Uniforms?

A pretty good article with analysis of the new RBK Edge jerseys from ESPN's Uni Watch:
Link

I was trying to come up with a name for that stripe-piping that runs from the collar down to the waist that look awful on a few jerseys (especially the Oilers'), but couldn't come up with anything good. This article did the job: Apron strings (also referred to as Bettman stripes).

Example:

I had no idea about the "Diaper effect" since I hadn't seen too much on-ice action yet. Ugh.

But the article doesn't mention the half/short sleeve design as modeled by the Penguins:

I don't get that one...

Blackhawks year?

This may be callous, but my first thought upon finding out about the death of Blackhawks' owner Bill Wirtz was, "the 'Hawks could be back..."

Apparently I wasn't the only one:

"Wirtz's death good thing for Blackhwaks" - MSNBC
"Blackhawks crumbled under Wirtz" - Sporting News
"Blackhawks look for return to glory days" - CBS Sportsline
not to mention how they probably feel over at Wirtzsucks.com.

But, really, for all the good Wirtz had done for the game and the NHL, the disgrace of the Blackhawks is what Wirtz will be remembered for.

Hawks fans were already optimistic about the future with the arrival of Towes (pronounced Tayvz) and Kane, but the passing of Wirtz gives hope they will no longer be stifled by indifferent ownership.

If Dale Tallon (GM) and Denis Savard (coach) are able to continue building the Hawks for a few seasons, all they will need to return to the playoffs on a yearly basis, and even become a powerhouse, is an owner willing to foot the bill for a winner. This is the new NHL and turnaround comes quick.

This coming season is very up in the air for the Hawks. With the notable additions of Sergei Samsonov and Robert Lang, Europeans desperate to regain their form (which is why they ended up in Chicago), along with premier face-off man Yanic Perreault, there is at least a core of players that should compete every night.

Maybe Kane and Towes will be the spark Samsonov and Lang need. Maybe Martin Havlat will stay healthy for a full season and score 100 points. Maybe Perreault can win enough defensive-zone faceoffs to keep the pressure off Nikolai Khabibulin late in the 3rd.

But, really, even if all of the above happens, the Blackhawks still won't get a sniff the playoffs. With a defense as thin as Chicago's, no matter how many goals they can score, the Blackhawks will still let more by the 'Boulin Wall.



There's always next year. And next year there will be even more hope.