville's track record in this category (see the old mustard jersey). Still, they're at least moving in the right direction by simplifying a complicated set of logos.

I'm not anticipating any other new logos around the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche have yet to unveil their third jersey, but it's expected to feature text across the front with the primary logo on the shoulders — nothing new.

And that wraps up Part 3. We're back tomorrow with Part 4. Can you guess the topic?

Panthers Reworking Logo?

There's a question that's been nagging at me for a few weeks now. I want to see what the rest of you think. Are the Florida Panthers in the process of covertly adopting a new logo?

I noticed recently that the Panthers' official web site was redesigned to feature a legless panther logo in the banner. See the following graphic.

Panthers' official web site banner with altered logo

At first, I didn't think much of it. Maybe they were just cropping the legs off to improve the aesthetics of the logo in the banner. But this was more than just a simple crop. Special effort was made. The white fur on the panther's chest had been completely changed.

But then it started showing up all over the web site. Every page has its own custom banner with the altered panther logo.

The club's Twitter avatar even got the same treatment (left), but this time with an added text element. You can see a larger, more detailed version as the custom background on the page.

But that's not all. Like many teams, the Panthers have an official Facebook page for fans to join. It contains an image gallery that features two different logos. The new one I'm talking about (left) and the regular one with the broken stick — and text (right) can be seen below. 

So is this just a simple alteration for web use? Or are the Panthers covertly launching a new logo this year? I don't have a solid answer for that just yet, but it seems the new symbol has made its way to an offline location.

A reader named Brett wrote in to say that he was watching a video about NHL 10 on IGN when he noticed this altered Florida logo and grabbed a screenshot (below).

NHL 10 screenshot via IGN.com

So clearly this new logo is being distributed for uses not related only to the web. Why is it being introduced? Why lose the big cat's legs? Why add a new text element to 15-year-old logo? Will it be replacing the full-body panther logo on the home and road jerseys? That, I very much doubt, but I honestly don't know.

Still, many questions and no answers. So that means everything that follows is guess work. The Panthers are one of a handful of teams expected to release a third jersey this year. Could this logo be meant for that? Perhaps this logo may never even make it onto a sweater. I really can't say.

If anyone reading knows anything about what's going on with this new Florida Panthers logo, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a line and we'll keep everyone here up to speed.

In the meantime, sound off in the comments. Do you like "new" legless panther? Or do you prefer the leaping, text-free version?

Update on Sunday · Jul 19 · 2009 | 10:02 PM PDT by Chris

Now that I've had a day to read through some of the many comments and emails I've received on this story, it's time for some clarifications.

First, some new information I didn't have before writing this post. As commenter Alex points out, Miami Herald writer George Richards claimed back in March to have gotten some inside information on the Florida Panthers' new third jersey, due this fall.

According to my source ([fellow writer/columnist] David J. Neal), the new jersey is fairly similar to the Wild's third jersey.

The main color is dark blue with light blue (no idea where that's coming from) on the sleeves, shoulders and bottom. Kind of looks like the Penguins.

The leaping cat logo is replaced on the front by a logo similar to the Wild. Florida on top; Panthers on bottom, the Panther head in the middle.

The Panthers say the jersey that was spotted today at Incredible Ice by David J. is not the final jersey and may just be some kind of prototype. That might explain the inclusion of the light blue. We still have to wait and see what the new jersey will look like, but this helps.

This description makes it all the more likely that the Panthers are testing the waters with an altered logo to be used on a new sweater. That's assuming it's true. As he says, we'll have to wait and see.

Now to reply to some comments. First, Johnny Griswold:

Do you think it's just a variation of their regular logo that they use for horizontal banners and graphics that they don't have a lot of depth to play with?

As I said, that was my initial assumption, the reason it took me weeks to write up this post. The problem is, they already have a logo similar to that, so why make a new modification?

Then Six Zero comments:

I'm surprised no one's commented on the fact that this logo isn't entirely new. The leg-less Panther is as old as the franchise, just hasn't been seen since perhaps their first two years in the league. I've even seen it without the stick.

What's most interesting is how it changes the imprint of the entire mark, meaning its shape and orientation. The leg-less logo is landscape, while the previous is more of a portrait orientation. It'll be interesting to see how different a jersey might look with a logo that is wider than it is tall.

Being a Floridian myself, I feel like I've managed to pay pretty close attention to what the Panthers have done over the years. This isn't the first time they've had a half-panther/half-text logo, obviously. But this one is different.

As you can see in a side-by-side comparison, the new one is holding a broken stick, while I don't recall the old version ever incorporating that element. The new logo also doesn't include the text enclosure and has some color variations. But mostly, that white fur on the chest has been modified to stand alone better.

Basically I'm curious as to their reasoning for reinventing the wheel. Perhaps it's as simple as easier separation of individual elements, as seen in the web site banner. In this new logo, the text is not inextricably tied to the logo.

Or maybe I'm just making something out of nothing. But while we're still on the topic, let's look at some other Panthers logos.

First, without the stick, then with the stick, then with two sticks. The first two have been largely interchangeable throughout the years. The stickless panther has commonly been seen on home and road sweaters while the cat with the broken stick has traditionally made an appearance on the third jersey.

The double-stick logo has been around since the franchise first came into existence. Notice it says "hockey club" at the bottom of the circle, for people who weren't sure. It's quite reminiscent of the Wild's home jersey crest, but I wouldn't expect to see it on a new alternate jersey for the Panthers. They'll almost certainly go with something new.

That nearly wraps this post up, but I do have a bit of concept art to share from Gary.

His third jersey design is solely based on this new logo, and not on the earlier account of a potential leak. Still, it would bring a vintage look to the team for the first time. Though I think a lot of Panthers fans would appreciate the return of the classic red sweater. It went by the wayside (converted to a third jersey) even before the Age of Reebok.

Now what do you make of all that?

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.