With the Anaheim Ducks'; 25th-anniversary season set to commence in October,
taking a look in the rearview mirror at the club';s exciting albeit brief
history is only natural. Then there is the fact that the 2018-19 season is one
for which NHL jersey provider Adidas is beginning to introduce third jerseys
for a handful of teams after only having standard home and away sweaters for
each club in its inaugural 2017-18 campaign.

The timing of these developments has made for a perfect storm of nostalgia in
Anaheim. On Saturday, July 21, the Ducks unveiled a new third jersey that calls
 back to their former "Mighty" days.Ducks'; Third Jersey a Combination of Old &
 New

The notion of the Ducks'; new alternate outfit having strong ties to the
franchise';s past was one of the worst-kept secrets in the hockey world.
Indeed, Anaheim';s third sweater features the original Mighty Ducks crest as
the main logo. Jade, white, and eggplant-colored stripes recreate that original
 diagonal pattern from the club';s Disney days.

Here are some different looks at our #Ducks25 third jersey. See even more here:
 https://t.co/GrO3taRFR4 pic.twitter.com/BWGgoXuz9a

- Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) July 21, 2018

The parts of the jersey that align with the Ducks'; current scheme are the main
 color, which is still black. The duck foot 'D'; logo is also featured on the
shoulders. Additionally, the name and number font is the same as their current
home and away uniforms, and the newer orange color is subtly represented in the
 hockey sticks in the main crest-an update over the previous color that leaned
more towards yellow. This also keeps some continuity with the Ducks'; "Paint it
 Orange" campaign. Assessing the Ducks'; New Threads

Not to throw cold water on the party, but fans should know that this particular
 jersey is a special commemoration of the team';s 25th anniversary season and
will not be worn again beyond this season. It';s a limited-time look that the
team will showcase in 15 games during the upcoming season.

After this upcoming season, the Ducks will bring back their previous third
jersey last seen in 2016-17 under Reebok. This one was an orange sweater that
at least brought back the Mighty Ducks crest, so going forward, the Ducks will
still pay homage to their iconically fashionable past. For now, though, in
looking at this alternate jersey for 2018-19, it';s hard to shake the feeling
that they could have more fully committed to their retro-look for just one
special season.Starting in 2019-20, the Ducks will bring back their orange
third jerseys, which were last seen in 2016-17. (Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

The fact that black is still featured as the main color is probably the biggest
 letdown of this new jersey design. Yes, black is the main color in their
primary home sweater look, so the idea of keeping some of the current traits is
 understandable. Nevertheless, black is generally a boring main color for
sports team jerseys, and the Ducks seem to have missed a chance to completely
get away from that for just a handful of games. From a color standpoint, the
new design also bears some resemblance to the San Jose Sharks'; lineup of
sweaters from just prior to the 2017-18 season. I';m guessing that';s not what
 the Ducks want.

Beyond that, the bottom line is that the team';s 25th season should be a
celebration of their history and a look back to their early days. For just one
year and 15 games, why complicate the issue at all? Why not just completely go
back to the original jade and eggplant jersey from the franchise';s inaugural
1993-94 season? Given the circumstances of this season plus the fact that
original franchise icon Paul Kariya will have his jersey retired, there is no
better time to more prominently honor the team';s roots.For their special
25th-anniversary third jerseys, the Ducks might have been better off fully
committing to their original design from 1993. (Photo Credit: NHLUniforms.com)

At the end of the day, this is the closest aesthetic the Ducks have had to
their original appearance since "Mighty" was dropped from their name. It';s
undoubtedly a nice tribute to their history, but a simpler path would have been
 to just go all-in on the exact retro jersey for this particular season.

The post Ducks Unveil New 'Mighty'; Third Jersey appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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