Buffalo Sabres unveil new logo and uniforms
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by cityhockeyfever
ArmchairGM writer
The Buffalo Sabres already had their fans excited about the prospects of going deep into the playoffs next spring, but they will do it in fashionable style on the ice during the upcoming 2006-2007 National Hockey League season.
Earlier today, the Sabres officially unveiled a new logo and uniforms to a large crowd that gathered inside HSBC Arena in Buffalo for the first open practice of training camp. As part of a "Game On" league-wide ticket drive, Sabres fans also had the opportunity to purchase season tickets and individual game tickets at the arena. WGRZ-TV provided a live webcast of the festivities, including the moment when the players stepped out onto the ice for the first time. The new logo with a team name wordmark was painted on the HSBC Arena ice surface earlier this week.
During this summer, hockey fans got an unexpected preview of the new logo as it leaked out onto the internet and then shown by various media outlets. Not all embraced the new logo and one Sabres fan even created the web site Fix The Logo to protest its use. Drew Celestino as the webmaster of the site has collected at least 29,000 signatures on his online petition.
As a result of much buzz around the city and the hockey community, the Sabres somewhat quieted fans in agreement with Celestino's protest of the new logo by announcing on July 27th the original road jersey would become the new alternate for 15 games this season. It is the blue base color jersey with the familiar blue circular logo in gold trim with a white bison and crossed swords. Confirmation was made about the new primary logo at this point after all the talk had surfaced about whether it would officially be the new brand. Last seen in 1996 prior to the team moving into HSBC Arena (at the time of its opening, it was called Marine Midland Arena) and having the previous red, silver, white and black color scheme, the first game this season that the original blue jersey will worn is on October 14th against the New York Rangers. The retro jersey was also on display by a handful of players wearing it this morning during the open practice.
The third logo in team history resembles a modern-looking gold buffalo leaping from left to right, but without legs. Celestino and other non-supporters of the new logo describe it as a slug or hair toupee in resemblance. It is outlined in a deeper blue than the original blue color the Sabres wore from 1970 to 1996 and also in white and silver. A modified version of the secondary logo from the previous uniform was originally to be scrapped, but instead has been retained in the new navy blue and brighter gold colors with silver accenting.
The new home uniform has its base color in navy blue to make it more eye-appealing on television. Thin silver striping runs horizontally around the lower shoulders and also vertically below the armpits to the waist. The new road white uniform has the same silver striping, but the sleeves and within its boundaries along the sides of the jersey are in navy blue.
But a unique first for NHL team jerseys is the implementation of a small player uniform number on the front. It is seen on the upper right chest in a different font that either of the previous two uniforms.
The Sabres and Reebok International jointly worked on the design of the new logo and uniforms. A limited amount of jerseys sporting the new look were made available this morning.
Sources
- Buffalo Sabres
- photo #1 by Mark Mulville/Buffalo News
- photo #2 and #3 by Bill Wippert/Buffalo Sabres
- Fix The Logo web site
Date
Sat 09/16/06, 9:09 am EST
