It should come as no surprise that stripes play an important role on the jerseys and jerseys worn throughout hockey history. Stripes can add contrast, be used to separate jersey segments, accent logos or give a look that others may not have for a touch of uniqueness. We saw the New York Rangers use it thicker stripes on their Winter Classic jerseys to help create that old-school look, while the Florida Panthers actually used stripes add contrast and a pop of color to their jerseys. Stripes seem to be taking center stage at these outdoor games this year, as the two teams in the AHL’s Iowa Wild Outdoor Classic will also be showing off their stripes when they take to the outdoor ice on January 23!For those who haven’t heard, Hockey Day in Minnesota is held on January 23rd, with Hastings, Minnesota hosting the event on that day. Technically, the entire week is dedicated to hockey, as the event takes place January 17-24, and this year’s celebration marks the 20th anniversary of this very Minnesotan event. Every hockey level gets involved with Hockey Day in Minnesota in their local communities, culminating in an outdoor game that takes the event to new heights. In this year’s outdoor game, the AHL’s Iowa Wild will head 3.5 hours north to their NHL affiliate’s state, where they will host the Milwaukee Admirals who make the five-hour trip northwest!
Both teams will be wearing special jerseys for the Iowa Wild Outdoor Classic, so let’s start with the hosts and their looks for this game.
This isn’t a bad look, but it’s certainly not a “wild” look in any capacity. The stripes on the sleeves and hem interrupt the monochrome white look, but couldn’t the Wild have done more with this? That answer is yes, and it’s part of the reason why the Hastings hosts will be outclassed when it comes to aesthetics.The Milwaukee Admirals understood the assignment given to them when they were named as part of this game. Here is their appearance.
This is extraordinary, and I love the effort the Admirals put into making this look like a throwback jersey. Everything about this shirt feels like a sweater from yesteryear, and the stripes down the arms both add a stylistic element and break up what would have been a lot of white. The ‘Milwaukee’ on the chest is not exaggerated, allowing the ‘A’ shield to draw attention when you look at the jersey. Selfishly, I want one of these jerseys and I hope the Admirals keep it in their rotation after this game! It’s fantastic!
In these two jerseys and in the NHL jerseys worn in the Winter Classic, you can really see how stripes do a lot of work to make jerseys better. Not all stripes will work in all cases, but teams that choose not to use them usually stand out for the wrong reasons. The Iowa Wild could use a little more color or maybe even a stripe of color between the thin stripes on their jerseys, but the Milwaukee Admirals have gotten the job done as visitors in their upcoming game.
The AHL’s Iowa Wild Outdoor Classic will feature two Central Division teams separated by nine points and, based on the jerseys above, a significant sense of good hockey fashion. However, stripes are clearly in vogue in the hockey world this season, and I’d like to see more teams use unique stripes to differentiate themselves from the traditional hockey look. Hockey is always looking for good merchandise flows and well-designed jerseys are one of them!
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
#Stripes #rage