6/20/07 - Islanders Uniforms '08 - Part II

Today, the Washington Capitals new uniform was leaked on their website. This was, of course, to be expected to happen at some time; it's actually a surprise it took so long for this to get out.

As you can see, the Caps have made the return to the classic red, white, and blue color scheme, and have redesigned the old logo.

Even though the photo is of less-than-great quality, the uniform looks very sharp. I am glad to see the primary "eagle" crest design get the boot, and the new font for "Capitals" combines old tradition with new style.

What is interesting to note is that the Caps' design is not just a re-colorization of the original All-Star Game templates. This is a very good thing to see; one of the rumors floating around was that the new team uniforms were going to be based upon the All-Star Game designs. . In the same boat of such rumors, though, it is evident that there are no horizontal stripes shown in this photo. Granted, the image is cut off and the uniform may very well have some stripes at the end of the sleeves or the waist, but there is no evidence to debunk this troubling rumor.

What does this mean for the Islanders?

Well, if you still want to believe what the Caps uniform failed to disprove, the Islanders may lose the traditional orange/white stripes on the sleeves and waist. Yes, this would be a huge loss, but I still have faith in the people behind the redesign, and I don't think us Islanders fans have a lot to worry about. I also don't think we have to worry about those under-arm and side vertical stripes, as seen on the All-Star prototype. If the Caps didn't adopt it, then it must not be necessary.

In related news, the NHL Draft Day baseball caps were unveiled recently, and several of them raised a few eyebrows around the league. "Alternate" designs of these hats were found on the league server, among them one with the new Capitals logo. Some of these caps aren't yet available for sale, and speculation is that the league wants to wait for the official announcements.

The Islanders' own Draft Day cap is stirring up a little buzz, as well. As first noticed on IslandersCountry, the cap is colored royal blue, and not the navy blue the team has used since 1995. This seems to conform recent rumors about the return to royal for the Islanders, including supporting theories on the color design of their new website.

Other thoughts:
It is reported that the new Columbus Blue Jackets' logo will be their current third logo; the Ohio flag wrapped in red, white, and blue.

According to extra images found on the NHL store server, the Bruins logo may face a slight change in the "B" font.

There have also been rumors of the Buffalo Sabres having a total redesign again, amid much criticism of their new 2006-07 crest.


Friday is the day for all fans waiting for the official uniform announcements. Even before the 2007 NHL Draft kicks off in Columbus, several teams are already planning their official announcements. More is sure to come, and as Draft Day comes closer, the possibility of more leaks will be high. Keep it here for updates and thoughts.