Reader here, and today, I’m chatting about the NHL’s new “Hometown Remix” uniforms!
On Monday, the league officially unveiled the uni sets for all 32 teams, after a few leaks leading up to the big day.
In the official release on the NHL website, the “Hometown Remix” was described as – quote – “a Leaguewide special edition uniform, apparel and headwear program which uniquely and authentically celebrates the fans, fabric, and local culture of each NHL team and the cities they call home.”
Now, even though the cynic in me knows these were created simply as a way to sell more merchandise and make money, it’s still a way for teams to have some fun, and pay tribute to the cities they call home.
Some teams crushed it, some teams came up with some pretty uninspiring efforts. And some were pretty meh.
Let’s start with the ones I didn’t care for so much.
I’d put the Edmonton Oilers’ black “oil slick” unis, the rather boring New York Rangers navy jerseys, the lazy Detroit Red Wings “Hockeytown” edition, the Boston Bruins’ basic browns, and the Los Angeles Kings colour mess that has a bit too much going on for my liking, at the bottom of my list. You could probably throw the St. Louis Blues’ black jerseys and the Tampa Bay “Skull” specials in that list, as well.
In the “meh,” middle of the pack category, I’d include the Winnipeg Jets’ “Northern Lights” jerseys, the Nashville Predators’ western wear specials, the Minnesota Wild’s attempt to reclaim black, green and white from the Dallas Stars, Anaheim’s “Mighty Ducks” movie remix (which I don’t love as much as many other people seem to!), and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Andy Warhol “Pop Art” unis. Honestly, as much as I love my Philadelphia Flyers, I’d put their dark grey “Independence Edition” unis, which incorporate elements from the Liberty Bell and celebrate America’s 250th birthday, on the “meh” list, too.
As for the ones I liked the most?
As much as I dislike both the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights, they came up with some snazzy duds.
Those pink unis that the Panthers have are pretty fun, I must say. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights jerseys, that include the green felt colour that you find on casino card tables, along with the black and red stripe pattern from a roulette wheel, look much better than I would’ve expected.
Speaking of fun unis, San Jose came up with a fun one, especially on the sleeves, which feature shark teeth, along with the pink gums, which I know some people like, while others don’t. I don’t mind ’em!
There are two that I like the most.
My #2 is the Calgary Flames, which replaces the yellow in their uniform with gold, and pays tribute to their long-time home, the Saddledome, with design elements mixed in, including the ceiling’s waffleboard pattern on the interior of the Flaming C logo, the dome’s arched roof along the hemline, and the building’s round windows represented in the sleeve stripes. I’m not a Flames fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I’ll give them their props on this one!
And my #1? The Buffalo Sabres.
They did what I’ve been wanting them to do for years – use the classic royal blue and gold colours, and mix it with the logo that the club wore during the late 1990s and 2000s. Just an absolutely awesome look! By the way, so may people call that logo the “Goat Head,” and I have to ask… have these folks never seen an actual buffalo before? It’s a buffalo, not a frickin’ goat! But I digress…
Awesome.
Now, everybody has different tastes, and I’m sure mine differ from yours. Here’s how the crew from the NHL Network ranked the looks for the 32 teams.
What do you think of the NHL’s “Hometown Remix” series?
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