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Let’s Look at All the New Reverse Retro Designs

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As I’m sure you’re aware by now, the NHL yesterday unveiled all 32 Reverse Retro jerseys (but, in most cases, not the full uniforms). I have to say, I hate it when leagues throw so many designs at us all at once. It’s too much to process, and a lot of nuances and details end up being overlooked amidst all the hype. The best thing about MLB’s City Connect program — maybe the only good thing about it, in fact — is that the releases are staggered, so each design gets a chance to breathe a bit and we can take our time to see how everything looks.

I should say at the outset here that I really like the idea of RR — it’s a gimmick, but it’s a fun gimmick. More importantly, at least for our purposes, it’s a uniform program about uniforms. The designs aren’t based on some local building or some overworked “storytelling” metaphor — they’re based on old uniforms and logos! What’s not to like?

Well, here’s something not to like: Somewhat incredibly, neither Adidas nor the NHL has put together a web page showing photos and promo text for all 32 designs (at least not that I could find). So for today’s blog post, I’ve put that together myself. Here’s what you’re about to see:

  • For most of the teams, I used promo photos that Adidas provided to the media, showing lifestyle models wearing the jerseys, because that’s all that was available. I cropped the photos to eliminate the various ad slogans they originally contained, so we can just focus on the designs.
  • The Bruins, Caps, Flyers, Hurricanes, and Red Wings have posted photos or mock-ups of players wearing the full RR uni, and the Golden Knights were nice enough to send me a full-uni photo. So I used those photos, instead of the Adidas pics, for those six teams. (If you know of other full-uni RR pics floating around out there, please let me know and I’ll do my best to swap them in.)
  • For the text, I used the bullet-point descriptions from the NHL/Adidas press release. Obviously, a lot of the marketingspeak language is silly, but it’s interesting to see what each design is supposedly based on. (The press release also had lots of grammatical issues and stylistic inconsistencies, most of which I left in place because there are only so many hours in a day [although I did fix the 10 instances in which they mistakenly used “compliment” instead of “complement,” because come on!].)
  • When possible, I added an extra bullet point linking to the dates when a given team’s RR uniform will be worn, but some teams haven’t yet posted that info.

So that’s what’s on tap for today. I’ll offer my own assessments of the designs next week, when I give them the Uni Watch Power Rankings treatment.

As I said, I like the basic RR concept. Still, it’s one thing to have a fun concept; it’s another to execute it well. For the most part, I think they did that with RR 1.0 back in 2021. How did they do this time? You can decide for yourself as you scroll through this season’s designs.

Anaheim Ducks

  • This bold jersey design finds its inspiration in the Ducks inaugural season uniform, remixed in today’s team colorway.
  • The jersey features the 1993 signature asymmetrical body stripe, chevron sleeve stripes and three color player numbers rendered in the team’s current orange and black palletea.
  • The three-stripe motif with the middle stripe dropping to the body color is one of the most iconic uniform design elements in hockey.
  • The uniform is complemented with orange pants.
  • RR uni schedule here (but you have to look hard to find it).

———

Arizona Coyotes

  • Inspired by the Coyotes 1998-2003 “Third” uniform, the new jersey presents a color remix featuring desert “Sienna.”
  • This is the first time this trending earth-tone color has been worn by any NHL team.
  • Replacing traditional striping at the hem and cuff, this Reverse Retro jersey features a sublimated graphic depiction of the desert and incorporates the Coyotes crescent moon logo as part of the landscape.
  • Gecko shoulder patches round out the design with dimensional cresting treatments of raised backbone ridges.
  • The jersey showcases ’90s design markers underscored by oversized sublimated bold graphics and colors. The Coyote is on the prowl again!
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Boston Bruins

  • This jersey spotlights the Bruins 1995 “Third” uniform that was originally gold, this time around remixed in an athletic bright white.
  • The 1995 Bruins alternate represented one of the first five “Third” jerseys in NHL history to feature new groundbreaking print sublimation in design execution.
  • The jersey was worn in the first NHL “Third” jersey game, and its historical significance has always made it a fan favorite.
  • Legend has it that the image of the Bruin was taken from a painting of a bear hanging on the wall of a team executive. This is why it looks more like a painting than a sharp-edged and clean-lined logo.
  • The hem, sleeve and yoke stripes are executed in sublimation just like the original 1995 version.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Buffalo Sabres

  • The Sabres will honor their 1996 uniform remixed with today’s current colors of royal and gold.
  • The original modern oversized stripe construction is retained, but the appearance of the blocking is simplified to emphasize the royal and gold.
  • The swooping body stripes and horn-shaped outline on the upper arm are unique design markers to this uniform.
  • The center crest Bison/Buffalo head is enhanced by raised dimensional treatments with raised eyebrow, horn and hair ruff.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Calgary Flames

  • The Flames honor their 1995 uniform with a remix of black for the first time.
  • This is a classic ’90s design with the bold diagonal “pedestal” hem stripe executed in sublimation just like the original ’95 version. This unique stripe breaks across the traditional horizontal pattern to align under the crest with similarly angled sleeve stripes complementing the look.
  • The custom player name and number font execution is italic, giving each of the creative elements of this jersey “forward” movement in branding to match the Flames “C” crest.

———

Carolina Hurricanes

  • The Hurricanes’ current away jersey gets a remix in a bold red colorway for the first time.
  • The jersey features two sets of hurricane warning flags on the shoulders.
  • Inspired by the original CANES jersey, the hem features 24 tonal warning flags.
  • The CANES stairstep center cresting will be executed with raised dimensional treatment underscoring the Hurricane flag details.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Chicago

  • Chicago features a literal interpretation of “Reverse Retro” with reversed placement of black and red color positions from the classic 1938 Chicago uniform.
  • The jersey features a CHICAGO wordmark inspired by the 2019 Winter Classic crest executed in two-layer twill with a tonal running stitch within the white portion of the lettering.
  • The team’s primary logo adorns the left shoulder.

———

Colorado Avalanche

  • The Stanley Cup Champs honor their first Stanley Cup uniform from their inaugural 1995-1996 season remixed in a Colorado state flag colorway.
  • The multi-angled stripes evoke the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
  • The C crest pays homage to the state flag.

———

Columbus Blue Jackets

  • The Blue Jackets original “Third” jersey is honored with a reversed black body accented with Navy stripes along the sleeves.
  • Light Blue from the team’s current “Third” adds color pop to the stripes.
  • The original “Third” was the first appearance of the current Blue Jackets primary logo inspired by the state flag of Ohio with its unique pennant shape and red, white, and blue colors with white stars.
  • Two different shoulder patches are used, one featuring a Kepi cap and the other a small version of the team’s original CBJ crest.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Dallas Stars

  • The Stars honor their inaugural season uniform remixed to the team’s current colorway featuring a black colorway with “Victory Green,” white and silver accents.
  • The Stars crest features a significant dimensional embroidery giving the Star a 3D appearance.
  • The shoulder patches showcase a stylized state of Texas image with a “D” marking the location of Dallas.
  • A ’90s staple uniform rebooted for 2022.
  • RR uni schedule here (although it’s not easy to find).

———

Detroit Red Wings

  • The Red Wings honor their 1991 NHL 75th-anniversary jersey remixed in a black and red colorway.
  • Here the Red Wings present a bold all-red execution combining the jersey, pant, socks, gloves, and helmet accented with black trim.
  • The crest features a DETROIT wordmark inspired by the 1920s Detroit Cougars jersey.
  • The pant features a black and white version of the iconic Winged Wheel logo.
  • This is the first time ever Detroit has integrated black into their uniform.

———

Edmonton Oilers

  • The Oilers first “Third” jersey gets remixed in an orange and navy colorway.
  • The crest features a “dynamic gear” surrounding the oil drop with each bolt hub representing one of the team’s five Stanley Cups.
  • The crest will be enhanced with a raised three-dimensional treatment.
  • This was a bold ’90s sweater now rebooted with orange accents and a combination of metallic and matte silver finishes.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Florida Panthers

  • The Panthers honor their 1998 uniform with a remix featuring a light blue colorway from the team’s 2009 “Third” jersey complemented by their current primary colors of navy, sun yellow, and red.
  • The center crest showcases the iconic sun, crossed palm tree and stick logo that originally appeared on the shoulder of the 1998 jersey.
  • The sun and palm crest will incorporate a dimensional treatment with raised rays radiating from the sun.
  • A classic ’90s presentation with bold Florida colors.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Los Angeles Kings

  • The Kings will honor the 1982 uniform celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the “Miracle on Manchester.”
  • The Kings Reverse retro is remixed in a bright athletic white base with Forum Blue (purple) and gold color trims.
  • This is the first time this iconic purple and gold jersey has been executed in white.
  • The center crest royal crown will incorporate a dimensional treatment with raised gems and detailed satin stitch embroidery.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Minnesota Wild

  • The Wild will honor the 1978 North Stars with a uniform featuring the ’78 color-blocking palate incorporating the current Minnesota Wild crest.
  • The jersey features era-specific shoulder yoke and sleeve striping plus drop-shadow numbers.
  • The Wild crest will feature raised dimensional treatments for the star eye and trees.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Montreal Canadiens

  • The Canadiens will showcase a jersey honoring the 1979 uniform, in which the Canadiens won their 22nd Stanley Cup and fourth in a row.
  • The jersey will be remixed utilizing a light blue body inspired by the city of Montreal colors.
  • While the Canadiens have worn many shades of blue in their storied history, this will be the first time they will wear this specific light blue color.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Nashville Predators

  • The Predators will showcase a uniform inspired by the team’s first “Third” jersey from 2001 remixed in the team’s current colorway.
  • The Jersey will bring back the fanged Pred head crest which features nine colors including three shades of blue.
  • The original 2001 jersey color was mustard; this Reverse Retro re-recording of the uniform will feature Predators gold, including the helmet and socks, complemented by a navy pant and silver dazzle for a vivid color pop in Smashville.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

New Jersey Devils

  • In 1982, the Rockies relocated to New Jersey and became the New Jersey Devils, and this uniform pays homage to both the Devils and the Rockies as the Club celebrates its 40th anniversary.
  • The Devils will showcase the inaugural 1982 jersey remixed in a Colorado Rockies colorway featuring a vivid bright athletic white body complemented by gold and navy striping incorporated in the trim of shoulder yoke and vertically down the side of the pant.
  • The iconic NJ Devil center crest will incorporate a distinct navy outline with raised embroidery giving the crest dimension against the bright athletic white background.
  • Will debut on Nov. 2; other dates not yet announced.

———

New York Islanders

  • The Islanders presented a full rebrand in 1995 that followed every ’90s uniform trend from teal colors to wavy design lines and mascot-like logos. Twenty-seven years later, this uniform has a special place in the hearts of all sports fans and was the most requested uniform from Reverse Retro 2020.
  • Back by popular demand is the Islanders 1995 jersey remixed in the team’s current navy and orange colorway.
  • The Islanders are celebrating their 50th Anniversary in the NHL.
  • The uniform will present a powerful head-to-toe navy color scheme incorporating the helmet, pant and sock complemented by clean orange and white trims and corresponding number system.
  • The center crest will feature dimensional raised embroidery of the Fisherman hat, beard and hands with teal accents in the waves.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

New York Rangers

  • The Rangers’ beloved “Lady Liberty” jersey will return with a remix in the Rangers’ current colorway.
  • Previous iterations presented the uniform in dark navy and white. Reverse Retro will incorporate Rangers “Blueshirt” Royal Blue in the body complemented by red color-blocking and navy stripes.
  • The shoulder patches and crest will tie back to the original jersey with white and silver playing off each other, creating a glistening appearance enhanced by a raised dimensional embroidery treatment.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Ottawa Senators

  • The Senators will present a fusion of eras celebrating the jersey of their historic playoff run in 2006-07 with a remix incorporating the current Ottawa color scheme and breakouts.
  • The original version of this jersey was the Senators first “Third” jersey in 1997, featuring even more super-sized curved stripes adorning the sleeves and body than the 2006 version.
  • The Senators Reverse Retro is a slight reunion of the two executions with recolored red stripes made smaller in proportion to the original design.
  • The uniform is presented in a powerful black head-to-toe visual including the helmet, pant and sock complemented by a thick super-sized player name and number system.
  • The shoulder patches will feature the front-facing Centurion which was the Primary logo in 2006 and the center crest will feature today’s primary logo.

———

Philadelphia Flyers

  • The Flyers will honor their 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup Championship wins with a jersey remixed in an almost all white and black color palate with slight accents of orange.
  • The iconic Flyers crest will showcase dimensional embroidery treatment raising the outline around the front crest.
  • A thin black outline will surround the crest to match the crest worn in 1974,
  • RR uni schedule here.

Paul here. Incredibly, this Adidas marketing spiel leaves out the best part, which is that the team will be wearing pregame Cooperalls with this uniform! I wish they’d do it for the actual games, not just pregame, but it’s still a great move.

———

Pittsburgh Penguins

  • The Penguins will honor the famous Streamlined Penguin jersey worn by Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr throughout most of their 1990s run together.
  • The uniform is one of the most requested retros from NHL fans.
  • Today’s Reverse Retro version will feature a black remix with traditional gold shoulder yoke versus the V-shaped shoulder design of yesteryear.
  • The Penguin crest will have dimensional embroidery treatment raising the shadow treatment for the Penguin head and wings.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

St. Louis Blues

  • The Blues will honor a unique inaugural jersey presented in 1966.
  • The uniform is based on the very first Blues jersey, a “prototype” worn by the new ownership of the club a year before the team hit the ice.
  • This is the first time the Blues have ever worn a primarily gold jersey. The gold is paired with light blue – the same blue from the Blues “Third” jersey and other vintage-inspired uniforms, including the 2017 and 2022 Winter Classic Jerseys.
  • RR uni schedule buried here.

———

San Jose Sharks

  • The Sharks will present a uniform inspired by the 1974 California Golden Seals remixed with a new Sharks wordmark in Seals typography and colors.
  • The Seals were the Bay Area’s first NHL team.

———

Seattle Kraken

  • In their sophomore season, the Seattle Kraken will present a jersey that prominently spotlights the team’s sea green color in the body.
  • The jersey incorporates a classic horizontal striping that seemingly “submerges” the “S” crest below the Navy stripe sea.
  • The Kraken’s red eye peeks just above the Navy surface.
  • The crest features dimensional embroidery with raised eyebrow and tentacle shadow.
  • RR uni schedule buried here.

———

Tampa Bay Lightning

  • The Bolts will honor their original 1997 Storm “Third” jersey remixed in a white colorway.
  • A proud member of the first wave of ’90s “Third” jerseys, the uniform features bold rain, sea, and lightning sublimated in full-size graphics across the jersey with lightning bolts down the side of the pants.
  • The crest will showcase raised metallic silver twill complemented by an oversized “electric” stylized name and number font system.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Toronto Maple Leafs

  • The Leafs will honor their 1962 Stanley Cup-winning uniform, the inaugural season for this uniform lock-up, reversed from white/royal to royal/white.
  • The Maple Leaf crest is meticulously recreated with vintage single-needle stitching complemented by a “felt” player name and number decoration.
  • A new narrow shoulder yoke with pointed seam construction was specifically created to match the original sweater.

———

Vancouver Canucks

  • The Canucks will honor their history with a jersey inspired by the Canucks’ 1962 uniform of the former Western Hockey League.
  • The jersey is remixed in royal, green and beige colors.
  • The crest is a recreation of the 1960s Johnny Canuck icon featuring raised embroidery of the leather gloves and suspenders.
  • Matching the original jersey, player numbers will appear on the left chest and right shoulder, not on the left shoulder.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Vegas Golden Knights

  • The Golden Knights will present a jersey whose design imagines what a Golden Knights “Third” jersey might have looked like in 1995.
  • The jersey features a Vegas diagonal wordmark crest along with a “glitzy” player name and number font system inspired by vintage hotel signage on the strip.
  • A sword stripe adorns the pant.
  • Seen in the dark and under black light, the creative encore of this jersey showcases hidden glow-in-the-dark stars incorporated into the crest.
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Washington Capitals

  • The Capitals will present their 2005 uniform remixed in a head-to-toe all-black colorway.
  • The beloved “Screaming Eagle” is back, receiving a dimensional cresting treatment.
  • This is a classic ’90s reboot featuring asymmetrical striping and a custom unconventional player name and number font system with bold new colors – Capital Blue and Metallic Copper!
  • RR uni schedule here.

———

Winnipeg Jets

  • The Jets will honor their 1990 jersey remixed in the team’s current color palette without red, highlighting royal and featuring a bright white color base.
  • 1990 was the inaugural year of this uniform and it was worn by Teemu Selanne when he broke the rookie goal scoring record in 1992-93.
  • The “Goals For Kids” patch worn in the ’90s is updated to the current “True North Youth Foundation.”
  • Another gem from the ’90s remixed for today!
  • RR uni schedule buried here.

———

Phew — that’s a lot to take in!

Here are some very preliminary notes about these designs and the way they’ve been presented:

  • All of the leaks that were circulating in recent months turned out to be accurate.
  • As you may have noticed in the photos, the NHL logo at the base of the collar appears in retro black/orange colors, but in the current “uphill” configuration. That’s a change from RR 1.o, where they went with the contemporary silver/black logo.
  • Ten of the 32 jerseys are white — a slight uptick from the original 2021 RR set, in which eight of the 31 jerseys were white.
  • Speaking of white: The press release variously refers to some of the white jerseys as “bright athletic white,” “athletic bright white,” “bright white,” and — wait for it — “white.”
  • The Chicago and Detroit designs appear to have been separated at birth. Adidas even used the same model for them:
  • What are the odds that two different designs in this unveiling — the Avs’ and the Devils’ — would draw their colors from the Colorado state flag?
  • You can tell the Hurricanes aren’t into this promotion. They’re wearing their RR design for only two games, and their own Twitter account actually made fun of the very minimal retro aspect:
  • It is disappointing beyond words that almost no effort was made to show, or even describe, the full uniforms. The words “pant” and “pants” appear a combined a combined eight times in the press release; “sock” and “socks,” a combined four times; “helmet,” four times. Would it have been so hard to provide quick color descriptions for all of these elements for each team (or, you know, take full-uni photos)?
  • The photos’ neon-style backlighting makes it annoyingly difficult to discern the actual colors for some of the jerseys (especially the Coyotes and Kraken). Reminds me of the old Morty Seinfeld line: “Cheap fabric and dim lighting — that’s how you move merchandise.”
  • Chicago’s president of business operations, Jaime Faulkner, said on a podcast yesterday that this will be the final year of the RR program (which I guess makes sense, given that next season will be the final year of Adidas’s contract with the league).

Okay, that’s (more than) enough for one day. Like I said, I’ll have my say on the various designs next week!


 

 
  
 

Premium Reminder

In case you missed it on Thursday, my Premium article on Substack this week is an in-depth interview with Daniel Horine, the brilliant artist behind the excellent Pop Fly Pop Shop, who’s found the ultimate nostalgic sweet spot by combining retro sports and retro comic book art. I’ve been meaning to interview him for a while now, and it was a blast. I really think you’ll like it!

You can read the first few paragraphs of the article here. In order to read the entire thing, you’ll need to become a paying subscriber to my Premium content on Substack. (Didn’t hear about my move from Bulletin to Substack? Additional details on that, including the “Pay What You Wish” subscription option, can be found here.)


 

 

Membership Update

Sometimes a uniform design will be years without being used as the motif for a Uni Watch membership card, and then we’ll suddenly have multiple requests for it in a short period. That’s currently the case with the St. Louis Blues’ mid-1990s diagonal design. Steve Haller recently requested it for his card, and now Derrick Carter has done the same. Derrick’s card is part of a new batch that’s been added to the membership card gallery.

Ordering a membership card is a good way to support Uni Watch, and fun to boot. And remember, a Uni Watch membership card entitles you to a 15% discount on any of the merchandise in the Uni Watch, Uni Rock, and Naming Wrongs shops. (If you’re an existing member and would like to have the discount code, email me and I’ll hook you up.)

As always, you can sign up for your own custom-designed card here, you can see all the cards we’ve designed so far here (now more than 3,300 of them!), and you can see how we produce the cards here.

• • • • •
That’s a wrap for this week’s primary content. I’ll publish the Ticker later this morning, and maybe some other content as events warrant.

Thanks again for all the kind and supportive words this week. It’s made a real difference during a challenging period.

Enjoy Phil’s weekend content, stay well, and I’ll see you back here next week. Peace. — Paul

Comments (78)

    I’m not really a hockey fan and don’t own a single uniform from any sport, but I would wear one of those Seattle unis every day of the week.

    Not really “retro” though. Admittedly, it’s hard to go retro with a team that’s been around for all of one year, but I would have loved to see a tribute to the 1917 Stanley Cup Champion Seattle Metropolitans.

    You left the Kansas City Scouts out of the Devils jersey description. KC was the franchise’s original home and this jersey more resembles the KC Scouts than the Colorado Rockies jersey, although both teams shared the same color scheme.
    Nice preview!

    No, even though the colors are the same, the simpler, wide striping is closer to the Rockies’ sweaters than the Scouts’ more complex patterns. They may or may not know about the franchise’s origins, but the design is definitely closer to the Rockies than anything else.

    That’s even more frustrating – I thought at least they were throwing back to KC, but basing it on the Rockies .. with the Avalanche ALSO basing theirs on the Rockies.. wtf. Adidas sucks.

    I would also note that the colors of the Rockies and the Scouts were the same.
    The Scouts used a Navy Blue, whereas the Rockies used a royal blue.

    Yeah. I was sitting here wondering if that is an actual word that is used or if it was something that Adidas was really trying to make a word that is used.

    “Colorway” is a common term in the sneaker world, so it makes sense Adidas used it here. But yeah it is kinda annoying.

    ooh boy, let’s not open up THAT can of worms, I remember quite a few years ago there being a downright war in the comments as to whether that was a word or not. Hahaha! Good times.

    Cooperalls were banned in 1983 after the Flyers wore them for two seasons. Less friction when sliding on the ice, seen as a safety hazard.

    Flyers jersey isn’t exciting, but other than that awful 3D thing they tried and the BFBS jersey, the Flyers have been pretty conservative with jersey design.

    I played minor hockey as a kid. Wore both Cooperalls and the standard pants/socks. I don’t undersatnd this whole thing about Cooperalls being a safety hazard as a wearer of both styles. Major junior hockey used them universally up until 1987 and the teams changed because of style.

    I think it would be fine to allow the Flyers to wear the Cooperalls for these games. It is what the fans want. Lets’s have some fun. Would be such a pain for the players to have to change out of the Cooperalls after warm-ups. These are NHL players. Don’t think Cooperalls are a safety concern. If they can’t stand up on their skates and are sliding all over the place the players shouldn’t be in the league.

    Moreover, even if the original Coops fabric was too slick or whatever, we’ve had a few decades since then to come up with a different fabrication that would presumably provide the right about of friction. Such a non-issue.

    You’ve got that right. I remember complaints about the new style of socks being to slick in 2007 when Reebok brought out the new uniform templates and fabrics. That was fixed very quickly. I’m sure the long pants can be done, but they don’t have any interest to sell pants, just jerseys.

    Montreal Canadiens’ colourway honouring the classic undershirts worn by 1980s NHL players.

    link

    I like the St. Louis Blues using the prototype in athletic gold. Yet, not my favourite Blues prototype. This one is:

    link

    I love the old Stanfield’s!

    My beloved Habs had another HUGE swing and miss at these. In the discussion boards I showed a mockup I did (which took a whopping total of a minute and 20 seconds, tops), that shows the white of the stripes and twill replaced by red. Looks more like the Expos, and looks more like the Habs. What Adidas put out for the Habs looks way more like a tribute to the 1985 KC Royals and the 1982 Braves.

    Really like the Blackhawks and the Redwings designs. Stripes on sports uni’s should be more common.

    I think there’s only one or two cringe worthy choices made by Adidas with these, so I think I might find myself seeking out some games to watch. Glad to have hockey back!

    Yes but they really couldn’t have done more to differentiate between these two rivals? like I love the Chicago design – if only because for the first time in my life it downplays the Chief’s Head logo (albeit while still retaining its presence on the uniform) – but the similarity between it and Detroit’s, to put it in the words of my Second City Brethren, sucks.

    I honestly had to sit and stare at it for a minute to fully take in how ugly it is. Subjective stuff, obviously, but after looking for long enough I decided it’s maybe the worst NHL jersey I can think of. So garish and corny, though I suppose in some circles that can earn something bonus points, particularly when it carries nostalgia.

    A lot of these would make very nice “uniforms” to wear on a regular basis. Tampa Bay however…who the heck passed that design on and said this is the one?

    The Hurricanes will presumably become the first NHL team to wear six different jerseys in a season – primary home, primary road, alternate, Whalers throwback, Stadium Series, and RR.

    I haven’t seen any indication that they’ll wear the Whalers jerseys yet. Doesn’t mean they won’t but I haven’t heard anything about it.

    I get using #22 for the jerseys on the models, but I wonder why the Bruins had Brad Marchand in a #22 jersey rather than his normal #63. (It doesn’t look like a photoshop as that is the hallway behind the locker room.)

    Maybe some tie-in to having recently retired #22 for Willie O’Ree?

    Adidas presumably sent every team a #22 jersey with team nickname on back: the Rangers posted a video of several players unboxing the new Reverse Retro and the jersey was a #22 with “RANGERS” on the back.

    The only one I like is the San Jose one. Most of the rest of these are as lame as a centipede with sore feet.

    I may be biased as a Sharks fan, but I like this one, too–and it really does look retro, which is a fun bonus. The only bummer for me is that, while I normally prefer white jerseys, I would prefer this one in teal (I’d be strongly tempted to buy it as a t-shirt, but probably not this one in white).

    The green-and-gold Seals uniform is also quite gorgeous, though doing the reverse retro in that color scheme would have been a bit weird for the Sharks (if for no other reason than to alienate fans who also root for the Giants and not the A’s!).

    IMO the best retros are (in alphabetical order):

    Anaheim, Colorado, LA, Minnesota, NJ, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Toronto & Winnipeg. The rest are a combination of boring or just flat out bad.

    The worst ones are Calgary, Seattle, Tampa Bay & Washington.

    Flames fan here, and even though I own a “pedestal” jersey, I am not a fan. (It was a gift.) I would have loved a tribute to the WCHL’s Calgary Tigers similar to the one they used in one of the Heritage Classic games.

    Long ago, someone once theorized that any uniform design will eventually become a “classic”.
    Well…here we are today, and a good number of these Retro Retreads are just as bad with the script flipped than they were ‘way back’ when. The Caps, Bruins, Flames and both NYs were badly designed then, and are just as bad now.
    As per usual, some are typical/lazy. No shock that the Avs went with the Colorado C and Rockies colors after scoring huge last year with the Nordiques-inspired ensemble. The Flyers “honoring” their 2 Cups…yet again! How so with this? The Wild still wishing they were born in North Star Green and Gold and the former Thrashers overlooking their Southern roots and glomming onto the look of the Winnipeg team that left town were no surprises either. I thought I’d love the Sharks-as-Seals design, but I’m underwhelmed by its’ simplicity (and since the NHL has no problem playing fast-and-loose with history in this manner, it might have been interesting to see the Blue Jackets draw on the Cleveland Barons for inspiration?).
    The Kings, Leafs and Pens (see, I like new-old things!) are 1-2-3 in this fashion show, the Palm Trees, whoops…Panthers get high marks for an eye-catching sweater, and I respect the Devils for finally give a nod to their pre-NJ history.

    As someone born in 1989 I can’t disagree with you more about your assessment of the Bruins and Rangers. Those are classic 90’s looks up there with the Chicago Bulls black w/red pinstripes unis and the Mariner’s teal look.

    As for the Gorton’s fisherman making a return on Long Island — look it’s like Space Jam. 90’s kids love it despite it being an admittedly awful design but we’ll defend it to the death because it’s a cultural touchstone of our youth.

    I expected something better from 2 of the Original 6.
    Maybe next time…oh wait, never mind!

    The inner collar markings are different from RR1.0 to RR 2.0

    RR2.0 lists out the full year (see Paul’s pic of Carolina that says 2019)
    RR1.0 only listed the last two digits ie Carolina’s would say ’19 in RR1.0

    All right, we gotta talk about those bolts on the sleeve of the Lightning sweater…..the shapes, the yellow/gold that totally clashes, what were they thinking?

    The reason why pants and socks and helmets are barely mentioned is that these sweaters (and the marketing talk from adidas) are aimed at (young) street fashion lovers and casual hockey fans. Not at those pathetic (from the adidas point of view) die hard NHL fans and uniform freaks who want to know about such petty (once again, seen through the Bavarian sports giant eyes) details as helmets, pants and socks that match (or don’t). Because most of them will not buy these anyway.
    My picks are still the Coyotes, Panthers, Habs, Wild and Blues (man, what a nice sweater). The rest are mediocre to downright hell no, excluding the Detroit one knitted by granny. Thank you, grandma…no, my team does not wear black normally but that does not matter. It is the thought of you that counts…

    Your team wore black in their first year of existence after moving from Victoria of the defunct PCHL.

    Very minor correction: that Oilers 3rd jersey was released in 2001, so technically not a 90s jersey.

    Love the reference to the episode where Elaine hires Morty to work at J Peterman!
    Good to hear you’re weathering the break up storm, often overlooked in breakups in just how much it changes your day to day routine, not easy to deal with.
    I didn’t think of it initially, but 100% agree with this “It’s too much to process, and a lot of nuances and details end up being overlooked amidst all the hype.” Here is 32 new uniforms (well just the jerseys) evaluate… it is too much. My only real thoughts on the release are:
    Anaheim should wear the old logo with modern colors full time.
    Vancouver should wear Johnny Canuck full time instead of the whale.
    Minnesota should stick with the old North Stars green and yellow.
    San Jose using the Seals design as a fauxback in awesome.
    Nothing else stands out as exciting to me.

    Not entirely a fauxback. The Seals became the Cleveland Barrons, who were subsequently merged with the Minnesota North Stars. Then, in one of the weirdest expansions ever, the Sharks got half of the North Stars roster and both teams participated in the expansion draft.

    I wish we were allowed to see the shoulder patches and back of jerseys, like why not?

    A few months ago it was reported here that Gatorade and the NHL’s contract has expired. Has it been reported yet of the new provider?

    A few months ago it was reported here that Gatorade and the NHL’s contract has expired. Has it been reported yet of the new provider?

    Someone didn’t read my NHL Season Preview!
    link

    What I don’t quite get is why teams are only wearing them in Nov/Dec/Jan and not scattered throughout the whole season?

    Lots of space for what are essentially fashion jerseys… that’s why they are presented in the manner they are (models, not players, no helmets, pants, gloves, nor a mention of them).
    Hockey shirts for people who don’t like hockey, or worse, don’t care.

    Lee

    I don’t really understand this critique, Lee. Yes, they’re obviously lifestyle merchandise first and foremost (the same is true of most uniforms these days), but they’re still being worn in real games. To me, a “fashion jersey” is something sold *only* at retail, with no connection to on-field/ice/court. These don’t meet that definition — they’re real uniforms. So yeah, I’m giving them some space.

    Also, I’m not sure I agree with the idea that these are “for people who don’t like hockey.” If anything, a lot of these are based on deep-cut history that *only* hockey fans would appreciate. The idea of the Sharks wearing a Seals-inspired design, for example, is clearly something aimed at hockey nerds. Like I said in today’s post, RR is a uni program *about uniforms.* To me, that’s soooooo much better than the usual City Rush Statement Connect slop.

    I’m not saying every single design here is great, and I’m certainly not defending how Adidas is presenting them, but I think the “fashion jersey” label is off the mark, and I also think there’s nothing wrong with giving space to these designs.

    No problem with the jersey designs (for the most part). Just call hem alternates, keep them as part of your uniform program, and call it a day.

    But it’s a forced program, there is no way I believe that all 32 teams want these.
    The only reason these no longer meet your definition of “fashion jersey” is because (some) teams are literally forced (by contract) to wear them on the ice.

    As uniform designs, these are better than what MLB has done with City Connect, but at it’s core its the same concept (in my opinion), another forced program.

    The comment that these are “for people who don’t like hockey” isn’t referring to people who appreciate the deep-cut history of hockey teams. Presentation matters, and these jerseys are more (not exclusively) for kids who wear sports jerseys as lifestyle, just the way they are presented. Its no accident that pants, helmets or gloves were shown or discussed, because for those that are the target audience, those matters literally don’t matter to them. They will buy the Sharks jersey because its a cool shade of green with cool arm loops, and fit in with their sneakers.

    Anyways… just my own cynical take.

    Lee

    I’m not a subscription person or jersey hat purchaser, but this is fun so I’m enjoying it. There’s a bit of history involved in these which adds positive vibes.
    The mighty NHL was the first to create this concept and they own it.

    You’re right, that was a lot to take in. My favorites would be San Jose, LA, Florida. The green crest on the Wild sweater just blends into the green of the sweater itself! The previous white one looked better. Perhaps Colorado could have thrown back to the Nordiques prototype uni? I know most people don’t like it but I have a weird longing for it. Tampa Bay is so over the top and I love it. When that original design came out it blew people’s minds. Vancouver has too much black and I can’t stand uni numbers on the front. Love Johnny Canuck though. Vegas gonna Vegas, what else ya gonna say? I wish they could have leaned more into the casino aspect of it though. They could have called it their “Neon Knights” identity. Also to note, Montreal’s NHL crest is of course Francofied as LNH.

    I must’ve missed something… wouldn’t “reverse retro” mean FUTURE??

    Surprisingly, I don’t hate the Detroit sweater, but the only truly interesting sweater is the Sharks’ one, and it doesn’t even tie back to their own history.

    On a related note, someone needs to tell the copywriter at Adidas that the Jets aren’t honouring “their” 1990 jersey, because the team didn’t join the NHL until 1997. They’re honouring the jersey that was worn in 1990 by the team that’s now in Arizona. Never should have let them recycle the damn name…

    It is crazy that this is not just the Wild’s everyday uniform with a white version thrown in.

    The Kings should also go with this as their uniform. I had a purple version of this in the early 80’s. I was actually a Bruins fan, but I loved the Kings jersey and the Dionne/Simmer/Taylor line was unstoppable in Strat-O-Matic hockey.

    This was a bit of a downer to read on the Bruins shop listing for the reverse retro pre-order:

    “All preordered jerseys will come without the Rapid7 sponsorship patch. If you would like to apply the Rapid7 sponsorship patch, customers can bring their authentic adidas Reverse Retro jersey to the ProShop powered by ’47 located at 84 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02118.”

    Imagine willingly putting on a sponsor patch…

    i am glad to see the Pens bring back the Robo Pen, but I think it is underwhelming because it is so similar to the alternate diagonal “PITTSBURGH” jersey, which they just introduced. I would have loved to have seen the Pens use a blue colorway (sorry to use that word) Robo Pen jersey instead. I also have memories of seeing a black jersey like this being sold as a fashion jersey in the early 90’s. Is my memory correct, or is that the Mandela effect? I know they sold a half-and-half jersey of this style: link

    I appreciate how Carolina is making fun of the promotion/gimmick- I love “throwing it back to 2019”!

    I really got a kick out of how funny these jerseys look on some of the models, especially the main one. No offense to her as she’s, you know, a model, but especially with the sweatshirts underneath some of these jerseys look really awkward and ill-fitting.

    But as Paul said, I guess these are meant to evoke streetwear looks…aaaaand I guess all my comments here demonstrate that at 43 I’m now officially old and out of touch.

    I *love* those old-school shadowed digits on the Wild sweater. The North Stars looked great in those!

    Also, is it just me who hasn’t heard it before, or is “colorway” marketing-speak for “color scheme”?

    From the 10/23 Boston Globe Sunday Hockey Notes column: “By the way, the so-called “Pooh Bear” logo, back again as the featured element in those Reverse Retro sweaters, was originally [long-time GM Harry] Sinden’s idea. The design was taken from Sinden’s beloved Bear Lakes Country Club, a two-loop Jack Nicklaus track, in West Palm Beach, Fla. “

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