Mourning Purple

It's a sad day today. The beginning of a new era in the NHL. One in which no team employs that great color between blue and red. Sixteen teams wear blue. Thirteen wear red. None wear purple.

I am of course referring to the fact that the Los Angeles Kings officially retired purple from their color palette last night. They did so by wearing their third jerseys one final time as they defeated the Coyotes 3-2 at Staples Center.

But even as we mourn this death, I am hopeful. Hopeful because the last time the Kings extinguished purple (yes, it's happened before in 1988), it was resurrected briefly less than eight seasons later — albeit in the form of the ill-fated "Burger King" third jersey none of us can forget.

Then just two years after that, in 1998, the Kings launched a rebrand that incorporated purple back into their black and silver look. And the next season, their new third jersey put them back in full on purple once again — just as they were when founded in 1967.

Now that was a one-of-a-kind hockey uniform. And as much as it was a creation of the late '90s, it still looked great! But in 2002, the Kings decided the crown made a better primary logo than the royal coat of arms and pulled a little switcheroo.

So it was the same sweater with a different logo for the next five years. In 2007, Reebok was responsible for killing the purple when they introduced the generic Edge template — whose sole goal was the destruction of any and all creativity in hockey uniforms. Mission accomplished.

Since then, we've never again seen the Kings in purple sweaters. It got a whole lot worse in 2011 when the black and silver third jersey — reminiscent of the Gretzky days — got a big promotion. It set off a series of events that culminated last night with the end of the second purple era.

It was nice knowing you, purple. Rest in peace. (Because you'll be back soon enough.)

Last Hurrah for the Royal Purple

The Los Angeles Kings announced early this morning that purple is being officially removed from their color palette next week after one last hurrah for the third jersey. See this tweet:

After a long discussion with Grimace, we've decided to retire purple from our color scheme. See us in them one last time next week.

— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 15, 2013

For my part, this is a disappointing development. With purple, the Kings always had a color scheme that was one of a kind.. In black, silver and white, technically they still do, but now it's just boring. Purple is associated with royalty and being named the Kings, this team was in a unique position to claim a color no other club could. Now they're retiring it?

So I'm not a fan of this change, obviously. I think it's a big downgrade. But that's enough editorializing for now. Let's get to the details of this retirement of purple.

Yesterday, Icethetics reader "Tyfighter77" shared a list of third jersey dates he attributes to "Kings TV analyst Jim Fox during Tuesday's game." This is regarding the black and purple sweater.

• Sat., March 16 — vs. San Jose Sharks
• Mon., March 18 — vs. Phoenix Coyotes
• Tues., March 19 — vs. Phoenix Coyotes

The Kings also wore black and purple on Tuesday night in Phoenix.

The real question is, of course, whether the Kings plan to continue sporting the retro "forum blue and gold" uniforms they've used occasionally over the past three seasons. This year, they've seen action on February 23 and March 9. The latter was the final Legends Night of the season and I remember reading somewhere that this would be the last time we'll see those throwback threads for a while (possibly years, but probably not for good).

My thanks to Aaron P., Steve M. and "Tyfighter77" for keeping me in the loop about this Kings news. You can attribute the lack of blog updates to the fact that I'm moving in two weeks and have been spending more time packing boxes than doing any research for the site. Thanks for understanding.

What's New in the New Season

The NHL opened its shortened 48-game 2013 season tonight with a few changes and new logos hitting the ice. So let's run down what's new in the new season.

Kings, Bruins start ugly Stanley Cup banner trend

We begin with what I consider a pretty ugly trend over the last two seasons. This afternoon, the Los Angeles Kings raised their 2012 Stanley Cup championship banner. Then each player skated out wearing that same banner as a shoulder patch.

Now that's just tacky. I'm all for being proud of an accomplishment like this, but doesn't a sweater patch go a little bit too far? Is the 20-foot banner hanging in the rafters not enough?

But the Kings aren't the only guilty party. Last year, the Boston Bruins started this awful trend by wearing their banner on their sweater as well. Just uncalled for.

Come on. We all know you won. Nobody missed the banner raising. The patch is unnecessary. Fittingly, both of these teams lost the games where they flaunted their titles. The Bruins fell to the Flyers 2-1 last year. And earlier today, the Kings were stung by the Blackhawks 5-2. Serves them right.

We'll note that the Chicago Blackhawks, after raising their 2010 Stanley Cup championship banner, did not wear any kind of gaudy patch to commemorate their commemoration ceremony. Nor the Red Wings or Penguins in 2008 and 2009. So kudos to them.

Before I wrap this up, I do want to point out that at least the Kings and Bruins weren't as bad as the AHL's Hershey Bears — who you may remember actually wore the logos of the teams they beat for championships back in 2011.

Lightning and Stars mark 20th anniversaries

Next up are a couple of sweater patches we can't argue with. First, the Tampa Bay Lightning turned 20 in 2012 — but the lack of hockey between October and December means their celebration starts a little late. But better late than never. It's a cool logo!

The Lightning's 20th anniversary patch is a simplified version of the full logo unveiled over the summer. And for what it's worth, this isn't the first time we're seeing it — just the first time it's making an appearance on the ice. The logo debuted in June at the draft.

The Ottawa Senators, who joined the NHL with the Lightning in 1992, celebrated their 20th anniversary last season while assigned All-Star Game hosting duties.

The Dallas Stars moved from Minnesota in 1993 — a year after the league expanded to Ottawa and Tampa. But they're also marking 20 years during this lockout-shortened season.

This is the first we've seen this logo. It prominently features the American Airlines Arena Center — home of the Stars — as well as the skyline of the city of Dallas. It's a pretty sharp logo even if there is a lot going on.

Here you can see it being worn by newcomer Jaromir Jagr.

Capitals reverse colors on socks

This last bit of "news" would get a big shrug from a lot of hockey fans. But not Icethetics readers. Hold everything because the Washington Capitals have changed their socks!

I think that visual aid tells you all you need to know. But just in case, they've reversed the colors. On the road uniforms, the blue is now used on the bottom half going into the skate instead of the top half coming out of the pants. The configuration is now more like what we see in the rest of the NHL.

Presumably the socks on the home uniforms will see the same change — red on top, blue on the bottom now. But we'll find out for sure when the Caps open their home schedule on Tuesday against the Jets. Unless they wear their third jersey, that is. But the next home game would be Thursday.

Did I miss any 2013 uniform changes? If so, shoot me an email or comment and I'll update this post as needed.

Bruins, Kings 3rd Jersey Schedules

Couple of new third jersey schedules to get on the blog today. 

The Boston Bruins are bringing back their black third jerseys for a fourth season this year. On October 21, the club released a schedule detailing when it will be worn during the 2011-12 season.

I'm still holding out hope that one day they'll come to their senses and drop this jersey in favor of the gold Winter Classic one. But if I recall right, I don't think many Bruins fans would agree with me on that one. 

Zdeno CharaThe alternate threads will see action in 11 home games throughout the year. Here's the breakdown:

• Sat., Oct. 22 – vs. San Jose Sharks
• Tues., Nov. 15 – vs. New Jersey Devils
• Fri., Nov. 25 – vs. Detroit Red Wings
• Thurs., Dec. 8 – vs. Florida Panthers
• Mon., Dec. 19 – vs. Montreal Canadiens
• Sat., Jan. 21 – vs. New York Rangers
• Tues., Jan. 31 – vs. Ottawa Senators
• Sat., Feb. 11 – vs. Nashville Predators
• Sat., Mar. 3 – vs. New York Islanders
• Sat., Mar. 17 – vs. Philadelphia Flyers
• Sat., Apr. 7 – vs. Buffalo Sabres

The Bruins also pointed out that on Sat., Dec. 3, they'll wear their road white jerseys at home when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Still think it's incomplete without waist stripes.

Moving on now to L.A.

The Los Angeles Kings basically have two alternate jerseys to wear this season. And according to the team, both are going to be used rather sparingly.

The new third jersey is a reprise of their old home jersey which lasted from 2007 until last year. (The new home jersey was the third until last year.) Plus, they're bringing back the brightly-colored purple and gold Legends Night jersey for a few games.

Justin WilliamsBut first, the third jersey will see action in just eight games (two on the road), about half of the league maximum.

• Thurs., Nov. 3 – vs. Edmonton Oilers
• Tues., Nov. 8 – vs. Nashville Predators
• Tues., Nov. 22 – at St. Louis Blues
• Wed., Nov. 23 – at Dallas Stars
• Thurs., Dec. 8 – vs. Minnesota Wild
• Thurs., Jan. 5 – vs. Phoenix Coyotes
• Thurs., Jan. 12 – vs. Dallas Stars
• Thurs., Feb. 16 – vs. Phoenix Coyotes

Some of those dates are pulled from the Kings' website via the link above. The rest come from LA Kings Insider Rich Hammond in a blog post from October 25.

There are only three Legends Nights, where the Kings will don those über-retro sweaters from the 1960s. They are as follows:

• Sat., Dec. 10 – vs. Dallas Stars
• Mon., Jan. 2 – vs. Colorado Avalanche
• Sat., Feb. 18 – vs. Calgary Flames

A couple other teams should be sporting retro jerseys on Jan. 2, but we're still waiting to see what the Rangers' and Flyers' Winter Classic jerseys will look like.

All of these schedules are going in the sidebar calendar along with the Tampa Bay Lightning's schedule. They haven't officially released a schedule, but they've historically worn the BOLTS jersey for weekend home games only and that's continued into this season.

Update on Sunday · Nov 6 · 2011 | 4:18 PM PST by Chris

Another third jersey schedule to add.

The Florida Panthers confirmed via Twitter last week that the blue third jerseys will be worn for all Sunday home games during the season.

This is apparently the final season that we'll be seeing the "JetBlue jerseys" as you'll recall Miami Herald beat writer George Richards reported in September that team management has fallen out of love with the look in a big way. GM Mike Santos actually called them "silly colors," referring to the dark blue and light blue of the alternate uniform.

Stephen WeissSo I went through the Panthers' season schedule these Sunday home games appear to be the final eight for this doomed sweater:

• Sun., Nov. 6 – vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
• Sun., Nov. 13 – vs. Philadelphia Flyers
• Sun., Dec. 18 – vs. Carolina Hurricanes
• Sun., Feb. 19 – vs. Anaheim Ducks
• Sun., Feb. 26 – vs. Montreal Canadiens
• Sun., Mar. 4 – vs. Ottawa Senators
• Sun., Mar. 11 – vs. Carolina Hurricanes
• Sun., Mar. 25 – vs. New York Islanders

I understand Santos' position. This jersey doesn't exactly scream Panthers and it got a lot of crap for borrowing the colors of the Penguins' third, but... I've always thought it was a nice looking jersey.

But I guess that leaves another question. When this jersey is retired, will the Panthers go back to the third jersey drawing board? Or will they stick with just two sweaters for a while? And if they do try a new third, what's there best bet? 

Aeros Unveil New Uniforms

Aeros unveil new jersey / AerosThe AHL's Houston Aeros unveiled new uniforms today which include a further integration of their brand with their NHL affiliate's.

The updated sweaters were unveiled at a press conference today and pictures were posted on the team's Facebook page. They're already getting great feedback from fans. Lots of compliments and excitement.

Here are some direct links to the original photos they posted:

• Home jersey
• Road jersey
• Alternate jersey

Because of the way the jerseys are laid out in these photos, it's difficult to make out some of the details. The white and green jerseys look like hybrid Reebok Edge templates while the the third jersey is a reversed version of the Wild's.

The Aeros have even modeled their alternate logo off of the Minnesota Wild's. Now we know what their green jersey would look like in white. Not a bad look but I prefer their current white sweater. It's the only one that retains any of their original look from 2000.

But back to Houston. Their previous home and road jerseys, matched those sweaters the Wild used when they joined the league 11 years ago. They were nice, but I can see the Aeros wanted to advance their own brand a little. Still, there's no question the alternate was inspired by Minnesota's.

I think it's a nice mix of originality and paying tribute to their parent club. What do you guys think of them?

Now a couple of quick NHL-related stories...

Blackhawks dropping 3rd jersey in 2011-12

The Chicago Blackhawks will not be sporting a third jersey at all this season, according to ESPN Chicago.

This information was previously reported on the blog but it's worth noting that others are now reporting it as well. Here's an excerpt from Monday's "mailbag" post on the Chicago Blackhawks Report by Jesse Rogers:

Q: I cannot wait for the season to start. Do you know if the Blackhawks will ever bring back the black alternate jerseys or are they sticking with the Winter Classic alternate look again this year? -- Andrew (Chicago)

A: The answer is neither. The Hawks are going with just two jerseys this season -- the home red and road white.

Apparently, the Hawks front office weren't huge fans of the 2009 Winter Classic jersey which had been adopted as a third in 2009-10. Personally, it was my favorite Blackhawks jersey. I'll be sorry to see it go. Still, we got two good years out of it and that's better than none.

Kings to wear four jerseys during 2011-12

We also have more confirmation from the Los Angeles Kings on the four uniforms they'll be wearing throughout the 2011-12 season. That's right, four.

Yesterday on the LA Kings Insider blog, Rich Hammond laid out the Kings' new wardrobe for fans. He confirmed the old black-and-purple home jersey will now be the new alternate and the vintage purple-and-gold sweater will get a reprieve after we spent most of the summer thinking it was a goner.

Kings COO Chris McGowan told Hammond that the throwbacks will be worn on three occasions during the upcoming season. He didn't specify which games. I recommend a read of that post, but if you're too lazy to click, here are a couple of interesting excerpts:

McGowan: “We’re introducing a new look, but in a way we’re not. The look has already been introduced, with the alternate jersey, the black version of it with the L.A. crest on the front. So we simply just produced a reversed version of that, in white, because of positive feedback from multiple people that are involved with the jerseys, including our fans, our ownership group, the players, the NHL, Reebok. … Then we will still keep the purple elements in our organization. Not primary, but we still want to keep them because there are people who like the purple part of the Kings brand.”

Also, McGowan talked about the players' input on the new look.

Question: I’d heard that the players actually voted to wear the black jerseys in the playoffs the past two seasons. Is that true? Did that factor into things?

MCGOWAN: “They did vote. If you notice, the last two years we wore the black jerseys in the playoffs. You want the players being comfortable with what they’re wearing, and you want them to like what they’re wearing. They didn’t dislike our old jerseys. They just simply liked the alternates better. Then we started showing them mock-ups of what a reverse, a white version, of that would look like. We did the camera tests and the designing of it. You could just see it in their eyes, that that’s the one they want to wear primarily. They definitely played a part in the decision. ..."

Nice to hear the guys who wear the uniforms actually get to have a say in them. Though I worry what the league would look like if the players got to make every uniform decision. Perish the thought.

That's all for now. I know the Winnipeg Jets jerseys are still at the top of everyone's mind. Shouldn't be more than a couple of weeks now.

Update on Friday · Aug 26 · 2011 | 12:33 PM PDT by Chris

Here's a closer look at those new Houston Aeros jerseys.

A little too much piping for my tastes, but overall a very sharp new set.