2016 World Cup of Hockey Uniforms Unveiled

The National Hockey League today unveiled the new uniforms for the eight teams which will be competing in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, to be held this September in Toronto.

Six countries and two combination clubs make up the class of the next edition of the World Cup, the first to be held since 2006. In addition to the six top ranked hockey nations are a team made up of the best of Europe not fielding a team and one featuring players under the age of 23 from Canada and the United States, branded as Team North America (and not “Young Guns” because that would’ve been too great).

It’s also our first look at an Adidas designed hockey set, the company set to take over the NHL uniform contract for the 2017-18 season. Three stripes for everyone!

We’ll cut right to the chase, here’s all the uniforms in one handy graphic:

“We took iconic emblems from each of the participating teams to create jerseys that honour the traditions of each nation and fused those with an emphasis on technical design for elite performance on the ice,” said Keith Leach, Sr. Director NHL, the adidas Group. “adidas is committed to designing and developing high-performance products that make athletes better and we look forward to outfitting the World Cup of Hockey in our newest and most innovative uniforms.”

“The design and development of the World Cup of Hockey uniforms was a true collaboration between adidas, the NHL and the NHLPA, with important input provided by each participating team,” said Brian Jennings, NHL CMO & Executive Vice President. “The best hockey players in the world require the best innovation in uniforms. It was imperative that the uniforms not only feature the best in performance wear but also creatively showcase modern interpretations of each country’s rich history.”

Here’s a look at all the logos:

A breakdown team-by-team of the new uniforms…

CANADA

“Celebrating the designation as the host team for the World Cup of Hockey 2016, Canada’s uniforms recall a modern interpretation of the national icon—the maple leaf. The motif wraps each sleeve, creating a visual with a direct connection to a crowning era in Canada’s hockey heritage. The three veins contained in the Dominion Leaf crest represent Canada’s three coasts and make this a mark to represent all of the Great North.” – Adidas

The Team Canada uniform features a stylized maple leaf on the front of the chest as well as additional leaves at each sleeve cuff. The leaf has three lines inside (no, not for Adidas, they get those on the sides of this and every other team jersey) but for Canada’s three coasts, the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic.

Leaf is outlined in black and, speaking of colours, notice one missing? No gold. Not anymore. Silver doesn’t make a return either. We’re back to the colour scheme of the mid-to-late 1990s.

CZECH REPUBLIC

“The Czech Republic’s uniform seizes upon the boldness of national emblems and banners. The statement colour blocking highlights the coat of arms, a silver double-tailed Lion crest representing all of the Republic.” – Adidas

Czech Republic sticks to the colours of their flag (I don’t remember ever seeing black on the Canadian flag), what’s interesting about this set… while the front shoulder and waist stripes are white, the back ones are blue. Split between front and back. Which you can see better here:

On the chest is the national coat of arms, and the Adidas stripes up the side.

EUROPE

“Signifying a united Europe, the players’ countries are all represented by a modern E shield, featuring a single crest that connects all of their home nations. Players wear their flag on their shoulder and the names of each European nation in the unity stripe across their sleeve. A continental blue colour scheme highlights harmony on a unified team.” – Adidas

Like the Czech set the uniforms for Team Europe (made up of players not from the European teams in the tournament) feature a split in colour down the middle. Unlike the Czechs, it’s down the front of the sweater. Half royal blue and half dark blue, the logo on the chest is a teal and blue shield with an E/hockey stick design.

A look at the full uniforms:

The split is not a feature of the white version of this jersey:

FINLAND

“Paying homage to heritage, the Finland uniform design honors the bold Nordic cross of the Finnish flag. Reflecting the spirit of Suomi, the crests feature the national coat of arms with its crowned lion.” – Adidas

The Finnish jerseys prominently feature the local name for the country, Suomi, across the chest in blue on a horizontal white stripe. In the upper corner of the jersey (traditionally where the captains’ patch would go, forced to the opposite site) is the national coat of arms, giving it an interesting contrast in colour as the red and yellow of the shield are seen nowhere else on the uniform.

NORTH AMERICA

“The North America team is a group of young talented phenoms who will play in black and white under an inclusive badge of brotherhood. The crest and uniform feature highlights of beacon red, signaling the high energy these stars bring to the ice. This uniform admits the wearer to the exclusive club of the next generation.” – Adidas

The Young Guns, Team North America are the Canadian and American players aged 23 and younger, and this idea is featured in a design meant to appeal to the younger crowd. The logo is a red (vibrant red for energy of the players) stylized “NA” mark in a triangle, below the “NA” in the triangle is XXIII – Roman numeral for 23, the age limit of the team.

Stripes on either sleeve and around the waist have a duct tape-esque look to them, silver with a distressed pattern. Numbers give the impression that they’re applied using a stencil set. The away/light version also released, features a different striping pattern on the sleeves and puts more emphasis on the silver over the black:

RUSSIA

“Centered around the powerful double-headed eagle national shield, Russia’s uniform features the traditional crest surrounded by impact colour blocking that carries the colours of Russia’s national flag. The uniform reflects a modern interpretation of the steadfast Russian identity.” – Adidas

Russia used their traditional jersey logo, the golden two-headed eagle with local name below. Stripes on the sleeves replicate the national flag, no waist stripes.

SWEDEN

“Focusing on Scandinavian sensibility, Sweden’s uniform uses bold assertive color blocking drenched in the national blue and gold. The emblematic tre kronor crest is appointed with kurbits detailing, an honoured Swedish traditional motif.” – Adidas

Sweden’s set is exactly what we expected, the Three Crowns now have an embroidered pattern giving them a little extra character — the waist and sleeves feature a very simple single stripe right at the end.

UNITED STATES

“Building upon a tradition befitting the land of the free and home of the brave, the USA uniform features bold striping inspired by service uniforms that creates a distinct yet cohesive visual across the uniforms. National emblems and banners inspire an unapologetic shield and word mark.” – Adidas

The United States using a sleek new shield logo on their main home jersey with a single red stripe on each sleeve, on the road a diagonal “USA” wordmark in a modern font gives a fresh look at the Miracle on Ice design from 1980.