The Philadelphia Flyers are expected to unveil their 2012 NHL Winter Classic jerseys on Black Friday, which means we'll finally be done with the design concepts and detail leaks that have spilled on the Interwebs for the last few months.
The latest concept comes from The Orange Update, a Flyers blog that has been on Winter Classic jersey watch for some time.
The basis for this concept is a hooded sweatshirt being sold amongst the Flyers fan gear. "This design, confirmed by people involved with the design and production of the jerseys, has been recognized as the 'closest they've seen' to 'the actual thing,'" according to The Orange Update. From the site:
As you can see, the jersey utilizes the off-white, or cream shade in the color scheme, with very limited use of black. The orange seen in the picture of the sweatshirt is much brighter (due to the lighting) than what will be used on the Winter Classic threads. What we have been told is that the orange will be darker than what they currently use on their home and road uniforms.
… If you took notice to the Briere design (seen above), there is something different about the captain letters. The letters will be in the same font they currently use, only without an outline, and they will lay atop of a black keystone shape on the left front chest (confirmed).
Love love love the keystone for the captain and the alternates, if that's where they're going.
Again, this is a concept rather than a leak, but The Orange Update seems to think they're on the right scent. Unlike the previous "leak" of the sweater, there are no black stripes or black shoulder pads; which actually gives us pause. Crossing Broad, in debunking the finality of that design, wrote that "indications are that they will be predominately orange and feature black shoulders." So were did they go?
If this is the Flyers' Winter Classic design, would you dig it? Is it unique enough?
UPDATE: From friend 'o the blog Frank Seravalli of the Philadelphia Daily News: "Sent your link to a Flyers executive... He said that's not the jersey."
So the fun continues ...