I'm Still Not Watching

There's a long held superstition about weddings that the groom mustn't see the bride before she walks down the aisle in order to avoid bad luck. The real reason this was done was because arranged marriages were once a thing between families, and the thought was this practice would ensure the groom would commit to the marriage regardless of his bride's identity or appearance. In short, it was a terrible practice that never should have been a thing in the first place, yet here we are talking about a jersey leak some four months before the jersey will be worn. It's almost like some of these leaks are being done on purpose just to see if people like the jerseys.

The always-informative Icethetics twitter account verified today that the Chicago Blackhawks jerseys shown below are, indeed, what the team will wear at the 2025 Winter Classic game against the St. Louis Blues being played on December 31, 2024. Yes, there's a lot in that sentence, but here's the jersey in question they will be wearing.

For once, I don't immediately hate this jersey. The hem stripes have been moved to the chest, leaving just the black-and-white stripes at the bottom, but the circular logo works over top of the stripe. I'm not a huge fan of the secondary logo on the arm stripes, but they do break up those stripes better than numbers would.

The small lace-up feature must be a Fanatics thing because that's the first time I've seen one of those collars on any NHL jersey, but it doesn't really get in the way like a full lace-up collar would. I love the red colour being used as that feels very "Chicago Blackhawks" when it comes to their tradition being that they've had a red jersey every year since 1955, so kudos on making the Blackhawks look like the Blackhawks. I can do without the stupid stuff written inside the jersey, but the NHL seems to have that on every special jersey now.

Thoughts on the Winter Classic look for the Blackhawks? Leave yours in the comments, but I'm actually alright with these jerseys. They're simple enough to look traditional, but different enough to be separate from the Blackhawks' normal uniform set. Overall, they get a thumbs-up from this writer, albeit reluctantly.

Of course, it doesn't mean I'll be watching this game on New Year's Eve. That might be one of the dumbest things the NHL has done in moving this game off the January 1 schedule, but at least the Blackhawks will look respectable for New Year's Eve. We'll have to see if they play as well as they dress on that day!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!