The NHL's new Reverse Retro jerseys are the subject of the day.
With each team tapping into a look from its past for inspiration, the Canucks went with the gradient third jerseys from the 2001-02 season, then remixed them into today's blue-and-green colour scheme.
Personally, I think they look pretty good. They tie in well with the club's current look, and I do appreciate the thinking behind the design choice — connecting one era of promise with that same vibe today.
"Originally red, Vancouver's Gradient Orca Jersey debuted during the 2001-02 season," reads the
Canucks' announcement.
"The Canucks team was coming off its first playoff appearance in five seasons and the fanbase had just had its first glimpse at a couple of young future stars, Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The jersey was also featured during one of the most exciting eras in team history when the West Coast Express was taking the league by storm.
"Fast forward roughly 20 years, and the team is again in a very similar position having finally returned to the playoffs, led once again by a new era of Canucks hockey, and the young stars of the future."
"This jersey represents a turning point," said Canucks CEO Trent Carroll, "a visual depiction of transition, from green to blue, from one era of Canucks hockey to the next and the start of a young emerging team with a bright future. I can't wait to see them on the ice."
You can read more about the league-wide rollout of the jerseys in my story here, for Forbes:
One of the most fascinating ideas is mixing images of old franchises with new — especially with teams that aren't even affiliated. The Wild have incorporated the old green-and-gold colour palette of the Minnesota North Stars, while the Jets are using imagery and lettering from the old Winnipeg Jets team.
Teams that have relocated, like the Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes, are also paying homage to their histories.
It's not the first time we've seen the Canes tap into Hartford Whalers iconography, but I don't think we've seen the Avs tie themselves so tightly back to the Nordiques before.
It's startling but interesting to see iconic franchises like the Canadiens try a dark blue base colour for the first time, while the Blues have defied their name and gone — red.
Some of the other teams have brought back old logos, like Lady Liberty for the New York Rangers or that angry horse for the Calgary Flames. Others have made more subtle changes, where the color shift is the name of the main game.
The jerseys will be available for fan purchase starting December 1. Of course, we're not sure when we'll get to see the players wearing them, but judging from the mix of lights and darks and the wording of the press release, it sounds like the goal is to have both clubs wear them on certain 'rivalry nights.'
I wonder how much a Canadian Division might mess with that strategy? Apparently this project has been in development for the better part of two years, since waaaay before Covid.
All the interest in this launch says a lot about the hunger for fresh hockey content, even if it's just jerseys to argue about. But this is an unprecedented rollout — it's the first time the league has ever introduced alternate jerseys for all 31 teams at the same time.
The other fan initiative which has taken hold over the last couple of weeks is the campaign to get Gino Odjick into the Canucks' Ring of Honour.
The drive now has its own Twitter account,
gino_ring, has been drumming up some media attention, and is heartily endorsed by Odjick himself.
“I’m happy, she’s doing a good job,” Odjick told
Patrick Johnston from The Province. “Hopefully it brings some results. It’s been really awesome, I had a really good connection with the fans from day one. It’s really amazing that people still remember me 30 years later.”
Organizer Marcia McNaughton says the return of Odjick's heart issue spurred her to get more active about making this happen.
“I would hate for him to be gone and not have been honoured,” she said. “Everything he’s done for the community, for the Canucks, for First Nations people, he deserves it. There’s not a person who walks by him that doesn’t stop to say hello. There’s never been a name chanted in the arena like his."
The roots of the campaign reveal that the love between Gino and his fans is a two-way street. He initially met McNaughton through an accidental Tweet but from there, the two became friends.
“Marcia’s really nice, she’s a really nice person," Gino said. "She’s a fan of the B.C. Lions, Seahawks, Canucks. She’s been a treat to be around. We’ve brought her to a couple games, to the alumni suite. She always remembers all the old players.”
Co-organizer Hans Petter Johnsen has been following Gino's career from abroad for decades, starting in Norway in the early 90s. He eventually built an enormous fansite online — which led to Gino and his girlfriend inviting him to Montreal for 10 days during the Canadiens/Hurricanes second-round playoff series in 2002. That was Gino's swan song in the NHL. He played in all 12 playoff games for Montreal that spring, tallying one goal and 47 penalty minutes — true to himself to the very end.
“Yes, that was me winning the lottery of life,” Johnsen said about the experience. “But it was a very humbling experience and shows what Gino will do for those he cares about.”
Now 50, Gino says his current treatments are going well.
“I’m feeling good," he told Johnston. "I’ve done two cycles now. The doctor says I’m doing good.”
And as Joey Kenward points out, Gino does hold one important Canucks record:
All told, Gino finished with 2,567 penalty minutes. Despite playing just 605 NHL games, he holds
17th spot on the league's all-time penalty minutes list. He's rubbing shoulders with contemporaries like Scott Stevens, who played more than twice as many games as him (14th place, 2,785 minutes in 1,635 games).
The all-time leader is another former Canuck, Tiger Williams, who logged an astonishing 3,971 minutes in 962 games.
Vancouver Canucks Blogger • 
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