It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 100 years since the NHL has been breathing life and a lot of rich history has developed since it’s humble inauguration.

We saw so much change throughout the NHL’s history, it’s almost mind boggling in a way of what the league went through and how it has evolved during it’s history.

Many things have changed in the NHL since day one but the one big department that has been evolved with the game are the jerseys hockey players wear. The material has changed, how they’re made has changed and most interestingly, how the look of each sweater has changed.

The three biggest influences on what shapes a jersey’s design is where the team plays, what kind of culture surrounds the team and what they’ve won in the past. It’s a common theme for all of the new jerseys introduced for the 2016/17 NHL season and you can see the relation.

An example of influence from location is why the Tampa Bay Lightning called the ‘Lightning’? That is because in the city of Tampa, lightning occurs way way more frequently there than any other city in North America.

An example of cultural influence on sweaters is why the Nashville Predators have a shoulder logo that is in a shape of a guitar pic? That is because Nashville is known as Music City. There also piano keyboards distributed on the inside neck line of the sweater to add on to the cultural influence.

History probably has the biggest influence on how team sweaters are designed today and there is no better example than the new 2017 Toronto Maple Leafs logo and jersey. If it weren’t for their 13 Stanley Cups, they wouldn’t have 13 stems from the top half of the Leaf on the logo. If it weren’t for their inauguration in 1917, they wouldn’t have 17 veins in total throughout their entire logo. Just check out the chart below and see for yourself.

*The only part that you don’t see is on the inside of the neck, there is code that is written on the neck piece and it states “Honour. Pride. Courage.”  Even though it’s a small and minor detail, it really inspires a winning attitude and perception about the Leafs. Fans can truly wear these beautiful sweaters with pride, honour and courage. These are going to be their permanent home and road jerseys.

Los Angeles Kings 50th Anniversary Jersey

A ton of unexpected and hidden symbolism is involved with this jersey and the key parts are:

• Striping along the arms represents two Stanley Cups
• Striping along the bottom matches 1967-68, the first on-ice season in Kings history
• Purple embellishment within the neck containing five Gold Diamonds represents the five decades and pays homage to the club’s historic Purple/Gold years
• Gold added to the Kings primary logo represents 50 years
• Special Font with Gold for player names and numbers
• Gray color is the same as the Dodger Stadium Series
•  Limited Edition of 5,000

The Kings are slated to wear the new jersey for these 14 home games this season (some of these contests are designated as official LA Kings Heritage Nights): October 22, November 5, November 19, November 26, December 10, December 31, January 7, January 14, February 18, February 25, March 4, March 11, March 25 and April 8 (the club’s final regular season home games). The Kings will wear their original Vintage Gold uniforms only one time this season (October 14 as part of the club’s Home Opener)

Philadelphia Flyers 50th Anniversary Jersey

The Philadelphia Flyers jersey features a logo and colors similar to what the organization has traditionally worn.

The big change was gold numbers on the jersey, and gold accents to the crest and the players’ names, in honor of the Flyers’ golden anniversary.

The Flyers will wear these jerseys 12 times in 2016-17:

– Oct. 20, the home opener against the Anaheim Ducks.
– Nov. 2 against the Detroit Red Wings
– Nov. 19 against the Tampa Bay Lightning
– Nov. 25 against the New York Rangers
– Dec. 3 against the Chicago Blackhawks
– Dec. 10 against the Dallas Stars
– Dec. 21 against the Washington Capitals
– Jan. 7 against the Tampa Bay Lightning
– Jan. 21 against the New Jersey Devils
– Feb. 2 against the Montreal Canadiens
– Feb. 4 against the Los Angeles Kings
– Feb. 11 against the San Jose Sharks

The part that I find most interesting about the jersey is the fact Philadelphia’s biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, also feature gold in their colour scheme, this new jersey design was predictably met with derision online.

 Pittsburgh Penguins Classic Jerseys Become New Again

  The 50th anniversary was not the reason why the Penguins went back to their old jerseysThe Penguins thought it’s be a good omen to use their vintage black jersey for their home games during the 2016 NHL playoffs because after all, they won the Stanley Cup last season. Now that it’s the 100th NHL season, the Pens thought it’d be a good idea to bring back the classic road jersey they used in the 90’s and make it permanent along with the use of the matching home jersey. The black home jersey they use permanently now used to be an alternate jersey for a couple of seasons until they decided to make it permanent this year.

  These jerseys also symbolize the Pens glory years in the 1991 and 1992 season when they wore these jerseys that brought them back-to-back Stanley Cups. This is an excellent move for the image of the Pittsburgh Penguins and it’ll one that will prove to be popular throughout time.

Florida Panthers Permanent Home And Road Jerseys

  There is no doubt that these jerseys are unique in how the piping is laid out compared to most other NHL jerseys that have been created. The logo has a shield around the newly designed panther to symbolize honour in wearing the jersey. Notice how on the home jerseys, it says “Panthers” on the shield while the road jerseys say “Florida”. The reason for that is because for the road jerseys, “Florida” symbolizes where they come from when they are playing their road games and for the home games it says “Panthers” to symbolize who they are and to let opposong teams know that they are in Panther territory.

Did you also notice that the side logo on the arm resembles the Florida State Flag as well as the exact illustration of Florida’s state animal, the Florida Panther.

Winnipeg Jets Heritage Classic Jersey

  Not much to say about the Jets jersey besides the fact that The Jets’ uniform draws inspiration from the championship era of the late 1970s and features a crossover V-neck color and vintage-inspired mesh striping. The crest employs traditional chain stitching to lend a distinct authenticity to the throwback uniform. A pant logo highlights the historical Jets ID set, complete with an era-accurate name and number set. Overall this is an amazing jersey and one that Jets fans need to have in their collection.

These are the only jerseys that have been revealed so far and we suspect that the St. Louis Blues and the Pittsburgh Penguins will reveal their 50th anniversary jerseys for their outdoor games this season. The Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings will reveal their winter classic jerseys sometime before their Winter Classic games in January, 2017. Overall, this season will be an exciting time for hockey fans everywhere as the season will be full of major events and celebrations.