Blue Jackets 3rd Jersey 2010-Present

 

The Blue Jackets are the 4th and final team of the "new age" expansion era teams that I haven't covered yet. Columbus was awarded a franchise in 1997 but didn't start playing puck until the 2000-01 season. The team was named after the state's illustrious history with the Civil War. Ohio played a huge part in the Civil War by starting up 23 volunteer infantry regiments for the Union, creating some of the largest military bases at the time and producing some of the war's most prominent members such as Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman and George Custer.

Why should I mention history when this blog is about hockey jerseys? Well I wanted to reflect the impact that the state's history has on the team, so much so that it created this classic 3rd jersey in 2010 to take over from the swooping stars and stripes alternate. (The logo from that original alternate sweater eventually would replace the team's old one from 2007 to the present day). The new logo features a circular design with a cannon and the team's name over top. Navy blue reflects the color of the original "Blue Jackets" and benefits from the use of lighter blue and white as complements.


My final thoughts: Definitely a great example of a 3rd jersey working out. It has a great reputation around the league and from critics as an excellent alternate and I have to agree wholeheartedly. Their meshing of history and hockey is really quite awesome, ranging from the team name to the use of a replica cannon at home games to signify goals and team wins. A must have for any hockey fan.