Just over a week ago, one of the Ontario Hockey League’s more storied franchises added to their legacy with the release of a new jersey for the upcoming 2019-2020 season. With the release, the London Knights unveiled their 10th logo in franchise history dating back to their days as the London Nationals. The new jersey’s also brought back the green of previous seasons – paying homage to the history of the team.
The new jerseys are a mixture of the same colour schemes the team wore back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It also marks the beginning of the team’s 55th season in franchise history and 20th season under the ownership and leadership of Mark and Dale Hunter, according to the team’s website.
On top of that, the jersey’s logo resembles that of the 2004-2005 team – a group that was named the best team in CHL history.
2004-05 London Knights
For those that don’t remember, the 2004-05 group included names like Brandon Prust, Corey Perry, Danny Syvret, Marc Methot and Dave Bolland among others. The team started the year 29-0-2 and finished the year losing just nine games of their 90 played. That’s including their run to winning the Memorial Cup against Sidney Crosby in front of their hometown fans.
Their first loss? Yeah, it came on Dec. 12 with guys like Rob Schremp, Bolland, Perry, Syvret and Dan Fritsche away at world junior training camps.
As mentioned, the team went on to win the Memorial Cup and became the first group in franchise history to do so. So why not pay homage to that team with the franchise’s new look?
What’s Being Said About the Colours
“Look good. Feel good. Play good,” said Mike Stubbs, voice of the Knights, as he introduced the team’s new jerseys at the press conference. “You think about iconic uniforms around the world of sports. The pinstripes of the New York Yankees. The blue and white of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The bleu, blanc et rouge of the Montreal Canadiens. You have people growing up wanting to put on these uniforms and a lot of it comes from winning, success and championships. And over the years, under Mark and Dale Hunter, we’ve seen success and winning and championships and it has built this iconic brand of green and gold and black and white of the London Knights – the logo of the London Knights that really is recognized around the world.”
Related: London Knights – Rich in Tradition
And that’s exactly what the Hunters and the Knights are looking to exemplify with the release of the new jerseys – winning and success. The franchise alone carries the unwritten expectation with the NHL names they’ve produced over the years. Now, add that to the new – or old – colours and that expectation is written across the chest of every player that will don these jerseys.
“I think the sweater really represents the players, the past players and hopefully the future players,” said vice-president and general manager Mark Hunter at the unveiling. “We’re excited about the logo, but we’re excited about the past players and the legacy of the London Knights. It’s been really good feedback from former players and surrounding fans. I think they really like the combination of history and a little bright colour to it.”
The London Knights will kick off their regular season on Sept. 20 against the Peterborough Petes at Budweiser Gardens in London.
