That got out of hand fast!

March 6, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Right you are Mr. Burgundy

If you love hockey fights, you gotta check this one out! During last nights matchup between the Capitals and Flyers, things got heated fast after some chippy play from both teams. Click Here to see the whole fight in all of it’s hockey glory. If it wasn’t apparent already, just check out this video just to see how much the Flyers and Capitals hate each other. Fast forward to the 55 second mark if you want to skip how the fight started. Gotta love hockey, the mix of skill and brawn that no other professional sport can match.

Ranking the NHL’s Stadium Series Jerseys

January 26, 2014 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

7: Pittsburgh Penguins

Why not bring back the powder blues?

For the Winter Classic the Penguins have been known to wear their old school powder blue uniforms or some combination of the powder blues. It was a surprise when they released a jersey with none of these elements for the Stadium Series game. True it may not be as important as the Winter Classic, but it would have been nice to see the Penguins in their old school blue jerseys. What makes it worse is that they just basically rolled out a watered down version of their current jerseys. The only change is the striping on the jerseys which is boring. If anything, they could have gone with the old black and yellow color palette instead of basically the same exact jersey colors they use all the time. With so many options for the Penguins, it was disappointing that this was the best they could come up with.

6: LA Kings

Grey and boring

Even though black and grey is a great color scheme, the Kings somehow screwed this up. Instead of doing a solid black jersey or bringing back the old Kings logo during the Gretzky era, the Kings just put out a grey jersey that looks like it should be a practice jersey. With weird LA should logos, the old crown logo, there just isn’t much to say about these uniforms. They’d have been better off with more black or going back to the old school purple and gold. The would have been awesome to see the purple and gold on the ice again.

5: New York Rangers

Really? Let’s just rip off the Hartford Wolf Pack

The Rangers Winter Classic is one of my favorite jerseys of all time. I had high hopes for the Stadium Series hoping they would bring back a cream colored jersey or another old school look. Instead, the Rangers created a new look that looks like a combination between their old 90s alternates and the Hartford Wolf Pack. Silver? Really? The silver makes no sense, I’d rather see cream than silver. If they were going in this direction, they should have brought back the old statue of liberty logo instead of the New York script across the chest. With better logos and colors, the Rangers struck out when it came to Stadium Series jerseys.

4 Chicago Blackhawks

Back in Black

The Blackhawks had the best Winter Classic jerseys with their classic logo and design. This year, the jerseys are good, but nothing special. It just feels like a lazy attempt. Just a basic black jersey with the current logo. Sure the black looks great with the red and black, but it would have been nice for the Blackhawks to bring back their old logo or jerseys. While it’s not the worst jersey, it’s by no stretch the best.

3: Anaheim Ducks

Orange is tough to pull off, but the Ducks do it well

These jerseys by the Anaheim Ducks are very good. I love the orange color which both pops, but at the same time isn’t obnoxious like some orange jerseys can be. The burnt orange color is something different that you never see in a uniform and looks great with the black, gold, and white trim. The reason this jersey isn’t higher is the logo. While the Giant webbed D is good, we’ve seen it before. True it’s better than the “Ducks” script jersey, but I would have like to see them use the old Mighty Ducks logo with the mask and interlocking sticks. I have always been begging the Ducks to bring back that logo and think that would have been a great time to bring it back. Had they used that logo, they could have been on the top of the list, but without it they stay at number three.

2: New York Islanders

Old school and new school meet for a great combination

Given the Islanders’ illustrious uniform history which includes some of the worst jersey disasters in hockey history, I was skeptical when it came to their Stadium Series jerseys. However, the Islanders jerseys are incredible and the one jersey in the Stadium Series that should become the team’s third uniform. This would be so much better than those stupid black jerseys the Islanders have. With the classic blue, orange, and white colors, this jerseys looks beautiful. Add in the horizontal stripes on the arms and pants, clean white shoulder stripes and this is an aesthitically pleasing jersey. Then the logo, finally a team that tried something new. I love how the Islanders incorporated the NY part of their logo with a modern twist on the chest. Overall this is a great jersey, and I hope the Islanders keep using these after the Stadium Series.

1: New Jersey Devils

A Classic

The Devils jersey may not be new or innovative, but it’s nice to see at least one team honor their heritage. Sure Christmas colors may not sound like a winning combination on a hockey sweater, but the Devils make it work. The red, white, and green is simple and beautiful. These jerseys pop with their red color scheme and the green and white highlights are crisp and mesh well together. Sure it may look like Christmas on ice, but who doesn’t love Christmas? Finally the Devils have one of the best logos in hockey, so why mess with perfection? Great logo, great jersey, clearly the winner. Do you agree or disagree? Which was the best Stadium Series jersey and which was the worst? Comment and like below!

Lost: Why the Islanders moving to Brooklyn will be a disaster

December 23, 2013February 15, 2015 / Rich Sports Talk / 1 Comment

It may have all the bells and whistles, but the Barclay’s center isn’t built for hockey

In the fall of 2015 the New York Islanders will move from Nassau to Brooklyn in what will be a new chapter in New York sports. While the team finally gets the new arena the franchise has coveted for almost two decades, the Islanders may regret making the jump to Brooklyn. In the grand scheme of things it is easy to see why the Islanders are moving. The Nassau Coliseum is a dump that has been long considered the worst venue in the NHL and Long Island hasn’t exactly shown the initiative or resolve to get a new arena on the Island. Given the current circumstances it’s easy to see why the Islanders needed a new home. Problem is, they may have picked the wrong one.

Barclays Center great for basketball, not so much for hockey

Hockey at the Barclays Center. sounds like a good idea except for the arena logistics. For example, the layout can cause for some problems. This is because Barclay’s Center was built for basketball and concerts, not hockey. As seen here the scoreboard for the hockey games doesn’t hang outer center ice, but over a blue line. While the arena features a hockey layout, this was only supposed to be for special games, not an entire season. The whole purpose of the Barclay’s Center was to deter any hockey teams from coming in. I understand that they loved how new and modern the arena is, but when this nostalgia of a new arena wears off after a few years and then the Islanders will say “this was a mistake”. At Barclay’s, the rink is not centered creating unusual hockey sight lines and certain blind spots to the action. Sure the idea of the Islanders in a new arena is great, but once that fad wears off people will realize that the Islanders in the Barclay’s Arena was a mistake.
West End:
No seats? Why are there no seats?

A unique feature about the Islanders at the Barclay’s center is that there are no seats behind the net in the west end of the arena. You heard right with the configuration, there will be just a wall behind the west goal with seats above the glass. Some of the best seats in hockey are right behind the goaltender and the Islanders are ok with half these seats gone? One of the biggest

Seats with a blind spot, what I always wanted

arguments about the Islanders getting a new arena was about the seating capacity. At 16,170, the Nassau Coliseum is the second smallest arena in tens of capacity in the league. At Barclays the capacity is 15,800 for hockey, and while they have said that more seats will be added for Islanders games, it still makes Barclays the smallest hockey arena in the NHL. On top of that, there are terrible sight lines from this configuration such as blind spots from the upper deck in the west end. I can se Islander fans really happy about commenting to Brooklyn and paying for ridiculous ticket prices for seats with blind spots.
Bye Bye Tailgating
Islander fans will have to say goodbye to the grill in Brooklyn

Sure the Barclays Center is beautiful, but it does have its own problems. Case in point parking. Why is this important? Without parking there is no tailgating, which is an Islanders’ fan staple. Sure tailgating probably originated because Islander fans wanted to spend as little time as possible inside the Nassau Coliseum, but it is who they are. Tailgating brings fans together in a community linked by sausages and burgers. Sure it’s more of a football thing, but tailgating and hockey are a terrific combination. However, Brooklyn will put an end to this with almost no parking and no large gathering place for tailgating. The closest Islander fans will get to tailgating stating in 2015 is cramming onto the train to Brooklyn with other Islanders fan.
It’s not Long Island!
The Islanders are Long Island’s team, not a New York City team

This is the most important aspect of why the Islanders moving to Brooklyn will be a disaster. They are Long Island’s team, not a New York City team. The reason this team was so beloved on Long Island is because it was Long Island’s own team that became one of the greatest dynasties in sports. Now those championships and history are being moved away from the fan base that loves this team so much. It be like the Packers moving to Milwaukee, it just doesn’t make sense. You take the Islanders of the Island, you lose the essence of what the team means to the people of Long Island. They’re not a New York team so why should they now play in the New York market in Brooklyn?
Now your telling a fan base that’s been loyal through thick and thin, sorry if you still want to watch us play you have to commute to Brooklyn. Sure this isn’t the worst case scenario which would have been the team moving completely away from the New York area, but it has moved the Islanders away from the community that helped make them a proud NHL franchise. While Brooklyn may have all the bells and whistles, once the thrill of a new arena wears off coupled with terrible hockey sight lines, will make this move a disaster for the Islanders. Sure the team will be the same, but the soul of the Islanders will be lost once they move in 2015.

The 5 best uniforms from the NHL’s Winter Classic

September 22, 2013 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

The NHL Winter Classic has become one of, if not the most entertaining part of the NHL season. It may be only one game, but seeing the pros in an outdoor game the is reminiscent of the days when kids would play pond hockey is something special. Being outside in the winter elements was is hockey hockey was meant to be played, and watching your favorite players battle it out in the snow on an outdoor rink is highly entertaining. Apart from playing in the elements and visiting some of the most unique outdoor venues in sports, one of the best things about the Winter Classic is the uniforms. Some of the best hockey jerseys come from the Winter Classic as team’s bring back classic uniforms or combine aspects of older teams to create unique and gorgeous looks. Winter Classic jerseys are some of the league’s best-selling uniforms and have even become some team’s alternate jerseys. While I want to see some of these jerseys be used full-time, the fact that they are one and done for the most part makes them even more special. Here is my list for the best jerseys the Winter Classic have provided.

Honorable mention: Philadelphia Flyers

These are great uniforms, but didn’t break the mold like others did

For the 2012 Winter Classic the Philadelphia Flyers wore these great uniforms against the Rangers. While there 2010 jerseys would eventually become their regular jerseys, the 2012 jerseys bright orange and black jerseys were eye-popping. Why did I officially leave them off the list even though they were great? Most winter classics really mixed it up compared to a team’s normal set. While different the Flyers jersey didn’t stray too far from the normal home jerseys the flyers wear. True the black and off were different and while they looked terrific these sweaters just didn’t break any new ground. Sorry Flyers fans, these are great but I fell the Flyers could have done better in terms of a Winter Classic Jersey.

5) Boston Bruins:

Reinvent the spoke wheel? I think that’s a yes

Yellow and Brown. Sounds like a horrible combination. These colors make you think of a rotten banana, but somehow the Boston Bruins were not only able to pull it off, but look good in the process. Bringing back the original colors of the franchise in this clean and sharp look was a major win when the Bruins took the ice at Fenway Park. When the Bruins said they would be updating the spoked wheel logo many fans would have said this was sac-religious. However, the spoked wheel featuring a curvier B looked create and proved that you can tweak an original six logo and still make it look good.

4) Pittsburgh Penguins:

How would’ve thought baby blue could work as an NHL jersey?

When you mention the color of baby blue you think of little boys in footsie pajamas, not men with their front teeth knocked out. In the first Winter Classic the Pittsburgh Penguins went deep into their uniform archives to bring back the original logo and color for the team. Most Penguins fans never even knew the team had blue colors in their history. These jerseys were simple, clean, and well-balanced between the three colors. With the snow falling throughout the game, it just made the jerseys even more appropriate because the white snow with the cool blue Penguins jersey just made you think of winter. While this is a difficult color to pull off, the Penguins did it in fine fashion. It also helps that when people think back to the inaugural classic they remember Sidney Crosby scoring the game winning goal in this beautiful sweater.

3) Detroit Red Wings

Another original six team that has combined great colors with a classic logo

Ok, I know these haven’t technically been used yet but I love them already. The Red Wings will wear these classic uniforms for the 2014 Winter Classic in the Big House. I love the use of the original Red Wings winged wheel logo. The red and tan color pattern both pops and adds a great intimidation factor. Other things I love about this sweater is the double stripe pattern with one thick and one skinny stripe on the shoulders, arms, and bottom of the jersey. Another first is that these jerseys will have the captain and assistant captain’s letters on the right sleeve stripe just like they used to do in the early days. Add in the awesome “Detroit”script and these jerseys are a winner.

2) New York Rangers

A throwback that I wish the Rangers would make a permanent alternate

Man I love these jerseys. Can the use these to replace the current alternates. The Rangers Winter Classic jerseys are great. The off white color with the red and blue stripes looks both vintage and patriotic. Then you add in the original Ranger shield logo and you have a perfect jersey. I personally prefer the curvier shelf the Rangers used in these jerseys because it actually looks like an actually shield unlike the current logo. With the Rangers terrible current third jerseys I propose that the Rangers bring these uniforms back full-time as the alternate jersey. Without question these are my favorite sweaters the Rangers have ever worn.

1) Chicago Blackhawks

The best of the Blackhawks jerseys. Bring them back full-time

This is one of, if not my favorite hockey jersey ever. Look at these beauties don’t they just scream hockey. Not says intimidating like a black and red jersey. These black jerseys have a great combination of colors from the red, tan, and black color palette. The hockey pants with the red and tan outlines and the red triangles add details make these the pants my favorite hockey pants on a uniform. Colors only do so much for this jersey. I love the old school design of the horizontal stripes in the jersey which is both different and breaks up the jersey nicely. It also draws your eyes into the logo which is the best Blackhawks logo in their history. The crest with the Chicago Blackhawks script surrounding the original Blackhawks logo is one of the best logos not being used in the NHL right now. I love these jerseys so much I think that Blackhawks should bring these backs as their third jersey if not their regular jersey. While the later is less likely to happen I’m begging that the Blackhawks bring back not only the best Winter Classic jersey but one of the best jerseys in NHL history. What was your favorite Winter Classic classic jersey? Do you agree of disagree? Comment below and take the poll to vote for your favorite.

Lone Star Mess: Dallas’ uniform debacle

June 9, 2013 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Fans designing the uniform? Either genius or a disaster waiting to happen

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the most iconic sports uniforms in history. From the white jerseys, to the iconic navy star on the helmet, the Cowboys logo and uniform are as recognizable as Coca Cola. Unfortunately, while the Cowboys may have one of the best uniforms and logo in sports, the other Dallas teams don’t provide the same nostalgia. The Mavericks and Stars are updating their looks for the 2013 season. First, renegade NBA owner Mark Cuban is once again thinking outside the box. Rather then hire a professional design team, Cuban has announced that the fans will have the chance to redesign the logo and uniform in a fan contest. While this does give the team great publicity, along with increasing the relationship between the fans and the team, it also could be a publicity stunt that goes horribly wrong. But seriously though do you really want some twelve-year-old with crayons designing your pro team’s uniforms? To see what the fans have come up with so far check it out (here). However, there is still hope that the Mavs could have some pretty awesome uniforms, however the same cannot be said for their NHL counterparts. The Dallas stars have had

Houston we have a problem

an identity crisis for a few years now. After years of uniforms that just read “Dallas” in a boring script, when it was announced that Stars would get their long-awaited makeover people rejoiced! Then when the jerseys made their debut fans were seeing stars, and not in the good way. Rather then tweak their intimidating black and dark greens uniforms, the Stars decided to ripoff of the old Hartford Whalers. Seriously call Gary Bettman these uniforms were stolen! Seriously the lighter green, and a black that suspiciously looks navy, I think the Whalers were robbed. While the uniforms might have been ok, the logo just kills these uniforms. You thought Dallas would have learned from their infamous constellation uniform disaster, but unfortunately the new logo is terrible. A giant D with a simple star? Really? These uniforms are disappointing. This is just another attempt of what I call “modern retro”, when a team tries to make themselves have a classic look, when they don’t have that classic look. While some Stars fans may like the change, personally I hate these uniforms. I think the Stars have a major identity crisis and these new uniforms aren’t helping. What do you think about the Stars new uniforms? Take the poll to vote for your favorite.

20 man Wolf Pack: Whale to be renamed

May 30, 2013 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

The CT Whale experiment has come to an end

After three years of trying to re-establish the “whaler brand” in Hartford, the hopes of bringing back an NHL franchise took another hit this week. The team announced that it will be abandoning the “Whale” namesake and return to being called the Hartford Wolf Pack. Despite failing it’s main purpose, bringing the NHL back to the city, the Whale created a greater buzz with the fan base then the Wolf Pack. I think this is a mistake, because people in the community were willing to embrace the team once it honored the previous history in Hartford. Now the green and blue will be replaced by the red, white, and blue of the New York Rangers. At first glance this may not seem like a big deal, but to die heart Connecticut hockey fans it is. The Rangers were one of the biggest rivals of the Whalers, and it’s very difficult to love any part of your rival. It’s as if the love of your life left then soon after your rival drops their kid off at your door and tells you to love it the same way. When the Rangers told Hartford that the new minor league team would look nothing like the Rangers the fans of Hartford were pleased. However, this wasn’t the case as the Wolf Pack looked just like the Rangers with the same uniforms and colors. The death of the Whale is

The Wolf Pack are back, but will have a hard time appealing to Whaler Nation

unfortunately another failed attempt to once again attract a pro franchise to Hartford. With the declining health of the XL Center, and the lack of interest now that the team is no longer the Whale is another nail in the coffin for future NHL hockey in Hartford. I know for me its disappointing the Wolf Pack are coming back. At least the Whale reminded the city of it’s once great hockey tradition rather than having our rival shove their minor league squad down Hartford’s throat. Despite the Whale’s departure, the provided a great run filled with honoring past traditions and creating new memories such as Whaler Fest. This may be another punch to the gut regarding the future of the NHL in Connecticut, but as long as there is still hope and determination, it is one dream that can never die.