I got an email from a reader on Friday. It just so happens that I’ve been tossing around this very question in my head lately:
hey David, a question / moral dilemma for you:
i have very recently renewed an interest in hockey that i haven’t really had since i was a kid. i’m 20 now and have been of a baseball-centered mind, but a friend of mine recently got me into hockey again. when i was a kid, i rooted for the avalanche, i think mainly because i liked patrick roy (and probably because they were good), so i decided to start following them again. i love your blog; it’s a great way for me to learn as much as i can and keep up with everything i should know.
here’s my question: i know everyone hates the new jerseys, but i feel i need a jersey to sport (i was going to go with a Wolski jersey). as a “new fan” in a sense, would you drop the opinion that the new jerseys should be boycotted? or do you think i should try a little harder and find one of the old ones to buy?
Thanks for emailing, Will. I’m totally going to ignore the fact that you make me feel old by being 20-years old and having the gumption to talk about when you were a kid. But you raise a great question.
The new jerseys look like ass. The dark home jerseys are terrible, and the white road jerseys are just slightly-better-than terrible. I have a bunch of Avalanche jerseys and am itching to get a new one (Stastny, maybe Wolski, or possibly Ben Guite). But I can’t bring myself to do it.
Sadly, I don’t think these gaudy creations are going anywhere soon, nor do I think a boycott - unless it’s on a really large scale - will do anything to get the old sweaters back. For a new fan, having to choose between a new jersey and no jersey, I think the choice is easy: you have to support the team, no matter how ugly you might look doing it. I’m going to stick with my classic jerseys, though, and cross my fingers that the team will wake up and fix the new jerseys before all my old jerseys fall apart.
Thanks for writing, Will, and welcome to the cheap seats. It must have been great to be there in attendance for TJ Hensick’s first goal!
Will,
If you’re not concerned about wearing an authentic jersey (are you an authentic NHL player? Me neither), Ice Jerseys has old-style Avalanche jerseys on sale and in multiple sizes.
https://www.icejerseys.com/cart/item_details.php?id=19
And while I’m dissing authentic jerseys, I never understood why a dude sitting in the stands needs a fight strap. Unless of course he’s a Devils fan at a Flyers game.
Is Budaj the starter tonight?
thanks david, i was pumped when i saw you posted this. many thanks for the solid opinion!
inspired by the performances in my first live Avs game on saturday night, i chose to go with a Stastny jersey. despite how, yeah, the home jerseys kinda look like aprons, i’m excited with the purchase and hopeful that i’ll get it before the Avs come back into LA in a couple weeks.
and yeah, Hensiiiiick’s goal was pretty… sick.
I just asked the same thing on MHH. The previews on Rocky and DP don’t say. I didn’t get my print edition of the RMN today so I simply don’t know. I don’t think the rotation from hell has gone away, Theo could start because it would fit coach Q’s profile to this point.
By the way, Nabokov really looked worn out the other night didn’t he? All those starts and I’m sure he, Luango and Kipper will start to show the effects any day now. I think that’s what Q is telling himself. He’s figured out what no one else in the NHL has, that you can’t play a goaltender more than 40 games in the regular season because it would hurt their play in the postseason, or something.
On the jersey issue, your only hope is to hold out for a 3rd jersey. And you just KNOW the NHL will do it again. It’s like printing their own money. There’s no way they don’t roll out new slim-line 3rds.
oh, they absolutely will have 3rd jerseys back. Just as soon as they get caught up in their production…ha ha, I mean as soon as they’ve sold a boatload of the new crap and need to boost sales again.
unfortunately, I fear that the 3rd jerseys will suck too.
The old 3rd jerseys were poor anyway. I seem to be in the minority, but I always thought they were pretty lame.
The old dark one was the best… the blue is fantastic.
lets just telll ourselves it can’t suck worst .
Pingu - Yeah, I think you’re in the minority judging from seeing all the 3rd jerseys at an average home game (and my biased personal preference, of course).
Is there any reason on god’s green Earth why we couldn’t have done what the Wild did and make our 3rd jerseys our home jerseys? The Wild suddenly went from being tied for worst jerseys in the league (with the Thrashers and Blue Jackets) to having some of the best - at least one out of two.
Will, Stastny was a good choice, he should definitely be around for awhile. I remember a few years ago seeing a guy at a game wearing a Vrbata jersey…just a few days before Vrbata got traded. Ouch.
I happen to know that Dan has both a vintage Skoula number 55 and a Skoula number 41 in his closet.
Looks like Q has “promoted” our fave Wyatt Smith to the third line tonight with Bruno and Richardson, essentially creating two 4th lines. Way to go Q!
Theo fricken sucks.
One of the reasons I don’t get players’ names on the backs of my jerseys is the same reason I don’t get girls’ names tattooed on my skin.
I’m late to the game on this, but I think the best Jersey you can get is on ebay, the ‘04 sakic All-star Jersey. It’ll never go out of style, it’s not the new crappy kind, and Sakic will always be an ‘04 all-star. Plus he won All-star MVP that year.
Plus they look frickin Sweet (it’s the one i’m getting next opportunity)
I’ve been looking for a Jeff Shantz Avalanche jersey. Impossible to find.
Harder than a Theo Fleury?
One of the reasons I don’t get players’ names on the backs of my jerseys is the same reason I don’t get girls’ names tattooed on my skin.
I bought my wife a Joe Thornton jersey 2 years ago. It was going to be a Christmas gift…but he got traded literally days after I got it in the mail.
I just remembered I had a “Thornton” experience, except mine was a little worse. I ordered a jersey with a name on it for a player who actually never wore that jersey.
It was soccer, so you can stop reading now, but Arsenal (Engish soccer team for those who don’t know) were unveiling special commemorative “kits” (jerseys/uniforms for those who don’t know) for some big anniversary…so I pre-ordered mine with Vieira (then-Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira). He was transferred to Juventus a few weeks later and never appeared for Arsenal in that jersey. Good times.
Same thing happened to me with a cricket jersey ….