The Chicago Blackhawks will have a new look for the upcoming season that is a mix of a look from the past with a modern flare. Also, one of the three goaltenders who will be battling it out for the starting job shared just how excited he is for the opportunity,
What was Old is New Again
The Blackhawks, along with the rest of the NHL, have released their new Reverse Retro jerseys for the upcoming 2020-21 season. Adidas, the official jersey supplier of the league, came up with the designs that are “throwback jerseys with modern twists.”
The new look for the Blackhawks is inspired by the alternate design the team worn between 1937 and 1955. The main color is black with the retro circle logo used in the 2009 Winter Classic jerseys and other alternates in recent years. The shoulder plates are red and the striping on the arms is a shoutout to the old “barber pole” jerseys. You may remember the team brought those back for the NHL’s 75th anniversary season of 1991-92.
The Reverse Retro look for each team is inspired by a jersey worn during a significant season in the franchise’s past. The Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes are paying homage to the Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers, respectively. The Minnesota Wild are using the color scheme from the old North Stars while the Dallas Stars are going back to their look from their Stanley Cup victory in 1998. The Los Angeles Kings are mixing the design of their Wayne Gretzky era jerseys of the 90s with their original purple and yellow color scheme.
The Blackhawks will wear these jerseys multiple times during the upcoming season. According to the NHL, teams will their Reverse Retro jerseys against in each other “designated rivalry” games. In case you are wondering, all 31 designs will be available for purchase starting on Dec. 1.
Delia Can’t Wait to Get Going
For the first time in a long time, the Blackhawks will have an open competition for the starting goaltending job heading into training camp. Now that Corey Crawford has signed with the New Jersey Devils, there will be three goaltenders battle for two NHL spots.
Malcolm Subban, Kevin Lankinen and Collin Delia will put forth their best effort to win the starting job. Delia is likely the fans’ first choice as he’s the most known commodity in Chicago. He shared just how excited he is with Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I’d be remiss if I said I wasn’t frothing at the mouth,” Delia said. “It’s an opportunity not many people get, and I don’t want to let that pass me by.
“Without a doubt, I think I can earn that job. There’s no complacency when it comes to training camp. Every single day you step on the ice, you’re proving how much better you are than the other two guys. We all have to have that mindset.”
From “Goalie Collin Delia ‘frothing at the mouth’ as he eyes Blackhawks’ vacant starting job” by Ben Pope, Chicago Sun-Times – 11/14/20
Delia’s 2019-20 season got off to a rough start. He admitted that he was planning on starting the season with the Blackhawks and was caught off guard when the team signed free agent Robin Lehner on July 1.
This was a factor in his slow start, which saw him win just two games and post a .863 save percentage (SV%) in his first seven starts for the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League (AHL). At this point, head coach Derek King gave Delia a two-week break to allow him to get himself back together.
The move worked because over his last 23 games, Delia went 14-8-1 with a .927 SV%. He finished the season with a 16-13-2 record to go along with a .912 SV%, a 2.66 goals-against average and three shutouts. He will be the odds-on-favorite to win the starting job coming out of training camp.
Catch the Latest “Blackhawks Banter”
Do you need more Blackhawks content? Then tune in to our new weekly live show, The Hockey Writers Live – Blackhawks Banter, tonight and every Monday starting at 8:00pm ET and 7:00pm CT.
Tonight, I will be joined by the rest of our Blackhawks team; Gail Kauchak, Brooke LoFurno and Shaun Filippelli. We will be discussing Brent Seabrook’s recent comments, the Reverse Retro jerseys, Kirby Dach playing for Team Canada, prospects playing in Europe and much more. You can catch the live broadcast on The Hockey Writer’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.