With the return of reverse retro jerseys for 2022-23, here are some designs we want to see:
Adidas
California gold seals or Cleveland barons take on new life
Once upon a time, you didn’t see NHL teams wearing jerseys from their past after a relocation or merger. Fortunately, that has changed in recent seasons.
Early reverse retros of the Colorado Avalanche were a twist on the look of the Quebec Nordiques, while the Carolina Hurricanes have paid homage to the Hartford Whalers on a few occasions.
Looks like it’s about time someone finally brought back the Golden Seals or Barons look in a reverse retro.
But who will?
Both the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars could give it a go, as they both have connections to the Golden Seals/Barons franchise. Dallas has the most well-known connection dating back to when the then-struggling Minnesota North Stars merged with the also-troubled Cleveland Barons before the 1978-79 season.
The Sharks gave away Seals jerseys and worked to further their history as the NHL’s first Bay Area franchise.
With the Sharks acknowledging history and regional connections, they would be more likely to wear something that showcases their history at the SAP Center. I’d follow regional Avalanche trends with Colorado Rockies and Minnesota Wild-inspired jerseys with… wait, inverted retros with a Minnesota North Star theme.
The Red Wings to return to the Detroit Cougars logo
Among the first batch of reverse retros, some stood out for how good they were, while others stood out for how disappointing they were. Detroit fell into the latter. The jerseys looked very simple, and social media let it be known how they felt about a uniform that regularly ranked among the worst in the league in 2020-21.
As for what the team needs to do next, it’s time for the Wings to dig deeper into a skin they haven’t revived yet. Forget doing a Detroit Falcons reverse retro or just using the Old English letter D on the front of a jersey, it’s time for the Red Wings to wear an image they haven’t worn since 1928-29.
The Wings haven’t used their original identity’s cougar head logo on any throwback jerseys, and keeping the theme reversed with the red cougar logo turned white on a red jersey would be a refreshing change. An updated spin on the cartoon cat is long overdue.
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Keep black shirts to a minimum
One of the best parts of the original reverse retro show was the variety of colors that came out of it. Various teams wore purple, yellow, green, orange, and red jerseys. The only teams that wore jerseys that had a black base were Calgary and Chicago.
So far only one jersey has been leaked. Still, hopefully colorful jerseys continue to be the plan instead of the heavy use of black as a default alternate look, which has been a common trend in professional sports over the years.
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The Winnipeg Jets meet the Atlanta Thrashers
Like Detroit’s, the original Winnipeg Jets reverse retros left a lot to be desired, from the incredibly simple design to the gray jersey base. The Jets have borrowed from the original NHL franchise to call Manitoba home multiple times, but returning it to where Jets 2.0 moved would be an unexpected callback.
It would be fun to have a baby blue Jets jersey with the letters WINNIPEG on the sleeves, a tribute to the uniform that doubled as an alternate and eventually home uniform from 2003-11 for Atlanta.
Or a revival of the Thrashers logo in modern Winnipeg colors would be another welcome twist on the uniform.