Rebrand Or Recycle?
Many Sens fans were disappointed with the team’s lackluster changes to next year’s uniform. Troy Geary sounds off on what the team should have done.
On June 21st, 2017 most hockey fans were tuning into the NHL Expansion Draft. Flying under the radar that day were fourteen NHL teams who opted to make small and large overhauls to their uniforms thanks to the new Adidas-NHL partnership starting next season.
The Ottawa Senators were one of these teams who opted to make changes, or so we thought.
Ottawa fans were mostly left with their heads scratching, wondering if anything really changed at all. The only noticeable change made was to the font and numbering on the backside. That change made the jersey more consistent with the font number design on the white jersey the Senators wore from 1992 to 2007.
Back in January, Eugene Melnyk proposed the concept of re-branding when he announced the departure of Cyril Leeder as team president. If this was the Senators intent was to re-brand with this new design, and the final product looks like it was a lazy attempt to do so. Senators fans took to social media to voice their displeasure about the lack of change, and understandably so.
The current “O” third jersey was introduced in 2011 and, has been the most popular third jersey created by the team. The introduction of the Heritage Classic jersey in 2014 was another success and both jerseys are seen a lot around town. This should have been an indication that moving ahead with these designs for the 2017–18 season would give the people what they wanted. When it was announced that third jerseys are being reintroduced in the 2018–19 season, I proposed the idea of bringing a red dominated “O” jersey and a rearrangement of the existing colour scheme. Many fans who I spoke with at games throughout the 2016–17 season thought the concept was very appealing.
It would have allowed Ottawa to create a look that some teams (like Montreal, Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to name a few) have achieved. That concept is a marketable design that is perceived to be timeless for multiple generations and requires little to modest change for an extended period of time. Change is something that not even the more storied franchises in the NHL can avoid. The Boston Bruins overhauled their jersey and tweaked their logo for 2007–08 season and, the Toronto Maple Leafs did the same for their 100th anniversary last
The Ottawa Senators are in the middle of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. While he retro concept has become popular among fan bases across the NHL, fans in Ottawa ended up getting a recycled red jersey that has often been among the least favourable uniforms in the league.
This was supposed to be that moment to re-brand Senators hockey, instead this was an opportunity completely wasted.
Not at all hope will be lost, however. The team has a chance at redemption if they revive an old jersey from the past or come up with something entirely new for the NHL’s Centennial game on December 16th, 2017 next season.
Troy Geary is a hockey writer for theocho.ca. Look forward to regular contributions from Troy on all things Senators and NHL.
