Jersey Longevity: Hockey sweaters for the ages

A week ago I used this space to talk about teams that should make immediate and sweeping changes to their uniforms. So I figured the other side of that coin is a discussion about teams that should never change.

It didn't take long for me to realize what you're already thinking — the Original Six teams, of course. They're the untouchables of the NHL. Why mess with decades of tradition?

We can argue pointlessly about whether the uniforms of the Original Six are "good designs," but the fact is that simply by virtue of their longevity, they are permanently ingrained in every hockey fan. But what do I mean by longevity? Let's take a look at the numbers.

It should come as no surprise that the oldest sweater currently in use in the NHL — at the advanced age of 97 — belongs to the Montreal Canadiens.

As the NHL's oldest franchise, the Habs are known for their red sweater with the storied CH centered forever on that blue stripe straight across the middle. The design has changed very little since the first NHL season in 1917. And in truth, it's the only NHL jersey that's actually older than the NHL itself.

The white Canadiens jersey we see today was first used in 1941.

At 82 years and counting, the oldest American NHL uniform is worn by the Detroit Red Wings. This franchise has essentially been using the same red sweater with minimal white striping since its name was changed from Falcons way back in 1932.

The original incarnation of the current white sweater came a few decades later in 1961.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made tweaks and alterations to their uniforms somewhat frequently over the years. But the home and road sweaters they wear today find their origins in 1937 — making them 77 years old.

Their third jersey, as we know, is based on a design first used in 1967. It lasted only a few seasons before the current crest design was introduced.

From their very beginning in 1926, the New York Rangers have worn diagonal letters across their chest. But the style we see today first came about in 1941.

Unfortunately, that 73-year run was interrupted. In 1976, the Rangers experimented with a shield crest for a couple of seasons. It was a disaster — the Isles fisherman of its time.

The Rangers' white jersey debuted in 1951 and, apart from that misstep in the '70s, has remained largely unchanged.

When it comes to ranking NHL uniforms, one of the perennial favorites is that of the Chicago Blackhawks. But unlike some of their brethren, it took them a few decades to find their identity.

The red jersey we see on the ice today will soon turn 60. Prior to 1955, the Hawks wore a lot of black with a lot of red stripes. But once they went red, they've only ever gone back for special event and alternate jerseys.

The Boston Bruins became the NHL's first American team in 1924. But the 90-year-old franchise has, by far, the youngest jerseys in the Original Six group.

The Bruins have made change after change over the years — both big and small. Their current logo and uniforms were created in 2007. But in fairness, they're little more than a modernization of designs that date back to the 1950s.

Still, the Bruins bring down the average age of the Original Six uniforms to about 66. Without the modern B's jerseys, the other five average about 78 years of age. Those are some old hockey sweaters.

For my next entry in this series, I'll go back to my original premise — the five NHL jerseys that should not change. But this time I'll take the Original Six out of the equation. That'll make it more of a challenge.

Nameplate-gate: Red Wings fans' annual panic attack

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This comes up every preseason.

And while the 2014 preseason is now over, I'm writing this post for posterity — so I can use it as a quick link reference during preseasons to come.

Every September, Detroit Red Wings fans and non-fans freak out. They tweet and email me about the "fact" that the Wings have changed the nameplate on their uniforms.

They haven't.

There's a very simple explanation. During the regular season, the Red Wings equipment staff creates custom arched name bars for each player. When you create that custom arch, the first T in "TATAR" cannot be swapped with the second T because arch skews them differently.

In the preseason, 50 to 60 rookies and prospects suit up for one or two games before being cut. It's therefore a waste of time and effort to make those individual custom nameplates for guys who won't be around very long.

To simplify the process — during the preseason only — the equipment staff employs a generic serif block font for the name bars where the letters can be quickly stitched together.

When the regular season opens, everything will be back to normal.

Breathe regular.

NHL Announces 2014 Winter Classic

Outdoor game in Ann Arbor, Mich. officially rescheduled

The NHL announced Sunday morning that the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will meet in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Jan. 1 for the next Winter Classic. I'm starting to sound like a broken record. This same game was announced last year for 2013 but was canceled due to the lockout. It will now take place in 2014.

Better than the announcement of the big game was the unveiling of all the jerseys that will be used at the event next January. So we'll have a lot of pictures in this post. Enjoy.

We'll start with the host team. The Red Wings who, according to the press release, "will be wearing iconic red and antique white uniforms featuring a striping pattern and arch Detroit wordmark inspired by the late-1920s Detroit Cougars. The front crest on the jersey will feature an early iteration of the winged wheel from the late 1930s Red Wings."

Photo from Detroit Red Wings official website

Perhaps the most fascinating detail of this jersey is the captains' letters being worn on the left sleeve. Above, you see the "A" on Pavel Datsyuk's sweater, and below, the "C" on Henrik Zetterberg's. I think this may be the first time we've ever seen the captains marked anywhere but the chest.

Photos from Detroit Red Wings official website

Here are a few more looks at the jersey and some the details.

Now let's switch gears to their opponent.

The Maple Leafs are going back to 1927 for their Winter Classic uniform — a design they actually resurrected briefly back in the 90s.

Photo from Schuyler Baehman via Twitter

Here's what the team says about the jersey on their website's current splash page.

The Toronto Maple Leafs 2014 NHL Winter Classic sweater speaks to our storied beginnings and evokes memories of Hall of Famers nicknamed "Busher" Jackson, "Ace" Bailey, "King" Clancy and "Gentleman" Joe Primeau.

The name and crest were born on a train ride home from Michigan in 1927, with Toronto leaving Detroit as the St. Pats and pulling into Old Union Station as the Toronto Maple Leafs. Our blue and white colours were chosen by team founder Conn Smythe to reflect is alma mater the University of Toronto.

An unabashed patriot, Smythe wanted to adopt Canada's national emblem, the maple leaf, for his new hockey team, stating: "The Maple Leaf, to us, was the badge of courage, the badge that meant home... We chose it hoping [it would be] worn with honour and pride and courage, the way it had been worn by the soldiers of the first Great War in the Canadian Army."

Don't you love the Detroit tie-in to that story?

Photo from Toronto Maple Leafs via Facebook

Now I'd love to show you some more pictures of that Leafs jersey here, but — unlike the Red Wings — the Leafs haven't put a whole lot out there yet. So we'll just skip to the next bit.

Photo from Detroit Red Wings via Facebook

The sweaters for the alumni game were also unveiled today. The Wings will basically wear the opposite of their 2009 Winter Classic jersey — red with a white stripe and "D" on the chest. The Leafs will sport their 1970s uniform.

Here are some other notes from the day:

• HBO's 24/7 series will be back to chronicle the season leading up to the Winter Classic. It's worth noting that realignment puts Detroit and Toronto in the same division next season which will make things even more interesting.
• There's been a lot of talk about multiple outdoor games in 2014. Perhaps another Heritage Classic featuring the Montreal Canadiens and, say, the Vancouver Canucks in their Millionaires jersey? I only say Montreal because they've played every Heritage game so far. But maybe the Ottawa Senators in a white version of their Heritage jerseys could take on the Millionaires-clad Canucks? That way everybody gets a turn at playing on a pond.
• And finally... BLUE VERSUS RED!!

What are you excited about most when it comes to the 2014 NHL Winter Classic?