Reports recently surfaced that a handful of NHL teams will have alternate jerseys in 2018-19. If the Dallas Stars happened to be one of those teams, what would their third jersey look like?
It’s not easy being a hockey team like the Dallas Stars. After all, playing a northern sport in the sweltering heat of Texas makes it difficult to break through.
As a result, it’s not atypical to see Dallas left in the background when something big happens in the league. Part of that has to do with the team’s lack of success. But it also comes with playing in a non-traditional market and not seeing the success and following that Chicago, Pittsburgh, or Toronto boasts.
The Dallas Stars aren’t the first team to come to mind when the NHL is planning something big. For example, it’s not likely that the Stars will be included in a Winter Classic anytime soon (as a home or road team). The same goes for a Stadium Series game. And it doesn’t seem to matter if the Stars are, at least in our eyes, an exciting and fast-paced team with an infectious style. Those big events are typically reserved for big-market clubs. That’s why only 11 teams have played in a Winter Classic since its inception in 2008. On top of that, St. Louis is the furthest south team to have participated (a city some 600+ miles north of Dallas).
It’s a disappointing reality for Stars fans, but at least gives them something to hope for down the road. And who knows? If the results on the ice change, maybe their credibility and spot on the list will change.
But there may be another tough gut-punch for Dallas fans to bear this coming summer and into next season. That’s the chance at adopting an alternate jersey.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirms that third jerseys are on the way back for the 2018-19 season. https://t.co/BNq2HVu0Od
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 28, 2018
On the day of game one of the Stanley Cup Final, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reported that the NHL had confirmed that alternate jerseys would be coming back in 2018-19. This is after a one-year absence of all third jerseys after the NHL switched from Reebok to adidas as their merchandise supplier in the summer of 2017.
So that’s great news for Dallas Stars fans, right? Well, hold on a minute.
More from Blackout Dallas
- Dallas Stars Traverse City Tournament: Who had great performances?
- Grushnikov and Stankoven lead Dallas Stars to 6-3 win over Columbus
- Dallas Stars prospects look to wrap up tournament with a win
- Burn the tapes: Dallas Stars prospects lose 5-1 to Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dallas Stars look to continue success today against the Maple Leafs
“We are bringing back third jerseys next season. I can’t tell you the number exactly, but about a third of the teams will have a different one,” Bill Daly, the NHL deputy commissioner said via ESPN.
From the looks of it, not every team will be getting a new third jersey, at least in the season ahead. A third of the teams equates to roughly 10. So this all points back to what was talked about earlier: is Dallas in that top third if it comes down to popularity or prominence?
You can debate it however you want, but there’s a good chance that the Stars might be out of this picture. An educated guess would be that teams who had third jerseys that they wore regularly before 2017 will get one.
The Dallas Stars haven’t had a third jersey option in a while (all hail the Mooterus). But if they were one of the lucky few to get one this summer or in the near future, what would it look like? Does anyone have an educated guess?
Might the Stars embrace their former roots and go with a primarily black jersey with lettering? Or could they go even further by tapping into the early 2000’s and use the star outline with green, gold, and black? Or maybe they go for a North Stars tribute with the bright gold?
Next: What Can The Stars Take From Preseason Predictions?
The opportunities seem endless, but it all depends on whether the Dallas Stars are awarded with one. What do you think the alternates would look like?