Throughout much of the past week, the upcoming Winter Classic has been in the spotlight, especially since it was announced Thursday that the Big Ten would be hosting four collegiate games at Wrigley Field in the few days after the Blackhawks host the event. With the hockey world hoping to grab onto any shred of news in the dog days of the offseason, that meant it was a perfect time to unveil Chicago’s Winter Classic jerseys.
The unique sweaters worn during the Winter Classic are a big deal for many hockey fans – it’s always a fresh look for teams and allows them and jersey producers to let their creativity shine while also creating thousands for the inevitable droves of enjoyers clamoring to spend hundreds of dollars on them. The Blackhawks most recently went with an all-black look in their last appearance in 2019, a vintage look that was an immediate hit.
We haven’t gotten anything official yet from Chicago regarding their sweaters for this winter’s game, but an unofficial leaked look at them gained the attention of the media Saturday.
First things first, remember that these photos are anything but official. However, if these are indeed the designs Fanatics plans to use this winter, the concept is objectively pretty sweet. The first noticeable detail is that they’re home red – the Blackhawks haven’t worn red outdoors in any of their four appearances. It’s time the red jerseys got some love.
Overall, the sweater, official or not, has received rave reviews already and looks to be ridiculously nice. The detail on the stitching is unique, and the attention to detail overall is especially evident in the interior edge on the bottom with the “NHL Winter Classic” wordmark, which is a nice touch.
The design is certainly a work in progress and leaves a few questions unanswered. Are the stripes only visible on the front? Otherwise, making the numbers on the back stand out would be difficult. Does the faux cross stitch really matter, or is it just copying Florida? Either way, there’s no question these designs are terrific, and assuming they’re similar to what Fanatics actually comes up with, will result in tons of sales from Blackhawks fans and hockey fans alike.
