“Puck Drop ‘08” was recently held at HSBC Arena, and it featured the Buffalo Sabres first official on-ice practice, live music, and a street hockey tournament. But for many fans, the biggest attraction was the much-anticipated unveiling of the Sabres’ new third jersey. While it is presently the third, or alternate jersey, some hope that the new design will someday become the team’s regular jersey.
NHL teams began unveiling third jerseys (or “sweaters,” if you’re a traditionalist) in 1990s, both as a way to generate fan excitement and to produce additional revenue. A team has to get permission from the NHL to use a new alternate jersey, and then they can ask to use it for ten to fifteen games. The first third jersey of the Buffalo Sabres was created in 2000. The jersey was red, with a logo featuring a black circle (I assume a hockey puck) crossed by two sabres. It was replaced in 2006, when the team decided to make the third jersey the original blue and gold jersey that was worn from when the franchise was created in 1970 until 1996.
Any kind of changes in the logos and uniforms of sports teams tend to generate a lot of emotions; they also generate a lot of revenue as fans are usually eager to purchase the latest in team fashion, which can be fairly expensive. Prices for the Sabres new third jersey range from $124 for a blank adult replica, to $350 for a lettered authentic.
Unlike most third jerseys, the Sabres’ latest isn’t a dramatic departure from the past. Instead, it’s a return to tradition. The new third jersey unveiled at “Puck Drop ‘08” is very similar to the team’s original road jersey. It is dark blue with the original charging bison with crossed sabres logo, with some subtle changes made to create a “vintage” look. It reminded many of the white “throwback” jerseys the team wore for the “Winter Classic” (better known as the “Ice Bowl”) in Ralph Wilson Stadium in January 2008.
On the Sabres’ website Director of Creative Services Frank Cravotta said that: “The first thing we wanted to do is go to our new color scheme, which is the deeper blue and gold. After that we added the striping pattern, introduced some silver accents in it and put some silver vertical piping along the front… It makes for a new and unique look.” The third jersey also has a tie at the collar to “reinforce the retro style.”
For some Sabres fans, the hope is that the new third jersey will be the basis for a return to the original design for the team’s regular uniforms. Many fans were angry about the team’s change to the so-called “goat’s head” logo in 1996, as well as the 2006 change to the current logo that drew comparisons to a slug and Donald Trump’s hair (but still sold tons of merchandise). They would be thrilled if the Sabres returned to the team’s original uniform, as updated by the new third jersey design.
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