The Detroit Red Wings are expected to unveil a third jersey for the 2018-2019 season, as first reported by Icethetics. This is a somewhat expected update given that the team will most likely struggle again as they continue to rebuild. Whether or not the fan base of the original six franchise steeped in such tradition will be on board with the move is likely immaterial (pardon the pun).
No images of a third jersey have been released and will most likely be released during the 2018-19 offseason. The jersey that the Red Wings wore during the Winter Classic game at Michigan Stadium was excellent. A simple red jersey with white numbers, lettering and the winged wheel logo, these “fancy numbers” were inspired by the 1982-83 uniforms, and the logo was based on the one worn by the franchise during the 1930s. During the early part of that decade, the franchise was known as the Detroit Falcons.
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These elements were combined to evoke memories of former Red Wings such as Larry Aurie and Carson Cooper. The Red Wings would be wise to not stray too far from the red and white winged wheel that their fans have come to know and love. Even the unofficial mascot of the team is a purple octopus that symbolizes the number of playoff games it took to win the Stanley Cup would be a nice accent to include on a third jersey.
But how did this tradition start?
Legend has it that two fans threw octopuses on the ice in 1952. The team turned the octopus into an unofficial playoff mascot called Al. The Zamboni driver at Joe Louis Arena would even twirl the octopus over his head (until the NHL put a stop to this in 1997 because it was seen as a safety issue. This did not stop fans from continuing the tradition peaking with the closing of Joe Louis Arena in April of 2017, throwing 38 octopi on the ice!
