The NHL and Adidas dropped the 2024 Winter Classic jerseys on Wednesday, as the Golden Knights and Kraken prepare to square off at at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on New Year’s Day.
The bright gold coloring featured on the Golden Knights’ traditional uniforms has been replaced “by a Heritage Gold with an old West attitude,” per NHL.com, with the vintage white paying homage to the “working uniforms from the 1900s.”
VGK’s usual helmet crest was replaced by a “V” on the chest and is outlined with “Fleur-de-lis petal accents” and a “looping decorate chain stitch.” That same font style and outline is featured in the numbers on the back of the sweaters.
“I thought they were pretty incredible,” Vegas blueliner Zach Whitecloud said after the jersey reveal. “… But just kind of seeing the history of it, the way they put Vegas kind of into a history standpoint is really cool [like] the lettering. I think the gloves and our pants just kind of round it all really well. We’re excited to wear that and really looking forward to that.”
Seattle’s jersey, according to NHL.com, is inspired by the Seattle Metropolitans — a squad that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association from 1915 to 1924. It was also the first U.S.-based club team to capture hockey’s top prize, winning the Stanley Cup in 1917.
“The uniform worn by that club was used as an inspiration for the Winter Classic. A barber-pole look with three colors — Deep Sea Blue, Ice Blue and Red Alert — adorns the sleeves and most of the body. The crest is a red “S” logo, with the word “KRAKEN” spelled inside, outlined in vintage white,” described NHL.com.
The vintage-looking numbers on the back of the jersey, along with the crest on the front, are “in felt with single-needle top-stitch detailing,” while the pants are blue and white with “barber-pole style socks.”
The Kraken sweater also features “1917” on the neckline, while the Golden Knights’ uni has seven stars laden across theirs.
“Seattle was the first American city to win the Stanley Cup in 1917. So, just being able to drop that status that we’ve already won one Cup in this town and we’re going to chase you, Vegas Golden Knights, and get our second soon enough, that’s a cool thing to put in there,” Adidas design director Matty Merrill said.
“And then for the Golden Knights, the seven stars on the neckline indicate January 1 really kind of being their birthday and seventh year in the NHL.”
The Winter Classic patch, which is unique to the marquee game every year, is featured on the right shoulder of each jersey.
In true NHL fashion, the league was late to the party — even when it comes to leaking their own jerseys.
Ahead of a home game against the Phoenix Suns last Friday, the NBA’s Utah Jazz seemingly spoiled the Seattle jersey drop as several players strolled into the arena rocking the yet-to-be-released Kraken Winter Classic threads.
The Jazz franchise, as the Seattle Times pointed out, has no obvious connection to the NHL’s newest team in any way, so this remains a true head-scratcher for everyone involved.
