Down the Frozen River

Tag: NHL

Numbers Game: Ranking the Mascots of the NHL (10-6)

The following is a continuation of the ranking of all of the mascots in the NHL, based on the list of NHL mascots Wikipedia page.

Yep, I’m skating the other way if I see this guy chilling in the crease. (Photo via @CanucksFIN)

10. Fin- Vancouver Canucks

Got to say, I’m not much of a Fin fan. Having said that, I certainly understand how Fin ties in with the Vancouver Canucks and the whole orca whale thing. It’s just that Fin kind of creeps me out. Plus I’m sure he likes to bite people’s fingers, which might explain why Alex Burrows knows so much about that.

In all seriousness, Fin is an outstanding mascot who tries hard and loves the game. Definitely top-ten worthy.

Points for the hair, Spartacat. (Photo via @REAL_Spartacat).

9. Spartacat- Ottawa Senators

Just look at Spartacat and tell me there isn’t something anymore perfect. Okay, actually, there’s several things that are better than Spartacat, as exhibited by his ranking at 9th best mascot. But honestly, Spartacat is pretty cool.

You’ve got the “Sparta” part of a warrior, you’ve got the lion part of a solid mascot and you’ve got the friendly face that allows you to not be too freaked out by his presence at Ottawa Senators games. Spartacat is a tremendous ambassador for the NHL. He doesn’t need to be tamed.

Sure, why not go stand in the woods? (Photo via @BuffaloSabres)

8. Sabretooth- Buffalo Sabres

You can’t talk about aesthetically pleasing mascots without having to mention the handsomely looking Sabretooth (is that a weird thing to say about a mascot?). I mean, really, Sabretooth almost has it all. The looks, the stripes, the teeth. The only problem is that he doesn’t really relate to the city of Buffalo or have much to do with the organization itself.

Then again, the Sabres were named as such to be unique and standout from the more traditional Buffalo sports names (Bisons or Buffaloes, namely). Sabretooth is a bit too much of a play on the Sabres’s name. Additionally, the Nashville Predators exist, so that’s a loss of creativity points, Buffalo, and quite possibly some type of creative infringement.

Oh and one more thing, Sabretooth’s not wearing any pants.

Trust me, Iceburgh doesn’t wear pants. Look it up if you don’t believe me. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/ Getty Images)

7. Iceburgh- Pittsburgh Penguins

Speaking of not wearing pants, Iceburgh is lacking some clothing too and now that I think about it, it’s rather disturbing.

Regardless, Iceburgh is pleasing to look at and receives points for being a penguin, albeit a Pittsburgh Penguin, but we can look past that if you’re not a fan of that organization because penguins are awesome. But hey, if you love the Penguins, then surely you love Iceburgh too and everyone can take comfort in the fact that no more live penguins have been harmed.

Guys, I think Youppi! might be phoning it in since the Expos left. (Photo via NHL.com)

6. Youppi!- Montreal Canadiens

Youppi! was adopted by the Montreal Canadiens after the MLB’s Montreal Expos jettisoned the city for Washington D.C. in search of life as the Washington Nationals. In a sense, that’s an extremely nice gesture to assure that no mascot goes homeless. On the other hand, MLB mascots tend to scare me because of their lack of having any realistic qualities about them. So that’s some points off, Montreal.

Anyway, I digress, Youppi! is great, but there are some mascots that are just a cut above the rest in the NHL. Also, fun fact, Youppi!’s never won the Cup, which is a pretty rare feat by any member of the Canadiens organization.

January 19, 2017
Numbers Game: Ranking the Mascots of the NHL (15-11)

By: Nick Lanciani

The following is a continuation of the ranking of all of the mascots in the NHL, based on the list of NHL mascots Wikipedia page.

You’ve been Thunderbug-ed. (Photo by Scott Audette/ Getty Images)

15. Thunderbug- Tampa Bay Lightning

If it weren’t for Tampa’s third jerseys (which, thank you very much, adidas for doing something about them, even though I’m usually a fan of alternates), Thunderbug might be higher up in my rankings, but unfortunately even Thunderbug can’t pull off looking stunning in those “Bolts” jerseys.

Look, Tampa actually did a great job coming up with a mascot that works in more ways than one. Thunderbug’s name implies both the sound that occurs after lightning in a thunderstorm, as well as a synonym for “lightning bug”, or as normal people call them, “fireflies”. Thunderbug’s aesthetics might seem a little outdated, however, but I’ll let it pass since it could always be worse.

Tommy Hawk has a Twitter. Again I ask, what is it with mascots having Twitter accounts? (Photo via @BhawkTommyHawk)

14. Tommy Hawk- Chicago Blackhawks

Not bad, but not great either. Tommy Hawk is okay, but I’m sure we’ll all be giving him some points for feeling bad about what happened in Minnesota the other night. Actually, come to think of it, Nordy, you’ve been retroactively downgraded to last place in these rankings. That’s right, Stormy, you’ve been called up. Don’t get used to it.

Carlton the Bear? More like Classy the Bear. (Photo via @CarltonTheBear)

13. Carlton the Bear- Toronto Maple Leafs

Pure. Simple. Classic. Carlton the Bear is like a basic cup of coffee that Starbucks “dresses up” and charges you more for. Then again, what do I know, I’m more of a Dunkin’ guy myself and I drink coffee about one or two times a year. Anyway, the point is this, the Toronto Maple Leaf’s mascot is a classic. Named after the street the old Maple Leaf Gardens sat on, Carlton the Bear ties in the history of the Maple Leafs with the culture of hockey (and Canada) so elegantly.

Bonus points for being a polar bear, as well.

Louie! Honestly, he’s not that bad looking, people. (Photo via @LouieSTLBlues)

12. Louie- St. Louis Blues

Say what you will about Louie, but again, the polar bear theme is always a win (to me anyway). He’s fuzzy, he’s friendly, Louie is a decent mascot and a great representative of the game. I mean, seriously, what little kid wouldn’t want to cozy up with Louie for a hug or a photo?

It’s not always about having menacing mascots that will bit your opponent’s head off, you guys. Louie is chill. Louie is laid back. St. Louis, you’ve outdone yourselves, as usual.

Mick E. Moose is a tremendous upgrade from Benny, the original Jets mascot (though he’s cool, he can hangout anytime). (Photo via @MickEMoose_00)

11. Mick E. Moose- Winnipeg Jets

Mick E. Moose would have made my top-ten, if it weren’t for his creepy, gigantic, smile.

Other than that, Mick E. Moose is a delightful call up from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Aside from my vendetta against Mick E. Moose’s smile, I don’t have much else to say for you, Winnipeg. Nice job overall, Jets.

January 17, 2017
Boston Through 40 (2016-2017)

By: Nick Lanciani

In another rendition of my season long look at projected Boston Bruins stats, here’s how things are going through 40 games played (yes, I know, I’m a little late to posting this, but hey, life is kind of going on outside of the Internet, ya know).

Despite cooling off as of late, David Pastrnak is still on pace for a career year to remember in Boston. A slow year for Patrice Bergeron is still a lot better year than all of our years combined. Given the eye test as of late, Brad Marchand is waking up, despite what his 22-35-57 projected totals say.

Across the roster, the Bruins are dominating the Corsi for% game. The only problem is that they’re having a hard time converting immense offensive production and efficiency into goals. Additionally, plus-minus is not Boston’s best friend right now, despite having stellar nights in and out from Tuukka Rask in goal. While Rask has been outstanding, that whole “goals in, goals out” model doesn’t appear to be working for the skaters in front of him in goal differential and the like.

Boston’s rookie trio of Austin Czarnik, Anton Blidh and Brandon Carlo look to be contributors down the remaining stretch, but don’t look for their play to show up in the points column too much. Instead, take your eye off the puck, because that’s where they reside, setting up the big plays.

Finally, about the Bruins goalies…

Rask shouldn’t play upwards of 60 games, but if he has to, this year appears to be an acceptable year to do so.

Anton Khudobin was sent to Providence after having played thus far worse than he did in nine games last season with the Anaheim Ducks before being sent to San Diego.

With a few more games under his belt, Zane McIntyre should come into his own on the NHL level. Until then, the 10-0-0 goalie in the AHL so far this year is still looking for his first win in the NHL (which would certainly help my forecast function in Excel and allow me to say more).

Standard disclaimer:

“Keep in mind, every stat is based off of a player’s entire career and may not reflect well with the other stats projected for this current season (a.k.a. goals + assists might not equal the number of points shown in the points category), because again, each stat is forecasted individually.

Italics indicates a player currently with their respective AHL affiliate. Underlined player stats indicate a player on the IR (which, admittedly, I’ll do my best to keep up with, but might not have perfect every time, so forgive me if I mistakenly label an injury or fail to label one entirely).”

Boston Bruins Projections- Through game 40 of 82

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For comparison, here’s how the Bruins were projected to do at Game 0 of 82 (prior to the start of the 2016-2017 regular season):

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*I keep saying I’m going to get around to projecting stats for the Arizona Coyotes and I really do mean it. These things take some time by hand, so please forgive me. It’ll probably be some time soon(ish).*

January 12, 2017
Numbers Game: Ranking the Mascots of the NHL (20-16)

By: Nick Lanciani

The following is a continuation of the ranking of all of the mascots in the NHL, based on the list of NHL mascots Wikipedia page.

Viktor E. Ratt (left) and Stanley C. Panther (right) would be a winning combo if Viktor E. Ratt retired. (Photo via @FlaPanthersCARE)

20. Stanley C. Panther/ Viktor E. Ratt- Florida Panthers

If it weren’t for Viktor E. Ratt’s existence, Stanley C. Panther might have cracked the top ten. But since Viktor E. Ratt exists, I was generous enough to at least include them in the top-20. Look, I understand Vikor E. Ratt’s significance, given the history and tradition behind Florida Panthers fans tossing plastic rats on the ice, but one mascot is enough. Leave the 1996 inspired rat behind. Please.

As for Stanley C. Panther, he’s average. Despite being rather plain looking, he has a clean aesthetic and ties in perfectly with the Florida Panthers as an organization (aside from, you know, his existence as a Florida panther, the endangered animal and an extension of the brand).

Victor E. Green definitely stands out in a crowd. (Photo via Dallas Stars)

19. Victor E. Green- Dallas Stars

An ode to the man who moved the North Stars to Dallas or simply an ode to their jersey color, you decide, but Victor E. Green is a pretty solid, lovable, alien. The fact of the matter is that he is too lovable. While I give the Dallas Stars props for joining the mascot bandwagon however long ago (it was pretty recent, but not as recent as Hunter’s arrival with the Edmonton Oilers), an alien is a bit far fetched, unless your team is located in the same state as Area 51 (hello, Vegas Golden Knights employees who are reading this, please take my idea and run with it).

Kudos to the Stars, though, for the wonderful mascot bio that notes Victor E. Green’s relationship status as “[a]lienated” and his birthplace as “[a] galaxy far, far away” (Star Wars > Star Trek, come at me, nerds). Minus five points for being too similar to a MLB mascot, though.

Harvey the Hound, giving me nightmares, since forever for some reason. (Photo by Derek Leung/ Getty Images)

18. Harvey the Hound- Calgary Flames

Craig MacTavish isn’t a fan of Harvey the Hound, just ask that 2003 playoff game where he ripped out Harvey the Hound’s tongue (look it up on YouTube on your own time). Fun fact, Harvey the Hound is the oldest mascot in the NHL. Because of that, he gets some brownie points and rises in my ranking. But also because of that and his much needed spin through the washing machine or whatever, he gets downgraded a few spots.

Look, I have no real complaints about Harvey the Hound here other than the costume should probably be dry cleaned and maybe modernized a bit. And no, despite what you may be thinking, Scorch wasn’t better.

Gnash looks smashing, despite the fact that the baby blue went better with the silver that was once rampant in Nashville’s jerseys. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/ Freestyle Photo/ Getty Images)

17. Gnash- Nashville Predators

Got to say, not a huge fan of the baby blue, but otherwise Gnash fits the bill perfectly for the Predators. I mean, simply put, there’s not much else to say about this mascot. So 17th it is.

If it’s from New Jersey it better be Bruce Springsteen or else– so not this guy. Nice try, New Jersey. (Photo via @NJDevil00)

16. N.J. Devil- New Jersey Devils

Some people say N.J. Devil is one of the greatest mascots in sports. I am not “some people”. It might be unfair to hold their uniforms against them, but there’s just something that seems unoriginal about New Jersey’s mascot. What’s with the mustache? Why haven’t they changed their jerseys (or at least added a third jersey) in ages?

It’s New Jersey, why don’t they just dress up one of Bruce Springsteen’s guitars and call it their mascot? Better yet, just get Bruce Springsteen himself to show up at every game. Maybe then the recent lackluster attendance problem will be solved.

January 1, 2017
Working On A Dream

By: Nick Lanciani

Dear Reader,

I can finally say I’ve made it. Sort of.

I’ve landed a new position in my emerging career that will likely take up a lot of my new found free time in life after college (again, sort of– I only have one more class and it’s online). So what this means is that Down the Frozen River will go on just as usual, but I may or may not always have time to get to do what I intended to do all along in my spare time after school (write endlessly until someone noticed me and hired me).

Connor will still write his Game of the Day matchups, Colby will still write “Colby’s Corner”, Frank will keep writing his column and everything else will continue to operate as normal. Don’t worry. Your favorite content won’t stop and whatever I wrote that you previously ignored/glanced over might be less frequent.

I will, however, continue to produce episodes of the Down the Frozen River Podcast and update my projected stats as best as I can, but if you don’t see me interacting with content as much as I have in the past, it’s nothing personal.

I want to thank everyone once again and give another special shout out to the Carolina Panthers Radio Network (shouts to y’all).

In the meantime, if you like watching the Bruins, hopefully I don’t ruin that for you, because I’ll be taking some of the controls, tracking stats and researching stuff for on-air in the background. I’m looking forward to getting started at NESN and would like to thank you all for reading, listening and interacting on Twitter. Keep being awesome, [INSERT YOUR NAME HERE].

Respectfully Yours,

Nick Lanciani

December 27, 2016
Numbers Game: Ranking the mascots of the NHL (25-21)

By: Nick Lanciani

The following is a continuation of the ranking of all of the mascots in the NHL, based on the list of NHL mascots Wikipedia page.

Why, just why? Sparky the Dragon’s on Twitter kids (@SparkyNYI).

25. Sparky the Dragon- New York Islanders

Sparky the Dragon double-dipped as the mascot of the Islanders, wearing blue and orange during Islanders games, and pink, red and black for the New York Dragons (Arena Football) team until 2009. This mascot made sense for the Dragons, considering, hello, Sparky the Dragon is a dragon. But unfortunately for minority Isles owner, Charles Wang (who also owned the New York Dragons), you can’t always get what you want from applying one thing to satisfy two needs.

What was so wrong about the Gorton’s fisherman era Islanders? Honestly, just take that concept and make it a walking thing that creeps on people– I mean, takes pictures with fans and ensures everyone is having a good time at Barclays Center. Plus, the 90s are cool again and most likely every hipster in Brooklyn would flock to an arena that’s ill-fitted for hockey to 1) learn who the Islanders are and 2) dig the on fleek colors of the fisherman (is that what they say now?).

Come to think of it, what’s with mascots on Twitter anyway? Photo via @NordyWild on Twitter (Nordy’s Official Account)

24. Nordy- Minnesota Wild

Everyone says Nordy looks like Alex from Madagascar and while I won’t disagree, I will say that Nordy looks pretty bad. It doesn’t help that the Wild applied their bear logo across his face, for starters. Plus his mane is a bit unkempt.

Come to think of it, I don’t really know what really makes Nordy quite an unattractive mascot. Maybe it’s his number. I mean, 18,001 is a bit much to fit on a jersey. Plus his smile just screams “help me”, “get me out of here” or something along those lines. Minnesota made an attempt. That’s good. He is a lot less creepy than some mascots in the MLB (looking at you– actually, all of the MLB mascots except for Wally the Green Monster). But for NHL mascots, Nordy doesn’t rank quite as well.

“Go stand next to him! He won’t bite– actually, Billy, I’m not sure if he bites,” me if I was a parent. (Photo via Andy Delvin/ Oilers Entertainment Group)

23. Hunter- Edmonton Oilers

Shouts to the Edmonton Oilers for finally introducing a mascot to their organization for their first time in franchise history this season. Hunter’s namesake comes from the original owner of the then Alberta Oilers of the World Hockey Association, Bill Hunter.

But that’s about it for cutesy comments about this sure to devour anyone in its path looking mascot. Look, Hunter’s a great name for the Oilers considering it pays homage to the aforementioned Bill Hunter, but it’s probably not a great name for a lynx that for sure is a carnivore and hunts things. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me or something. Regardless, Edmonton, you tried. Am I glad you finally have a mascot, yes. It’s just a little… creepy.

Bernie’s eyes will haunt you in your sleep. (Photo via Colorado Avalanche)

22. Bernie the St. Bernard- Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche have been feeling the Bern since they switched up their mascot from Howler the Yeti to Bernie the St. Bernard in 2009. For the first few years of Bernie’s existence, I could live with the change.

Yet, as I grow older, I become more nostalgic and cranky towards change. Howler the Yeti was better. Even in the franchise’s days as the Québec Nordiques, whatever this thing was that was the Nordiques mascot was better than this alien-looking dog (look at Bernie’s eyes and tell me he’s not something from Area 51, speaking of which, there’s an idea for you, Vegas Golden Knights, give us an alien). And what’s with the barrel, Bernie? What are you hiding from us and how did you get that past security?

Could be worse. (Photo via Christian Petersen/ Getty Images North America)

21. Howler- Arizona Coyotes

Howler isn’t all that bad, just not that great. He’s average. The kind of mascot that you can be proud of, but wish could do more. Put him in a kachina jersey all year and he’d probably jump up 20 spots in my rankings.

Other than that, I really don’t have any reason why Howler fits in at 21st overall. He just does. Maybe it’s his face. Yeah, come to think of it, his face kind of bothers me. It’s almost too perfect and kind of oddly angled to a point for a nose. That thing’s probably sharp and could poke out someone’s eye. Minus 10 points for safety.

December 20, 2016
Numbers Game: Ranking the mascots of the NHL (30-26)

By: Nick Lanciani

The following is a ranking of all of the mascots in the NHL, based on the list of NHL mascots Wikipedia page.

*Bonus: 31. Vegas Golden Knights

It might be a bit of a savage move (as woke teens these days say) to place the newest expansion team that hasn’t even played a game yet last on the list, but I did it anyway. The point is this, compared with the teams that have been around since before the Vegas franchise was born, this organization better wow me with a mascot design of the 21st century that speaks “we’re better than all of the other teams ranked in this post today, because we at least have a mascot and some of them don’t and/or have ugly ones”.

But hey, no hard feelings if you don’t, Vegas, I understand you guys need a little longer to find yourselves (or at least an end to the trademark dispute regarding your name). Best of luck in 2017!

30. New York Rangers

Seriously, how could you be 90-years-old and not have a mascot for perhaps one of the easiest nicknames to create a mascot based off of? Or at the very least, just put a giant apple somewhere in MSG, similar to the New York Mets’s apple back in the days of Shea Stadium, put some giant eyes on it and claim that it ties into the franchise being in “The Big Apple” or something. I mean, really.

29. Philadelphia Flyers

The only reason why the Flyers rank higher than the Rangers here is simply because they are about 40 years younger and had a short-lived mascot in the mid-70s. Currently, Philadelphia doesn’t have a mascot, which is something that, similar to the Rangers, is an easy fix. Put an old airplane pilot helmet on some scruffy looking thing and call him “Phil” or “Flyer” or literally anything. You give me the name, I’ll draw you the look, now pay me, Flyers.

Via @NHLStormy on Twitter. That’s right, kids, Stormy has his own Twitter account.

28. Stormy- Carolina Hurricanes

Look, I’m all for the name. I’m all for the Hurricanes doing well, because I want to see every franchise succeed in some way. However, I draw the line with making a pig your mascot. I get it, the bacon/pork industry is huge in North Carolina, but the best thing you could come up with after replacing the mascot-god that was Pucky the Whale is a pig? A pig. And not a very good looking pig at that.

Seems kind of amateurish to me, but what do I know? I’m not a mascot inventor. It’s one thing to just move the goal horn with the team, but it probably would’ve been an okay idea to transfer the likeness of Pucky the Whale to the Hurricanes back in 1997.

What’s up with the electric green and bright yellow, folks? (Photo by Matt Zambonin/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)

27. Stinger- Columbus Blue Jackets

Original, yes. Bright green, yes. Fits in with the color palette of the organization? No. The obvious play on words here, implying the thing that buzzes in the air and stings people (bees) makes a decent transition in concept. The reality, does not.

At the very least, Columbus, you made the right choice in getting rid of the short-lived Boomer the Cannon. That thing was definitely not PG, no matter how you try to slice it.

Al the Octopus can’t even walk around Joe Louis Arena and do, you know, actual mascot things. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

26. Al the Octopus- Detroit Red Wings

Arguably, this one should be lower, but I’ll give the Red Wings a little bit of a pass for the sake of the meaning behind this one. An octopus has eight legs and we’ve all heard the story of how these creatures ended up flying onto the ice in Detroit back in the day (and still to this day, by virtue of 25 consecutive years of making the playoffs), but this “mascot” is just a giant thing that they lower and raise from the rafters of Joe Louis Arena before games.

Not that cool, to be honest. It would be cool if they at least made a walking mascot counterpart, then maybe the octopus duo would receive a higher grade. Then again, maybe just don’t ruin everything by having Little Caesar walk around as the official mascot of the Red Wings next year at the new Little Caesar Arena, mmkay?

December 12, 2016
Down the Frozen River Podcast #46- The End (Part One)

Colby and Nick discuss Taylor Hall, John Scott, Marek Svatos, the Winnipeg Jets, the Ottawa Senators and more on this week’s episode.

December 9, 2016
Down the Frozen River Podcast #45- Agree to Disagree

Colby and Nick discuss the firing of Gerard Gallant, the Vegas Golden Knights and more as they agree to disagree on many things in this episode. Also appearing, whatever our suitemates were doing in the background that may or may not have been picked up on the microphone (our apologies).

December 2, 2016
Celebrating the Centennial

By: Nick Lanciani

I’ve got a few hours before I have to hop on a plane for Thanksgiving, so I figured I’d write about my thoughts on the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings Centennial Classic jerseys that were unveiled on Monday.

Toronto is hosting Detroit outdoors on January 1, 2017, so I’ll talk about their jersey first.

Celebrate 100 years of hockey.
Our Centennial Classic sweater is available now at @RealSports Apparel: https://t.co/GcXLqbUzjA #TMLtalk pic.twitter.com/hK0ZfsrXFW

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) November 22, 2016

Overall, nice job Toronto. You pulled off another successful look outdoors while paying homage to your franchise’s history (note the stylized “T” on the pants, reminiscent of their days as the Toronto Arenas).

A lot of sports writers take issue with the white logo on the white stripe, which, granted isn’t perfect, fits you well as a fresh take on an age-old jersey style that dates back to the days of actual sweaters (the striping pattern, not the white-on-white logo). Way back in the day, the Toronto St. Pats had a look similar to this design, except their colors were green and white, instead of blue and white.

Look up the early history of the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s a convoluted oasis of trying to figure out a brand identity, almost being bought and moved to Philadelphia, as well as finally figuring it out and settling on the Maple Leafs moniker in 1927 and sticking to it.

This jersey is an excellent representation of the early days of Toronto’s franchise if you really look into it. The only thing I take exception to are the socks. They just seem kind of bland for a team that usually has extravagant striping patterns on their socks.

All I’m saying is give these jerseys a chance. Especially compared to Detroit’s look for the Centennial Classic. Let me put it this way, Toronto, I hope you win on January 1st. Detroit, I hope you lose every last outdoor game you ever play in.

Here's a look at the jerseys that the #RedWings will wear for the 2017 Scotiabank @NHL #CentennialClassic. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/f0zJaLV5Zs

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 21, 2016

Here’s my analysis:

GIF via Ride the Pine

Hopefully you can’t read lips.

But seriously Detroit, what the h-e-double hockey sticks.

I don’t mind you trying to honor your franchise’s 11 Stanley Cups, but that silver stripe just isn’t cutting it for me, especially when the rest of your jersey lacks more pizazz than a candy cane.

There’s virtually nothing that ties this jersey to the sweaters from the days of yore when the Red Wings were the Detroit Cougars or the Detroit Falcons. Whereas Toronto focused on emphasizing elements of their past, Detroit seems focused on showing off where the future looks of the sport might go (and if this is it, I’ll gladly pass, thanks).

I’m a fan of the cut of this jersey. Ever since the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens brought back a more sweater-like design to the modern jersey aesthetic and materials, I’m very much a fan of going old style for an outdoor game. It’s a once in a lifetime experience (despite however many outdoor games a year your team is in— I’m looking at you, Chicago) for the players and the fans, so every team should have the green light to this design of a jersey for such a special event.

Having said that, you’ve got to pull it off right. And frankly Detroit, you missed the net. You Patrik Stefan-ed it.

The Red Wings had good outdoor jerseys for the 2009 and 2014 Winter Classics, but since then, their outdoor gear hasn’t lived up to the status of such a legendary organization that prides itself on tradition and doing next to nothing to change the look of their jerseys (they’ve used the same styling at home and on the road since the 2007 Reebok Edge design).

In conclusion, I’m still probably going to watch this game, because I’m a sucker for outdoor hockey and honoring the heritage of the world’s greatest sport.

November 22, 2016