Truth And Reconciliation Day

I was envied by my colleagues at work today as I was the only one who got the day off thanks to the statutory holiday in Manitoba. That being said, I'm not seeing any benefits of the day off because Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada is a day that "honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities". That's a tough subject to tackle on a hockey blog, but there are instances where hockey has crossed paths with residential schools so hockey fans should spend a few moments to reflect on this. One of Canada's lowest moments can't be forgotten.

Fred Sasakamoose might be the most famous hockey player who endured the residential school system, and the former Black Hawks player and his brother were forced by Canadian authorities into a truck where they were taken to a residential school in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan. While Sasakamoose learned to play hockey at the school, the trauma he endured was brutal - raped by fellow students and violently punished by school officials. The abuse that Sasakamoose survived was a horrific period in his life that lasted nearly a decade, and we cannot overlook, excuse, or ignore how this happened. His story is one of many we should know on this day.

In saying that, I went and picked up Sasakamoose's memoir, Call Me Indian, the other day because I really feel I should know more about Mr. Sasakamoose. I'll admit that I don't know enough about the trauma Mr. Sasakamoose suffered and what he overcame to play eleven NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks. I'm going to start reading his memoir today so I can honour his legacy better by understanding what he endured. I owe him that at the very least.

Beyond that, there are some good online resources for one to read. Eugene Arcand's story comes in five parts, but he credits Fred Sasakamoose as his hero and friend who opened his eyes.

"One of the things that Gordie said to me that day was, 'Freddy [Sasakamoose] didn't get a fair shake in Chicago.' That stayed with me for the rest of time. And that was the second time someone who knew about Fred's time in Chicago had mentioned something happening. For Gordie to say that about Freddy, it really meant something. Gordie had the longest career in hockey, but he knew all about Freddy's short career. And how relevant was it for my two heroes to be connected like that?"

In 2014, Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Willie Littlechild, who was also a residential school survivor, credits his survival during that period of his life to hockey as told to CBC's Duncan McCue. He said,

"'I owe my survival to hockey,' says Littlechild, who attended Ermineskin Indian Residential School for 14 years.

"He was abused physically and sexually there, but went on to play varsity hockey at the University of Alberta, where he studied law.

"'If I didn't graduate, what was the alternative? I could have been found dead on the street in Edmonton on skid row, because of alcohol. So, it's really that strong for me, the influence of hockey in my life.'"

In all three men's stories, hockey was an escape from a life filled with pain, abuse, degradation, and violence. That's not to say that hockey deserves a pat on the back, but it was the escape that these men used to forget about the abuse they were suffering for a few hours.

As the producer of HBIC, I recognize the role that I can play in supporting the calls to action made by the National Commission for Truth and Reconciliation. I also understand that before real, meaningful change can happen, the truth must be heard and understood, and only then can the path be made clear for reconciliation. This commitment can only begin by understanding and addressing the systemic racism, discrimination, and marginalization that has been experienced by Indigenous communities in Canada.

As part of that, my path to understanding the truth about residential schools and the pain and losses suffered by Indigenous communities begins with listening and reading more stories from residential school survivors. Fred Sasakamoose's memoir, Call Me Indian, is where I'm starting that path on this National Truth and Reconciliation Day, and I am looking forward to gaining a better understanding of the tragedy and horrors he saw and experienced through his story.

Knowing wrongs were committed is different than hearing about how dark that period was for residential school survivors. Hockey isn't the good guy in this story, but just a small piece of what was one of the worst periods in Canadian history. We can't forget that.

And because it needs to be said, HBIC headquarters is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. I respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, I acknowledge the harms and mistakes of the past, and I dedicate myself to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in a spirit of reconciliation and collaboration.

Until next time, let's work together for a brighter future!

A Prize For Trophy Hunters

If there's one thing I know about team names, it's that most sports franchises opt not to pick animal names that are herbivores unless they are a powerful animal. We don't see sheep or cows very often as team names, but we do see bison and rhinos chosen for their abilities to fight off more ferocious animals. The animal to the left is an ibex which is a wild goat that has those large recurved horns on the head of the male ibex, and they're usually mountain-dwelling creatures that feed on vegetation. In short, there isn't a lot of intimidating aspects about the ibex, but we now officially have a North American hockey team who will take the ice while wearing an ibex's image as they get set for the 2026-27 season!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the 31st ECHL franchise.

The New Mexico Goatheads is certainly a bold choice of name when one considers the background behind the name. According to the release, "[t]he brand draws inspiration from the infamous goathead thorn, a hardy desert plant known for its toughness and ability to 'stick' wherever it goes," so it makes sense not to have a thorn anywhere in the imagery. Beyond that, "[t]he logo also incorporates the strength and grit of the ibex goats found in the Florida Mountains of southern New Mexico," which, as you may have guessed from the title of the article, are hunted by sporthunters as trophy animals.

If you're wondering about how these non-native goats ended up in New Mexico, the bezoar ibex subspecies were introduced from eastern Europe and the Middle East in 1970 with a second herd added from Iran in 1974. Thanks to its original distribution in Europe and Asia, this species of ibex is adapted for both mountains and desert, making New Mexico an ideal location for the goats. The bezoar ibex also grow the world's longest horns in relation to body weight, easily reaching over one metre in height. Thanks to their population growth since 1970, they are now hunted for their impressive horns.

While I appreciate the New Mexico franchise's commitment to local flora and fauna, these ibex are hardly intimidating and prefer to run and hide than fight when challenged. The goathead thorns are seen more as a nuisance in the southern US as the plant produces spiky, "goathead"-shaped seedpods that are painful to step on, can puncture bicycle tires, and injure livestock if stepped on. Basically, the 31st ECHL franchise based their entire team name on an animal that is hunted and a plant that is seen as a nuisance. Don't quote me on this, but that's not a great start for a new hockey team.

The video above shows the logos, but let's check out the full menu.

There are some interesting design elements here that I like. The Barn Creative helped design this new identity for New Mexico hockey, and the thorn-like horizontals in the "G", "H", and "A" letters of the wordmarks is a smart inclusion. I'd love to see that incorporated into the names on the back of the jerseys to give the Goatheads a truly unique font for names, but we'll have to see if that happens.

The primary logo is a fairly standard representation of the ibex face, and it does the job of implying "goat". I struggle with the star-like "NM" secondary logo because it literally serves no purpose. If it's meant to represent the Star Axis, that's a hard fail as the Star Axis is literally a scuplture with no purpose, making the secondary logo meaningless to most hockey fans. Of course, there's no information given about the design, so this one remains a mystery for now.

The colour scheme leans into what the Arizona Coyotes were doing as the official colour palette is listed as desert red, sand, and Rio Grande blue. That last colour gives good contrast to the red and sand colours, so I'll be very interested to see what these uniforms look like when they're unveiled. Assuming they use the desert red colour as their dark jersey colour, the Goatheads should stand out in the hockey world with their chosen colour scheme. This is a big plus!

Overall, the colour scheme is solid, the font chosen for the wordmark is excellent with the thorns included, the primary logo hits the mark, but the team name just sinks the New Mexico Goatheads into an unrecoverable fail. Without explaining the imagery, the name makes no sense, the name is clunky and doesn't roll off the tongue, and it's hard to understand why this was the choice made. If the team really wanted to be different, they could have been the "New Mex Ibex" or the "New Mexico Thorns", but focusing on something like "goathead" has me wondering if the team was named by a five year-old.

Beyond that, this New Mexico team will need to win a lot of games if they want to escape the "trophy hunting" imagery that a lot of teams may employ when playing the Goatheads. If they lose a number of games over their first few seasons, they're hardly the nuisance like the goathead thorn is supposed to be, and I have a feeling that portion of the branding will be lost Florida Mountains with the ibex.

Again, there's nothing wrong with the New Mexico franchise drawing on local flora and fauna for its team identity, but the obscurity of the two chosen species they're using will make casual hockey fans wonder how this team got its name. And while General Manager Jared Johnson can boast that the new logo "represents New Mexico’s toughness, pride, and resilience", the truth is that the 31st ECHL team is named for a timid animal that is hunted for sport and a hated weed that is often destroyed before it causes major problems.

If that's not a branding fail, I'd struggle to find a better example.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

One Week From Games

Officially, we're one week away from U SPORTS hockey starting in the four respective conferences again. Yes, there are some scheduling notes that will see teams start at different times during October, but the start of the month means that university hockey is back in rinks across the Canadian map. Normally, you'd come here looking for a season preview of some sort, but that's not happening on HBIC. I've tried to get people to work with me with zero responses, so I'm under no obligation to promote anything. There are women, though, who went to the Canadian schools who are already playing hockey, and that's my focus today as we look at the women who have moved on to professional hockey across the globe!

I want to be clear that this early look at the women playing overseas will be mostly incomplete due to a handful of leagues who have yet to get underway officially. Like last year, I'll do a full look at all the former U SPORTS players who are skating in women's leagues across the planet in December assuming that this blog is still running. For now, here's who is having a great start to their 2025-26 seasons!

As stated last season, the EWHL is a great landing spot for former U SPORTS athletes, and this season appears no different. A number of former U SPORTS players have started their seasons with impressive work, so here are those women from the 2025-26 EWHL rosters:

• Lauren Nicholson (Ryerson/TMU) - 5G, 4A in 4gp (Almaty, KZ)
• Breanne Trotter (Mount Royal) - 4G, 4A in 4gp (Almaty, KZ)
• Jaime Magoffin (Guelph) - 3G, 4A in 3gp (St. Pölten, AT)
• Ashley Taciuk (Nipissing) - 2G, 3A in 2gp (St. Pölten, AT)
• Alice Philbert (Concordia) - 0.68 GAA, .967 sv% (Bolzano, IT)

I'll keep an eye on these players and this league as the season progresses, but there are some solid numbers to start the season. And don't correct me on the Ryerson thing - that was the name of the school when Nicholson went there, so I wanted to note it accurately. Yes, they're the TMU Bold now, but not while Nicholson was there.

There are far less players skating in Sweden than there once was, but U SPORTS still has a number of players who have landed in Swedish communities for hockey. Here are the athletes who are doing their best work to start the 2025-26 SDHL season in Sweden:

• Jaycee Magwood (Regina) - 3G, 2A in 8gp (Luleå)
• Mathea Fischer (UBC) - 1G, 4A in 7gp (SDE)
• Erica Rieder (Manitoba) - 1G, 3A in 8gp (Luleå)
• Sarah Bujold (StFX) - 2G, 0A in 5gp (Luleå)
• Camryn Drever (Sask) - 2.86 GAA, .895 sv% (Skellefteå)

The SDHL has always been regarded as one of the top leagues on the planet, so seeing the reduced scoring numbers and inflated goaltending numbers shouldn't worry anyone. Seeing some good Canada West representation on this list is encouraging for the next wave of players coming out of the western U SPORTS conference!

The PostFinance Women's League in Switzerland is also underway, and there are a handful of U SPORTS players plying their trade there. We saw some outstanding performances last year in this league by a few former U SPORTS players, so here's this year's early progress:

• Estelle Duvin (Montreal) - 4G, 4A in 5gp (Bern)
• Lauren Dabrowski (StFX) - 2G, 4A in 7gp (Fribourg-Gottéron)
• Lea MacLeod (StFX) - 2G, 2A in 7gp (Langenthal)
• Joelle Fiala (UBC) - 1G, 3A in 5gp (Davos)
• Jessika Boulanger (Montreal) - 1G, 0A in 7gp (Langenthal)

With a few players opting to play elsewhere this season, there are certainly less former U SPORTS athletes skating in Switzerland this season. That being said, the talent level is still high in SWHL, so we'll see if they rise to the occasion on the stats sheet again this year!

The good news is that a number of European leagues start their seasons over the next couple of weeks, so we should see more updates with U SPORTS players from places like Spain, France, and Germany coming up this month as those countries get their women's leagues started. Of course, this leaves the PWHL standing on their own as they're reportedly going to begin their season in the third week of November, making them the last league to begin their season on the planet. Even Australia's AWIHL begins before them!

In any case, HBIC will likely have a full report on who is playing where for the 2025-26 season in December once all the leagues get going. It's always nice to see where some of these players land because they worked hard to get there, and HBIC is still big fans of these players! Here's hoping all these players have big seasons!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Stop-Gap Goaltending

HBIC is not a blog where you'll read a lot of Toronto Maple Leafs news mainly because this site lives by the ABT motto: Anybody But Toronto. In saying that, I do want to extend a heartfelt wish for all things positive to Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll who left the team to attend to a personal family matter. I'm hoping it's not something that involves the loss of a family member, but I also respect his privacy so I shall not comment or speculate further. The Leafs, though, are now down a starting goalie with Woll being away from the team, and they decided to dip into the free agent pool and jump back to 2012 to solve their stopper problem.

The Leafs announced that goaltender James Reimer had signed a professional tryout contract with the team to stabilize the goaltending position while Woll is on his personal leave. The 37 year-old Reimer played with Anaheim and Buffalo last season, posting a 10-10-2 record. His two losses with Anaheim aside, Reimer posted very respectable numbers with the Sabres as he had a 2.85 GAA and a .901 save percentage in 22 games with the always-brutal Sabres.

Reimer will likely see a number of starts if Woll doesn't return by October 8. 24-year-old Dennis Hildeby has just six NHL games on his resume, and the oft-injured Anthony Stolarz is the other option who will likely form the goaltending tandem for the Leafs until Woll's ready to play. Stolarz and Reimer are a very capable goaltending pair, so the Leafs shouldn't see a serious drop-off in the crease when it comes to potentially stopping pucks and winning games.

You culd argue that 28 year-old Ilya Samsonov might have been a better signing, but it might be a tough sell to return to the team for a guy that Toronto let walk in the summer of 2024. Outside of Samsonov, Alexandar Georgiev would be another goalie with notable NHL experience who is still unsigned, but his numbers were worse than those of Reimer. In short, the Reimer is the Leafs' best option.

The question will be what to do with Reimer when Woll returns. If the Leafs intend on having the best goaltending they can, they can turn this opportunity for Reimer into a three-goalie competition where the top-two netminders remain as the team's tandem. However, with Woll signing a three-year deal last season that kicks in on October 8, this might be the Leafs' way of trying to figure out the second goaltending roster spot between Reimer and Stolarz. Either way, one of those two netminders will likely be waived or traded once Woll returns.

Reimer where he needs to show he can be an elite goaltender immediately, but that pressure doesn't seem to be affecting him.

"I haven't had that much fun in a long time," Reimer said after Saturday's practice. "It's been a special experience to be back here. A lot of memories and a lot of good emotions and really enjoying the moment and just enjoying being back. It's a lot of fun."

"This is where I started," he continued, answering a second question. "This is where the whole thing got going. It's a special city. I mean, it's the greatest game on earth and the greatest city to play the game in. I got so many good memories. I'm sure there were some bad memories in there. I don’t remember any of them. I'm sure nobody else does either."

All joking aside, Reimer was traded from the Leafs to the San Jose Sharks with Jeremy Morin for Alex Stalock, Ben Smith, and conditional third-round pick in the 2018 draft on February 27, 2016 as the Leafs went with Jonathan Bernier and Garrett Sparks as their tandem. Stalock played for the Marlies for one season, Ben Smith spent 52 games in Leafs' colours, and that 2018 pick turned out to be Riley Stotts who has now played four seasons of Canada West hockey.

Roster mismanagement in 2016 aside, Reimer continued to be an NHL goalie as he bounced around the league, so the Leafs should look to try and maximize Reimer's trade value by playing him as the starter. As a 37 year-old on a PTO, he's clearly the most expendable between himself and Stolarz, but, if he shows some skill and is waived, it's likely a team needing a goalie will claim him and the Leafs will lose him for nothing. And it kind of feels like 2016 all over again.

This is the problem with stop-gap goaltending. Had the Leafs been developing a netminder who was ready to take the next step, bringing in James Reimer wouldn't be necessary. That's not to say that Reimer can't or won't be a solid netminder for however long he's in Toronto this time, but this wouldn't even have been a discussion had Dennis Hildeby or Artur Akhtyamov been ready. The Leafs clearly believe they're not, so Reimer is the stop-gap until Woll returns.

Whatever happens to Reimer after Woll returns is the result of the Leafs not having an NHL-ready replacement at the AHL level upon who they can call. I don't fault James Reimer for seizing the opportunity to return to Toronto and play for the Maple Leafs again, but it seems like his days are already numbered as a stop-gap goalie.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

History In Newark

The title of this article might be a little misleading as you might be thinking of the Newark found in New Jersey. This article has nothing to do with the NHL's New Jersey Devils who play in that city, but, instead, it has everything to do with the University of Delaware Blue Hens who play in Newark, Delaware. Tonight marked the first game for the women's hockey program in NCAA history as Delaware welcomed the Long Island University Sharks to Newark where a number of firsts happened. Of course, everyone wanted a first win in Delaware's first game, but there were other firsts to accomplish before that could happen. Let's check it out!

We'll stary in the goal crease where Mattie Robitzer was given the opportunity to backstop the Blue Hens to a historic first win. The 21 year-old Pennsylvania native transferred to Delaware from Northeastern University where she had played four games, going 1-1-0 in those appearances. She was a standout with the Philadelphia Junior Flyers U19 women's program in 2022-23 before committing to Northeastern, but she'll guard the net for the Blue Hens this season!

Robitzer's clean sheet would last through the opening period as she made eight saves to keep the score at 0-0. The shot total of 8-5 in favour of Long Island University doesn't tell the full story, though, because LIU carried the play in the first period. Delaware was awarded three power-plays in the opening frame where they recorded four shots. In the remaining 14 minutes, they generated just one shot at five-on-five. That effort would have to improve if they were to win their first game. Let's move onto the second period!

LIU would get their first power-play just 2:01 into the middle frame as Ottawa native Francesca Barresi was called for bodychecking as Delaware's first-ever NCAA penalty. While no one will be celebrating that piece of history, it was made worse when LIU's Sam Mathe scored on the power-play at 3:37 of the second period as Delaware surrendered their first-ever NCAA goal. Again, no one will celebrate that historical moment on the Delaware side, but it happened.

The hole would get a little deeper for the Blue Hens when LIU's Lauren Karl scored at 11:56 as the Sharks went up 2-0. Again, LIU carried the play in the second period while being powered by a pair of power-plays as they outshot Delaware 16-7 in the period. Robitzer stopped 14 shots, but that two-goal deficit would need to be erased in the third period if Delaware was to celebrate a first win.

The effort from Delaware was certainly there in the third period as they skated hard, drew four penalties, and peppered LIU's Clara Kammholz with shots. Despite being denied on their first two power-plays, the Blue Hens kept up their push, and they'd finally be rewarded for that work just past the midway point of the period.
Francesca Barresi made up for the power-play goal scored against Delaware with her in the sin bin when she beat Kammholz at 12:04 for the first-ever Delaware goal at the NCAA Division-1 level as she cut the deficit to 2-1! Barresi did a great job in forcing the turnover at the Delaware blue line against the aforementioned Lauren Karl, and she was off to the races as the LIU defence could not catch her. Barresi's goal was unassisted and is now part of Blue Hens history!

Not for nothing, the Barresi, the former Ottawa Lady Senators forward, was the first recruit to commit to the new Delaware program. The 18 year-old Canadian was an alternate captain with the Lady Sens last season where she scored eight goals and added eleven helpers in 33 games at the OWHL U22 AA level. She officially committed and signed with the Blue Hens in November, so the player to join the program is now in the history books as its first goal scorer!

Outside of the excitement of that goal, the Blue Hens would get no closer as LIU scored an empty-netter with 29 seconds to play to make it a 3-1 game before they added a shorthanded goal with 12 seconds left to close the book on a 4-1 victory over Delaware. There were no celebrations for a first win in their first game, but we did get to see a big goal as the program starts building towards an NCAA championship in the future. There are a number of positives that the Blue Hens can take from tonight's effort, but it's exciting to see the NCAA's newest team officially on the ice! Onward and forward!

Congratulations to the Delaware Blue Hens for a solid first game and to Ottawa-born Francesca "Franki" Barresi for her big goal! Game Two in their history will go tomorrow afternoon in a rematch against Long Island University, so we'll see if Delaware can toss that "first win" gorilla off their backs at 2pm ET when they're back on the ice!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 679

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, returns tonight with only some slight fashion chatter as the hockey storis begin to ramp up with training camps and preseason games entirely in session. Not to be a "Debbie Downer", but I find the preseason to be the most meaningless time of the sea tharson for fans because, aside from a few surprises, the vast majority of teams have what seems like their opening night rosters already set. Our hosts will talk about none of that tonight, though, because there are other, more intriguing stories that will occupy the hour. What stories, you ask? Read on as the puck chatter will start tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight on the program, Teebz and Jason will discuss the growing interest in the five players who were acquitted in the Hockey Canada trial. There's a crazy spin-off to this story, so you'll want to hear this discussion. Beyond that, the hosts will also look at the SPHL expansion into Mobile, Alabama and the challenges there, Jaromir Jagr's season so far, Anze Kopitar's retirement tour, the Minnesota Wild are going back to the future, and they'll tease an upcoming guest for October. It should be a somewhat-contentious discussion this evening, so get settled in for The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason discuss bad decisions, questionable signings, new franchises, absent players, retirement tours, old threads, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 25, 2025: Episode 679

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Not My Cup Of Tea

I'll be honest when I say that I'll never be a fashion icon. I'm pretty sure that the only fashion designer who would hire me would be Mugatu from Zoolander for his "Derelicte" collection. In saying that, there are some fashion designers who are trying to elevate the hockey world into an haute couture existence, and one of those design houses is FE whose logo is shown above. According to their marketing jargon, FE has "partnered with the NHL to bring you an unparalleled collection of clothing that unites the spirit of the game with cutting-edge design." Today, however, FE is elevating one player's presence in their designs.

I wrote about FE in January 2024 as the AW Chang Corporation "signed a license agreement with the National Hockey League to launch a new apparel collection under the brand label of FE". At the time, I was baffled at and completely against the retail prices that FE was assigning to its products as $200 USD hoodies and $450 USD jackets were ridiculous price tags, but clearly I don't understand fashion when people are paying $500 USD for hockey jerseys. Fashion, right?

I received an email this week about their newest line of fashion: the Ovechkin Collection. Due to my complete disregard for Ovechkin, I nearly hit the "Delete" button, but I recalled my previous article about FE. Curiosity began to take over, so I went against my better judgement and clicked the link to view the new collection.

Immediately, regret set in because none of the new collection appealed to me whatsoever, but I can justify that thanks to my extreme dislike for both the Capitals and Ovechkin as a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. However, I realize that my bias won't help me give an honest review of these designs for the average fan, so let's dig into the Ovechkin Collection and what's worth your hard-earned money!

The two designs to the right might be the best options when it comes to actual fashion as it's clear which team and player the wearer of said shirts are supporting. The one on the right would be the most expensive shirsey in the history of sports, but it's clean, is in the Capitals' colour scheme, and is identifable from the name and number. However, the $148 USD price tag for either of these hoodies is a completely ludicrous price point for most fans. If you're going to spend that kind of money, just spend the extra dollars and just get the replica jersey with customization. $148 is insanity for a hoodie.

Beyond that, the $158 track jacket with the virtually invisible embroidery is beyond any price point I'd pay for a polyester jacket made of 94% recycled polyester. Don't get me wrong in that recycling polyester is a good idea, but charging me $158 when it costs about $5 per yard of recycled polyester means someone is making crazy money. Save your money and don't buy into the hype on this one.

As I wrote in 2024, "[t]hese prices are simply unrealistic for the majority of fans." For $150 USD, you can buy a ticket to a game and see Ovechkin play the game for which he's famous. You don't need a fashion hoodie to prove you're a fan of the Great Eight. As much as I like the AW Chang Corporation being a greener business by using recycled materials for their clothing and renewable power sources to power their mills, the prices for their designer clothing shouldn't require one to have a six-figure income to be able to afford them.

The Ovechkin Collection from FE is interesting, but I like buying groceries and keeping the lights on at my house. I won't be walking red carpets in my plain hoodie or plain track jacket, but they won't put me on a collection agency's list either. That's good enough for me.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

From The Barn To A Palace

The image to the left is the interior of the Sudbury Community Arena. I wrote about my experience there watching an OHL game between the Sudbury Wolves and Guelph Storm, and I noted that the "Sudbury Community Arena looks and feels old from the outside". Make no mistake that the arena in which the Wolves play has seen a lot of its years after being constructed in 1951, but I also added that "there's some charm and history in those four walls as you start walking around the concourse". If you're planning on doing the same, I suggest doing it soon because it sounds like the Sudbury Community Arena may not around for much longer.

Announced today, the city of Sudbury is investing $200 million into a new multipurpose complex that will house both the Sudbury Wolves and Sudbury Five starting in the proposed 2028 grand opening. Toronto-based Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects designed the new building, and PCL Construction will lead the building of the new facility that will be built next to where the Sudbury Community Arena stands. The demolition for that arena will take place at a later date.

Mayor Paul Lefebrve spoke at the event center announcement today, saying, "This new event centre is about sparking momentum, not only for concerts, sporting events and community gathering, but also for housing, business and cultural development. It’s about creating opportunities for all residents and their families. It's about bringing the community together in a space we can all be proud of."

According to the city's plans, the new complex will be built one street to the east of where the Sudbury Community Arena sits. Having parked in the parking lot where this new complex will one day stand, I can assure you there isn't a lot of real estate there that's worth keeping in its current form. I suspect that the site where Sudbury Community Arena will eventually turn into the new parking lot for this events centre, but having a new landmark that occupies two blocks of land will certainly diminish the feeling of the concrete jungle around that area. Having a gem like this new building on that land is better.

BBB partner Chris O'Reilly has been involved in the design of similar-sized projects that include arenas where the London Knights and Kingston Frontenacs play, but O'Reilly stressed that this new facility was designed to host more than just sports as the city wants a building that can "support a variety of cultural events, shows and entertainment". City officials told reporters that "the design of the event centre was accomplished in consultation with a variety of local groups, including the Anishinaabe and First Nations peoples of the area" - a massive shift in how cities look at building event centres.

O'Reilly said his team designed an east-side entrance at Shaughnessy Street specifically for Indigenous gatherings as the designers were told that "it's important for First Nations to approach from the east where the sun rises." With consultation, the design also includes four ceremonial poles at the building's exterior, the lands were blessed by an elder from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, and the unveiling announcement was attended by invited representatives from local Indigenous communities as the city of Sudbury continues its efforts in showing respect for and collaboration with its Indigenous neighbours.

Before we go on, I know a lot of people will be saying, "Teebz, how is spending $200 million of public monies any different than what's happening in Calgary", and I want to make a distinction here. The city of Sudbury isn't putting up public money to build a billionaire an arena of which he'll control its usage. Yes, Dario Zulich will have the arena's anchor tenants in the OHL's Wolves and the CEBL's Five, but this new facility is part of a bigger picture where Sudbury can host concerts, events, and gatherings in this new building as part of their overall Downtown Master Plan much like a convention centre. As such, this building was envisioned as part of Sudbury's long-term plans for the future, and they've now incorporated the old arena into the new facility. In short, it's not even close to being the same situation as what we're seeing with NHL owners. Clear enough?

Honestly, the artwork of the finished building look phenomenal, and I'd be excited if I were a Sudbury citizen. How excited would you be for a Sudbury Wolves game while walking up to this building?

Assuming construction goes according to plan, I'd imagine the Sudbury Community Arena will be retired and demolished some time during its 76th year of standing in Sudbury. As a traditionalist, I'd like to see a few bricks from the old barn worked into the exterior of the new building as a way to remember the Sudbury Community Arena. I'd like to think of it as a link between the past and future where Sudbury residents gathered, but the new building looks incredible and will be a jewel for the city and its residents for many years to come.

I've been told that good things come to those who wait. The city of Sudbury is proof of that with their new multipurpose events centre that's due to open in 2028! The old barn was fun, but the excitement of catching a game in this new palace will be high! Go Wolves!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Empire Grows... Again

If I asked you what the common thread among Charlotte, Savannah, Atlanta, Greensboro, Jacksonville, Allen, Stateline, and Mobile are, you might respond that they're all names of US cities. While that's true, there are things that bring these cities together, and two of those things are professional hockey and the Zawyer Sports and Entertainment Group. You may recognize that the majority of the cities listed above have ECHL teams that the Zawyer Group either owns or operates, but the one city that sticks out is Mobile, Alabama as there hasn't been an ECHL team there since 2002. That fact will continue as there are no ECHL teams moving into Mobile, but the Zawyer Group will be running professional hockey in the southern Alabama city starting in 2027-28 as their empire expands again!

I missed the original announcement back on September 17, but the SPHL and the Zawyer Sports & Entertainment announced that an expansion team will begin play in Mobile, Alabama in 2027-28! The SPHL approved the expansion bid with a unanimous vote of approval by the league's Board of Governors, allowing the 11th SPHL franchise to begin play in two seasons' time in the state of Alabama!

There has never been an SPHL team in Mobile, but there was an ECHL team there at one time. The Mobile Mysticks called the Mobile Civic Center home from 1995-2002 before moving to Duluth, Georgia to become the Gwinnett Gladiators who, in 2015, became the Atlanta Gladiators. The Mysticks never advanced past the second round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs in any of their campaigns, but they did make the playoffs in five of their seven seasons while playing in Alabama.

You may be wondering how Mobile suddenly appeared on the hockey map in 2025, and that's due to the new arena project that Mobile is currently running. Demolition of the Mobile Civic Center began in September 2024 as the city of Mobile invested $300 million into a new arena. Ground broke on the new arena in the spring of 2025, and it's expected that the 10,000-seat arena will be ready for use by autumn of 2027 for concerts, family shows, and sporting events.

Obviously, Mobile would be seeking a tenant for the new facility, and that means they'd need some sort of sports team in the building. With the Birmingham Bulls at the north end of the state and the Pensacola Ice Pilots directly to the east, there would be immediate rivals for an SPHL team. An ECHL team wouldn't have immediate rivals, and the league already had announced its 32nd team earlier this year, so it makes even more sense for the SPHL to move into Mobile.

The metropolitan Mobile area is home to an estimated 412,000 people, so there's a good population to support minor-league hockey. Mobile is seen as a large cultural center thanks to its history as Alabama's only saltwater port, and that has led to Mobile celebrating Mardi Gras each and every year since the early 1800s. Today, the event is still celebrated, and the city is home to all sorts of museums, restaurants, and music that reflect the area's cultural origins.

Among the many industries, the aerospace, ship building, and steelmaking and finishing industries play large parts in the city. The largest employer is in education with the University of South Alabama and the Mobile County Public School System making up 10% of the jobs available. According to 2025 census numbers, "[t]he median household income in Mobile was $50,156, while the median income for a family was $73,717," but nearly 16% of residents live below the poverty line. Might there be economic challenges for this new team?

As long as ticket prices are kept affordable and marketing is done well, an SPHL team shouldn't have any problem attracting fans. They'll have to do better than the ECHL's Mysticks who, in 1995, went from 5310 fans per game to, in 2002, 2618 fans per game. That kind of drop-off will result in a lot of red ink, so this team needs a solid season ticket base to remain profitable. A few winning seasons right out of the gate would certainly help that season ticket sales effort.

Another major factor in keeping fan interest in this team will be creating a solid brand for this new franchise. While the ECHL's Mysticks got their name thanks to Atrisha Looney sending in a survey response, this new SPHL team is getting ahead of the game already by taking team name submissions over at mobileprohockey.com. While I believe the team should be named as the Mobile "Team Names", I do like the idea of a Port City alternate jersey one day.

Of course, I'm a Canadian hockey fan, so my opinion matters little. The people of Mobile are the ones who should be asked, and WKRG in Mobile did just that as they found out what the people think.


Enthusiasm aside, Mobile could be a challenging market when it comes to selling hockey. There are no official minor hockey programs that I could find for Mobile, Alabama, and there hasn't been a hockey presence of any kind in the city for 22 years and counting. For this generation of Mobilians, hockey could be as strange and foreign as Canadian bacon, so the Zawyer Group may have its hands full in selling both the game and tickets to the game at the same time.

My hope is that the Zawyer Group can make this work. This Mobile franchise will mark the eighth team they own and/or operate, so they have the experience of selling hockey in the southern US. This will be the first time, however, that they've gone into community where hockey isn't even on the radar aside from people catching glimpses of it on ESPN's SportCenter. The Zawyer Group will have to be proactive in selling the game for its hockey empire to thrive.

Hockey seems like it can work in Mobile just as it does in other non-traditional sunbelt markets. It will take a big effort from the Zawyer Group and some buy-in from fans in Alabama, but this new SPHL franchise has potential to be a southern jewel for the league. Pro hockey's coming to Mobile in 2027 - will Alabama be ready?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Missing Number

The Tipsport Extraliga season is underway in Czechia with all fourteen teams having played around six games already. The Kladno Knights played their sixth game today against White Tigers Liberec, and they fell short on the scoreboard with a 4-1 loss as the decision. That loss puts Kladno at a 1-4-0-1 record through those six games in which the Knights have only scored eight goals. Despite some new talent on the roster and new ownership, the Knights find themselves sitting in 13th-place in the 14-team league so they need to turn things around if they want to start the rebuild. Not everything is the same, though, as there's one specific number missing from the Kladno roster through the first two weeks that was once a fixture.

It may have been a surprise to see an unsigned Jaromir Jagr on the ice with Kladno in the preseason, but the 53 year-old played six preseason games, essentially earning a roster spot alongside linemates Antonín Melka and Kelly Klíma. It looked like he was ready to start his 38th season of professional hockey, but Jagr curiously is absent from the lineup again. What's going on with #68 this year?

As you can see on the linked roster, there is no sign of Jagr's name or number showing on the Kladno roster. He had signed a deal to play this season on Tuesday, September 9, but, according to the team, Jagr's been nursing an injury that has kept him out of the lineup since the season started as his debut for the 2025-26 season is on hold.

"We lost three players just before the start of the Extraliga, but these are all short-term things," head coach David Čermák told reporters without naming the players. "They should be back soon."

Čermák was right about two of those three players as the only skater who still isn't in the lineup is Jagr. With games against the powerful HC Dynamo Pardubice and middle-of-the-pack teams HC Skoda Plzen and HC Oceláři Třinec this week, getting an offensive weapon like Jaromir Jagr in the lineup should be a priority for Kladno. Of course, Jagr playing hurt might not be the best solution to the Knights' goal-scoring woes, but they definitely need some help denting twine.

On the other hand, Father Time has proven to be a fickle opponent for Jagr as he hasn't hit the double-digit mark in goals in four seasons, and he hasn't put up more than 19 points in any of those seasons. He did have five goals and 16 points last year, but that goal total was the same as what he had from 2022-24 combined. If Jagr has any water pressure left in that fountain of youth he seems to own, he may need it for Kladno to make a run for a playoff spot.

What is certain is that we know Jagr is meticulous about his own health, and I doubt he'll rush back onto the ice if he's not feeling 100%. The problem is that there may be pressure on him to return earlier than he wants if Kladno keeps amassing losses, and I'm not sure his 53 year-old body can play through the tweaks as well as he once could. That being said, it's also hard to say if Jagr is still the player who can changes the fortunes of his team offensively when he steps off the bench based on his last few seasons in the Extraliga.

I'll fully admit that it doesn't feel like hockey season until Jaromir Jagr plays a game somewhere on the planet. It seemed like we were set to see the 38th-straight year of that happening, but an injury is keeping that from being reality. I wish Jagr well in his recovery, and here's hoping he's back on the ice for the Kladno Knights soon!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

There May Be Blood

This isn't an article about the Paul Thomas Anderson film starring Daniel Day-Lewis, but that image of a burning oil well is a perfect metaphor of the Edmonton Oilers' jersey choices over the last two decades. People can make fun of the Todd MacFarlane-designed jerseys all they want, but that jersey - retired in 2007 - has already been used as a Reverse Retro jersey in 2022-23. The Oilers didn't have an alternate jersey identified last season, but the navy-blue-and-orange jersey had sufficed since 2019. A new season means the Oilers can introduce a new alterate jersey, though, and they will wear a new set of the threads on specific nights this year.

Let's have a look at the jersey choice made by the Edmonton Oilers.

There may not be enough words to express the disappointment I have for these jerseys. I know the Oilers are still negotiating with Connor McDavid on a new contract, but the unveiling of this jersey would have forced me to ended all contract discussions if I were McDavid.

According to the marketing diarrhea published by the team, this new alternate jersey "blends Fanatics technology and innovation with a classic design that is built for Oil Country, evoking nostalgic brands that were trusted to keep machines running smoothly, in the shop and in the field" which is ironic because I see no new "technology and innovation" nor do I recognize any sort of "nostalgic brands that were trusted to keep machines running smoothly" in its design.

The wordmark across the chest in retro font is terrible despite the "S" in "Oilers" having the oil drop. The shoulder yoke striping is broken up by the Fanatics logo on the back. The shoulder yoke itself is cutoff by the shoulder seams. They chose a white alternate jersey which limits its usage (so this may actually be a benefit by mistake). The captaincy marker, shown below, bleeds into the shoulder yoke due to positioning of the logo. The overall aesthetic gives off a "cheap knock-off" feel, so this jersey is struggling hard to be taken seriously.

If there's one thing that Oilers fans can claim, it's that their team continues its impressive streak of having uninspired, forgettable alternate jerseys. There is nothing that suggests that this jersey should be worn by an NHL team because this jersey doesn't come close to representing this team's legacy, let alone "the region the team calls home" or "the work ethic of Oil Country's industries".

Look, I could keep going about how terrible this jersey is, but readers of the Edmonton Journal did a lot of the work for me. One commentor on that article said, "It should be easier to throw this one on the ice when things go wrong" while another said, "I can’t decide if it’s awfully weak or just plain awful". Social media went off as the majority expressed negative opinions against this new jersey. Tallying up the results says that this jersey is just bad by all measures.

As stated above, the Oilers will only wear this jersey seven times this season, so plan your hockey nights accordingly for the following:

• October 28 vs. Utah Mammoth
• December 4 vs. Seattle Kraken
• December 6 vs. Winnipeg Jets
• December 23 vs. Calgary Flames
• January 12 at Chicago Blackhawks
• January 13 at Nashville Predators
• January 31 vs. Minnesota Wild

If you're an Oilers fan, they'll wear the jersey at home for three of eight home games in December before taking them on the road for a back-to-back in January. Frankly, subjecting the fans in Chicago and Nashville to this jersey in their buildings shouldn't be allowed, but I guess the Oilers opted for the "other white jersey" for that back-to-back mini road trip. Either way, that's the schedule for these jerseys.

It will be in their best interest for the Oilers to figure out that they're a professional hockey team that deserves to look like one. The royal blue jerseys that returned in 2022 were a step in the right direction, but the misses keep piling up for the Oilers with every alternate jersey they release. For a team that seemingly prides itself on throwbacks, this one doesn't hold a candle to the original alternate jersey nor the darker-blue-and-bronze jersey worn in Oilers history.

At some point, the Oilers will have to strike oil with one of these designs. Whether by design or by fluke, the odds seem to suggest they can't keep missing with these jerseys. With this jersey release today, though, as Daniel Plainview said in There Will Be Blood, "There are times when I see people and see nothing worth liking."

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Delivery Date: Unknown

With the three arms of the Canadian Hockey League kicking off their seasons tonight, there are a lot of teams with new or slightly altered looks thanks to the CHL's deal struck with Under Armour who will now outfit all 61 teams across the three CHL leagues. Getting 61 teams ready fpr a season is a Herculean task for any manufacturer to undertake, but Under Armour knew the deadline when they agreed to the deal. However, one team made their debut tonight without new uniforms.

I'm not saying that dressing 60 teams is some easy-to-accomplish feat, but having one team open their season after they specifically redesigned their logo and uniforms feels like a failure on the manufacturer's part. Under Armour seemingly was ready to get 61 teams ready for the 2025-26 CHL season, but it turns out they were not as the Saint John Sea Dogs were forced to wear their old uniforms as they hosted the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles this weekend.

The Sea Dogs published a statement on Facebook yesterday with the information that the new uniforms had yet to arrive, and that they were expecting the uniforms to arrive in New Brunswick "later in the season". Thankfully, they still had enough of their old CCM jeseys kicking around that they could dress in those, but one has to wonder response the CHL will have after signing a five-year deal with Under Armour at the end of May. Clearly, this isn't an ideal start.

There were repots that the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs were also facing this same problem, but it seems they received their jerseys sometime over the last week as I watched some of their game tonight. They were wearing the Under Armour jerseys against Ottawa, but apparently Under Armour has some sort of "quality control with the unique, metallic fabric" used in their jersey design.

As Gare Joyce of The Kingston Whig-Standard wrote in his article above, "the sweaters were supposed to arrive at latest in mid-August, because they’re not game-ready, but rather require involved preparation. At this late date, it would be a mighty challenge to assemble the sweaters in time for the season opener, the stitching of numbers and name plates in addition to the sponsors patches."

He added that the Frontenacs couldn't wear last season's jerseys as "the team no longer possesses them — they were auctioned off at the end of the season". During the preseason, the Frontenacs wore practice jerseys in games to make up for the absent jerseys, but that's not the look that the Frontenacs wanted to have starting this season. They weren't the only team irritated with Under Armour as Oshawa Generals media spokesman Carter Smith, speaking about about a late delivery of jerseys, told Joyce, "It's not ideal."

The Brantford Bulldogs, also referenced in Joyce's article as potentially starting the season without their jerseys, had their Under Armour gear ready to go for their game tonight against the Kitchener Rangers. With these three OHL teams confirmed as having their jerseys in time for their opening games, that leaves Saint John as the lone CHL team without their jerseys. Going 60-for-61 in the jersey manufacturing game would be considered a failure when Under Armour had three months to have the jerseys ready and delivered.

I'm sure that the CHL is having quiet discussions with Under Armour about the Sea Dogs' situation, but one has to wonder if the complaints from other teams are hitting home at the CHL head office. Obviously, neither side is going to claim any sort of breach of contract, but there should be some pressure from the CHL on Under Armour to meet deadlines moving forward. While you can move around "Pink in the Rink" or "Hockey Night in Saint John", you can't really have a St. Patrick's Day game in April for obvious reasons.

It goes without saying that this isn't the way you want to start a five-year partnership, so Under Armour's got some serious work to do.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

The Hockey Show - Episode 678

The Hockey Show, Canada's only campus-produced radio show that strictly talks hockey, is back tonight with more looks at new clothes for a variety of teams as September 2025 seems to be "Fashion Month" for hockey. Of course, we have some other stuff to discuss as well, but there will be a plethora of new threads to discuss from the NHL, AHL, OHL, and more. For the sites that keep up with jersey changes, it's been a busy month already and we're only halfway through it! Our hosts will tackle all the new looks for teams before diving into other subjects tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason will assume the role of Mr. Blackwell as they look at the new jerseys that are being worn by the Washington Capitals, the Charlotte Checkers, the Sudbury Wolves, the Trois-Rivières Lions, and the Centennial jerseys for both the Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers. Once they break down the runway looks for each team, our two hosts will discuss Connor Ingram leaving the Utah Mammoths, Edmonton fans foaming at the mouth over Connor McDavid's lack of contract, two coaches who did bad things, the University of North Dakota living large, and the latest on the five suspended NHL players from the Hockey Canada trial. There's a ton to talk about tonight on The Hockey Show at 5:30pm CT on one of 101.5 FM, Channel 718 on MTS TV, or via UMFM.com!

If you live outside Winnipeg and want to listen, we have options! The UMFM website's streaming player works well if you want to listen online. We also recommend Radio Garden if you need an easy-to-use online stream. If you're more of an app person, we recommend you use the TuneIn app found on the App Store or Google Play Store. It's a solid app.

If you have questions, you can email all show queries and comments to hockeyshow@umfm.com! Tweet me anytime with questions you may have by hitting me up at @TeebzHBIC on Twitter! I'm here to listen to you, so make your voice heard! And because both Teebz and Jason are on the butterfly app where things are less noisy, you can find Teebz here and Jason here on Bluesky!

Tonight, Teebz and Jason go over fashion choices, bad designs, goalies leaving, hysterical fans, bad choices, big money, dwindling options, and much more exclusively on 101.5 UMFM and on the UMFM.com web stream!

PODCAST: September 18, 2025: Episode 678

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

A Return To Sensibility

Last season, I had the opportunity through work to go on a road trip that took me through a number of wonderful communities. I saw a pile of hockey games thanks to that trip around the Great Lakes, and one of the communities where I watched a game was Sudbury, Ontario where the OHL Wolves hosted the Guelph Storm! I had an incredible time at the game as I walked the concourse of their 75 year-old building prior to watching the Wolves win thanks to a big game from Jets prospect Kieron Walton. If there's an opportunity to see a game in Sudbury, I suggest taking that opportunity because it's a good time for all, but there may be another reason to go see the Wolves this season and it has everything to do with what they're wearing on the ice!

I wrote big article back on November 22, 2024 about how the Sudbury Wolves began as a green-and-gold team in terms of their colour scheme. Former owner Ken Burgess changed the colours to blue-and-gray in 1988 to reflect his Burgess Power Train and Manufacturing company, now known as Burgess-Norton Manufacturing, as the team left green-and-gold behind. Without saying it, the team also left behind a large chunk of Sudbury hockey history with the change.

Well, Sudbury fans are rejoicing today because the Wolves are back!

While the home and road colours remain intact, the new alternate jersey to be worn this season and hopefully beyond will be the green-and-gold jersey on the right which harkens back to the Wolves' days before the colour change! And that jersey is absolutely gorgeous!

What's even cooler is that the Wolves aren't waiting to break out these jerseys at some ceremony later in the year. They've decided to wear them for their home opener on Friday against the North Bay Battalion in what will be a green-and-gold celebration! With Sudbury reloading this season and the Battalion looking to improve on that year's finish, this should be a great game on the ice between two rising teams while being one of the most aesthetically-satisfying games anywhere on the planet this season! Who's ready for Friday?

I have long maintained that green is colour that is criminally underused in hockey, so seeing the Wolves bring back a green jersey that plugs directly into their history is already making the 2025-26 season worth watching. Sudbury fans are already excited for the season with this jersey introduction, so here's hoping that return to green-and-gold can finally bring an OHL title in the modern era!

Ok, that may be a pipe dream, but this jersey is excellent, Sudbury, so get out to Sudbury Community Arena and cheer on the Wolves!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Trying Way Too Hard

There is absolutely nothing wrong with an NHL team celebrating a major anniversary with a logo like the one to the left. Both the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers will celebrate their 100th anniversaries this season, and the Red Wings are getting a solid jump on the events by releasing the 100th anniversary logo and, yesterday, their new 100th anniversary jersey. If you know me, you know that I'm never in favour of a team wearing a birthday jersey, but the Red Wings are going to do that. Let's see what they designed to commemorate 100 years of existing as a franchise.

We'll start with the overall aesthetic as modelled by Patrick Kane. There's nothing overly terrible about these jerseys on first glance, but the old-time white/cream colour that every team seems to have tried once is starting to feel tired. Not every fake throwback jersey has to look like people didn't know how to get white fabric clean. Outside of that, the jersey looks pretty clean with its true red colour, easy-to-read numbering, and solid striping. However, the devil's in the details and this one needs to be examined a little closer. Let's look at Detroit's nod to the past.

According to the Red Wings' release about these new jerseys, "[t]he 'Cougar D' logo has been thoughtfully redrawn and reintroduced as a secondary mark for Red Wings Centennial, appearing on the front leg of the solid-red pants, the jock tag at the bottom front of the jersey and the hem loop on the back." That would be a fantastic addition to the uniform if it wasn't virtually invisible. If we're celebrating the Detroit Cougars era, why could the 'Cougar D' not be added as a shoulder patch to honour that history?

Continuing down the Red Wings' rationale tour, "[t]he striping along the hem, sleeves and socks draws from Detroit Falcons uniforms from 1930-1932. Both the font and striping use a vintage off-white tone to reflect the heritage aesthetic." While the striping gets close to what the Falcons wore, it's not exact and the off-white tone feels dated now. What's can't the stripes be white like the sweater that the Falcons wore? A hockey sweater needs good striping, but this element feels forced. Not every element thrown together on a jersey needs to be drawn from a historical jersey. Perhaps more importantly, the Falcons era was the only time the Red Wings franchise wore a colour other than red. That's the history that should be celebrated here.

The Unnecessary History Adventure continues with "[p]atches on the jersey are designed to match the leather-brown hue of the Centennial uniform gloves, a nod to the traditional leather used in gloves and goalie pads". As shown to the left, the captains will wear a "diamond-shaped faux leather captain patch, honoring those worn in the 1950s" among other faux leather patches like the jock tag and hem tag. None of this is good as we've seen other teams wear faux leather-coloured gloves already, so why did Detroit go to all this trouble for things virtually no one wanted?

Finally, we get to something that does have historical value for hockey fans. The release states, "The first chain-stitched Winged Wheel, introduced in 1932 and used through 1948, is acknowledged in the Centennial jersey’s craftsmanship," and chain-stitched logos are something that more teams need to use. The Chicago Blackhawks used chain-stitching in their logo for the longest time, and it was glorious. More teams should be looking at having chain-stitched logos created because of their aesthetics. This detail is a huge win for the jersey.

The font for the numbers was apparently "inspired by the Detroit Cougars' 'Barber Pole' uniforms, worn in 1927-28," and you may remember those jerseys fondly when the Red Wings wore them in 1991-92 for their 75th anniversary. Without a doubt, the 1991-92 jersey are the best specialty jerseys that the Red Wings have worn to date by a large margin, and they should be an alternate jersey moving forward. Instead, we get a font that no one alive remembers the team wearing, and it seems like taking a font from a jersey kind of misses the point of honouring that team. After all, we're not honouring a font, are we?

The added details from this jersey don't change anything outside of the logo to the right. As per the release, "For the first time in franchise history, the Red Wings will wear a matte red helmet featuring a vintage Meijer logo (1957–1966) decal," and, despite ads never being worn historically, that logo should look pretty good on the helmet. Outside of that, the lace-up collar, the 100th anniversary logo, the interior stupidity, and the jersey ad on the shoulder are reminders that a true throwback will never be worn and a solid homage to the past can never be designed.

The good news is that the Red Wings will only wear this Centennial jersey twelve times this season, and they'll debut it on October 9 when they host the Montreal Canadiens. It's hard to be excited for a jersey that jumbles together elements from multiple teams when something like the 1991-92 jerseys hit the mark so well for their 75th anniversary. For whatever reason, that design simplicity is gone.

There's nothing wrong with these jerseys when viewing them from the seats in an arena. The aesthetics work, they look pretty good, and they celebrate the Red Wings' centennial anniversary without needing the explanation from where each element comes. And maybe that's the lesson to be learned here: less marketing speak and rationalizing ideas when jerseys are being introduced because the details certainly detract from the overall aesthetic in this jersey's case.

The Detroit Red Wings have withstood the test of time for 100 years. There's no marketing needed to rationalize that history. Roll this jersey out, and stop trying to explain the idea behind every thread.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!

Four Times A Charm?

I don't think anyone would argue that, prior to the Ovechkin era, there were more important players to the Washington Capitals than both Peter Bondra and Olaf Kolzig. Bondra scored more than 40 goals four times in his Capitals career, including more than 50 twice, and he hit the 70-point plateau six times while with Washington. He still holds the Capitals' record for most shorthanded goals, and he was a five-time NHL All-Star. Along with Bondra, Olaf Kolzig was highly regarded after winning both the 1994 Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as MVP of the AHL playoffs and the 1994 Hap Holmes Memorial Award for the lowest GAA. He and Bondra helped the Capitals reach the 1998 Stanley Cup Final, was a two-time NHL All-Star, and earned the 2000 Vezina Trophy.

Today's article isn't about these two men, but what these men wore when they established a lot of their accolades. As seen in the image above, the two bobbleheads are sporting Washington's famous "Screaming Eagle" jerseys that team wore from 1995-2007 in some form despite fan backlash towards the jerseys and colour scheme. As a Penguins fan, those jerseys always remind me of the Jaromir Jagr trade, so I do hold some contempt for them as well.

The reason I bring these jerseys up is that the Washington Capitals unveiled their new alternate jersey for the 2025-26 season, and it certainly has a familiar feel to it as the screaming eagle is back.

If you're wondering, this is the fourth different jersey that the Capitals have worn that feature the screaming eagle, but it's the first to move away from the angled striping along the bottom of the jersey. I'm not saying that this jersey is better or worse for that aspect - we'll get to that in a second - but there may be some Capitals fans out there who can add a fourth "Screaming Eagle" jersey to their closets. Yes, that's definitely three jerseys too many.

The 1995-07 version of the jersey was the original, and it still holds up as the best of all of them in my view. I know there are Capitals fans who demand that the team be red-white-and-blue only due to their geographical location, but that original "Screaming Eagle" jersey and its funky font hold a special place in Capitals' history.

The second iteration of the screaming eagle saw the Capitals wear red and navy on their 2021 Reverse Retro jersey, and the third variation of the screaming eagle saw them wear black on the 2022-23 Reverse Retro jerseys. Black jerseys are lazy, and I'm not a fan of the Stadium Series red-and-navy colours, so the two Reverse Retros fall below the original "Screaming Eagle" jersey in my grading system.

I am completely against the jumbled mess of the captain's "C" and the jersey ad on the right chest, so that drops this jersey's score. The logo doesn't have to be on the front of the jersey; rather, it can be located on the shoulder. The Capitals have decided that the Capitol logo needs to go there, though, so the mess on that upper-right chest will be there anytime these jerseys are worn. That's terrible.

If the Capitals had used their original colours, these jerseys would be a good blend between two eras of hockey in Washington. The darker red and navy blue have been in effect since the Reebok takeover in 2007, and I don't understand why the Capitals keep going back to it. For a team that keeps swapping colours on jerseys, it might be time to settle on one scheme and stick to it. I'd prefer the original colours.

If you're keeping count at home, the Capitals will begin their 51st season as an NHL team this year. For sixteen of those years, the team has worn some variation of the "Screaming Eagle" jersey including twelve where it was their primary logo. As one non-hockey person said to me when I showed them this jersey, "The Eagles look ok, I guess" which drew a chuckle from me because they're the Capitals, not the Eagles. I only see this as a problem for casual hockey fans.

The biggest issue that stands out to me is that this jersey is now the fourth alternate jersey the team has worn since 2020. In 2019-20, they wore the original Capitals throwback. From 2020-24, they wore the "W" jersey based on their 2015 Winter Classic jersey. Last season, they elevated the 2022-23 Reverse Retro jerseys to alternate status, and this season will see them wear the new "Screaming Eagle" jersey in red. I know that Ted Leonsis isn't hurting for money, so having four different alternate jerseys in six years is completely ridiculous.

Capitals fans will most likely disagree with me, but this jersey is unnecessary while being aesthetically bad. I'd love to see a red-white-and-blue Capitol building jersey at some point, but I feel like me mentioning that will only give the Capitals another idea for a new alternate jersey next season. For the many reasons listed above, this jersey simply wasn't needed, but the Capitals will try to sell a few more jerseys to fans who simply cannot have enough.

You'd think they'd get the message after the first three variations of the "Screaming Eagle" jersey, but I guess the fourth time's a charm? Either way, it might be time to let the screaming eagle find a nest.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!