The Mighty Ducks Still Shine

Photo from Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim looked fantastic on Throwback Night

I still puzzle over this one. Why did the NHL have to lose one of its coolest brands? And make no mistake, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were definitely among the best. And don't give me a lame business or marketing excuse. This uniform should still be making regular appearances every night.

Sunday night was a special one in Ducks history. Not only did they pay homage to their inaugural team with the most crowded ceremonial puck drop ever, but they did it in style by breaking out the old eggplant and jade jerseys no one can forget.

Photos from Anaheim Ducks

Twenty years on, those uniforms still look great. Is the crest a little cartoony? Maybe, but it's a classic. Are the colors a little unusual? Of course, but that's what gave this team its identity! Anyone who doesn't love these jerseys doesn't love hockey uniforms for the right reasons.

Photos from Anaheim Ducks

One of my favorite rules of good sweater design is whether the team is still recognizable without the crest. This one absolutely is! The current Ducks jerseys are as well, for the most part, but for the wrong reasons. All three California teams wear black and, for one of the sunnier states in the union, that's sad.

Look at this. Is there any question this is a California team? Can't say that about the black and gold.

Photo provided by Paul Gheduzzi

Icethetics reader Paul Gheduzzi was at the game Sunday night and snapped a few pictures during warm-ups. I particularly like seeing the original Mighty Ducks third jersey from 1996 in the crowd above. Still have one of those hanging in my closet.

Photo provided by Paul Gheduzzi

One of my favorite aspects of Ducks' Throwback Night was how even the TV side got involved! Throughout the game, Prime Ticket used classic-colored graphics and the Mighty Ducks logo and even mixed in a few old-style Chyron overlays.

Stills from Prime Ticket (via NHL GameCenter Live)

I enjoyed the use of the original Ottawa Senators logo too. Some Icethetics readers wondered if the Sens had planned to surprise us with an early '90s throwback of their own. But this was Anaheim's night, so it wouldn't have made much sense.

It was a pretty spectacular night all around for jersey geeks and Mighty Ducks fans. So the next question we have to ask... will they do it again?

The Ducks haven't announced plans for any other throwback nights this season, but given how popular this one was (on Twitter at least; I wasn't at the Honda Center), I could see them scheduling one more later in the year.

Could Ducks go Mighty again for outdoor game?

Let's not forget that the Ducks will play an outdoor game on Jan. 25, 2014. They will meet the Los Angeles Kings at Dodger Stadium as part of the NHL's new Stadium Series. (All five teams involved are expected to have special sweaters for the games.)

But before you point out that teams wear white on the road (and the Ducks would be considered the road team for this game), understand that none of the standard rules really apply when we talk about these outdoor "event" games.

The Sabres wore white when they hosted the first ever Winter Classic in 2008. In this season's Winter Classic, neither team will wear white. Plus, if the Ducks and Kings wear throwbacks, they'd be "throwing back" to a time before 2003 when teams did wear white at home.

I point this out not because I don't want to see a white version of the Mighty Ducks jersey again, but because it would make more economic sense for Reebok to produce just one throwback jersey for the Ducks in a single season rather than two. This is an outdoor game, but it's one of four so it won't be as big a deal as the actual Winter Classic. (In other words, I'm tempering expectations.)

So that's my take. What's yours? And what did you think of seeing the Mighty Ducks on the ice again after seven years? Would you want to see more or less of them in the future?

Anaheim Preps Throwback Night

Photo from Anaheim Ducks

Mighty Ducks jerseys will see action again this Sunday

It's been seven years since we last saw them take the ice. But in just two days, the Anaheim Ducks will revive the Mighty Ducks for one game this weekend. On Sunday, the Ducks will host Throwback Night against the Ottawa Senators.

Photo from Brad Kirchhofer

Last month, Ducks season ticket holder Brad Kirchhofer sent in this photo of the game ticket, which features the classic Mighty Ducks logo. He also pointed out a couple of other ways the throwback logo was being used as part of the team's 20th anniversary promotions.

Photos from Anaheim Ducks

This week, the old eggplant and jade starting showing up at Ducks practices so players could break in their new gear before Sunday. We got a glimpse and gloves and pants on Tuesday and Wednesday. (There are plenty more photos at those two links if you're interested.)

It's my understanding, however, that the team will be wear Reebok Edge versions of the old Mighty Ducks jerseys, meaning we should see an updated collar and cut. But otherwise, it should be the spitting image of the old eggplant jersey.

Photos from Anaheim Ducks

The goalies got to test out their new equipment as well. The shots on the left and center are Viktor Fasth, who modeled his mask after Guy Hebert's. On the right, you can see Jonas Hiller in his throwback pads. The Ducks tweeted a photo of Hiller in his mask earlier today.

If all this has you feeling nostalgic, I dug up some photos of current Ducks players in the classic threads.

That's Francois Beauchemin, Corey Perry — as No. 61! — and Teemu Selanne as No. 13. Think of this as a sneak peek of what's to come on Sunday — only pre-Edge. Hopefully it won't look too much different.

Lastly, for non-Ducks fans, how about a look at a few familiar faces who you perhaps didn't know — or forgot — once donned the eggplant and jade?

That's Joffrey Lupul, Chris Kunitz and Sergei Fedorov. Truth be told, before I found that photo, I didn't know Lupul had played for Anaheim. But he did for a couple seasons a decade ago.

So who's excited for Sunday?!

Update on 2013-10-12 18:25 by Chris

Photo from KTTV FOX 11

TV station gives first glimpse of Edge version of Mighty jersey

On Friday morning, we got to see the Reebok Edge version of the Mighty Ducks jersey for the first time. Good Day LA reporter Mar Yvette wore it for a feature during the morning show. As expected, it looks the same as before but with the updated Reebok collar and cut.

It was cool seeing the jersey, but Yvette's interview with Sheldon Souray is not worth watching. She starts by talking about the Dodgers shirt she's wearing under the jersey and goes on to make up the term "puckshot" since she doesn't know what a "slapshot" is. I get you're a feature reporter, but does that absolve you from doing a little research before you head out the door?

Anyway, here's another shot that shows the full jersey.

Photo from KTTV FOX 11

Some commented that it looks practically transparent, but I'm not sure it's any more than usual with the latest round of Reebok Edge jerseys. And it may also be just an optical illusion because of how it's worn on her. One thing I can't tell is whether the stripes are sublimated. None of the Edge templates lend themselves well to the diagonal stripe from the old Mighty Ducks jerseys.

We'll get to see them in all their game day glory tomorrow afternoon!

Canada's Olympic Jerseys Unveiled

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

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?

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.

@icethetics it was. I downloaded a roster file off the net and there it was in game.

— Matthew D. Mahoney (@MatthewDMahoney) October 5, 2013

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?