The Jersey Round-Up on 11/2

Sports today are about money as much as anything. Players and owners often squabble over the way to split revenues from their sports, engaging in embattled negotiations for their piece of the pie. Once an agreement is reached on how to split the money, the next step is to try and increase those revenues. Teams can generate revenue in a number of ways, but one major method is through merchandise. Pennants, bumper stickers, little flags to fly from your car. These are all ways to make money. But one of the biggest merchandise sellers is team jerseys. What hardcore fan doesn’t own at least one jersey of their favorite team? But once you buy a jersey, in can last for years. In the increasing competitive market for your money, professional sports teams continue to push out more newer and fancier jerseys for you to buy. This is where Jersey Round-Up comes in.

The Following is a summary of the jersey changes in the NHL for the 2008-2009 season. For the most part, these are third jerseys for a franchise. So now teams have a home jersey, an away jersey, and a third jersey. Let the attack on your wallets begin! Maybe you can add one for a future Random Sports Jersey Syndrome moment.

ATLANTA: The Thrashers have unveiled a dark red third jersey with the word “THRASHERS” scrolled across the front in a slight arch, just above the uniform number. Broad white stripes cover the upper halves of each sleeve, with a smaller dark blue section on the bottom sides of the torso. These new uniforms will debut on November 14 when the Thrashers host the Carolina Hurricanes, and will be worn fourteen times throughout the season.

BOSTON: On November 24th the Bruins will unveil an all black jersey with a black bear and the word “BRUINS” above it in a semi-circle. Gold and white stripes will appear on the arms, with gold numbering on the back. To the left is Bruins winger Milan Lucic giving fans a sneak peek of the new threads.

BUFFALO: The Sabres new third jersey is very similar to the team’s original road jersey (which was worn during road games from the 1970-71 season through the 1995-96 campaign), giving it a vintage look. It features a dark blue jersey with the original charging bison and crossed sabres logo and gold stripes on the arms and bottom of the jersey. It may remind some of the white jerseys the team wore for the 2008 Winter Classic.

CAROLINA: On September 10th the Hurricanes introduced a black third jersey featuring the team’s secondary storm flag logo with red and white trim. Each arm sports red and white angular stripes, and the bottom of the jersey features a stripe of storm flags, except the flags are black with a silver border and a silver center square. The jersey debuted in game action on October 13th, and should be featured in fourteen other home games this season.

CHICAGO: To be officially unveiled on November 3rd, the Blackhawks third jersey will feature a predominantly black background with the traditional Indian head logo on the front. These jerseys are remarkably similar to the ones worn by the team prior to the 2004-2005 lockout. A white stripe flanked by two red stripes will appear on each arm, and at the bottom of the jersey. Look for this jersey Monday when the Blackhawks face the Avalanche.  Click for Update.

CHICAGO (Part 2): On New Year’s Day 2009, the Chicago Blackhawks will face the Detroit Red Wings in this season’s Winter Classic. The game will be played outdoors at Chicago’s historic Wrigley Field. Each team will wear a unique, one-time-only jersey. Chicago’s retro jersey will be primarily black with red and beige horizontal body stripes. The crest features the classic version of the Blackhawks logo encircled by the words “CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS”. A similar jersey was worn by the club during and after the 1936-37 season.

DALLAS: Information has been tight on the Stars new third jersey. Officially, it will be unveiled on November 18th, but current info puts it as a white uniform with the word “DALLAS” crowned on the front, with dark green and black stripes on each arm. To the right is a computer rendering of what it is projected to look like. Click for Update.

DETROIT: As mentioned above in the Chicago section, the Detroit Red Wings will play in this season’s Winter Classic. At that game the Detroit will wear a white jersey with a single red body stripe. The red stripe will feature a classic Old English style “D” in the center, with the current Red Wings wheel logo on each shoulder. This retro jersey was inspired by the jerseys initially worn by the club circa 1926-27.

EDMONTON: The Oilers are going retro as well, featuring their old blue and orange jerseys, which sport the original round Oilers logo. That logo has the orange oil drip and blue team name. You may recognize them as the jerseys worn during the Wayne Gretzky heydays, and are brought back in part to celebrate the team’s 30th Anniversary. The new Oilers duds will be worn fourteen times in total. They already debuted on October 12th, and will be featured anytime the Oilers play against any of the original six teams at home, plus on January 18th for the Glenn Anderson celebration, and December 19th for a charity game.

LOS ANGELES: On November 22nd, the Kings will unveil their new alternate sweaters in a game against the Colorado Avalanche. Info on the jersey is limited, but sources state that the jersey will be black with the letters “LA” inside a home plate shaped logo on the front. Broad white stripes will adorn each arm, with a thin white stripe running vertically up the arm on each side of the jersey. To the right is an artist’s rendition of the result. It will be worn for twelve home contests in total. Click for Update.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: The Islanders are bringing out a classic throwback, going back to their original road jersey from their inaugural 1972-73 season. It features royal blue, with broad orange and white stripes on the arms and at the bottom of the jersey. The uniform numbers and player names will also be orange. These jerseys were first used on October 27th.

OTTAWA: Coming November 22nd, the Senators’ third jersey allegedly will be predominantly black uniform with the word “SENS” written in white and angled upward on the front. A red stripe will run down each side of the jersey, to its base, where the stripe turns inward across the bottom. A pair of narrow red and white stripes will adorn each arm, and the very bottom of the jersey. To the right is an artist’s depiction of how it will look. Click for Update.

PHILADELPHIA: To be unveiled on November 28th, the Flyers are another team going retro, bringing back the orange home jersey from its inaugural 1967-68 season. The Flyers traditional logo adorns the front of the jersey, with white shoulder piping running down each arm, but with the tips of the arms in black. The bottom of the uniform features a broad white stripe.

PHOENIX: Like Philadelphia, coming on November 28th, the Coyotes will unveil a predominantly black jersey third jersey. The front will sport a leaping coyote in the team’s desert red color. Broad desert red stripes will run down the side of the jersey, as well as down the bottom half of the sleeve. The shoulders will feature the traditional coyote logo and a new coyote paw logo.

PITTSBURGH: Coming in just a few days (on November 5th), the Penguins will debut their new third jersey. Exact details and photos haven’t leaked, but it will be based on the Winter Classic jersey worn in Buffalo last January 1st. That jersey was a replica of the home jersey the club wore starting in 1968-69. To the right is Sidney Crosby’s jersey from the Winter Classic. It is powder blue with broad white stripes trimmed in dark blue on the sleeves and bottom. The center features a dark blue circular Penguins logo.  Changes to this jersey will likely be minimal, with additional piping being rumored. The jersey will debut in games starting November 15th. Click for Update.

SAN JOSE: Rumors are swirling about the Sharks third jersey. It’s not supposed to be revealed until November 21st, and early leaks appear to be a bit off. Current rumors have the logo featured to the right set on a predominantly black jersey. The jersey will probably feature teal/aqua and white stripes on each sleeve. The sweater has been nicknamed “BlackArmor” for corporate sponsor Seagate. The BlackArmor will be worn for 14 games this season, including twelve home dates. Click for Update.

ST. LOUIS: In September the Blues introduced a navy blue third jersey.  The club’s traditional logo appears in the center, surrounded by a circle spelling out the team name. The city’s famous Gateway Arch appears in the background of the logo. The arms feature yellow and white stripes, which are also found on the bottom of the jersey. Like many alternate jerseys, this one will sport a lace-up top. Brad Boyes is seen at the right modeling the new duds.

TAMPA BAY: To be unveiled November 23th, the leaked word is that the Lightning will introduce a predominantly blue third jersey with the word “BOLTS” angling downward in white on the jersey front. The arms will have grey and white stripes, with the ends being black. A thin white stripe will run vertically up the chest on each side of the jersey.

TORONTO: Sensing a common thread with these jerseys? Unveiled October 6th, the Maple Leafs have also gone retro. They return with their old third jersey, which is mainly white, but featuring blue shoulders, broad and thin blue arm stripes, and the traditional 35-point Maple Leaf design. This design dates back to the Leaf’s 1934 season and differs slightly from their current 11-point design.

VANCOUVER: Coming November 15th, the Canucks are harkening back to their original 1970-71 road jerseys. These blue jerseys are similar in overall design to their current home sweaters, expect the club’s original ‘hockey-stick-in-a-rink’ logo has replaced the traditional orca logo. On the team’s current home jersey, the ‘hockey-stick-in-a-rink’ logo is found on each shoulder, but has been replaced on this alternate by the new Johnny Canuck “V” logo. Click for Update.

That’s all the jersey news for now. Check back for updates on the yet to debut jerseys and other new possible jerseys, including throwbacks of the Montreal Canadiens.