Canada's Olympic Jerseys Unveiled

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All photos from Nike

Official photos reveal differences from leaks

Canada's 2014 Olympic jerseys leaked not once but twice this summer. First, Jonathan Toews was caught modeling it in a photo shoot, then another photo popped up showing all three sweaters in a retail setting. So the official unveiling today from Nike was just a formality, right? Not exactly.

What we couldn't tell from those early photos is that the large chest and sleeve stripes don't extend all the way around the jersey. They stop at the player's side. There's a practical reason for this. A completely different (and more breathable) material makes up the side panels of the jerseys.

Another difference seems to be between the retail and game-worn versions of the jersey. In the retail store shot posted two weeks ago, 12 gold maple leaves are visible on the front, toward the bottom. (They represent the combined gold medals won by the Olympic and Paralympic teams, according to Nike.)

On the game version, the gold leaves are on the inside of the collar. Look closely and you'll notice that telltale faux lace-up collar protruding through. Not quite Reebok's "hanger effect" fad, but it does have something in common with the American jerseys now.

Another new detail is the shoulder applique. It's a maple leaf within a maple leaf pointing out of the collar. So far, only the Czech Republic has escaped this feature — what many here would likely call a scourge. Under those bright TV lights, it'll probably be more noticeable than you'd expect. We'll find out in February.

At this point, I'm counting 19 individual maple leaves on this jersey. Maybe going a bit overboard, Nike? In any case, these are the sleeve features. On the left is the Canadian flag — which we've seen before, and on the right are the Olympic rings — which we haven't.

Finally, there's the black jersey. This won't be the first time Canada has worn black, but all the gold makes it a bit odd. According to Nike's press release, it's there to "remind the world of Canada’s goal to win gold medals in Sochi." Everyone needs a reason for existing.

Many of you have probably said your peace on the previous leak posts, but if you have anything else to add, now's the time to do it. Do these slick photos from Nike make you like the new jerseys any better? To those who hadn't made up their mind today, what do you like/dislike most about the new designs?

Nike Unveils Czech Olympic Jerseys

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Images from Nike

Manufacturer's run of unconventional designs continues

Earlier today, Nike unveiled the Czech Republic's new uniform set for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. They're another example of unorthodox sweater designs from the jersey maker. It's the fourth national team we've gotten a look at in the past six weeks.

In August, Nike showed us the jerseys for the U.S. and Russia. Then last month, the Canadian jerseys leaked — though they're scheduled to be unveiled officially on Tuesday.

But back to the Czechs. They'll essentially be draped in their national flag throughout the Olympic hockey tournament this winter. That gives us a primary jersey made up of three colors instead of one. The white jersey is a bit simpler. Front and center on both is the classic coat of arms.

Image from Nike

Worth noting is the lack of applique features on the shoulders like we've seen with the U.S., Russia and Canada. But the Czechs still share the faux lace-up collar. Like it or not — and most people seem to hate it — that seems to be a feature of all Nike jerseys going forward.

Speaking of which, based on the four we've seen so far, what are you expecting for some of the other national teams like Sweden, Finland and even Germany (since they didn't qualify, how about Switzerland)? What's next from Nike?

Did NHL14 Leak New Flames Third?

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Photos from Matthew Mahoney

Video game appears to show never-before-seen jersey

Regular readers know how I feel about using video games as a legitimate source for news. It's not that EA's NHL franchise is typically inaccurate — it's not — but the frequency of errors is still a little high for my liking. (For example, they incorrectly listed the Minnesota Wild's green jersey as their home uniform this season.)

That being said, one reader stumbled upon something I'm comfortable posting here. Apparently, the Calgary Flames' new alternate sweater has been spotted in NHL14, according to Matthew Mahoney. I'll explain in a moment why I'm not immediately dismissing this. But first, another look.

Photo from Matthew Mahoney

Check out the squared off shoulder yoke. It's one of the new styles Reebok unleashed on the NHL this year. We saw it on the new road jerseys for the Wild and Hurricanes. Makes sense that one of the new thirds would feature it.

Photo from Matthew MahoneyThe crest feels a bit inspired by the Buffalo Sabres' recently retired third jersey — the royal blue one. But it's the shoulder patch that throw me a bit.

This is an artistic style outside the scope of anything we've seen from the Flames in recent years. Perhaps it shows they're moving in a new direction?

Remember five years ago?

You may recall that in September 2008, Flames president Ken King spilled to a reporter some vague details about a new third jersey in the works. 

He specifically mentioned working on a new shoulder patch. Could this be a remnant from that process? The jersey discussed in that report never saw the light of day as the Flames opted instead for a throwback sweater a year later.

It's very possible that this and other elements from the design developed five years ago carried through to this new look.

They kept the secret pretty well

One thing worth noting is that the Flames didn't breathe a word about a new sweater all summer. It only showed up in the JerseyWatch series because Reebok told retailers to be ready for it last January.

It then, of course, showed up "locked" in NHL14 when the game was released last month. So I have to assume that if it's showing up at this point, it's either a legitimate leak or it's fake.

These shots from Mahoney of the game are clearly photos taken of a screen as opposed to straight screen shots which could be more easily manipulated.

But given the sweater's appearance on the jersey selection screen and within the game itself, I'm comfortable saying I'm convinced it's the real deal. But you might be wondering how it appeared for Mahoney when most users are seeing a greyed-out jersey. Here's what he told me via Twitter earlier today.

If it's true, what do you think? Did the Flames make the right call by dropping the long-rumored black option? Is this a good look to add to the NHL?

Share your thoughts while we wait for something official from the Flames. My hunch is that the wait could be a while. Teams that don't release a new third jersey in the summer tend to hold off until right before Thanksgiving so as to maximize holiday sales. Think there will be a lot of these under Christmas trees in Calgary this year?

Islanders Will Go Black and White

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CEO confirms new third jersey planned for Brooklyn

On Wednesday, Chris Botta — who writes a lot on the New York Islanders — tweeted some very interesting quotes from Isles CEO Brett Yormark on the future of the club's branding. Specifically, what happens when the Isles move to Brooklyn in the next couple years?

First, remember all that talk about the Isles going full-on black-and-white like their NBA cousin, the Nets? Well Yormark heard all the disapproval of that idea.

What a relief. But if you're one of the people who hates the idea of the Islanders wearing a monochromatic uniform in Brooklyn, stop reading here. Consider your day made.

For the rest of us, there's this news.

Yormark told Botta that the third jersey will change when the team moves. It's one of those bittersweet things for most readers, I would imagine. Many of you can't stand the black third the team currently wears. You'll be glad to know that's disappearing. On the other hand, they'll still have a black third jersey of sorts.

So what's worse? Black/blue/orange/grey or black/white? Guess we'll find out in the next year or two.

Canada's Olympic Jersey Set Leaks

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Photo from Reddit user "justacanuck88"

Photo from retail store appears to show all three

Exactly two weeks before the planned unveiling date, a photo of Canada's three new Olympic jerseys has surfaced online. The photo above was posted to Reddit by "justacanuck88" who wrote, "The new Canadian Olympic Jersey's [sic] just came in. What do you think?"

I'm packing for my trip, so I have to post and run. In the meantime, answer the guy's question in the comments. What do you think? I'm saving my commentary for Oct. 8 when the jerseys are officially released.