The Good, the Bad, and the Third

by Ryan

Last season's introduction of the RBK EDGE jersey system meant many things for the league, but the most noticeable impact was the intentional lack of third jerseys. Long been a staple of teams scrambling for a few extra bucks, the NHL decided there would be enough chaos with thirty teams re-designing a total of 60 sweaters, so the +1 was left on the shelf for one season. The only exception was the Winter Classic uniforms, which were by all accounts absolutely beautiful.



With the opening of the 2008-09 season, the inevitable flood of third jerseys has begun. Each team seems to have taken a unique approach to this extra set of threads, with some focusing on tradition while others attempt simply to blind you. We all know the Sabres went for an updated version of their original logo, and for the most part it has been met with high praise.



Vancouver has done the same thing, and it looks awesome. With a slight update on their original logo for a crest, they bring back the classic colors while maintaining a sleek look the EDGE jerseys are designed for. The "Johnny Canuck" logo on the shoulder is great as well, something the team hasn't sported in ages. It may be the nostalgic in me, but it always seems like Vancouver has better third jerseys than primary ones. Let's hope they use these bad boys often.



At this point Atlanta should just stop trying and move to Toronto already. Do you think Thrashers management just plays around with the team's color palette in MS Paint and picks which one looks the worst? The script jerseys are stupid in general, but that red/orange background is just awful. That stupid vertical sock pattern Nike tried during the Olympics makes an appearance here as well.



The only positive I can find is the goalie pads, and the fact that Bryan Little looks like he's falling down in that picture.

Tonight the Sabres are in Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins, who will be sporting some new yet familiar uniforms as well. Their new jersey is almost exactly like what they wore in the Winter Classic, which received wide praise across the league. The comparison between Penguins and Sabres jerseys will be noticeable, and will only make me wonder where our third jerseys are.

Seriously guys, are they manufactured out of unicorn blood or something?

On the EDGE of the Holidays

by Ryan

Today is Boxing Day.



Ugh.

Anyways, tonight the Sabres look to stay hot against Ottawa. No matter how you look at it, this will be a tough game. I'm very, very close to feeling okay with this team as far as consistency and effort is concerned, but you never know how they will play day after Christmas. Hopefully they take care of business so we can start gearing up for New Year's Day. I hear they have something special going on then.

There are a lot of articles about the Winter Classic coming out, but this one was pretty interesting.

According to Williams, the Reebok Edge II jersey will make it’s debut Jan. 1.

“The Edge I jersey that came out this season was the one with the play-dry impregnated on the front with real tight sleeves,” he said. “Since then, because the players complained so much about the sweaters, they have developed the Edge II they call it. The jerseys do not have the play-dry in the front; it is more of an air-knit material like it used to be. There are also bigger sleeves."

That's not something that has been widely reported as far as I know. Lots of teams have been complaining about moisture problems with the new EDGE uniforms, some have even gone as far as killing the system and going back to last year's fabrics.

I'm not sure what that will mean for measures like this (I would assume they would ask the Caps to try again), but it is good to see RBK actually listen to the players when they tell them their product is complete garbage.

Isn't it Well Past Labor Day?

by Ryan


The Sabres are in the midst of a five game road trip, but when they come back home they may look a little bit different next month. That's right, we're gonna party like it's 2002-03.

Buffalo will wear their road whites at HSBC Arena for games against Boston (Wednesday, November 7) and Toronto (Friday, November 9), along with Thanksgiving week visits from Ottawa (Wednesday, November 21) and Montreal (Friday, November 23).

Um... why?

“The Buffalo Sabres asked the NHL to wear white jerseys at home for the month of November so that fans could differentiate divisional games from non-divisional opponents,” said Quinn.

Oh. Well that's not insulting at all.

C'mon Larry, we play everyone in the Northeast eight times a year, how can we not have them memorized? I mean, everyone knows we play the North Stars, Whalers, Rockies, and Seals four times a year at home, what's a white jersey going to change?

Seriously, though, I'm a bit confused about the point of all this. I personally prefer the blue unis to the white, and having the away team wear colors doesn't exactly have a purpose in the modern era. I guess it's a novel idea, but one that will end up causing more confusion for the Versus crew than anything else.

If they really wanted to make a difference, wait a year to bring out the throwback third jerseys again and wear them for every divisional home game. That's 16 games worth of use, and everyone will know what the deal is when we take the ice slug-less. It more than justifies bringing back a classic. Oh, and it will sell like crazy. Isn't that what matters, Quinn?

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In somewhat related jersey news, Great Skate had some Winter Classic apparel up a few days ago, including an old school white jersey said to be modeled after the RBK Edge system. The page implied that it would be worn in the Classic, something that many people were hoping the team would do.

A quick check of that today page now shows the jersey was taken down. Either Great Skate is in a lot of trouble for lying, or they are in a lot of trouble for leaking considerable news without a proper press junket. (RBK said there would be no alternate uniforms this year for any team. This would directly contradict that.)

Also in the realm of my own personal speculation, but doesn't the Penguins logo on the shirts remind you of their baby blue era? That would be pretty cool looking...

God Bless the Sabres Store

by Ryan

Today I ventured down to HSBC Arena to watch the Sabres first on ice practice. Before I get to that, I thought I'd take a stroll into the Sabres Store to see what was on clearance. When I got there, however, what was brand new was much more interesting.

Ignore the pajama pants on him, it's the jersey that matters. Like the display says, that's the brand new RBK Edge Sabres jersey. The official release wasn't supposed to be for another day, but after the Buffalo News leak, why not put them on sale today?

For anyone who is curious, the uniform is pretty much the same as last years. There was some question about the numbers on the right shoulder, but they are coming back this year as well.(see below)

A bit close to the NHL Logo in front, but it could just be a bad angle. Besides, they still have time to get it right.

Looking around a bit, I noticed this rack. As it turns out, all of those are the other EDGE designs around the league, including some jerseys that haven't been officially released yet. You can see both the home and away San Jose jerseys next to the Sabres ones on the far right.

The Edmonton jersey, seen above. Didn't stray too far from the point, and managed to keep the Canadian and Alberta flags off. These pictures were taken by a camera phone, so the color quality is a bit off.

Yeah, looks like that is the Stars' away jersey after all. They really, really want everyone to know where their home barn is. You would think they've done enough distancing from their North Stars days...

Some pictures of the actual practice to come, as well as some cool pictures of a jumbotron-less HSBC Arena.

The Only Difference is that Nothing Has Changed

by Ryan


Well I doubt anyone saw this coming.

For the second straight year the Buffalo Sabres will open the season sporting new uniforms. Thankfully a complete overhaul isn't in order this time, as the team is simply making the switch to the RBK Edge design.

The official release date was supposed to be this Saturday, which coincides with the start of single game ticket sales. However, Brian Campbell was nice enough to stand awkwardly in front of a wall long enough for that picture to be taken.

Now before you get all up in arms about that jersey you bought last season, take another look at the thing. It is almost exactly the same, save for the NHL patch on the chest, and the overall design is a big more snug than before. The materials are also more water resistant, but that will do nothing to prevent you from getting nacho cheese all over it.

To be honest the change is more about player comfort than anything. Wind tunnel tests, moisture resistance, and ventilation are the most used buzzwords, and RBK has put a lot of effort into ensuring players will be happy wearing them.

And while some teams are using this as an opportunity to make some cash with logo changes and uniform overhauls, the Sabres have spared us the grief this year. Hey, wasn't that what last year was about?

There will be no third jerseys for any team this year, which means the greatest Sabres logo of all time will be shelved for the time being. However, judging by its popularity last year, I'd look for it to make another comeback within the next few seasons.

Also, some rumors have been swirling that if/when the Sabres play in the Ice Bowl on January 1st they will break out the throwbacks as an exception to that rule. Now if only they'd get around to announcing that...