The Boston Bruins have had a weird few years. Come to think of it, they've had
a pretty strange history. Every time they have a run of success and seemed
poised to become a bona fide dynasty, circumstances conspire to ensure that
dream falls just a little bit short.You Win Some, You Lose Some...More

Bobby Orr might well be the greatest player in National Hockey League history.
However, injuries limited him to just 631 games - spread over ten seasons, in a
 Bruins uniform. Though they did win the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972, those
teams were - and are - wholly overshadowed by the dynastic Montreal Canadiens
of the same decade.

The Bruins also iced very good teams throughout the 1980s and early 1990s,
making the playoffs every season. But they lost out each time, including four
years in a row to the Canadiens (1984 to 1987) and twice, in the Stanley Cup
Final, to the Edmonton Oilers (1988 and 1990), the latter time without having
to play against Wayne Gretzky. However, they did manage to fleece the Vancouver
 Canucks in acquiring Cam Neely…only to watch his career be slowed and,
ultimately, truncated by injury.Despite being limited to 726 career games, Cam
Neely';s power forward prowess earned him a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
(The Hockey Writers via The Boston Globe)

The early 2000s saw a resurgence…followed by the lopsided trading of
superstar captain Joe Thornton for his lack of production during the 2004
Playoffs - a broken rib isn't a good excuse, apparently.

Oh but it's okay, they were bad enough to garner the fifth Overall Pick in
2006, using it to select Phil Kessel…a budding star who they then proceeded
to trade in 2009.

Oh but it's okay, they rebounded and, in June of 2011, got themselves a Stanley
 Cup! But then their starting goaltender went crazy and they traded away
budding superstar Tyler Seguin for being 21 years old.

Oh but it's okay, they made the Cup final again in 2013, so everything's fine
for the future, right?? But let's trade away future stalwart defenseman Dougie
Hamilton, just to be safe. Might as well get rid of prototypical Bruin Milan
Lucic, too.

Oh but it's okay, now we have 3 First Round picks in 2015! It's not like
they'll ALL fail their physicals, right? Right?! …guys?

What an interesting, interesting organisation.If It 'Aint Broke, Break It

Their uniform history has been up and down, as well. Check out the mid-century
versions below, with the design that can't make up its mind. The stripes on the
 jerseys are bad enough, but the socks look as though they let a two year-old
have at the colour palette as if it were Whac-A-Mole. Did they blow the entire
design budget on three completely different jerseys, forcing them to make one
pair of socks for the lot? Were they simply trying to distract everyone from
whatever was going on with the tail striping? And since when are yellow pants
ever a good idea?Illustration by Andrew M. Greenstein, (The unofficial NHL
Uniform Database)

It';s almost enough to distract you from the fact that, for a solid decade, the
 Bruins wore what were, essentially, football jerseys. These kits featuring no
logo and player numbers on both the front and back were joined, for 1940-41, by
 a special jersey featuring a collegiate wordmark on the front. After all,
nothing says "professional" quite like something you';d find in a student union
 bookstore.Illustration by Andrew M. Greenstein, (The unofficial NHL Uniform
Database)

And, of course, everyone fondly recalls the 1990s, when the Bruins decided,
"Hey, you know that awesome, "Spoked-B" logo we have? Let's change it to Winnie
 the Pooh!"Illustration by Andrew M. Greenstein, (The unofficial NHL Uniform
Database)So Close, and yet...

But hey, for a team with nearly a century of history behind it, one has to
grant them a few duds. Thankfully, the current iteration isn't too
shabby.Illustration by Andrew M. Greenstein, (The unofficial NHL Uniform
Database)

Mercifully, the Bruins did not give into peer pressure with the advent of the
Reebok Edge uniform system and institute vertical striping under the arms. A
simple three-stripe, two-colour combination graces the sleeves and tails of the
 home and away jerseys, with a lovely, two-tone shoulder yoke, as well. These
elements are gritty enough to satisfy the stereotypical, tough-guy image of
Boston, while being artistically balanced enough to appease the eggheads in the
 surrounding suburbs. And the Spoked-B logo is, quite simply, one of the best
of all time. Combine this with a simple helmet, pant and sock, and the Bruins
have a real winner on their hands. Sort of.

My only real beef is with the secondary logo. It draws inspiration from
Boston's very first emblem and, truth be told, is really not bad-looking thing
at all. However, its presence on the shoulders of the Bruins' home and away
uniforms, breaks up what I like most about them: blockiness and simplicity. It
just looks out of place. If the yokes were not there, the secondary logo would
look less intrusive (though the jersey itself might be ruined), but the easiest
 solution would be to just get rid of it altogether. I would even be fine with
it on a third jersey…Brad Marchand can';t believe they';re making him wear
this. (Bob DeChiara / USA TODAY Sports)

…where it, surprise surprise, looked great! Actually, it was the best part of
 the Bruins'; old third jersey, which looked like a practice uniform. Where are
 the tail stripes? And why do away with the lace-up collar? The thick, yellow
one looks like it belongs on an off-brand jerseys found at Walmart. This third
jersey was concocted solely for the purpose of making money. It is boring and
cheap-looking, and was clearly designed on the back of a napkin at breakfast by
 someone who forgot about the project until 23 minutes before it was due.

The 2016 Winter Classic against Les Habitants provided an ideal opportunity to
redesign their alternate kit. And redesign they did, drawing heavily upon
Boston's original uniform, worn way back in 1924-25.Illustration by Andrew M.
Greenstein, (The unofficial NHL Uniform Database)

And you know what? It's not awful. I love the sweater-like collar. The striping
 is good. The big numbers that teams like to use for outdoor games have been
made to look passable in this iteration - not an easy feat. And I especially
like how, in going retro, these jerseys still retain the Bruins' current black
backdrop - brown is a tough colour to make work with any apparel, let alone
that of a sports franchise. This design was chosen to replace the blue-light
special as the Bruins' full-time third jersey for the this season.Illustration
by Andrew M. Greenstein, (The unofficial NHL Uniform Database)

But that logo… Come on. Seriously? It was wonky the first time, what with the
 big "B" and "N" flanking a much tinier "OSTO". Why would you reuse it? And
why, oh why, would you keep it brown?! Just use the alternate logo you already
have! Or what about your 2010 Winter Classic jersey (see below), how about some
 variation of that?BOSTON - JANUARY 01: Tim Thomas #30 of the Boston Bruins
looks on from the net before the game against the Philadelphia Flyers during
the 2010 Bridgestone Winter Classic at Fenway Park on January 1, 2010 in
Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Bruins defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1
in overtime. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Oh wait, you blew that one, too! The traditional yellow and black colour scheme
 is "complimented" by brown. Nothing says modern like a cartoon, Comic
Sans-esque logo and a colour palette from the 1970s, amirite??Make It Right

A team with this much history and this passionate a fanbase deserves a uniform
kit to match. Stop screwin' around and make this right.

But please, feel free to keep on trading all of the players you draft in the
First Round - that's just good, wholesome entertainment for everyone.

 

(All illustrations by Andrew M. Greenstein, The unofficial NHL Uniform
Database.)

The post Kit of the Day - A Good Thing Bruined appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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