The New Hawks

I'll put this notice upfront: I'm not happy writing about the University of North Dakota's hockey program. As you may recall, they only have a men's program to speak of after they cut the women's program and set twenty-five women adrift. However, today's article is all about what the Fighting Hawks will wear this season as the school decided to update the uniforms to reflect their newer name.

Unveiled on Thursday afternoon, the new Fighting Hawks jerseys will be what you see above. There are a few differences from last season's jerseys that should be noted. UND opted for a new font for "North Dakota" on the front of the jersey that matches what was unveiled last season with the new logo. Also changed is the Fighting Hawks logo on the shoulder, replacing the interlocking "ND" that once called the shoulder home. From the image above, those are the noticeable changes.

Among the changes not shown in the image above, the font for the names and numbers on both the front and back will not follow suit with the new font. They will remain as block lettering on these new uniforms. I suspect this will make either the "North Dakota" or the names and numbers look off since there are now two fonts being used in close quarters. I don't understand this thinking, but people who are smarter than me approved it. Let them deal with it.

I have always liked the green uniforms, but this kelly green jersey looks phenomenal. As I have always maintained on this blog, green might be the most under-utilized colour in the hockey world, so seeing the green road jerseys pop as nicely as they do is a huge plus. On the opposite side of the spectrum is that black jersey which is both unnecessary and awful. I will never understand why a team that has an amazing road jersey opts for a black uniform, especially when white is worn at home. If the black uniforms are only worn on the road, don't sacrifice your best look for black. That kind of thinking gets people committed.

I commend both UND and CCM for using an actual hockey sweater template for this new look. Great arm and hem stripes and a solid shoulder yoke give this uniform a very traditional look. I'm not a fan of the lace-up collar, and I don't really like the idea of the "collegiate look" with the name of the school surrounding the number, but I suppose the latter is appropriate on an actual collegiate team. I'd love to see the Fighting Hawks logo on the road jersey, but it seems people smarter than I approved this design.

The cool thing about these uniforms? They'll first see the ice on September 30 when the University of Manitoba Bisons men's hockey team visits Ralph Engelstad Arena for an exhibition game. The Bisons have yet to win in Grand Forks, so this might be the best time to spoil the party with the Fighting Hawks in new threads. It will take some serious work as UND always has a solid team, but Manitoba should be ready to go after their brief European tour this fall.

What do you think of the new UND jerseys? Leave your thoughts below!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!