2017 NHL All-Star Game Uniforms Unveiled

The National Hockey League unveiled the four uniforms to be worn in the upcoming 2017 NHL All-Star tournament which will be played next Thursday at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. As was the case in 2016 the teams will be broken up by division with each of the conferences playing a single-period game between their two divisions, the winners of each facing off in the final period to determine the All-Star Champion.

A look back at the 2016 NHL All-Star Game uniforms

The uniforms feature a combination of both the histories of the host Los Angeles Kings and the All-Star Game itself, while also mixing in references to the NHL Centennial season.

We’ve got gold, white, black, and “Forum” blue (purple) which are all clear references to the uniform past of the Kings. They say the silver is a nod to the NHL shield, I’d prefer that it was a nod to the Gretzky-era Kings uniform so I’ll keep telling myself that. Shoulders and sleeves are contrasting colours, again giving it a bit of a feel similar (in construction, not colours) to those All-Star Games folks my age grew up with. The team logo will appear in full colour as a patch on one side, the 2017 All-Star Game logo on the other.

The uniforms also include a ring of 10 stars (one for each decade of the league) positioned similarly to the uniforms of All-Star Games played in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The socks include four stars, one for each of the competing divisions. On the back of each jersey player name and number font is based off the famous “HOLLYWOOD” sign. Numbers have a star pattern similar to that seen in the All-Star Game logo printed on them.

Let’s take a look at each of the division jerseys…

ATLANTIC DIVISION

The Atlantic Division jersey is ~~yellow~~ gold as a nod to the Los Angeles Kings home jerseys worn for twenty-one years from their inaugural season in 1967-68 up through to the spring before the Great One arrived in 1988. Shoulders are black with silver trim, numbers on the sleeves are white but are black on the back, socks are gold.

Their opponents in the Eastern Conference Final…

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

The Metropolitan Division takes on a fairly bland look, colour-wise (compared to the Atlantic’s gold) by going with these white and silver outfits one can assume is a nod to the Gretzky-era of the LA Kings history, worn from 1988/89 through 1997/98 (or their current look). Shoulders and sleeves are grey with silver trim, black name and number on the sleeves and on the back, socks are white.

Moving onto the West…

CENTRAL DIVISION

Purple/Forum Blue for the Central Division which is either the 1967-88 road jersey match for the Atlantic’s Gold or the, um, Ziggy Palffy era? of the early 2000s. Shoulder-sleeves are white with silver trim, black numbers on the sleeve and white on the back. Yeah, the white looks out of place but it’s very important they have those elements just in case the Central Division ends up having to play the division who wears black.

So yeah they’re totally taking on the team that wears black, right in the first round too…

PACIFIC DIVISION

Black! They say the Pacific is wearing black because the Kings wear black and that there is where they play. So, we’re going with the current uniform for the influence here and most definitely not the ~~Raiders ripoff~~ Gretzky jerseys mentioned earlier in the Metro Division section. The sleeves are dark grey to create a distinct visual difference vs. the Central’s purple, trimmed with silver. The stars around the waist also dark to drive that point home. Numbers on the sleeve and back of the jersey are both white.

As we mentioned earlier the league says the idea of the stars around the waist were based off of the All-Star Game jerseys in use from 1989-1991, and again in 1993. Here’s a look at that jersey: