The New RBK Edge NHL Jerseys

During the NHL 2007 All Star Game, the league unveiled its new jersey design. It was designed by athletic company RBK and kept under wraps for 30 months during its design period. NHL players tested it in practice and designers used the feedback to tell fans why this would be an improvement over the current style and to help make the uniforms more comfortable for the players.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman pointed out that attendance in some larger markets such as New Jersey was tapering off, while untraditional markets such as Atlanta and Nashville were thriving. He explained that the jerseys will make the players skate faster and help them bend their arms and legs better. He also felt that the style, which hasn't been updated in 40 years, will bring more fans to the game. If the players can move faster, he feels that more people will be invested because they want to watch a fast paced game.

The RBK Edge jersey will be lighter and absorb less moisture, which will keep the players cooler and drier even in the most action packed games. It is also more form fitting and features vertical stripes down the side. However, teams who use horizontal stripes for their jersey will still be able to stick with that. Although some teams are changing their logos and color schemes, not every team will have to do so.

When the re-design was initially announced, many NHL fans, especially those of the Original Six teams (Detroit, New York Rangers, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, and Boston) were extremely upset. Hockey boards across the Internet raged as many pointed out testimonials from unsatisfied players and complained that there was no need to change the style that worked for so long. Hardcore fans believed that a different jersey would not bring more fans to the game and that Bettman was ruining the league.

An online petition that was addressed to Bettman collected 6,000 signatures from fans of different NHL teams. Many were extremely dissatisfied and demanded that the new jerseys not be used or that they not last long at all. Among the complaints:

"Gary, you've forgotten that hockey belongs to the fans and not to Reebok."

"Change for the sake of change is ludicrous. If it ain't broke..."

"My NHL merchandise buying days are over if this happens."

"Gary Bettman, are you familiar with the term boycott?"

"Jerseys are part of a team's history...don't change that."

Once the jerseys go on sale, fans who have tight wallets will want to hold back. The estimated cost of a new style replica is going to be about $200 while rumors have an authentic jersey with lettering going for $400-$425.

A lot of teams have not unrolled their official new design just yet. For a period of time, fans were using computer programs to illustrate what they thought an RBK re-design would look like for certain times. Many of these "leaks" turned out to be false as the designs have only been released in a private media conference. However, now that the NHL schedule has been announced and 2007-2008 is drawing closer, accurate depictions are starting to show up on fan forums and team websites.

The controversy surrounding the re design has been heated with very few hardcore fans satisfied. With any other business idea, we'll have to wait and see what the sales numbers say. Those are the only figures that matter in telling whether the RBK Edge will be a success.