Capitals unveil red throwback third jersey

The Washington Capitals revealed their new third jersey today — a red version of the white throwbacks they've been wearing since 2011.

From the press release:

The primary color for the uniform is red and closely resembles the team’s jersey worn from 1974-75 through 1994-95.

The original Capitals wordmark is featured on the front of the jersey with six stars above it and five stars beneath the numbers on each sleeve. The Capitals will wear blue pants and red helmets with their third jerseys.

The new third jersey will replace the white third jersey the Capitals wore from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

Given the popularity of the white jersey, which originally debuted at the 2011 NHL Winter Classic in Pittsburgh, it's no surprise the team is finally opting for a red version which is easier to wear at home.

Because visitors wear white in the NHL, the third has generally been confined to road games to avoid the complicated logistics required otherwise.

By the way, the Capitals apparently intended to unveil this jersey via a live stream with Alex Ovechkin from Las Vegas where the NHL Awards are to be held on Wednesday. However, the start of the web broadcast was delayed and photos quickly turned up on the team's official website.

This is the first new jersey to be unveiled for the 2015-16 season. On Friday at the NHL Draft, we'll get our first look at all new Arizona Coyotes sweaters as well as some changes to Colorado's.

Until then, what's your reaction to this news from the Caps?