This is the most intense period of the NHL calendar for news and, even though this Edmonton Oilers fan is doggedly trying to avoid any content relating to how the Stanley Cup Final ended, that means the post World Championships hiatus at Hockey With Ice has come to an end.
We’ve already had a couple of interesting trades. The LA Kings miraculously found a half-decent way to undo the Pierre-Luc Dubois mistake of last summer thanks to the Washington Capitals, the latter perhaps seeing it as a sacrifice to the hockey gods to atone for the sin of them taking CapFriendly away from us.
Then on Monday the long-running story of Boston breaking up the game’s greatest goalie bromance came to pass with Linus Ullmark being traded to the Ottawa Senators, leaving Jeremy Swayman bereft (but also considerably richer when he signs a contract extension in due course).
Another trade or two could be forthcoming as teams gear up for the NHL draft on Friday and Saturday and then we await the glorious chaos of July 1st and the free agency dam bursting open.
Before then, we can take a moment to look at retail and rebrands.
New ‘authentic’ jerseys
The NHL and Fanatics have just announced details of the new uniforms for the 2024-25 season. This includes a new premium option being added to the range:
“When the jerseys are available via retail in September, fans, for the first time in a decade, will be able to purchase the authentic on-ice jersey, the identical jersey made in Canada and worn by their favorite teams and players every game. In fact, fans will be able to shop four distinct Fanatics jersey categories — Authentic Pro, Premium (equivalent to the highest level of retail jersey that exists now), Breakaway (the existing Fanatics fan jersey) and a new retail version of the practice jersey”.
No pricing details have been made available as part of the launch, presumably so that it isn’t overshadowed by thousands of hockey fans collapsing in shock at the cost of the “on-ice” versions.
We’ve already seen this trend in the UK as kit suppliers look for further revenue growth from premium options to counter any slowing in demand for shirts/jerseys. The England football shirt for 2024 is a prime example, with Nike selling a “Stadium Shirt” as the regular fan version at £85 and then a premium “Match Shirt” that will set you back £125.
Definitely an expensive item to rip up and set fire to in frustration at the team’s dismal performances so far at the European Championships!
In club football, kit suppliers have somehow managed to normalise every team releasing three new kits every single season.
That’s not something we really see in North American sports as they tend to stick with similar designs, in part due to the absence of a sponsor’s logo taking up the lion’s share of the front (and a bit on the back, and one of the sleeves) that may change every few seasons. Sadly I wouldn’t rule out this practice heading to North America in the near future, following in the grim footsteps of the decision to import the British scourge of sports betting (and, more specifically, the inescapable suffocating presence of sports betting commercials).
Jumping on the Rebrand-wagon
Both the LA Kings and the Anaheim Ducks are launching new branding that pays homage to designs of the past.
The Kings came first last week with news of their “Brand Evolution” …
The LA Kings today officially announced and unveiled a brand evolution consisting of new team logos and design elements. Specifically, the teams new primary mark, which contains core elements from the club’s 90s era and original crown from the team’s inception in 1967. Additionally, the club introduced new word marks, brand font and updated color palette, which features a new “enhanced silver,”
Whilst I’m not sure anyone asked for, nor needed, an “enhanced silver”, the new primary logo is an elegant change from what, to my eyes, was one of the more bland logos in the NHL.
Then their neighbours decided to join in on the rebrand bandwagon (rebrandwagon?) today by announcing a bold new look based on a striking orange colour and the return of their classic duck-billed goalie mask logo. As with the Kings, they had previously ditched their quirky logo for something that I guess the marketing types considered to be classier but was in fact characterless.
As their official announcement puts it:
“Sharper angles and a striking presence are a beacon of our ambition. Our logo’s determined expression is a striking embodiment of our evolution, while Wild Wing’s “WW” remains a foundation of the stick blades. Our former primary mark has also been refined and takes its place as our secondary logo … From a sleek new typeface to a streamlined representation of our past on each shoulder, our new identity at home and on the road is a fusion of our heritage, our spirit, and our vision”.
It’s difficult to know whether to be impressed or depressed by the limitless levels of nonsense that these companies come up with to describe their expensive work, but I’m a fan of what both teams have done this time around so will not judge the flowery verbiage too harshly.
