Ottawa Senators and the NHL's 10 Best New Uniforms in 2011-12
Ottawa Senators and the NHL's 10 Best New Uniforms in 2011-12
The Ottawa Senators kicked off their 20th home season with a bang on Tuesday.
In front of a sold out Scotiabank Place, the Sens came back from a 3-1 third period deficit to Dany Heatley's Minnesota Wild, and won in a shootout.
Tonight, the celebration continues as the Ottawa Senators will unveil their new third jerseys, which is a tribute to the old 1930's Senators.
A video on the story can be viewed here.
The Senators are not the only team to try out new jerseys this season. In fact, they are just one of 11 teams to do so.
This article is a rank of the jerseys that are new to the 2011-2012 season.
As always, please feel free to comment with your opinion on the jerseys. It is always appreciated.
10. New York Islanders
The New York Islanders have the worst new uniform this season.
Unfortunately, the jersey has not been used yet, so there remains no images of it, except for this one.
I really don't like the emblem combined with the black.
9. Nashville Predators
I have never liked the jerseys in Nashville, and the new ones are certainly not an improvement.
These will take some getting used to.
8. Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers, like many of the teams on this list, have changed their jerseys by going back to their roots.
The Panthers home jersey is red, and has removed the old chest and sleeve piping.
These jerseys are nice, however, they will fly under the radar being in Florida.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
The new Toronto Maple Leaf logo is certainly nothing to ride home about.
The new jersey is a tribute to the 1967 version of the jersey, which was only used for a couple of seasons, and happens to be the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup.
The jersey features a unique stitching inside the crest. Other than that, it is the usual throwback jersey.
6. Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are finally back, and with them, come their new jerseys.
The new emblem features a maple leaf underneath an image of a fighter jet. This pays homage to Winnipeg's extensive air force.
While I do like the logo, I have ranked this low because I am disappointed that they could not resurrect the original Jets logo.
5. Edmonton Oilers
Fans have craved this for years.
The Edmonton Oilers have finally returned to the jerseys of the glory days.
The Oilers' new jerseys are replicas of the ones worn by Gretzky, Messier, Coffey and Fuhr.
It seems almost ironic that they would bring back the jerseys from a time when they had the most success, to a team that is destined for similar success.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
The new 2011-2012 Tampa Bay Lightning jersey is a big improvement.
The branding of these jerseys began in January, but they are finally used for actual games.
These jerseys are a lot simpler than the old ones.
3. Washinton Capitals/Pittsburgh Penguins
I have grouped both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins jerseys for one reason, they are both using their 2011 Winter Classic jerseys this year.
Both jerseys looked sharp on the game's greatest stars at Heinz Field on New Years, so it's no surprise that both teams decided to use these jerseys fairly regularly this season.
The Capitals will use their Winter Classic jersey for 16 road games this season, nearly half.
2. LA Kings
I really like the new logo the LA Kings are implementing for their 2011-2012 campaign.
It combines the previous logo and the previous third jersey into one, consistent logo.
I think the new jerseys are a good stepping stone towards the identity shift that is going on in Hollywood.
These jerseys are sharp, and if the Kings have their way with it, we will see these jersey all the way into the summer months.
1. Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators' new heritage jersey is the best new jersey of the 2011-2012 season.
The jersey brings back the spirit of the original Ottawa hockey teams of the early 20th century, with a modern twist.
The logo and the shoulder patches give this jersey a really old feel.
These jerseys are in celebration of the Ottawa Senators' 20th season after a 70-plus year gap.
Although there are currently no images of the jersey on Getty Images, a picture of the jersey can be viewed here.
The celebration of the Senators' heritage will surely continue when the 2012 NHL All-Star Game hits Canada's capital city.