The 2020 edition of Icethetics’ annual JerseyWatch may have come a bit later than usual, but it’s packed with more exciting news than we’ve seen since the site launched in 2007. Read on to see why!
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Currently, 20 of 31 NHL teams employ a third jersey. The big headline for the 2020-21 season promises to be the introduction of a new series of alternate uniforms—what I’m calling the fourth jersey. Recent reports have suggested that teams will have special throwback jerseys next season.
Icethetics sources confirm this new program, describing them “throwbacks with a twist.” I’m told that what makes some of the sweaters even more interesting may be the individual match-ups, which will take place primarily in November and December.
Multiple Icethetics sources have now provided jersey descriptions that suggest the “twist” could be as simple as a color inversion (i.e.: a blue Canadiens sweater with a red chest stripe). Interestingly, a similar theme has been executed in a recent concept series by Matt Burke.
Not every team will add a fourth jersey, but many will. At this time, I don’t have a lot of information about this new set of sweaters. But my sense is it will dominate the NHL uniform conversation this summer.
Though I’m referring to it as a “fourth jersey” until something more official comes along, a team could still use one without necessarily having a designated third jersey.
The annual debut of Icethetics JerseyWatch is usually set in motion by the release of the Adidas catalog in the winter. It’s meant to help retailers determine what new products to order. Printed copies are often photographed and find their way to me or another part of the web.
This year, that catalog apparently went digital and was only available for a limited window of time to specific users. That means our spies weren’t able to provide the usual sneak peek. So this year’s information comes from a variety of other trusted Icethetics sources and some speculation based on over a decade of experience.
Continue on for team-by-team JerseyWatch reports.
Unveiled The NHL’s newest expansion franchise finally revealed its name and logo on July 23. The colors are midnight blue, icy blue, and red. The Seattle Kraken will officially begin play in the 2021-22 season. source
Confirmed The Sabres announced last August that they’ll switch back to royal blue as their primary color for the 2020-21 season. This means new home and road sweaters are on the way. Expect a throwback with some modern updates. source
Expected An Icethetics source reports the Sabres are planning to use their 50th anniversary third jersey for at least another season.
Expected As first reported by The Athletic and confirmed in a subsequent leak, the Senators will have a retro look for the 2020-21 season. The club is returning to the logo used between 1997 and 2007. The new sweaters will be replicas of their original look from the early 1990s.
A new third jersey was also reported by The Athletic, though details currently remain elusive.
Possible An Icethetics source (without a previous track record) reported getting confirmation from a team executive that a green version of the Devils’ throwback jersey is in the works for 2020. This tracks with other reports of inverted color schemes.
Confirmed Golden Knights owner Bill Foley told The Athletic that a gold third jersey is on the way and targeted for a September launch. “We finally got the colors right,” he said. “The problem was trying to get a gold color that wasn’t yellow but was bright. So it wasn’t a recessive gold, and I think we finally did it. It just took forever.” source
Expected The Avalanche arrived in Denver in 1996, so I expect to see a 25th anniversary patch on the jerseys in 2020-21. (They previously used a 20th patch during 2015-16.)
Expected As the Blue Jackets turn 20 this year, an anniversary logo and jersey patch are likely on the way for 2020-21.
Expected Minnesota will host the 2021 Winter Classic which typically sees teams sporting throwback jerseys. Given that the team is the youngest ever to take part in the outdoor game, they don’t really have any “classic” sweaters of their own. That said, the State of Hockey certainly has a rich history from which to draw design inspiration. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.
As a side note, while it may be exciting to imagine a North Stars jersey, that particular franchise history still belongs to Dallas, lest we forget, so it might be strange to see another team wearing it. But you never know. The Jets are doing it.
The Adidas catalog had the Wild down for a new third jersey, but a recent report from Michael Russo at The Athletic suggests it may not be happening. Russo says the team had been looking at a new design but apparently TV testing did not go well. So it may be off the table for 2019-20.
Expected If all that excitement wasn’t enough by itself, it’s all happening during the Wild’s 20th anniversary season. I’d expect to see a patch on their uniforms in 2020-21 just as we did in 2010-11.
Last year, the Wild were slated for a new third jersey but Michael Russo of The Athletic reported the team wasn’t thrilled with the TV camera tests and scrapped it. source
Russo added that if the Wild got the Winter Classic, a new third jersey would likely wait until at least 2021-22. source
Moving forward however, under this new fourth jersey system, I wouldn’t be surprised to see teams recycling Winter Classic jerseys the following season going forward.
Possible Keep an eye out for a 30th anniversary logo from San Jose. We haven’t seen a lot of 30-year logos from teams in recent years, but that tracks with the lack of NHL expansion in the mid to late 1980s. We could start to see more in coming seasons.
Possible Like the Flames, the Jets now have dark and light versions of their heritage look thanks to the 2019 Heritage Classic. But unlike the Flames, neither is the designated third jersey. So which one will be back as a fourth jersey?
Confirmed In late January, the Jets unveiled their 10th anniversary logo. It’s not clear yet whether it will be used on the uniforms in 2020-21.
Expected An Icethetics source has reported the Red Wings will participate in the fourth jersey program using an all white jersey (without red sleeves) based on what the club wore from 1934 to 1961. This also sounds like a simple inversion of their modern red jersey.
Expected An Icethetics source with a solid track record has reported the Oilers will have a white fourth jersey, similar to their current uniforms but with the blue and orange inverted. The source reports the look is “reminiscent of the original white jerseys from when the Oilers were in the WHA.”
Expected The Canadiens will take part in the new fourth jersey program. An Icethetics source has reported a blue sweater is coming, but didn’t specify whether it would be an inverted version of their red sweater or something more similar to the 1909 throwback the team wore in 2009.
Expected Their home and road jerseys won’t change but the Flames’ throwbacks should be seen again in 2020-21—likely as third and fourth jerseys.
Expected After 15 years of employing a very consistent look, the Hurricanes have been adding new jerseys at a rapid rate in recent seasons. This year will be no different as the Hurricanes are slated to play in their first outdoor game—the 2021 Stadium Series. Expect more outside-the-box thinking for this futuristic one-off uniform.
Expected The Blackhawks announced a plan to wear their black Winter Classic jersey for three nights in 2019-20. It’s already been used four times this season. There’s a good chance it comes back in 2020-21 as a third or fourth sweater.
Possible The Panthers were slated to introduce a new third jersey in 2019-20, but I’m told things never came together for the decision makers and so it was shelved. There’s a possibility it gets back on the docket this year, but I’m not holding my breath right now.
Speculation Since learning about the throwback fourth jerseys, I’ve been wondering if the Kings (and Blues) were a test case in 2019-20. It seemed odd to me that they’d wear the 1988 throwback jersey for one game without any real reason. Usually these things are done to commemorate an anniversary or some other special event. That wasn’t really the case for this jersey so I’m wondering if Adidas and the NHL were using them this year to gauge fan reaction. Either way, I could certainly envision it coming back in 2020-21.
On Jan. 24, the Florida Panthers were named the 2021 NHL All-Star host for the second time, hosting previously in 2003. It’s far too soon to speculate on the logo or jerseys, but something to keep on our radar. source
Assuming the world isn’t still combating a pandemic in the fall, the NHL is slated to send four teams to Europe for the 2020 Global Series—the Avalanche, Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Predators. These games don’t employ special jerseys, but teams will wear a shoulder patch to mark the occasion. source
Expected The Carolina Hurricanes will make their first ever outdoor appearance when they host the 2021 Stadium Series at Carter-Finley Stadium—a venue quite literally across the street from their home ice at PNC Arena. Look for futuristic specialty sweaters for this game.
The Hurricanes’ opponent is yet to be announced but judging by popular search terms, fans seem to be hoping for a regional foe like the Washington Capitals or Tampa Bay Lightning.
Expected The Minnesota Wild will host the 2021 Winter Classic against the St. Louis Blues at Target Field. Both teams are expected to wear some type of retro uniform, as is standard for this event. This will be the second outdoor appearance for both teams. source
Possible The Predators had a new third jersey in development last year, but scrapped it to keep the focus on their Winter Classic sweater. Could they return to it for 2020? Seems like something to keep an eye on.
Speaking of the Winter Classic, it wouldn’t surprise me to see their outdoor jersey return as a fourth uniform.
Expected The Blues will face Minnesota in the 2021 Winter Classic—making their second outdoor appearance. The last time St. Louis was in it, they debuted the throwback they wear as a third jersey today. Will we get a white version of that or something new?
Speculation Since learning about the throwback fourth jerseys, I’ve been wondering if the Blues (and Kings) were a test case in 2019-20. It seemed odd to me that they’d wear the 1994 throwback jersey for a couple of games without any real reason. Usually these things are done to commemorate an anniversary or some other special event. That wasn’t really the case for this jersey so I’m wondering if Adidas and the NHL were using them this year to gauge fan reaction. Either way, I could certainly envision it coming back in 2020-21.
Confirmed The Sabres announced last August that they’ll switch back to royal blue as their primary color for the 2020-21 season. This means new home and road sweaters are on the way. Expect a throwback with some modern updates. source
Expected An Icethetics source reports the Sabres are planning to use their 50th anniversary third jersey for at least another season.
Expected Their home and road jerseys won’t change but the Flames’ throwbacks should be seen again in 2020-21—likely as third and fourth jerseys.
Expected After 15 years of employing a very consistent look, the Hurricanes have been adding new jerseys at a rapid rate in recent seasons. This year will be no different as the Hurricanes are slated to play in their first outdoor game—the 2021 Stadium Series. Expect more outside-the-box thinking for this futuristic one-off uniform.
Expected The Blackhawks announced a plan to wear their black Winter Classic jersey for three nights in 2019-20. It’s already been used four times this season. There’s a good chance it comes back in 2020-21 as a third or fourth sweater.
Expected The Avalanche arrived in Denver in 1996, so I expect to see a 25th anniversary patch on the jerseys in 2020-21. (They previously used a 20th patch during 2015-16.)
Expected As the Blue Jackets turn 20 this year, an anniversary logo and jersey patch are likely on the way for 2020-21.
Expected An Icethetics source has reported the Red Wings will participate in the fourth jersey program using an all white jersey (without red sleeves) based on what the club wore from 1934 to 1961. This also sounds like a simple inversion of their modern red jersey.
Expected An Icethetics source with a solid track record has reported the Oilers will have a white fourth jersey, similar to their current uniforms but with the blue and orange inverted. The source reports the look is “reminiscent of the original white jerseys from when the Oilers were in the WHA.”
Possible The Panthers were slated to introduce a new third jersey in 2019-20, but I’m told things never came together for the decision makers and so it was shelved. There’s a possibility it gets back on the docket this year, but I’m not holding my breath right now.
Speculation Since learning about the throwback fourth jerseys, I’ve been wondering if the Kings (and Blues) were a test case in 2019-20. It seemed odd to me that they’d wear the 1988 throwback jersey for one game without any real reason. Usually these things are done to commemorate an anniversary or some other special event. That wasn’t really the case for this jersey so I’m wondering if Adidas and the NHL were using them this year to gauge fan reaction. Either way, I could certainly envision it coming back in 2020-21.
Expected Minnesota will host the 2021 Winter Classic which typically sees teams sporting throwback jerseys. Given that the team is the youngest ever to take part in the outdoor game, they don’t really have any “classic” sweaters of their own. That said, the State of Hockey certainly has a rich history from which to draw design inspiration. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.
As a side note, while it may be exciting to imagine a North Stars jersey, that particular franchise history still belongs to Dallas, lest we forget, so it might be strange to see another team wearing it. But you never know. The Jets are doing it.
The Adidas catalog had the Wild down for a new third jersey, but a recent report from Michael Russo at The Athletic suggests it may not be happening. Russo says the team had been looking at a new design but apparently TV testing did not go well. So it may be off the table for 2019-20.
Expected If all that excitement wasn’t enough by itself, it’s all happening during the Wild’s 20th anniversary season. I’d expect to see a patch on their uniforms in 2020-21 just as we did in 2010-11.
Last year, the Wild were slated for a new third jersey but Michael Russo of The Athletic reported the team wasn’t thrilled with the TV camera tests and scrapped it. source
Russo added that if the Wild got the Winter Classic, a new third jersey would likely wait until at least 2021-22. source
Moving forward however, under this new fourth jersey system, I wouldn’t be surprised to see teams recycling Winter Classic jerseys the following season going forward.
Expected The Canadiens will take part in the new fourth jersey program. An Icethetics source has reported a blue sweater is coming, but didn’t specify whether it would be an inverted version of their red sweater or something more similar to the 1909 throwback the team wore in 2009.
On Jan. 24, the Florida Panthers were named the 2021 NHL All-Star host for the second time, hosting previously in 2003. It’s far too soon to speculate on the logo or jerseys, but something to keep on our radar. source
Assuming the world isn’t still combating a pandemic in the fall, the NHL is slated to send four teams to Europe for the 2020 Global Series—the Avalanche, Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Predators. These games don’t employ special jerseys, but teams will wear a shoulder patch to mark the occasion. source
Expected The Carolina Hurricanes will make their first ever outdoor appearance when they host the 2021 Stadium Series at Carter-Finley Stadium—a venue quite literally across the street from their home ice at PNC Arena. Look for futuristic specialty sweaters for this game.
The Hurricanes’ opponent is yet to be announced but judging by popular search terms, fans seem to be hoping for a regional foe like the Washington Capitals or Tampa Bay Lightning.
Expected The Minnesota Wild will host the 2021 Winter Classic against the St. Louis Blues at Target Field. Both teams are expected to wear some type of retro uniform, as is standard for this event. This will be the second outdoor appearance for both teams. source
Possible The Predators had a new third jersey in development last year, but scrapped it to keep the focus on their Winter Classic sweater. Could they return to it for 2020? Seems like something to keep an eye on.
Speaking of the Winter Classic, it wouldn’t surprise me to see their outdoor jersey return as a fourth uniform.
Possible An Icethetics source (without a previous track record) reported getting confirmation from a team executive that a green version of the Devils’ throwback jersey is in the works for 2020. This tracks with other reports of inverted color schemes.
Expected As first reported by The Athletic and confirmed in a subsequent leak, the Senators will have a retro look for the 2020-21 season. The club is returning to the logo used between 1997 and 2007. The new sweaters will be replicas of their original look from the early 1990s.
A new third jersey was also reported by The Athletic, though details currently remain elusive.
Possible Keep an eye out for a 30th anniversary logo from San Jose. We haven’t seen a lot of 30-year logos from teams in recent years, but that tracks with the lack of NHL expansion in the mid to late 1980s. We could start to see more in coming seasons.
Unveiled The NHL’s newest expansion franchise finally revealed its name and logo on July 23. The colors are midnight blue, icy blue, and red. The Seattle Kraken will officially begin play in the 2021-22 season. source
Expected The Blues will face Minnesota in the 2021 Winter Classic—making their second outdoor appearance. The last time St. Louis was in it, they debuted the throwback they wear as a third jersey today. Will we get a white version of that or something new?
Speculation Since learning about the throwback fourth jerseys, I’ve been wondering if the Blues (and Kings) were a test case in 2019-20. It seemed odd to me that they’d wear the 1994 throwback jersey for a couple of games without any real reason. Usually these things are done to commemorate an anniversary or some other special event. That wasn’t really the case for this jersey so I’m wondering if Adidas and the NHL were using them this year to gauge fan reaction. Either way, I could certainly envision it coming back in 2020-21.
Confirmed Golden Knights owner Bill Foley told The Athletic that a gold third jersey is on the way and targeted for a September launch. “We finally got the colors right,” he said. “The problem was trying to get a gold color that wasn’t yellow but was bright. So it wasn’t a recessive gold, and I think we finally did it. It just took forever.” source
Possible Like the Flames, the Jets now have dark and light versions of their heritage look thanks to the 2019 Heritage Classic. But unlike the Flames, neither is the designated third jersey. So which one will be back as a fourth jersey?
Confirmed In late January, the Jets unveiled their 10th anniversary logo. It’s not clear yet whether it will be used on the uniforms in 2020-21.
