New Blackhawks Winter Classic Jersey Almost Gets It Right

toews
Blackhawks’ captain Jonathan Toews models the 2015 Winter Classic Jersey [Blackhawks / NHL]

The Chicago Blackhawks unveiled their new jerseys for the 2015 Winter Classic Wednesday on Twitter, then later on their website. And I love it. It is awesome. It is almost perfect.

Almost.

Upon seeing Captain Serious in the new duds, I was instantly reminded of the ‘Hawks jersey from the 1950s, characterized by the lace-up collar and the familiar, though less-colorful, crossed tomahawks overlapping the elbow stripes instead of up on the shoulders. One look at this and I’m instantly reminded of Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and other players that I did not grow up watching.

As a longtime fan of the team, I got it. It was retro.Worthy of a Winter Classic.

But there was one thing wrong…

toewsJust one thing…

new_logoYep. The logo.The greatest logo in all of hockey…and yet it is just wrong here. It just doesn’t feel right.

What the team should have done is use the previous logo, which adorned the sweaters from 1955 to 1965.

old_logo

This is the team’s sweater from 1957-58, which is what the 2015 Blackhawks Winter Classic jersey is based on.

1957-58_sweaterThe team missed an opportunity by taking this classic design and slapping the modern logo on it. Heck, even Pepsi and Miller Lite used their retro logos when selling throwback versions of their beverages. Because no one wants to drink retro Miller Lite with a new logo on the can. Or drink Miller Lite at all, for that matter.

Face it, the ‘Hawks could have just copied the 1957-58 jersey, logo and all- straight-up and no one would have complained. This would have also introduced the 1955-65 logo to a generation of fans who have only known the modern and 2009 Winter Classic logos.

On past retro jerseys, the Blackahwks opted to use older logos. The “barber-pole” style jerseys the Blackhawks wore in the 1991-92 season were based on their jersey from the 1940s. Even their 2009 Winter Classic jerseys are basically their jersey from the late 1930s. Slapping the the newest version of Chief Black Hawk on either of those would not have been right.

It’s not right here either. It isn’t the end of the world — and I am so glad that it isn’t yet another black jersey as originally hinted. But if you’re an 88-year old hockey club that’s going to go retro for an outdoor game, be sure to go retro with the most important detail. ■

mm

Author: Sal Barry

Sal Barry is the editor and webmaster of Puck Junk. He is a freelance hockey writer, college professor and terrible hockey player. Follow him on Twitter @puckjunk

2 thoughts on “New Blackhawks Winter Classic Jersey Almost Gets It Right”

  1. In the age of everything PC, maybe they thought the old logo was too Native American-y? It’s unfortunate. The Redskins are being forced to change in the public eye. It’s only a matter of time before the rest do too.

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