Why do outdoor games have silly faux retro themes?

[bunnyman666]

I know what the patent answer is from the league: “this goes back to the roots and origins of the game.” Meh. 
 
Most of the winter classic and the other outdoor games use kinda weird looking colours, such as dirty white, faded blue, and others. The Blackhawks and the Blues have the best looking WC unis, IMO. Brown and white (or “dirty white”) breezers look silly. And of course you have to have a weird coloured helmet and tan nylon gloves to evoke true faux retro. Ugh.

It’s just another game that is better seen on TV than in person. It’s so disconnected from the fans. The beauty of hockey is how relatively close you are to the action. 
 
For those who love the WC and other outdoor games, I am glad you like them. I am not trying to pee in your porridge. 
 
But I think the WC could be a LOT more interesting if they played with wood sticks, tube bladed skates and everything protective would be leather lined with felt. THAT would bring the game back to its roots!

[seagoal]

The Winter Classic to me just screams the NHL marketing team dunking on hockey fans and taking a long, nice all expense paid vacation to somewhere sunny and warm in January.

It's kinda overkill for me and it's difficult for me to enjoy it nowadays.   I used to love it.  Part of it is just diluted interest in seeing it so many times.  But it's also just gross, cheesy over-marketed narrative and imagery. All the outdoor games feel the same for me.

I guess the short answer is: $.

Edited February 24, 2022 by seagoal

[XCVII]

What's really silly is referring to a hockey pant as a "breezer".

Anyway, outdoor games, no matter what they're called really should be scaled back to one game a season. My opinion anyway. The novelty to wanna turn on the television to watch has diminished to me not even knowing there was an outdoor game on.

[bunnyman666]

31 minutes ago, seagoal said:

The Winter Classic to me just screams the NHL marketing team dunking on hockey fans and taking a long, nice all expense paid vacation to somewhere sunny and warm in January.

It's kinda overkill for me and it's difficult for me to enjoy it nowadays.   I used to love it.  Part of it is just diluted interest in seeing it so many times.  But it's also just gross, cheesy over-marketed narrative and imagery. All the outdoor games feel the same for me.

I guess the short answer is: $.

I loved the first few. Fixing bobble hats onto the goalie helmet was novel; now it just looks stupid.

It’s like Bettman wants the NHL to have their “must see TV” event that equals the Super Bowl. I get it- $$$ is what makes their world go around. But it’s gotten to be silly.

[seagoal]

29 minutes ago, bunnyman666 said:

I loved the first few. Fixing bobble hats onto the goalie helmet was novel; now it just looks stupid.

It’s like Bettman wants the NHL to have their “must see TV” event that equals the Super Bowl. I get it- $$$ is what makes their world go around. But it’s gotten to be silly.

Agreed.  I get derailed by the cheesy narrative around them.  What made them special in the past is no longer special given how many there have been and how many there are in any given season.

[coopaloop1234]

4 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Agreed.  I get derailed by the cheesy narrative around them.  What made them special in the past is no longer special given how many there have been and how many there are in any given season.

Doesn't help when they're hosting games in Texas, NC, Nevada, California.

Just waiting on the inevitable Arizona game.

Edited February 24, 2022 by coopaloop1234

[bunnyman666]

14 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Agreed.  I get derailed by the cheesy narrative around them.  What made them special in the past is no longer special given how many there have been and how many there are in any given season.

St. Louis had their WC, and that’s kinda when it started becoming quite silly. And I am a rabid Blues fan.

[seagoal]

2 minutes ago, bunnyman666 said:

St. Louis had their WC, and that’s kinda when it started becoming quite silly. And I am a rabid Blues fan.

For the record, I tend to like the Winter Classic jerseys, quite a lot actually.  Some of the Stadium Series jerseys get too outlandish and gross for my tastes, this one being the worst of all.  It's not easy to make Grubauer look bad on looks alone but oof, this is just awful.

[bunnyman666]

4 minutes ago, seagoal said:

For the record, I tend to like the Winter Classic jerseys, quite a lot actually.  Some of the Stadium Series jerseys get too outlandish and gross for my tastes, this one being the worst of all.  It's not easy to make Grubauer look bad on looks alone but oof, this is just awful.

There are some WC sweaters I love. Then there are the others LOL

That Avs sweater is HIDEOUS!!!

[seagoal]

Just now, bunnyman666 said:

There are some WC sweaters I love. Then there are the others LOL

That Avs sweater is HIDEOUS!!!

I'm torn if it looks more like a shower curtain or a mumu.

[coopaloop1234]

It's like you guys actively want to ignore the creme de la creme of awful stadium series jerseys.

Wouldn't expect anything less from LA.

Edited February 24, 2022 by coopaloop1234

[Scythe]

I kind of agree with it being old now. Whether it's a WC or just an outdoor game like the one played in Lake Tahoe. What was that all about? 

And yes, all the made up uniforms turns it into some kind of fashion show. 

Edited February 25, 2022 by Scythe

[MTH]

The Stadium Series uniforms were at least forward looking and not retro. White gloves, silver helmets.. I always put them similar to the infamous MLB turn ahead the clock games in the day where they had odd uniforms with fake futuristic names.

The Mariners went full steroid softball look.

[MTH]

23 hours ago, bunnyman666 said:

I know what the patent answer is from the league: “this goes back to the roots and origins of the game.” Meh. 

The simple answer why they are retro?

The Heritage Classic.

Theodore in the toque. Oilers broke out their old royal and orange uniforms. Habs went lace up. Jason Smyth used a wood blade. Theodore wore Vaughn 4000 gear. 

The started it.

[bunnyman666]

5 hours ago, MTH said:

The simple answer why they are retro?

The Heritage Classic.

Theodore in the toque. Oilers broke out their old royal and orange uniforms. Habs went lace up. Jason Smyth used a wood blade. Theodore wore Vaughn 4000 gear. 

The started it.

Wood blades and 4000 gear doesn’t make it retro. I understand where you’re coming from, but I think there were a few two piece/wood blade guys still back then. 

[ilyazhito]

Maybe have one outdoor game a year, because it seems that the combination of outdoor games and the retro/fake retro gear for these games is becoming a played-out gimmick. There's a reason why goalies normally don't use retro gear anymore: It's heavy, bulky, and not suitable for modern styles of play. 

[XCVII]

The more that this thread goes on, the more I think about this commercial.
 

 

[creasecollector]

I've never minded the retro theme, but that's me. I definitely see how people can find it played out by now.

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

On 2/25/2022 at 9:43 AM, MTH said:

The simple answer why they are retro?

The Heritage Classic.

Theodore in the toque. Oilers broke out their old royal and orange uniforms. Habs went lace up. Jason Smyth used a wood blade. Theodore wore Vaughn 4000 gear. 

The started it.

That was theodore’s normal gear at the time

[bunnyman666]

5 hours ago, A.YOUNGoalie13 said:

That was theodore’s normal gear at the time

The gear I saw in that photo looked contemporary for that time period, as two piece sticks were pretty standard for veterans and the CCM HT2 helmet was still in heavy use at the time. The year was 2003, and box pads were starting to take over, but a majority of veterans liked faux stuffed pads (hd sheet foam with foam worms “stuffing”). Of course that was the year all of the teams were playing with throwback jerseys for a few games. The Blues looked out of place as they used their regular gear (gloves, breezers, helmets, etc.) in those games. Of course they had a terrible owner at the time. 
 
But we will still blame the first Heritage Classic for the silly faux retro theme.

[bunnyman666]

On 2/25/2022 at 5:22 PM, ilyazhito said:

Maybe have one outdoor game a year, because it seems that the combination of outdoor games and the retro/fake retro gear for these games is becoming a played-out gimmick. There's a reason why goalies normally don't use retro gear anymore: It's heavy, bulky, and not suitable for modern styles of play. 

I played in a pair of stand up TPS pads Wednesday. I did add a modern knee flap, but the knees were wrap around on these Xhales. It was rough playing hybrid, for certain; my low, five hole stick saves were pretty solid, as all that extra material around the boot stopped those shots cold. But butterfly was miserable. The bonus was that the coverage made up for the lack of mobility. I would actually like a pad built like that in modern dimensions and with some modern characteristics, as I like how the old school pads move with you. All the elastic in the world on modern pads can’t hide the fact that the modern pads are still leg worn blockers.

[MTH]

On 2/27/2022 at 8:12 AM, bunnyman666 said:

The gear I saw in that photo looked contemporary for that time period, as two piece sticks were pretty standard for veterans and the CCM HT2 helmet was still in heavy use at the time. The year was 2003, and box pads were starting to take over, but a majority of veterans liked faux stuffed pads (hd sheet foam with foam worms “stuffing”). Of course that was the year all of the teams were playing with throwback jerseys for a few games. The Blues looked out of place as they used their regular gear (gloves, breezers, helmets, etc.) in those games. Of course they had a terrible owner at the time. 
 
But we will still blame the first Heritage Classic for the silly faux retro theme.

Jokes are easily missed online. I know they were current gear 20 years ago. Come on! We're goalie gear nerds here!

I think the Oilers jerseys were part of the 'Vintage' uniforms worn all year. Not sure about the Canadiens. Regardless, the Canadiens uniforms are always vintage as they haven't changed much in over 100 years.

[bunnyman666]

11 minutes ago, MTH said:

Jokes are easily missed online. I know they were current gear 20 years ago. Come on! We're goalie gear nerds here!

I think the Oilers jerseys were part of the 'Vintage' uniforms worn all year. Not sure about the Canadiens. Regardless, the Canadiens uniforms are always vintage as they haven't changed much in over 100 years.

Usually I get your jokes, Matt! I think I was a bit off.

D’oh!

I will now play with my swear word leather gloves in my corner LOL