My Reaction: Canadian Olympic Jerseys

Image courtesy of SportsLogos.net

The worst kept secret in jersey news has finally been officially unveiled by Nike: the uniforms that will be worn by Team Canada at the Sochi Olympic games. Images of the jerseys had leaked online back in September, but until today there had been no official confirmation from either Nike or Team Canada. Much like their US counterparts, the Canadian jerseys have caught a lot of flak on social media, primarily due to their unconventional armbands, as well as several other Nike design elements. Like I did for the US jersey unveiling, in this post I will break down my likes and dislikes for the Team Canada jerseys. Check out SportsLogos.net’s breakdown of the unveiling for images of the uniforms.

What I Like:

• Bold crest: There is no mistaking who these jerseys belong to. The Team Canada jerseys spell it right out in big lettering along with a giant maple leaf. The leaf combined with red and white is about as Canadian as it gets!
• Sublimated maple leaves: Much like their Team USA counterparts, the Canada jerseys also feature sublimation along the shoulders. While much more subtle when compared to the stars that adorn Team USA’s jerseys, the two larger maple leaves are a nice touch. Not everyone is a fan of the sublimation on Nike’s hockey jerseys, but I find it to be a nice, subtle design element that does not distract from the overall jersey.
• Gold: Canada is the only team to have a third jersey and they decided to make a statement with it. Nike ditched the red and white, and instead looked to Canadian jerseys of the past and went with a black, gold, red, and white color scheme. The inclusion of gold not only announces Canada’s ultimate goal at this year’s Olympic games, but also evokes their successes of past games. Included inside of the front collar are 12 gold leaves, symbolizing the 12 gold medals that Canada has won at the Olympic and Paralympic games.

What I Don’t Like:

• Armbands: This is the one design element that has caused the majority of grief of twitter. I have to agree that it looks out of place, and overall, ruins the symmetry of what is a nice, simplistic design.
• Faux Laces: The sublimated laces are a new design element from Nike that have been featured on all of the Olympic jerseys so far. Nike’s official description is: “The jersey has a redesigned modern neckline for a refined fit, with a flywire-covered neck area to provide a closer fit that prevents slipping and increases comfort.” It is up to the players to decide if the Nike flywire collar provides a more comfortable fit, but as far as aesthetics go, it does not look good on the Canada jerseys.
• No hem-stripes: Again, you could probably chalk this one up to Nike trying to produce the lightest jersey possible, but the result is a jersey that would look more at home in the FIFA World Cup than in ice hockey.

Much like the Team USA jerseys, I do not believe Canada’s jerseys are a complete failure. The red and the white jerseys are a good representation of Canada, and the black third jersey celebrates their Olympic history. However, some of the Nike design elements and weight saving technology detracts from what could be a nice design. Give these jerseys traditional hem and arm stripes (instead of the armband) and they would be one of the best Canada has ever worn.