NHL unveils Hometown Remix jerseys as Blackhawks face criticism over green design
CHICAGO -- The NHL Monday unveiled its Hometown Remix series of alternate jerseys for all 32 teams, with the Chicago Blackhawks drawing particular attention -- and criticism -- for their design choice.
The Blackhawks' entry in the special edition series replaces the team's traditional red with green. The jersey features light brown gloves and embossed stars of the Chicago flag on the sleeve, with the city's motto stitched inside the hem. Despite the team's reputation for one of the NHL's best logos, the green color scheme has been widely panned by media analysts.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski was among the most vocal critics, citing what he described as a manufacturing error in which a Chicago Blackhawks logo was mistakenly stitched onto a Dallas Stars jersey. "Why are the Blackhawks ranked last? Because they play in Chicago, a city with an endless amount of aesthetics and iconography that could make for an instant classic jersey," Wyshynski wrote.
The Athletic's Mark Lazerus, who covers the Blackhawks, was equally critical, noting the team's history of wearing green jerseys around St. Patrick's Day. "These green jerseys have existed for decades in Chicago, because they used to wear them on St. Patrick's Day. I see them all the time, and I'll hate them for all time," Lazerus said. "There's just no reason to mess with the red. The red is perfect. These ... are not."
Both ESPN and The Athletic ranked the Blackhawks' jersey as the worst of the 32 Hometown Remix editions. The Blackhawks will debut the jerseys Monday night when they host the Colorado Avalanche at the United Center.
Separately, the Philadelphia Flyers introduced their own alternate jersey Monday, calling it the Independence Edition. The sweater features black and gray coloring and will make its debut Tuesday when the Flyers host the Minnesota Wild at 7 p.m. ET. The Flyers plan to wear the jersey 13 times during the season. Fans can purchase the new sweater through the Xfinity Mobile Arena website.
The Hometown Remix series represents the league's effort to celebrate each franchise's connection to its home city through alternate uniform designs. While several teams received positive reception, the Blackhawks' design choice has become the focal point of early criticism for the series.
