Carolina All-Star Game Jersey Unveiled

Once again, it's time for me to put on my critic hat and analyze the newest design for the game jerseys that will be worn in the upcoming all-star game in the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC. Most likely, the NHL and Reebok has a lot of money in marketing tied into this new product, it's necessary to look at this from a consumer point of view.

"You've got the ultimate fantasy draft and what's shaping up as an exciting All-Star weekend," he said. "The Winter and Heritage Classic have more of a vintage theme while the All-Star Game is more futuristic. The new uniforms have a futuristic design and look to them.

"Our events are getting bigger in scale. It's like having a 31st team in the NHL, and [sales] do quite well depending on the market."

The fist question that should be answered is "Would I buy it?" or more specifically, "Would I spend the retail price to own one?" That answer for me is no. Right away, it looks like something that would not spark a "gotta have it" response from me. (But then again this is the same first impression that I got from the Penguins Winter Classic jersey and it feels like I am softening from that stance as well.) Perhaps, the fans as a whole would likely buy them up at the sports stores and merchandise kiosks now installed in most hockey arenas. It would be interesting to see the sales figures in the Carolinas as to how many hockey fans there in the triangle would buy one out of civic duty knowing that this all-star game featured their host city festivities and hospitality.

Ascetically, I don't enjoy the Edge cut at all and when I see this jersey, I am surprised that it does not take on the style of the host city like the other all-star host locations have. Minnesota used green, Montreal made sure to use their bleu-blanc-rouge with Stanley Cup years on them, but having this jersey blue strikes me as an odd choice as they ignore the red and black Hurricanes motif. It's not even styled the same horizontally.

The designated home team will wear white jerseys, helmets and socks, with red trim. The opposing team will have dark blue jerseys, helmets and socks with royal blue trim.

So, it will be a new futuristic look for the all-stars as the switch over to a new "fantasy draft" format begins to go in a new direction - something that the other sports leagues have not done yet.

"We think the stripes reflect the new NHL," Keith Leach, Reebok's director of merchandising, said Monday. "The NHL game is faster, speedier, more fluid and in constant motion, and we wanted a more aggressive design."

The swoosh lines are going up the sleeve instead of going around it also suggests that they want the jerseys to look slimmer. Something I don't want. However, I am sure somebody in hockey fandom will purchase them.

[Via: Charlotte News Observer