The Buffalo Sabres have released the schedule of when they’ll be wearing their universally-panned new half-yellow, half-blue alternate uniforms.
The new, absolutely non-traditional look will make it’s on-ice début on Saturday Sunday (edit: calendars are tricky) against one of the kings of the traditional uniform the Detroit Red Wings; they’ll follow that up by wearing them in a game against the Montreal Canadiens and then the New York Rangers… it’s almost as if they’re taking joy in being so terrible by matching them up against the best uniforms in the league.
According to the Sabres press release:
[Reebok was] challenged by Sabres ownership to use gold as the primary jersey colour for the first time in team history, the design team looked at jerseys and uniforms from across the full spectrum of professional sports for inspiration. The result was a two-tone jersey with gold as the primary colour on the front and navy blue on the back. This design concept is believed to be a first for the NHL.
What I took from that paragraph above is that the Sabres wanted a “gold” jersey and to look at what other teams are doing for inspiration… Reebok delivered a jersey which was 2/5ths “gold” in a design style done previously by one team in the history of North American “major 4” sports (who ditched them quite quickly), and never in the NHL.
Additional information on the design from that same press release:
A newly designed Buffalo Sabres wordmark appears on the players’ pant leg as well as just below the neckline on the main jersey, right above the Sabres’ traditional crest on the front of the jersey. Additionally, a unique font and number art were designed by Reebok and were inspired by the tips of actual sabres. The all-new font is used for the jersey numbers as well as players’ names. Captain and alternate captain insignia incorporate crossed sabres as design elements and the patches have been moved from the traditional spot on the chest to the shoulder of the jersey.
Here’s the ten games in which the Sabres will wear these uniforms, all of them are at home. While I’m not a fan, I’ll certainly still be tuning in simply for the uniqueness of the design:
Sunday, November 24 vs. Detroit Red Wings
Wednesday, November 27 vs. Montreal Canadiens
Thursday, December 5 vs. New York Rangers
Saturday, December 14 vs. Calgary Flames
Saturday, January 4 vs. New Jersey Devils
Tuesday, January 14 vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Wednesday, February 5 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Sunday, March 16 vs. Montreal Canadiens
Tuesday, April 1 vs. New Jersey Devils
Tuesday, April 8 vs. Detroit Red Wings