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New Colorado Avalanche Jersey Debuted at NHL Draft

By Nadia Archuleta

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The new Colorado Avalanche jerseys made a debut at the 2015 NHL Draft. Reaction was on both sides of the fence, but for the most part fans seemed underwhelmed.

To be fair, the team had previewed the 2oth anniversary logo last week with a statement that they would debut a jersey with “minor changes” at the draft. Some Avs fans joked that the “minor changes” would be to simply add the patch to the current design. They were not far off. In fact, the only other change the team made was to replace the iconic yeti footprints on the sleeves with a “C” similar to the one in the Colorado state flag:

Most Avalanche fans hate that the yeti foot is gone. It was the only holdover left from when the yeti was the team’s mascot.

In general some Avalanche fans don’t love the jerseys.

A lot of the controversy over design comes from the piping on the sides. The piping starts narrow at the neckline then slants out in what some fans call a “unipron” look because it resembles an apron. Ostensibly the piping is to separate the colors, but it creates an unflattering line when worn by anyone not in full hockey padding:

Apr 30, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche fans react in the stands of the Pepsi Center following the overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild in game seven of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Wild defeated the Avalanche 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The old jerseys, which the Avalanche wore in their Stanley Cup years, also featured piping to separate the colors. However, the color change ran from neckline to cuff, so it didn’t create the same A-line in the front. The old uniforms also featured jagged piping and a color change on the bottom to represent the Rocky Mountains of Colorado:

Peter Forsberg scores a pure hat trick in the 1996 Stanley Cup vs. the Florida Panthers. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Colorado Avalanche said goodbye to their alternate jerseys last season, affectionately called blueberries because of their predominantly blue design. The team is expected to debut both a new third jersey and a Stadium Series jersey — or a Stadium Series jersey that becomes the alternate jersey.

Until then, Avs Nation have to content themselves with the addition of the anniversary patch and the replacement of the yeti foot.

Next: Bye Bye Blueberries

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