New Jerseys? Not Really.

Well, there you have it and honestly, it’s nothing spectacular. The NHL and Adidas had a huge reveal of the new jerseys for next season and that’s what the Flames will be wearing. Meh. Look, I have nothing against the Flames current digs. I like them a lot, but if you’re doing a major reveal and you basically show off what the team has been wearing for forever, you’ve failed. I like some of what has been done to Calgary’s current jersey set, but I also feel like the NHL missed the mark completely by sticking to what the Flames and other teams currently have (more on that later). Let’s break down the jersey with what I think works and didn’t work.

Good

-No more piping on the sides of the jersey. The old black piping was odd and didn’t add much to the jersey.

-Letters and numbers. The names and numbers on the jerseys are straightened out. I like this look better. It’s cleaner, IMO, and overall will look better on television.

-The tie up on the neck is still there. It’s a variation, but I really like these on jerseys.

-The flags. The Alberta and Canadian flags were left on the jersey. I’m in the minority here, but I really like the way they look. It gives the Flames a unique look and if you weren’t putting the flamming horse head back on, then the flags should stay.

Bad

-Collar. Yuck. I don’t like how the collar starts thick in the back and thins out as it reached the front of the jersey. It reminds me of when Nike took over the NFL and it looked like every team had a collared shirt under a sweater. Missed the mark here.

-Side stripes. I might have eliminated the side stripes that head up to the armpits of the jersey. Adidas could have left the jersey red in that spot and I would have been fine with that.

Overall I’d say the “new” Flames jerseys are fine. If you liked what they wore at home as their primary jersey last season, you should be fine with their jerseys for 2017-18. If you were looking for some sort of shakeup, then you will be disappointed. The cry for the Flames to wear “Retro Red” at home was deafening and the Flames and Adidas ignored the fans request. I’m torn on this because I like the current digs, but the ‘89 red is a nice look too. IF they had gone in that direction a little tinkering would have been in order to “modernize” them, but those would have been welcomed with open arms. These? Probably not going to be flying off the shelves. And I don’t think it’s because they are of poor design. I think it’s because fans were expecting something different and they got more of the same. Are you going to shell out cash for a “new,” full priced Adidas jersey or a 50% off Reebok jersey that looks basically the same?

by Mark Parkinson