The Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels have brought back an old friend for their new alternate jerseys.
The Rebels unveiled the new jerseys on their social media channels and their website on Saturday, October 21, and wore them on the ice for the first time that same night against the Saskatoon Blades.
The jerseys feature the “bull skull” from the club’s primary logo on its own on the front. The base of the jersey is the Rebels’ signature shade of burgundy, with the skull in black with burgundy horns and markings and shimmering silver outlines.
The jersey also features black stripes with silver outlines around the waist and sleeves . A black block, again outlined in silver, runs across the shoulders, level with the base of the collar on the front, and is squared off where it meets the sleeve seams.
The Rebels noted on their website that this jersey was in development and production for three years due to COVID-related and supplier delays. The jersey went on sale at the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer on Saturday, as well as in their online shop.
The Rebels first introduced an alternate jersey in the 2001-02 season, which was all burgundy with white stripes and a white R on the front. A new alternate was introduced in 2010, with an off-white base, burgundy stripes across the midsection and a black R on the front.
The “bull skull” featured on the next two alternate jerseys unveiled by the Rebels. The version introduced in 2014 featured a burgundy base, a black shoulder yoke and white and black stripes. A new version with a white base and burgundy stripes debuted in 2017.
The Rebels’ regular jerseys feature the full version of the Rebels’ logo with the bull skull on top of a roundel with crossing hockey sticks and pucks. The black version has burgundy and white stripes around the waist and sleeves, while the white version has black and burgundy stripes.
This is the first time the Rebels have worn an alternate jersey since the end of the 2021-22 season.