Lady Liberty is back on Broadway.
As part of the NHL’s “Reverse Retro” series partnership with Adidas, all 31 teams revealed a new alternate uniform Monday that represents “unique and historical moments in each club’s history, while refreshing the color and design combination for an all-new presentation,” according to a league release.
The Rangers opted to go with the popular Statue of Liberty logo on top of “NYR” initials, with a navy-blue sweater base and red and white stripes on the sleeves. The original Lady Liberty alternate jersey debuted during the 1996-97 season and was used again in 2006-07.
Across the Hudson River, the Devils went with the “Christmas Tree” jerseys from 1982, their first season in New Jersey. It has the same red and green as the original, but the Reverse Retro look is primarily green for the first time in franchise history.
The Islanders took inspiration from the 1980 jerseys that started their historic journey to four consecutive Stanley Cup championships. Their new alternates aren’t much different than their current ones, featuring the “NY” with a hockey stick in the “Y” over an outline of Long Island and “Islanders” written underneath.
“Built on a dynasty,” the team’s official Twitter account wrote in its reveal of the jersey.
Other highlights among the retro collection include the Avalanche’s Nordiques logo, the Hurricanes’ Whalers logo and the Kings going back to their “L.A. Forum blue” and gold roots.
“NHL team jerseys have long carried deep historical significance for avid and casual hockey fans,” said Brian Jennings, NHL Chief Brand Officer and Senior Executive Vice President, in the release. “Through the years, the design of each team jersey has evolved to balance history and authenticity with cultural touchpoints. The Reverse Retro program is a celebration of the hockey jersey’s confluence of nostalgia, style and broad appeal. As a brand, adidas sits at the epicenter of youth, sports and lifestyle and is the ideal partner for this exciting initiative.”
According to the release, each team will wear the Reverse Retro jersey in multiple games during the 2020-21 season. There will also be “special head-to-head matchups featuring exciting and renewed rivalries — both old and new — the league will announce at a later date.”
The new jerseys will go on sale Dec. 1 at adidas.com and NHLshop.com.
