While we’ll admit that maybe it’s not a mistake and it’s a reference to the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup, we’ll follow that up with a question. Why would the Leafs point out how long it’s been since the team has won anything of significance? If you’re wondering what we’re talking about, it’s the new Toronto Maple Leafs retro reverse third jersey that the NHL unveiled on Monday.
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There’s going to be debate about the design of any new jersey. That comes with the territory when fans will have differing opinions about the way something looks and how it matches their own unique taste. But, one has to wonder why the Leafs chose to go the direction they did with the design.
If you look closely at the front of the jersey, fans have pointed out that the “n’ in Toronto is lower case, as is “m” in Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, none of the letters in the word Leafs are lower case. Some are assuming this is a mistake, but a few diehard Leafs fans pointed out to us that this isn’t a mistake. In fact, it’s a call-back to the 1967 team and an ode to the Stanley Cup team.
Why Point Out the Lack of Success?
It’s an interesting idea and unless you were a huge Leafs fan, you might not have recognized the significance. In fact, most Leafs fans today probably wouldn’t have clued in unless they were historians who have looked back into the archives of the team with fond memories. Even then, is that the same group of Leafs fans buying these jerseys?
At first, we’ll admit, we believed those who told us it was a spelling mistake. But, as some faithful members of Leafs Nation rightfully jabbed at us, the Maple Leafs appear to have done this on purpose. We deserve some flack for not having gone back far enough to find that design, but our question remains… why?
Are the Leafs hoping that the jerseys will somehow propel them forward to a Stanley Cup they haven’t won in 53 years? Some will call it tradition, others will call it sad. Where do you sit on the design? Was it a mistake to go this direction with the design concept?
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Richard Oldfield
November 17, 2020 at 3:51 am
The Leafs retro reverse jerseys are ugly. I don’t normally like anything that Nike has designed for hockey jerseys, whether it be for the All Star games or many of the teams 3rd. jerseys, they mostly suck. And why would the Quebec Nordique replica jersey be identified with the Colorado Avalanche, I’m sure the very passionate fans in Quebec who lost their team to Colorado are not at all pleased, and how do the Vegas Golden Knights get a retro jersey, when they’ve only been in the league for 3 seasons. At the end of the day, it’s all about the NHL and the NHLPA making $$$$$$.
Jeff MacLeod
November 17, 2020 at 8:40 pm
This jersey is a total joke, you want our money and support win a damn Stanley Cup. Stop raping us for our money.