As Canada’s men’s national team was trying to secure FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time in 37 years on Thursday, two Canadian Premier League teams took the chance to unveil new kits for the upcoming season.
Both FC Edmonton and Atlético Ottawa unveiled alternate kits for 2022 at local watch parties during halftime of the Canada-Costa RIca game on Thursday. Atlético Ottawa unveiled an alternate (away) kit, while FC Edmonton unveiled both an alternate and a third kit.
FC EDMONTON – Alternate
FC Edmonton’s away kit is inspired by the ice castles that are built in Hawrelak Park every winter. The kit is mostly white, with geometric blocks of light grey lines that start on the chest and fall away as you move down the shirt.
The geometric block of lines also appear on the sleeves, but in blue. The sleeve cuffs are solid blue, while the notched collar is white with blue trim.
The back of the jersey is solid white, with a blue outline of the club’s good luck charm, the Rally Rabbit, near the bottom. Blue inserts appear on the back collar and near the hem on each side.
The ice castles were first built in Hawrelak Park in 2015, and have become a popular winter destination for photographers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S.-based company that builds them decided not to do so in 2020 and 2021. The company also builds ice castles in Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Utah and Wisconsin.
FC EDMONTON – Third
Meanwhile, FC Edmonton are turning back the clock for their third kit. The bright orange and navy blue colours are a throwback to the Edmonton Drillers, the city’s first professional soccer team, who played both outdoors and indoors in the North American Soccer League from 1979 to 1982.
According to FC Edmonton, while the Drillers wore white at home, they wore orange on the road “partially due to the Dutch influence in the community and their head coach at the time. FC Edmonton also has a history of Dutch coaches and the Dutch form a large community in the city.”
The jersey is mostly orange, with navy blue stripes running down each shoulder. The sleeve cuffs and polo collar are navy blue, as is a hem stripe and an insert at the front of the collar. The back of the jersey features a retro brush script “FC Edmonton” wordmark.
ATLÉTICO OTTAWA – Alternate
Atlético Ottawa is drawing inspiration from the flag of the city it calls home for its 2022 alternate kit. The kit is predominantly blue, with teal accents — both shades that are found on the City of Ottawa’s flag.
The front of the shirt includes an embossed pattern of stylized Os that are similar to the one found on the Ottawa flag. Teal is found in the sleeve cuffs, the V-neck collar, and inserts on the front of each shoulder. The sleeve cuffs also feature red and white swatches, a nod to parent club Atlético Madrid.
The back of the jersey is solid blue. The blue in the flag and on the kit represents the rivers and waterways of the Ottawa region, while the teal represents the green spaces.
Other Canadian Premier League teams are scheduled to release their alternate kits over the next couple of weeks before the 2022 season kicks off on April 7. Announced dates include:
- Pacific FC: TBD
- Cavalry FC: March 30
- Valour FC: March 27
- Forge FC: March 31
- York United: March 30
- HFX Wanderers: April 2
Home kits for all eight clubs were unveiled on March 17.
All photos courtesy Canadian Premier League unless otherwise noted