What if the Minnesota North Stars never left?

I'm back with the fourth and possibly final installment of my "What If?" series (I'll probably make a Whalers version, but I haven't started it yet). This is my take on what the North Stars would look like if they had never left.

Pre-Edge Era

1991-95

With relocation rumours swirling, the North Stars redesigned their uniforms by removing any reference to the "North" part of their name. A relocation to Dallas almost happened in 1993, but that deal fell apart at the last minute. The North Stars were then sold to local owners who kept them in Minnesota.

1995-97

The "N-Star" logo returned as a shoulder patch, and gold was added to the names and numbers.

1997-2000

After six seasons on the sidelines, the "N-Star" logo became the primary logo once again. The jerseys featured an arrow on the sleeves, pointing up (aka North).

2000-2003

The North Stars moved into the newly completed Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul for the start of the 2000-01 season. They also introduced a new green third jersey, their first green jersey in almost ten years.

2003-07

The green third jersey became the new home jersey when the NHL switched to dark jerseys at home before the 2003-04 season.

2003-04 Vintage Jersey Program

The North Stars took part in the NHL's Vintage Jersey Program, wearing replicas of their 1969-72 jerseys. Unfortunately, they didn't bother to use matching equipment (neither did the Kings or Blues).

Reebok Edge Era

2007-09

A new road jersey, which matched the green home jersey, was introduced during the league wide switch to Reebok Edge jerseys.

2009-15

The North Stars added a black third jersey, featuring a similar striping pattern to a rejected prototype jersey from the 80's.

2015-17

The North Stars unveiled a new look in the summer of 2015, featuring an updated "N-Star" logo and a forest green and gold colour scheme. If you look closely you'll notice the upward (aka northward) facing notch in the sleeve stripes.

2017 Winter Classic

With both teams celebrating their 50th anniversaries, the North Stars headed to St. Louis to face the Blues in the 2017 Winter Classic. Minnesota brought back their 1978-81 white jersey for the occasion.

Adidas Adizero Era

2017-22

The jerseys were unchanged during the Adidas Adizero takeover.

2021 Reverse Retro

The North Stars brought back their "arrow" design for their 2021 Reverse Retro jersey, this time with green as the primary colour.  Xcel Energy sponsored Minnesota's helmets this season.

2022 Winter Classic

The North Stars once again faced the Blues in a Winter Classic game, this time in Minnesota. They wore the green version of their previous Winter Classic jersey.

2022-Future

The previous year's Winter Classic jersey becomes the full-time third jersey for the 2022-23 season. Also TRIA Orthopedics is introduced as the team's jersey sponsor, with Toyota sponsoring the helmets.

Have a nice weekend!

What if the Atlanta Thrashers never left?

What would the Atlanta Thrashers look like if they had never left? That's the focus of part three of my "What If? series.

2011-17

A new local ownership group purchased the Thrashers in 2010, and one of the changes they made was the introduction of new uniforms for the 2011-12 season. Ice blue became the undisputed primary colour, with the stripes making use of the rest of the colours from the logo.

2017-18

The sleeve stripes were straightened during the switch to the Adidas template. Also, the thrasher-head logo was added to the back of the collars, and ice blue was further emphasized by being used for the helmets and gloves.

2018-22

A navy blue third jersey was added in 2018 which used the Thrashers' T-bird logo on the front, and stealth numbers. The players would choose to use this jersey in the playoffs.

2021 Reverse Retro

Atlanta's Reverse Retro jersey took their original road jersey and swapped the navy and maroon colours. This jersey was popular with fans, who in general prefered the T-bird logo. Also starting this season, The Home Depot began sponsoring the team's helmets.

2022-Future

Navy blue becomes the primary colour, and the T-bird logo becomes the main logo when the Thrashers unveil new jerseys prior to the 2022-23 season. The previous primary logo is ditched altogether, but ice blue remains fairly prominent being used for the pants, gloves, and road jerseys' numbers. Delta Air Lines is introduced as the team's jersey sponsor.

I'll be back next week with a "What If?" for the Minnesota North Stars!