john bollwitt blog

Ok, I’ve come to like the new uniforms that the players will be wearing next season, as long as the designs that are applied to them are not gaudy. Trust me, I’m going to hold my breath until then. Just got a bad feeling that some teams (I’m looking at you Nashville!) will go a tad overboard.

This, however, is something I didn’t notice at the All-Star Game last night.

While most of the uniform-based attention at the NHL All-Star Game was focused on the players’ new Reebok-designed attire, another uniform story went largely unheralded and unnoticed.

Referees were wearing silver armbands, instead of their usual orange, and ESPN.com has learned that this change will be made permanent next season.

“It’s coming for next season,” NHL spokesperson Nirva Milord said in an e-mail from the All-Star Game in Dallas. “We’re just giving it a consistent look with the new NHL logo.”

That logo, introduced prior to the 2005-06 season, is black and silver, while the league’s previous emblem was black and orange, matching the refs’ current armbands. [espn]

No!!! This is a change that I do not care for, and it completely kills an idea that Rebecca and I had for Halloween costumes.

I like the orange bands, if not for look, but for function. When the ref raises his arm to call a penalty, it’s more noticeable to catch the movement. The little, orange floaties are the first thing I think of when it comes to a hockey ref. At the same time, the effects won’t be nearly as good when McGeough comes flying in to call a no-goal and appear to be ready to fly away because he’s flapping his arms like a mad man.

As a side note, check out this post to see how GZ Expat would change the NHL even further. If you saw the interview with Gary Bettman[wiki] on the CBC’s coverage of the All-Star Game last night, then, like me, you will feel like absolutely nothing is safe in the NHL anymore. He now embodies everything I can think of when it comes to slimy businessmen.

Photo credit: Love the 214 on Flickr

I know that I am not the first one to call “The New NHL” by something so geeky. Look at everything that is going on in the NHL right now, in addition to the revamped rules in this post-lockout era. It’s faster and way more competitive than before. Okay, I think all hockey fans can be in agreement on that one, right?

Then there is the Buffalo Sabres‘ new logo, aka The Buffaslug. I already gave my opinion on it when it was unveiled, and it still doesn’t sit well with me. When I think about it in relation to everything else going on in the world of Web 2.0[wiki], there is this nagging comparison that I’ve been wanting to make. However, one team making a change isn’t enough, but check out this post that examines Web 2.0 logos in general.

Enter the new uniforms that will take over the league next season[rbkedgeuniform.com]. Lighter, water resistant, aerodynamic, and Sidney Crosby approved. That last point can really be ignored, but I know for a fact that there are going to be loads of people who will be saddened, if not pissed, by this change.

These are not what you can consider sweaters anymore. They are jerseys, and all this new technology that goes into them makes them uber expensive. Of course, they’re still brand spanking new, but $300 for a jersey? No thanks.

Photo credit: Love the 214 on Flickr

Tighter fit also means less real estate to paste a logo on the front of your jersey. So if you resize and lose detail, might this be a good time to rethink your logo altogether? That might be pushing it, but what better reason to make a change when everything else a player puts on is changing anyway? Remember, this isn’t just about the jersey as much as it is about pants and socks, too(better hip protection and no more tape). Could next season be the year the “stick in rink”[hockeydb] comes back to replace the Orca Bay logo[hockeydb] for the Canucks? I wouldn’t be surprised, and the change is something I would fully support as long as it looks good with those new threads.

One thing that sticks out to me is the similarity to baseball jerseys around the hips. The way that the front and back dip down will ultimately change the way long time fans think about the traditional sweater. To me, those curves would make it hard to do that horizontal line at the bottom of the jersey. Perhaps when we see them next season, it will be a straight cut across. However, I kind of doubt it. The league is sounding pretty harsh on the topic, and there is threat of fining players next season if they make individual adjustments. I’ve also heard that the third jersey might go away completely and teams will have to wear white when playing in their home rink.

Photo credit: julie_h on Flickr

This is why I’m starting to call this the NHL 2.0. New rules, new wardrobe, and a lot of new faces are changing the way the game is played. Just look at the All-Star Game and how many people are going for their first time, not to mention how young a lot of them are.

However, to any team that is going to start changing logos, I pray that they avoid the mindset that has given rise to the Buffaslug. If there is any comparison to the world of Web 2.0 going on here, this is one design concept that I do not want to see when it comes to forging new logos. This is where I have to plead for staying as traditional as possible, however strange that might sound or actually end up being.

I’m okay with change. I am not okay with something that makes me think of Hello Kitty.