Blackhawks Go Back a Decade for Stadium Series Uniform

The Chicago Blackhawks unveiled their 2014 NHL Stadium Series uniform today borrowing a design extremely similar to an old alternate jersey.

Unveiled via a post on their official website, the Blackhawks Stadium Series jersey is black with the abbreviated lacing on the collar, the chromified Blackhawks logo on the chest, and three stripes at the waist. The jersey is pretty much spot on with what CCSLC user Sodboy13 posted, and we later reported on, earlier this week. Well done.

Chicago wore a jersey very similar in design to this from 1996/97 through 2009. There are some differences… of course the “weird changes for the sake of weird changes” — the “in” thing to do these days are present.

The stripes around the waist are no longer straight, they are jagged around the sides in order to follow the shape of the bottom of the jersey. Keeping with stripes, the ones on the arms simply stop halfway round; angled numbers are above these sleeve half-stripes.

On one shoulder is the familiar “C” with crossed tomahawks logo, the Chicago 2014 Stadium Series logo on the other:

As a jersey collector myself, one trend I’m absolutely hating is the changes to how the logo on the jerseys are presented. The logo on the chest, like the rest from this Stadium Series, is both “chromified” (their word, not mine) and sublimated onto one large, lightweight, fairly cheap-looking patch. This creates a lighter logo making an overall lighter jersey for the players to wear… unfortunately it also signals the end of the embroidered (or stitched) logo crests which have graced the front of NHL game jerseys forever.

Sublimated designs within the large logo patch

When Majestic started doing this to their replica MLB jerseys I stopped buying replica MLB jerseys, it made me a full-time convert to purchasing authentic Majestic jerseys. Yes, that’s more money for them so… perhaps they win for making that decision in the end. However, with Reebok making in-game, authentic NHL jerseys like this, I have no alternative, I’d simply stop purchasing hockey jerseys altogether. I’m not just saying that, it’s a fact; the quality appears substandard and I wouldn’t enjoy having something of poor quality in my collection, it’s an easy decision for me to avoid it. If it doesn’t bother you, feel free to pick up where I left off.