Before the Carolina Hurricanes headed west, the yearly Whalers Night was completed to success. The Canes completed the overtime victory and Pyotr Kochetkov completed the shutout with 34 saves. But as you may know, we at CardiacCane are big jersey fans. So the most important part of the night was the new white, Whalers uniforms.
Opinions differ around Caniac Nation on whether these Whalers nights are necessary. One thing is certain: whether you like the festivities or not, the logo and jersey are beautiful. This is arguably the all-time greatest logo/uniform combination in NHL history. It is a shame it was left behind and likely never returned full-time.
Unlike the Winnipeg Jets return, I do not expect to see Hartford get another NHL team again in the foreseeable future.
Because of this classic greatness, the jersey and logo should be donned by the organization at least once a season, if not more. It does not hurt anyone or anything in Carolina to pay homage to the franchise that was brought to Carolina to create this great organization and fan base.
As the sports world seems to have plenty of jersey options, I do have one interesting suggestion to add to the respect of the uniform itself. Why not have the existing Canes jersey be changed to blue, green, and silver for multiple games? The sales on the uniforms would be worth it alone and I would personally love to see the Canes logo and design in the Whalers colors.
A similar thought process was done on a few organization's reverse retro jerseys. The Minnesota Wild used their current logo in the colors of the Minnesota North Stars green and yellow. Colorado wore a version of the current logo with the colors of the Colorado Rockies.
This style keeps the foundation of the current team but throws in a mix of the past. Whether you like it or not, this franchise has a history that started before Carolina. The city and fans of Hartford are the ones that should have any ill will towards the jerseys.
The idea is to market the sport and the team off the ice and there is no doubt that the Whalers logo, jersey, and colors sell around the NHL fan base. It is all in fun and should be embraced.