It appears the rumors were true. The long-awaited reveal of the Lightning’s new third jersey happened yesterday. The team then donned them and defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 6-3.
Personally, I think they are fine. They aren’t my favorite ever (that would be the original Storm Jersey) or my least favorite (the 2011 re-design), they rank somewhere in the middle. Online, the reaction seemed mixed, with some fans really liking them and others hating them. Which, in this day in age, seems about right.
As usual, the small details are the coolest, like the 3D numbers on the back that hearken back to the original sweaters, and the years of the Stanley Cups on the inside of the color. The Bolts will be wearing them quite a bit the rest of the way as they will have them on for the next two home games and then their Saturday home games in March against the Canadiens, Flyers, and Islanders. They will wrap things up by wearing them one last time on April 17th against the Maple Leafs.
With the league switching to Fanatics as the official uniform manufacturer next season so we’ll see if these sweaters are a one-year thing or not. As you would expect, the team has released a whole line of t-shirts, hats, and other merchandise to celebrate their first true third jersey since the “Disrupt the Night” ones from 2018-19. Feel free to use this link to shop on Fanatics for the merchandise (if you do purchase using the link we will get a small commission).
Other Hockey News
Lightning beat Avalanche, 6-3 [Raw Charge]
Stamkos had the game-winner, Kucherov had three points, and Brandon Hagel was a menace all night long. The win kept the Bolts in third place in the Atlantic as well.
Hopefully, we don’t have many more of these tributes in the future.
Behind Nikita Kucherov’s MVP-level masterpiece [The Athletic]
Dear God! That’s Joe Smith’s music! Karaoke Joe is back with a nice article about Kuch’s awesome season. Always good to have him writing about the Lightning.
Blue Jackets relieve Jarmo Kekalainen of GM duties [Jackets Canon]
Honestly, Columbus fans have probably been expecting this for a couple of years. With their third straight disappointing season, the Blue Jackets have finally had enough of the mediocrity that Jarmo brought to the franchise. Expect the usual names, including the Lightning’s Mathieu Darche, to enter the conversation as possible replacements.
Pens place Jake Guentzel on IR [Pensburgh]
Considered by some as a possible major trade chip for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Guentzel was placed on LTIR with an upper-body injury. He is expected to be out of the line-up for 3-4 weeks, which will carry him past the trade deadline. That doesn’t mean he won’t get traded, but it will likely lower his value.
