A Goalie Gear Post

I'm a big fan of when goalies wear dark goalie gear, or at least custom graphics on their white goalie gear.

From a functional point of view, plain white pads make sense (as they contrast less with the ice or boards), but aesthetically I find them quite boring.

So for this post I'm highlighting NHL goalies who this season have worn either dark goalie gear, or gear with custom graphics (or both).

Adin Hill

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

When the Coyotes ran into injury trouble in net, they called up Adin Hill and his black set of gear.  With the only highlights being "brick red", these pads are extra dark (which I like).

Darcy Kuemper

Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images

Also with the Coyotes, Darcy Kuemper breaks out these beauties whenever the Arizona wears their throwback jerseys.  I love this design, it's custom without being overdone.

Antti Raanta

Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images

Antti Raanta, like his teammate Kuemper, also has a set of custom pads to go with the Coyotes third jerseys.  As amazing as these are, I prefer Kuemper's design.

Jaroslav Halak

Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

Claw-marks have appeared on Jaroslav Halak's pads for a longtime now, but now that he's with the Bruins they fit better than ever (notice the bear claws at the bottom of the scratch marks).

Linus Ullmark

Photo by Sara Schmidle/NHLI via Getty Images

Meanwhile in Buffalo, Linus Ullmark has been wearing a mostly blue set which combines the Sabres striping pattern, with the the Buffalo from their primary logo.  I think it it looks pretty sweet!

Mike Smith

Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images

Mike Smith has a different set of gear for each jersey Calgary wears.  As you can see, he wears a red set with black and yellow accents when Calgary is in their home jersey.

Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images

When Calgary wears their retro jersey, Smith ditches the black accents to match the Flames' vintage colour scheme.  He also breaks out a great mask, which is painted to look like Mike Vernon's old helmet-and-cage style bucket.

Scott Darling

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Carolina's Scott Darling also has multiple sets of gear.  His main set-up is shown above, which is mainly red with some black and white trim.

Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images

With the Hurricanes third jersey, Darling swaps the black and red, and adds grey to the mix.

Darling also has an amazing custom set to go with Carolina's retro Whalers uniforms, but he was in the minors when they were worn for the first time (he has one more chance this year, as the Whalers jerseys will be worn again on March the 5th).

Petr Mrazek

Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images

Speaking of the Whalers, Petr Mrazek was the goalie who ended up playing on Whalers night, and he also had a matching set of pads for the occasion.  They're not as flashy as Darling's pads, but they're still quite nice.

Corey Crawford

Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

For a few seasons now Corey Crawford has worn black pads, which I think look great paired with both of the Blackhawks' classic jerseys.  Hopefully Crawford gets healthy again soon, as he's battled concussion problems these past two seasons.

Jimmy Howard

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Jimmy Howard has played great this season, and he's looked great while doing it in his red goalie pads.

Carey Price

Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images

For a handful of games this wear, Carey Price also wore red goalie pads.  He has since switched back to a white set.

Robin Lehner

Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

In his first season with the New York Islanders, Robin Lehner has been wearing a set which is blue with white and some orange trim.

Henrik Lundqvist

Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images

The other New York team has Henrik Lundqvist of course, who has custom graphics on his pads.  Honestly, I think these pads have one too many competing elements, but they're still better than most.

Craig Anderson

Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

Craig Anderson's main pads are black with gold and some red trim.  Personally I'd swap the red and gold, since Ottawa only uses gold as an accent colour.

Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images

Ottawa's third jersey uses silver in place of gold, and Anderson makes the same swap with his equipment to match.  I like these pads better than his main set, I think the silver looks better than gold.

Marcus Hogberg

Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images

Marcus Hogberg just recently made his NHL debut.  He did so wearing these black pads, which have some nice looking red and white trim.

Mike McKenna

Photo by Joe Hrycych/NHLI via Getty Images

The only goalie on this list who catches with his right hand is Ottawa's Mike McKenna, whose gear is black with diagonal stripes.  Also notice the laurel-leaf pattern on the outside edge of the pads.

Aaron Dell

Photo by Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images

Aaron Dell of the San Jose Sharks uses an abstract shark design on his equipment.  They look pretty spiffy if you ask me.

Garret Sparks

Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images

Garret Sparks won the backup job for Toronto this year, beating out Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard.  He also would of beat them in a goalie pad contest, as his set-up features a giant maple leaf design.

Anders Nilsson

Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

When Anders Nilsson was a kid, he had a pair of pads with "beast" graphics.  He brought the design back for his latest set with the Canucks.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images

We'll finish off with my favourite goalie pads of the year, which are Marc-Andre Fleury's set of golden equipment (inspired by the gear he wore at the start of his career) .  He hasn't worn them very often so far, hopefully we see them more frequently in the new year.

Unless I've missed someone, those are the NHL goalies who have worn dark (or custom) goalie gear so far this season (and please let me know if I have missed anyone).  I'm actually surprised they were so many, I count twenty different goalies including three who had multiple sets of dark equipment.

Do you have a favourite set of pads from this list?  If so, leave a comment saying which one it is.

And finally, have a very happy New Year!

Double Hurricanes

Welcome back!

My Ideal Carolina Hurricanes:

The hurricane flag pattern comes from Carolina's 1997-2013 jerseys, the number font and extended road yoke come from their current set, while the sleeve striping pattern is new.  I also removed the silver outline from their logo.

New Look Carolina Hurricanes:

I had an idea to try hurricane flags on the upper-sleeves, which worked best using black as the home jersey colour.  There's also stripes on the cuffs and hem, a block font for the name and numbers, and once again I ditched the silver from their primary logo.

Have a good day!

Double Sharks

Hello again!

My Ideal San Jose Sharks:

These are based off of the Sharks current jerseys, but with hem stripes added and their fin logo as a shoulder patch.  The striping of the road jersey was altered to use more teal.

New Look San Jose Sharks:

And here's a concept which uses teal for the pants, gloves, and (home) helmets.  I chose their newest full-body shark as the primary logo, with the matching partial shark as the secondary logo.  The striping pattern consists of standard sleeve and hem stripes.

See ya later!

Double Blues

I've finally made another NHL Double Series concept!

My Ideal St. Louis Blues:

I really like the Blues current jerseys (minus the white numbers), which is reflected by my "ideal" set.  The biggest change is removing the gap in the arm and hem stripes, any other changes are pretty minor.

New Look St. Louis Blues:

My goal here was to give the Blues a fresh look, while using their original royal blue and yellow colour scheme.  For the logos, I curved the top of the blue-note and used their roundel as a shoulder patch.  I wanted to keep the striping pattern simple and clean, and I tried numbers on the pants just to experiment a bit.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Blackhawks and Bruins

I've finally made a new concept!

2019 NHL Winter Classic:

My goal was to do something different for the Blackhawks, so I used their original black-and-white colour scheme, along with a striping pattern somewhat inspired by their barberpole jerseys.  For the logo I tried their tomahawk-C logo in a roundel, and the sleeve numbers overlapping the stripes come from their 1959-61 home jersey.

The Bruins jersey is mostly inspired by their 1939-48 white jersey, but with a yellow base instead, and the block-B logo on the front.  I also added cuffs similar to what was used on their 1932-39 jerseys.

Thanks for visiting!

Updates (June 2018)

Just a quick update post today...

Firstly, I've finally added (to the Templates page) team templates for the seven specialty jerseys worn this past season.

Secondly, I hope to get back to posting some concepts soon, I just haven't had any ideas for concepts lately.

Thirdly, I'll likely continue to write a few non-concept posts as well (like the last two posts, Colours for Seattle and A Vintage Jersey Program).

That's all for now!

A Vintage Jersey Program

For one glorious season (2003-04), the NHL had a Vintage Jersey Program.  It was a small program (only the Bruins, Oilers, Kings, Canadiens, Rangers, Blues, and Canucks took part), and it had its flaws (some teams didn't bother with matching equipment), but it had the potential to be something great.

Unfortunately, the following season was lost to the 2004-05 lockout, and the Vintage Jersey Program wasn't brought back afterwards.

Image from GameWornAuctions.Net

I'd love to see the NHL re-introduce the Vintage Jersey Program, but this time it should be bigger and better than ever.  Here's what I'm thinking...

• It would be introduced for the 2019-20 season, as third jerseys are being re-introduced this upcoming season.
• Participation wouldn't be mandatory.  I'm picturing about 20 teams taking part.
• Each vintage set would consist of a matching (from the same year) light and dark jersey.
• The vintage jerseys would be worn about six times total (three each for the light and dark jersey).
• When vintage jerseys are worn, both the home and road team would be in their vintage jerseys (as much as possible).
• A jersey could be both a vintage jersey and a third jersey.  For example, the Capitals could use their throwback red jersey as a regular third, while also using it as their dark vintage jersey (along with the matching white jersey).
• Teams wouldn't be able to switch to a different vintage set for a certain amount of years (about three to four years).  This would prevent teams from rotating vintage sets each year solely for jersey sale reasons.
• During that time limit, teams could still scrap their vintage jerseys, or promote them (to become their primary jerseys, or a third).

And now here are my thoughts for each individual team...

Anaheim Ducks  (1993-2006)

The original eggplant and jade set is really the only option for the Ducks.

Arizona Coyotes  (1996-2003)

Likewise, the Coyotes have an obvious choice with their old Kachina-style jerseys.

Boston Bruins  (1967-74)

The Bruins have a lot of classic jerseys, but my pick would be their cup winning jerseys worn from 1967-74.

Buffalo Sabres  (1970-96)

Bringing back their royal blue set would be in order for the Sabres, hopefully followed by a promotion (to become their home and road set) soon after.

Calgary Flames  (1980-94)

The Flames won a cup during their red and yellow (without black) era, I can't see why they wouldn't want to bring these back.

Carolina Hurricanes  (1979-92 Hartford Whalers)

Tom Dundon (the Hurricanes new owner) has already brought up the idea of wearing throwback Whalers jerseys for a few select games.

Chicago Blackhawks  (Not Participating)

The Blackhawks are one of the teams I could see not participating in a Vintage Jersey Program.  With all the Winter Classics they play in, they might be getting tired of wearing throwback jerseys.

Colorado Avalanche  (Not Participating)

Colorado's current jerseys are too similar to their classic cup-winning set, and I doubt they'd bring back Nordiques jerseys, so I don't think they'd take part either.

Columbus Blue Jackets  (Not Participating)

The Blue Jackets could bring back their original jerseys as vintage jerseys, however that doesn't seem very likely to me.

Dallas Stars  (1993-97)

Dallas' 90's jerseys aren't really seen as classics, but I'm guessing the Stars would still choose to bring them back.

Detroit Red Wings  (Not Participating)

The Red Wings haven't changed their look much over the years, and they are a traditional franchise.  I think vintage jerseys would be too gimmicky for them.

Edmonton Oilers  (1979-96)

Now that the Oilers wear orange full-time, the path is clear for them to bring back their dynasty-era jerseys as a vintage set.

Florida Panthers  (1993-2007)

Why wouldn't the Panthers want to bring back their original jerseys for a few games a year?  I can't think of any reason why they wouldn't.

Los Angeles Kings  (1967-80)

The Kings have brought back (in separate seasons) both the purple and gold versions of their original design, I'm guessing those would be their choice here.

Minnesota Wild  (Not Participating)

I don't think it's time for the Wild to bring back their original jerseys yet.

Montreal Canadiens  (Not Participating)

The Canadiens could bring back their 1944-47 set as they did for the original Vintage Jersey Program, but I see them choosing not to participate this time.

Nashville Predators  (Not Participating)

I would love to see the Predators original jerseys make the occasional appearance, but I think Nashville has moved on with their current yellow-infused set.

New Jersey Devils  (1982-92)

The Devils' vintage red jersey seems to be popular whenever they break it out, I'm sure the white jersey would be as well.

New York Islanders  (Not Participating)

The Islanders are already wearing a throwback set as their primary jerseys, so it doesn't make sense for them to take part in a Vintage Jersey Program.

New York Rangers  (Not Participating)

They participated in the original Vintage Jersey Program, but I don't think the Rangers would bring back their 1976-78 set again, and their other options are all quite similar to their current jerseys.

Ottawa Senators  (1993-95)

I'm guessing the Senators would break out their original jerseys.  I went with the 1993-95 variation (black jersey has white numbers, but no white in the stripes).

Philadelphia Flyers  (Not Participating)

Since the Flyers are already using vintage primary jerseys, I can't see them being a part of this program.

Pittsburgh Penguins  (1967-68)

The Penguins are back in their classic cup winning set, but they have lots of other options from before then, including their inaugural jerseys.

St. Louis Blues  (1979-84)

During the original Vintage Jersey Program the Blues went with their 1979-84 set.  I think they'd go in the same direction this time around.

San Jose Sharks  (1991-97)

If the Sharks were to take part (which I think they would), they'd go back to their original jersey design.

Tampa Bay Lightning  (1992-2001)

The Lightning also have an easy choice with their original set, but the question is which version?  I went with the 1995-2001 option (Hawaiian blue and paint brush numbers).

Toronto Maple Leafs  (1970-92)

There are quite a few options for the Maple Leafs to choose from.  I decided on their Ballard-era jerseys (1970-92), since they're the least similar to their current jerseys.

Vancouver Canucks  (1989-97)

The most fun option for the Canucks would be their "Flying-V" jerseys, but a more realistic option would be their 1990's skate-on-a-plate set.

Vegas Golden Knights  (Not Participating)

The Vegas Golden Knights have no vintage jerseys, so they obviously wouldn't be participating.

Washington Capitals  (1974-95)

The Capitals would surely take part though, resurrecting their classic 1974-95 jerseys once again.

Winnipeg Jets  (Not Participating)

Winnipeg is a bit tricky since the original Jets now reside in Arizona.  The easiest solution would be for the Jets not to participate (but that wouldn't be a popular decision).


What do you think, should the NHL bring back the Vintage Jersey Program?  And if so, what jerseys would you like to see brought back?