Tampa Bay Lighting Unveil New Logos and Uniforms for 2011 Season

The words "bold", "classic" and "iconic" were used to describe the new look, which is radically different than what has been associated with the team in the past.

"Shocking" might really be an apt term to describe the new logo and uniform of the Tampa Bay Lightning as they recently unveiled it at the St. Pete Times Forum. The player models Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Stamkos all posed for the press while the Lightning management stand along side.

So, they've ditched the classic black and white and embraced the blue and white that has been often popular retail-wise. I've seen quite a number of 3rd jersey during their games. So as the team turns another chapter to a new franchise ownership, the Tampa Bay Lightning shed their latest uniforms after not too far removed from the sweater-jersey they opened with during their inaugural season.

"This is a great day for the Lightning, our fans and the Tampa Bay community", said Vinik. "Nearly a year ago when I purchased the franchise, I envisioned a world-class organization being run by the best people in the industry....The logo change is very emblematic of our new direction."

As the initial knee-jerk reaction to the change, the first few comments towards the jerseys by fans suggest negativity. Fans immediately conjured up comparisons to the dual chromatic Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings uniforms. I would happen to share those sentiments as it does not seem like they wanted to be their own unique brand of hockey in Florida, but rather "borrow" a page from two of the more historic "original six" NHL franchises. I would never want to buy these jerseys for several reasons starting with the fact that they are another EDGE jersey design. They look quite boring and would certainly fall into the Dallas Stars category of bland design.

Almost immediately after this picture first circulated the internet, I surfed through eBay to find an inexpensive inaugural season Lightning jersey. This decision makes me yearn for those days and how I will always see the franchise.

However, to be fair, the new look to the jersey is good. It's a nice uniform for what it is. But it's a severe downgrade from what they wear now. Why they gave up on the secondary logo that employed the whole state of Florida is a head-scratcher. They should continue to grow the fanbase to the whole state of Florida, not just the Tampa/St. Pete bay area.

[Via: Raw Charge]