New Clothes!

With school having started, it was inevitable that there would be new clothes and new fashions seen at institutions across the land. The hockey world seems to follow this trend as it was a busy week for a number of teams in a few leagues when it came to new clothes! I'll admit that I have specific things I like when looking at new designs and alternate jerseys, and I'm usually swift to nail those that I don't like to the wall. Instead, I'm going to do something a little different today when it comes to the five jerseys we're going to see today.

When it comes to hockey fashion in past articles, I literally would explain why I don't like something with the hopes of gaining your understanding as to how I feel about the style or design of the uniform. Today, I'm simply going to use a couple of sentences to describe how I feel about these uniforms. Some will be good; other sentences will not be as positive. In the end, you'll know exactly how I feel about each one.

Calgary Flames - Heritage Game

You know when you put on a tailored suit and it fits right, and you feel like a movie star or a celebrity thanks to the fit? This is how the Calgary Flames should look all season long with their traditional design, sharp lines, and classic colours. Simply beautiful.

Winnipeg Jets - Heritage Game

The Jets may have corrected a mistake with this Heritage Classic jersey after introducing their "Aviator" alternate jersey. This jersey is how everyone remembers the Jets, and there should be a petition and some local support in having the Jets adopt this as their alternate jersey. Outstanding!

ECHL Jacksonville Icemen Alternate

Is there something in the water in the southeastern United States that prompts teams to abandon their city names and/or team names and opt for a nickname? The Icemen play in Jacksonville, not "Jax," and I have never heard anyone refer to Jacksonville as "Jax". This is beyond dumb, even for a minor-league alternate jersey.

Edmonton Oilers Alternate

The Oilers have had memorable alternate jerseys in the past - the Todd MacFarlane jersey and the WHA orange alternate - but this one is memorable for all the wrong reasons. I get that the Oilers are blue and orange, but this is neither innovative nor imaginative. I'd store these in black garbage bags inside a dumpster behind Rogers Place if I were the equipment manager.

NCAA Union College Dutchmen

For a school that had four jersey combinations two seasons ago, the introduction of a new uniform seems a little unnecessary at this point, especially if one considers the tuition costs to go to Union College. Nevertheless, this uniform is about as collegiate as one can get with the basic block lettering across a stripe that only extends across the chest, zero stripes anywhere, and an entire lack of a logo. Are the Dutchmen playing Division-1 NCAA hockey or intramural hockey this season?

At least we know that the Heritage Classic in late October will look good this year. The Oilers, the Icemen, and the Dutchmen likely should head back to the drawing board for some do-overs based on the efforts they turned in with these uniforms. How some of these uniforms see the light of day always baffle me, and these three teams have left me shaking my head once again.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!