Something else Bruins (and Sox) related came up this past week, as it was reported that the Bruins were awarded the 2010 Winter Classic, which they will play at Fenway Park on January 1, 2010. This got me unbelievably pumped for several reasons, mainly stemming from the fact that the Winter Classic has quickly become the NHL's premier regular season event, surpassing the All-Star Game. I watched the last two Classics and loved everthing about them, from the snow in Buffalo in 2008 to the packed house at Wrigley in 2009. I can't wait to see what kind of show the Bruins put on next year.
Of course, in the three previous Winter Classics (or Heritage Classic, as it was known in 2003), the hosting team is a worrying 0-3. But whatever. It'll be a complete bash at Fenway, and though I kind of wish they had named Harvard Stadium as the venue (for the sightlines and capacity), I don't care. I wanted to talk about two things pertaining to the Classic, namely the opponent, and the uniforms.
First, the easy decision is to have the Bruins play the Canadiens, though I don't think this will happen for a couple of reasons. First of all, the Canadiens played in the Inaugural Heritage Classic in Edmonton, so it's not exactly fair to give them a second game before other teams. Even if they were the road team both times. Also, apparently, NBC (who airs the game) wants as many Americans watching the game, and since they don't get money for CBC viewers, they want two American teams to play. So:
Rumors are (apart from the Habs) that the Bruins' opponent will be the Rangers, the Flyers, or the Capitals. I think it'll probably end up being the Capitals, as the Rangers and the Flyers are both in coldish weather markets, and have teams with enough following to demand their own home Winter Classics in the future. Namely, I'm picturing the Rangers hosting a game at New New Yankee Stadium, and the Flyers have either Lincoln Financial Field (home of the Iggles) or Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phils. New York and Philly actually care about these teams (and have for a long time), so that's why I think it'll be the Caps. And yes, the Caps are popular in DC now, but that's a VERY recent development. Of course, the NHL will be pretty excited to show off the best player on the planet in Alexander Ovechkin, so there's that, and the Bruins and Caps have had some spark this year, since they're 1-2 in the Eastern Conference. I'm not saying that Bruins-Caps wouldn't be a good game. It'd probably be a great game. But the Caps don't have a lot of history, and, more importantly, they don't have any good throwbacks to choose from.
Which brings me to the centerpiece of the post: What will the Bruins wear? A fantastic tradition with the Winter Classic has been the donning of old-school sweaters from the team's history, started by the Oilers and Canadiens in the 2003 Heritage Classic, and continued in 2008 by the Penguins and Sabres, and in 2009 by the Red Wings and the Blackhawks. Without going into what I think the potential opponents should wear, here are the greatest hits from the history of the Boston Bruins:
5. 1966-67. Though the Bruins have had some bad experiences with gold jerseys, I actually think this one might work as a one-off. Right before their Salad Days in the early 1970s, this jersey looks a lot like the ones they have now, but is different enough to stand out.
4. 1980-81. A little too similar to the jerseys that they have now, and a little too recent to be good throwbacks. A solid jersey, and I like the bear shoulder patches, but when I see this jersey, all I'm reminded of is the Bruins teams of the 80s and 90s that came so close, and yet so far.
3. 1969-1970. In many ways the obvious choice. The jersey they wore when they last won the Stanley Cup, as well as what they based their third jerseys on in 2006-2007 (also the jersey I happen to own, and be wearing right now). Still, they took the best parts of this jersey and modernized it into what they wear now, so in many ways, also the laziest choice.
2. 1950-51. A solid and distinctive jersey, and one they updated and wore in the NHL's 75th season in 1991-92. I like the black one (and they'd pretty much have to wear the black one as the NHL has the home team wear dark), and think the Bruins would look pretty spiffy in these. I like the big ole' B, kind of simple but bold, and also hearkens back to a good time in the team's history.
1. 1926-1931. This is what I've got my fingers crossed that they'll wear. First, it's distinctive, and it's one of the first jerseys that the team ever wore. They sort of resurrected this logo to become the third jersey this year, but that doesn't mean wearing this would cheapen the originality. First of all, it's brown and gold instead of black and gold, and changing color schemes can be a good thing, as the Penguins showed us with their powder blues. The connection with the current thirds wouldn't be a bad idea, though, as the Bruins are the NHL's oldest American franchise and playing that up would work in their favor. It doesn't hurt that I have a brown hoodie with this logo on it that's become one of my favorite articles of clothing, and I'd love to own a throwback with this design on it.
So there we go. Still have no idea what they'll do, but Bruins sweater history is replete with ideas and possibilities. I can't wait to see what they end up chosing.
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