Rumor: NHL might go back to white jersey at home, dark on the road in next CBA.

[Mad Dog Tannen]

Whites are just as hard to clean at home as on the road. I'd rather it stays as is. It keeps the stained whites where they belong.... "In the closet" / "In the garbage dump"

They were made to be replaced as often as toilet paper.

Tell fanatics that when they price their jerseys!!!

The easiest argument for this: the change was originally motivated by the introduction of 3rd jerseys, and most of them not being white - teams wanted to wear those at home. But, you could always just reserve the 3rd jersey (and occasionally, "road" jersey) nights for games against teams whose "road" jerseys wouldn't clash with the home team's primary colour!

If you have a black 3rd jersey, for example, schedule that for a game vs. DET, CGY, DAL, PHI, etc... Just avoid black and navy teams (OTT, CBJ, LAK, etc) and you would just need to know in advance which teams are wearing a black/navy 3rd on the road, if any of them decide to do that!

And if you're Nashville.......... no need to think about this at all!

I agree with others. Black jerseys are a travesty, with the exception being black being one of the teams colours.

Edit: I know you weren’t advocating for black jerseys - just using it in your example. It just triggered a response to a related topic.

I can’t believe I’m saying this but - I like FIFAs rules. Each team picks a primarily dark and primarily light colour scheme. Each team selects a “primary” jersey they wear unless colours could conflict. Something along those lines is best of both worlds. Maybe be. Bit more lenient in a team having to wear their designated primary - as in fifa u have 2 sets. NHL teams often have 3 or 4 depending

 

[GKJ]

The easiest argument for this: the change was originally motivated by the introduction of 3rd jerseys, and most of them not being white - teams wanted to wear those at home. But, you could always just reserve the 3rd jersey (and occasionally, "road" jersey) nights for games against teams whose "road" jerseys wouldn't clash with the home team's primary colour!

If you have a black 3rd jersey, for example, schedule that for a game vs. DET, CGY, DAL, PHI, etc... Just avoid black and navy teams (OTT, CBJ, LAK, etc) and you would just need to know in advance which teams are wearing a black/navy 3rd on the road, if any of them decide to do that!

And if you're Nashville.......... no need to think about this at all!

Yeah, and you don’t really need to see the color of the road teams because that’s not what you’re selling.

 

[kvladimir]

I like seeing the variety of away teams tbh. Maybe wear the colors at home in the playoffs ?

If anything, the playoffs are the time to 100% wear white at home. Whiteouts have been awkward for years because of this!

Yeah, and you don’t really need to see the color of the road teams because that’s not what you’re selling.

Disagree completely, that could (and used to be) a huge selling point: come watch us play SJ in teal, PHI in orange, COL in burgundy, MTL in red, EDM in blue, all while we wear a nice looking white jersey, or occasionally our non-clashing 3rds!

 

[Crow]

I like seeing the variety of away teams tbh. Maybe wear the colors at home in the playoffs ?

Your post makes me feel like Jim Mora.

 

[GKJ]

It really is 6 teams, holy shit.

No idea how imaginative this league is with colors. Probably why the Mighty Ducks were so novel.

Flyers are the only team in the East that isn’t blue, back, or red.

Wild (who once tried to be red), Stars, Predators, Golden Knights, Ducks. Avalanche depending on what you think Burgundy is.

If someone went to purple they’d be the highest sellers in the league.

 

[Mad Dog Tannen]

It really is 6 teams, holy shit.

No idea how imaginative this league is with colors. Probably why the Mighty Ducks were so novel.

Flyers are the only team in the East that isn’t blue, back, or red.

Wild (who once tried to be red), Stars, Predators, Golden Knights, Ducks. Avalanche depending on what you think Burgundy is.

If someone went to purple they’d be the highest sellers in the league.

Well, I think we’re being a little unfair to Seattle and San Jose in that assessment.

The SJ teal was so different when it came out. They destroyed merch sales.

If we want to be a little more fair in the blue black red assessment I would say these jerseys stand out from the rest via colours:

East:
Philly
Boston (the yellow)
Pittsburgh (yellow)

West
Stars
Wild
Vegas
Seattle
SJ
Col
Ana
Nash

 

[GKJ]

If anything, the playoffs are the time to 100% wear white at home. Whiteouts have been awkward for years because of this!


Disagree completely, that could (and used to be) a huge selling point: come watch us play SJ in teal, PHI in orange, COL in burgundy, MTL in red, EDM in blue, all while we wear a nice looking white jersey, or occasionally our non-clashing 3rds!

I get the idea of seeing the variety of other teams’ colors, but the average fan first and foremost is for their own team and you’re trying to tell your own team to that person.

 

[GKJ]

Well, I think we’re being a little unfair to Seattle and San Jose in that assessment.

The SJ teal was so different when it came out. They destroyed merch sales.

If we want to be a little more fair in the blue black red assessment I would say these jerseys stand out from the rest via colours:

East:
Philly
Boston (the yellow)
Pittsburgh (yellow)

West
Stars
Wild
Vegas
Seattle
SJ
Col
Ana
Nash

Teal is a blue. It’s not enough of green to not be blue. Seattle has like 4 different blues.

Boston and Pittsburgh are both black

 

[WhoozYerrDaddy]

I think they should do shirts and skins.

 

[Hennessy]

It was dumb to change it in the first place.
But now it's just as dumb to change it back.

 

[MasterMatt25]

Gross. Hope they don't

 

[Oilslick941611]

Well, I think we’re being a little unfair to Seattle and San Jose in that assessment.

The SJ teal was so different when it came out. They destroyed merch sales.

If we want to be a little more fair in the blue black red assessment I would say these jerseys stand out from the rest via colours:

East:
Philly
Boston (the yellow)
Pittsburgh (yellow)

West
Stars
Wild
Vegas
Seattle
SJ
Col
Ana
Nash

Teal was a 90s. It was ALL the rage when the Sharks started. It sold because it was Teal, not because of the sharks.

Kind of like the Charlotte Hornets. No one was fan of them, but the Hornets teal and purple Starter jackets were best sellers.

The NHL does suffer from boring jersey colours and therefore matchups. Colour on colour would be great but too many teams are too similar in colours, and the NHL is too traditional for that to change. The NHL and its fan have a stupid attachment to "history" and "tradition" to really allow for some unique colour combination and jerseys.

If a team wore it in the 70s/80s people seem to automatically love it, I'll use the Pens and Oilers as an example, both are tired jerseys that have been worn for the original time, in the pens case almost 20 years for the original run, then they brought it back in 2014 and wore it full time since 2016. So thats almost 30 years in a boring primarily black jersey with yellow trim. The Oilers are even worse IMO a 15 year run on the original run of jerseys and then brought it back in 2011 for 7 years until 2017, then brought them back AGAIN 3 years ago. IMO the jersey is tired and overdone, they midnight blue and copper was much more interesting to look at but just as boring, but the colour scheme worked. I do like the Bakersfield jersey though which is the classic Oiler look but with Navy instead of royal blue.

The new expansion teams didn't do anything new either. Vegas went with boring grey that might as well be black, the gold jersey is meh becasue its so muted looking, Seattle went with almost the same colours as Vancouver but somehow with a more boring template. Utah almost looks like Seattle. Hockey jersey design is boring and stale. The Stadium series jerseys used to be unique ( and ugly, but somewhat unique) This years stadium series jerseys are boring, just like the last round of Reverse Retros.

In a way the traditional can be nice, but too teams share the same design DNA that it really sticks out. in short, i want colour on colour matchups, but the NHL doesn't have creative juice to make it work currently. It looks so awesome in the 4 nations.

 

[MAHJ71]

I want it so bad, but I understand the backlash. Ultimately, there are two things at play here:

1. Yes, it is absolutely better to get the colour variation game to game by having home wear white and road wear a colour.

2. The quality of white jerseys needs to be improved significantly. Some teams get it (DET, BUF, BOS, NYR, CGY, MIN, DAL, STL), but many could be waaay better.

I just made a new CBJ set recently (after seeing the chevrons on CBJ's Winter Classic jersey), and I think it's an example of how you could make this change a welcome one:

View attachment 978041

Enticing... I'd still prefer the home blue though.

would look like 98-99 rangers on ice with that white version. red pants on both teams. does columbus still wear blue pants on occasions? it's a better look

New York Rangers 1998-99

CBJ wears blue pants on the road. I wish they would swap the red at home for the blue TBH.

 

[kvladimir]

Enticing... I'd still prefer the home blue though.

CBJ wears blue pants on the road. I wish they would swap the red at home for the blue TBH.

I'd rather they not. Jersey sets usually look way better with contrasting pants colours, or sometimes contrasting socks, like how BOS used to look with their gold socks:

vs.

The only other way to make one colour for jersey + pants + socks work is if the jersey has very prominent contrasting waist stripes, ala the Islanders' blue jersey:

CBJ hasn't usually done any of these options, so the red pants actually look better, imho. Even though red pants with the white jersey look a bit awkward, it's better I think. Most teams normally wouldn't use different pants for their main home/road sets also...

 

[Oilslick941611]

I'd rather they not. Jersey sets usually look way better with contrasting pants colours, or sometimes contrasting socks, like how BOS used to look with their gold socks:

View attachment 978170 vs. View attachment 978171

The only other way to make one colour for jersey + pants + socks work is if the jersey has very prominent contrasting waist stripes, ala the Islanders' blue jersey:

View attachment 978172

CBJ hasn't usually done any of these options, so the red pants actually look better, imho. Even though red pants with the white jersey look a bit awkward, it's better I think. Most teams normally wouldn't use different pants for their main home/road sets also...

The Av's looked way better with Black pants as well. The blue they wear look awful.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

All I know is that as a fan I don't wear white jerseys nearly as much as home ones for two reasons: 1) whites have become so see through that I have to wear a complete white t shirt underneath to get a decent aesthetic, whereas I can throw on any shirt under a dark, and 2) white jerseys are a pain to keep clean, especially when eating Italian or Mexican food and snussing.

The league can do whatever, but I'll be sticking with darks for the most part. My guess is that fans shelling out big bucks for jerseys would rather have colorful and more practical darks as well.

 

[SEALBound]

Lame. DARK AT HOME 4EVER!

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

So the numbers of white jerseys sold is down is what you are saying?

f*** capitalism.

 

[Nemesis Prime]

I think they should do it. Gives the home crowd a chance to see road teams a lot more colorfully. As is, it's always Home Colors vs. White. Make the change and you get a major color change every game.

Yeah, the other team should wear their colours in our home arena.

Makes sense.

 

[wintersej]

No whites, home or away. Every team should have a solid color and a black jersey.

And they should be reversible.

I grew up in 80s/90s so white at home was normal to me. It could be a fun switch up for a few years, but I do think home colors is better.

 

[The Burdened]

I hope they do it. Change it up we've had dark home jerseys for 20 years now.

 

[VaporTrail]

I’d much rather they go soccer style, and let both teams wear whatever colour, if they’re different (eg Oilers and Islanders couldn’t both wear blue, but Dallas could wear green and Detroit wear red)

I'm old school so I prefer the home whites...But this is not a bad idea, imo.

 

[Guardian17]

I prefer the dark jerseys at home.

 

[Oilslick941611]

So the numbers of white jerseys sold is down is what you are saying?

f*** capitalism.

since Adidas they actually made the white jersey less available and some teams didn't even sell white jerseys to the public.

 

[LeBrun is a Clown]

I’d bet a big part of it too is integrating dark helmets with white jerseys which makes more sense for proportions