In fact, the colors of this jersey (if you can call them that) are officially named Midnight Black, Storm Grey, and Flash Silver. (And yes, that would be the very same “Storm Grey†we saw on the Carolina Hurricanes’ black third jerseys in the fall.) The Lightning and Adidas definitely made an effort to keep the branding intact as they went down this road.
I have to say one thing I’ve never liked on NHL jerseys is a gradient. I still don’t. Vancouver did it with two third jerseys in their history. It’s a cheap look. But the reason I’m not as opposed to it on this Lightning jersey is because it’s not really a gradient. Yes, it’s sublimated, which is still a black mark in my book, but the unique dot pattern that’s visible up close is enough to make it feel a little higher end. I have yet to see this jersey in person, but the photos make it look pretty sharp.
I won’t go so far as to say I’m impressed with the overall presentation, but it’s not bad by any stretch. Certainly not as bad as Twitter might lead you to believe. But that’s another story. The lack of contrast does leave a little something to be desired. And not to harp on it, but it wouldn’t hurt to use black and blue in equal measure on the same jersey one of these days.
I get the sense this is one of those jerseys that will grow on me more in time. And even if I’m wrong, it’s still exactly what a third jersey should be — unique and experimental. Would I like it as the primary home sweater? Not in a million years. But as an alternate for the next few? I’m good with that.
Here are some more random thoughts:
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The silver effect on the crest is an interesting touch, but the metallic sheen on the helmet decals is really cool. Sometimes it’s the little things.
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Andrei Vasilevskiy may have been the best looking player on the ice for Tampa Bay tonight. I guess I mean that two ways. He stopped everything the Blues threw at him for 64 minutes, but the new mask and black and grey pads were absolutely imposing! (Now, if only he could’ve spray-painted his stick black too.)
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Because of the late start, the new sweater won’t get a full 15-game run this season. We’ll see it six more times for Saturday home games throughout February and March.
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During the first intermission of tonight’s game, Lightning CEO Steve Griggs was interviewed on FOX Sports Sun about the new threads. He said they’ve been researching this look for about two years and invoked “millennials†as the impetus for the less traditional elements of the uniform. I’d be curious to see some of that research for myself, actually.
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Lastly, it turns out the new third jersey has inspired a full line of apparel that’s black, grey and silver. This really feels like an over-correction in response to complaints about the monochromatic blue primary uniforms.
