New jerseys for the Panthers next season (fan concept, not actual jersey)

[PepsiFree]

I think it looks fantastic. If I were a Panthers fan, I'd order one immediately and almost be excited! The realisation that I'm a Panthers fan would then unfortunately set it, quelling any build up of excitement and ushering in a nice comfortable period of depression and disappointment...

...but at least I'd be in a nice jersey!

[MrMastodonFarm]

Geez atleast the Flames just put the Provincial flag on it once. Panthers have the state flag twice, with a panther above it with Florida written above that, so you best not forget.

The logo is great, too busy on the arms, numbers that high up look foolish.

[Resolute 14]

Easily the worst uniform in the NHL.

[MrMastodonFarm]

-10 points to sureLoss for not starting a new thread.

[bc-chris]

i like them... except they put the sleeve numbers and shoulder patches in the wrong spot!!!

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by bc-chris

i like them... except they put the sleeve numbers and shoulder patches in the wrong spot!!!

well their last jerseys were exactly the same design as the Oilers ones originally, now they have to copy the stupid number on the shoulder thing like the Oilers 3rds

[Cecil Terwilliger]

The crest looks a little funny with the way it fits with the stripes across the chest. Other than that I like it quite a bit.

Fairly simple design. That's a plus.

[Sainters7]

It's decent. I didn't love it at first sight, but the more I look at it the more I like it. It certainly wouldn't be in the running for NHL's nicest jerseys or anything, but it wouldn't be at the bottom either.

There's something about the panther in that logo that just seems boring, but the design of the rest of the jersey is nice.

[activeStick]

Love the new crest, the panther is much better.

Don't like the numbers swapping to the shoulders.

Blue, gold, white and red seems like too much to me...

Agree with the poster who said they look like international jerseys.

[Magnum PEI]

Those are actually alright. They've had awful jerseys for the past ten years so this is a vast improvement.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Article about the thoughts behind the jersey design

http://panthers.nhl.com/club/news.ht...id=DL|FLA|home

"What we really wanted to say to the people of South Florida was that we are here to stay,” Panthers Vice Chairman, Partner & Alternate Governor Doug Cifu said. “We wanted to bring stability to this franchise and wanted to imprint on the franchise our own ideas about what a Florida panther meant and what the Florida Panthers mean to this community."

As a former member of the 101st Airborne Division, Vinnie Viola wanted to pay homage to the selfless actions of those soldiers, choosing a crest inspired by the division’s “Screaming Eagle” patch as the centerpiece of the Panthers’ new uniform.

It should be noted that the Panthers have had a huge focus on the military since the Violas took over, and will even be playing a pre-season game at West Point.

The process began with updating the look of the primary panther logo, which had remained fairly untouched since the team’s inaugural season in 1993. It was a logo born in an era of sharp images and bright colors, featuring a wild panther leaping off the page, its sharp teeth and eyes full of anger. In the time since that logo’s initial unveiling, however, the organization has done quite a bit of growing up, and it was decided that it was time for the team’s once feisty feline to mature.

The state flag shoulder patch is obvious, but it blends in seamlessly with the jersey, unlike the Alberta one with the Flames. Something to note:

Above this new shoulder patch, you will also find something else that is unique to the Panthers. In addition to the militaristic tabs above the prowling panther that will either read “Florida” or “Panthers” based on whether the team is home or away, a separate tab just for the team’s captains will be added on top of that.

“The Panther tabs above the flag are basically earned by the players,” Vinnie Viola said. “The idea is that they’ll come to training camp and they’ll only have the flag on their shoulder. Once they make the team, they earn that tab. And, of course, the captain’s tab sits above the panther. It speaks to the idea of earning a place. It heralds you making the team.”

I absolutely love this idea. "Earning your stripes" so to speak from a military perspective. Perfect idea to start the process of team building.

Although the majority of the jersey could certainly be described as both new and unique, the team also wanted to make sure that fans would feel a certain sense of history when they looked at the new uniforms before they could give their final stamp of approval. For this reason, the decision was made to utilize straightforward striping that travels horizontally across the jersey, harkening to earliest days of the NHL and its original six teams.

“We looked at some of the old jerseys of the Rangers and the Canadiens and the original six teams,” Cifu said. “We wanted to have the traditions of the original NHL blended with our new logo and patch.”

For the record, I really, really like the new jersey. It's not as garish and corny as the old one. It's simple, elegant, and classic. I appreciate a lot of the smaller details as well, like having "Florida" on one jersey, and "Panthers" on the other. Keeps it interesting. The horizontal striping is growing on me quite a bit, even though I found it jarring at first.

Plus, it gives me an excuse to buy a new jersey.

[Cinephile]

+1 for liking the new jersey. It's a little refreshing to see a club that is willing to try something more modern as opposed to sticking with the traditional, conventional jersey archetype.

[Resolute 14]

Oh god... more military fanaticism? Sorry, but the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks already had that covered. I dislike these even more because of that.

[savemedrzaius]

I like it! It's different and has a football or college look like some people have said. Awesome job!

[N-E-B]

I wouldn't say I hate it, but their old ones were just so much better that it's hard for me to get behind these.

[savemedrzaius]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Oh god... more military fanaticism? Sorry, but the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks already had that covered. I dislike these even more because of that.

Where is the connection to the military? And the Leafs? Their jersey is just a Maple Leaf...

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by savemedrzaius

Where is the connection to the military? And the Leafs? Their jersey is just a Maple Leaf...

there has been some speculation that they were named after a military battalion, but no one knows for sure one way or the other

this was the quote from Conn Smythe at the time the name was changed

“The Maple Leaf to us, was the badge of courage, the badge that meant home. It was the badge that reminded us all of our exploits and the different difficulties we got into and the different accomplishments we made. It was a badge that meant more to us than any other badge that we could think of... so we chose it... hoping that the possession of this badge would mean something to the team that wore it and when they skated out on the ice with this badge on their chest... they would wear it with honour and pride and courage, the way it had been worn by the soldiers of the first Great War in the Canadian Army."

[TheScorpion]

That’s… the worst jersey set in the NHL by a mile.

[Red Menace]

Have to see them on the ice, but my initial reaction is that this is the Best jersey the Panthers have ever had, and one of the best in the NHL.
Very nice.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

That’s… the worst jersey set in the NHL by a mile.

The Flames are probably the worst in the NHL, these aren't close to the worst.