Changes Are Coming

For the 2007-08 season, Reebok introduced its Reebok Edge Jersey System.  That means, NHL uniforms went hi-tech for the first time.  The jerseys were lighter and tighter and originally meant to be tucked in, which was why some teams dropped hem stripes.  But, that requirement was eventually dropped from the final design, which meant some teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs looked completely silly without them, eventually bringing them back a couple years later.

There were problems with the new jerseys, however.  They were too tight for some and while the moisture repelling fabric worked, the draw back was that the sweat that would normally be soaked up by the jerseys, were now dripping down into the players' gloves and pants.  After complaints, Reebok quickly changed the fabric, going with the old school fabrics.

The worst part of those jerseys were that some teams ended up looking the same, except for the team colours, sharing templates.  For some reason, other teams had weird piping that had no business being on a jersey anywhere.  Somebody, somewhere, thought they would actually looked good.  The last complaint, on a more personal note, was the hem was now curved, instead of straight.  This was probably was a holdover from when the jerseys were suppose to be tucked in.  It was such an ugly look, that Brendan Shanahan, still playing with the New York Rangers, had all of the teams' jersey stitched to resemble the old straight hem appearance.

Beginning next season, the league will be going through another round of uniform changes, as Adidas (they also own Reebok) takes over as the official supplier for the NHL.  This has been known for some time now.  The German company, better known for clothing soccer teams, both internationally and in domestic leagues around the world, began it's new effort by supplying the official uniforms for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.  The results were mixed, to say the least.

Today, the NHL announced that 12 teams will be getting new looks.  Just like in 2007, there will be no alternate jerseys.  The jerseys will also feature new jersey tech.  Unfortunately, we will have to wait until the draft until we find out whether those changes are minor or major changes.

The Edmonton Oilers had previously been the only team in which we knew what their plans were for next season.  They planned on rocking their orange alternates at home.  Now, we find out that they will also be darkening their colours, from royal blue to navy blue.

The other teams that will also be making changes are the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Colubus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, and Ottawa Senators.
Of course, the Vegas Golden Knights will also debut their inaugural jerseys.

More to come.