For the 07/08 season the NHL has decided to go with a new type and style of jerseys for all of the 29 NHL teams.
The new Reebok EDGE jerseys are smaller, lighter and keep the players cooler with a new moisture wicking technology. The prototypes for these jerseys were used in the 06/07 All Star game.
The internet has been abuzz with news of the restyling of these jerseys the past few days as the Islanders released their redesigned jersey last week. See the design below:
My take, I am open to change – although I would typically remain a naturalist when it comes to hockey. I think that the jerseys look great, but they could look better.
The away jersey should have been designed to have more blue than orange. It should not have the same sleeve color as the home blue jersey.
It should also not have the blue piping across the shoulder, although – should the sleeves be corrected I think it would look better.
I mean, they swapped the colors at the bottom of the jersey – why not the sleeves?
Lastly, the number font doesn’t really do much for me – on the Home blue jersey it looks out of place, especially on the back where it is billboard size. I think this is another area that needs to be tweaked a bit.
Positives:
Numbers on the front – I think that this is a great addition, even if we copied off of Buffalo.
Kept were the 4 stripes signifying our 4 consecutive Stanley Cup wins.
Added was the Lighthouse on the opposite shoulder, originally found on the "Fishsticks" jersey from the 1993 season.
Laces, I think this is a great nod to the sweaters of yesteryear – although some do not like this.
The organization is generally great at listening to fans; hopefully they are able to put in a request to "tweak" their jersey for next season.
Overall, I would buy the Home Blue, but you can keep the Away White until changes are made.
IMO these are the nicest jerseys the Islanders have ever had.