Colorado Avalanche and Adidas unveil the new (old) alternate jersey

Third jerseys are back!

During the team’s media day on Thursday, the Colorado Avalanche revealed what had been rumored for some time: the return of the Colorado state flag-inspired alternate jerseys.

These sweaters, dark blue with the iconic Colorado “C” on a triangle with a silhouette of a mountain within, were worn from time to time during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, when Reebok was the NHL’s official jersey provider.

When the NHL switched to Adidas prior to the 2017-18 season, the league announced that there would be no third jerseys for any team for the first season under the new manufacturer. But now, with the lightweight Adidas jerseys having been deemed a success, teams are re-implementing third jerseys again.

The Adidas iteration of the design seems almost identical to the original Reebok version, seen here. White shoulders, blue sleeves, red cuffs, and a flag patch on the left shoulder. These sweaters were received more positively than the previous red and blue “New York Rangers” type alternates with diagonal lettering down the front.

The Avs are scheduled to wear the new alternates on 12 dates during the 2018-19 season, during “Division Rival Games” in most of their home contests with fellow Central Division opponents.

The design is inspired by jerseys worn by the Colorado Rockies (the hockey team in Denver from 1976 to 1982, not the first place baseball team in 2018). As you can see in the design, there are a couple of key similarities, specifically the use of the Colorado state flag.

The new ones aren’t quite as bright and fit into the Avalanche color scheme. Given the NHL news of the day, it seems like Jack Hughes might soon look fantastic in the new Adidas design.