Even though there won't be NHL players in Pyeongchang County, South Korea there still will be hockey played which means the players going will need uniforms! The uniforms for Team Canada & Team USA were unveiled today by Nike and let me tell you, they sure are... unique.
Both jerseys follow the same template with absolutely no stripes around the waste... actually no traditional stripes at all! Other than the crest, the only thing happening on these jerseys are on the sleeves - and there is definitely stuff happening there! It kind of looks like it was designed by a kid who just figured out how to use gradients because there is a lot of them - even in the logos & numbers. I'm not going to try to describe the pattern on the sleeves because I don't know where to start. Moving on...
TEAM CANADA 7/10
Team Canada unveils a new logo which includes a maple leaf with a 3-dimensional feeling to it as well as the word "CANADA" beneath it (except on the black jersey). The leaf is red on the black and white jerseys and white on the the red jersey. It is hard to go wrong with a maple leaf so I give this logo a 8/10. As far as the jersey goes, they did a pretty good job considering the horrific 90's-like, zebra/tiger jersey template they were given. Which is why I give them a 6.5/10 for the jersey.
TEAM USA 5.5/10
Team USA unveils a logo similar to ones they have used in the past with just a simple "USA" with a light blue drop shadow going across the chest for their primary & secondary jerseys. On their third jersey the letters are spaced diagonally with blue & red drop shadows. These logos are extremely simple but that might be what these busy jerseys need and I like the font so I give it a 7.5/10.
Team USA has also seemed to add a new colour into their repertoire with a lighter blue which they called old royal. This colour is mixed into the gradient mess on the sleeves as well as the primary colour on their eye-hurting Ottawa-Senators-like third jersey. Mostly because of the third jersey I give these 3 jerseys a 3/10.
Well stay tuned if you want to see how the rest of the countries dealt with this disappointing Nike template! :)