The Nashville Predators are off to a 3-0 start with strong defense and goaltending that’s only allowed two goals in those three games.
However, the team was talked about for different reasons on social media last Saturday because of an interesting fashion choice that hopes to make Saturdays “golden.”
The gold helmets debuted during the Oct. 10 game against the Edmonton Oilers as a part of its “Golden Saturdays” promotion. The Predators will have gold exterior and interior lights for their presentation and have an entirely golden theme.
While the Oilers brought top-draft pick Connor McDavid to town, many talked about the Predators new buckets instead.
The Gold.. I mean the Good
The Golden Saturdays promotion was announced in August to “inject some spirit” into their Saturday home games. It would be the first time a team would have gold helmets as part of a non-throwback jersey since the Vancouver Canucks wore them through the 1988-89 season.
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Yellow and/or gold is not a prominently featured jersey color in the National Hockey League. The Buffalo Sabres much-maligned and recently-retired and Boston Bruins “Winnie the Pooh” alternate sweaters are the only modern jerseys to feature that hue. However, the Predators are the only team to have a gold home jersey and it works.
Here’s how they looked during the game vs. Edmonton
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Gold jerseys feature a lot more in juniors, and you even see gold helmets in college hockey with Division I Clarkson University and Division III Elmira College. Those “buckets” are iconic in their respective levels of the college game.
The reviews have been mixed, *a Sportsnet poll was 53 percent in favor of the helmets. Jason K. out of Buffalo said the helmets work with the gold jerseys. There were some on Twitter enjoyed them.
Don't get how anybody could not love the Preds' new helmets. Head-to-toe gold is the way to go
— Mark Gougeon (@MarkySports) October 10, 2015
The Nashville Predators’ gold helmets are glorious.
— The Royal Half (@theroyalhalf) October 10, 2015
The Bad & The Ugly
However, the reviews from some, including my THW colleagues, were not so favorable. Yellow is an unusual color for a helmet and social media let the world know about it.
https://twitter.com/ColtonnDavies/status/654145738264305664
@DanMountSports Blue were better. I don't know why, but the new design looks weird for some reason…
— Erik Liljekvist (@ErikLiljekvist) October 14, 2015
The jokes also came fast and furious with as the Predators’ uniform combination makes them look like a bunch of skating mustard bottles, Minions from the Despicable Me film series or something that involves bathroom humor. There are always going to be detractors that will chirp the Nashville fans no matter what fashion choice it makes.
ESPN.com said the jerseys were “an intriguing concept” in its Uni Watch column. However, they said it should have stayed in the board room as a failed marketing idea.
The Verdict
I’m still on the fence about the helmets. The more I see them, the more I like them. The fans in Nashville seem to be behind them, and it breaks up the usual color palette of red, black, blue, white and others. It’s going to take some getting used to, however.
Fans also won’t mind if the Predators continue to pile up results like the 2-0 win they had over the Oilers on Oct. 10. A team could come up wearing burlap sacks and cereal boxes on their head if they pile up results. Fans are superstitious and will get behind the gold helmets if it brings the team luck.
What do you think? Leave your comments below and vote in the poll.
Dan Mount is a Nashville Predators staff writer for The Hockey Writers. You can follow him on Twitter, @DanMountSports. You can email him at drm7191980@yahoo.com.
Covered hockey since attending SUNY Oswego in Upstate New York in the early 2000s. Has written about college, major junior and professional hockey for the last five years.
Resides in Watertown, NY.
