National Hockey League - Columbus Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets To Unveil New Alternate Jersey

Blue Jackets to add third uniform, exclude Stinger

Jeff Bell
Business First

Mike Humes could tell you what the Columbus Blue Jackets' new third jersey will look like, but then, as the witticism goes, he would have to kill you.

The team's senior vice president of business operations doesn't want to hurt anybody, so fans must hang on until Oct. 13, when the new jersey is unveiled at Nationwide Arena prior to the team's game against Vancouver.

The design remains a closely kept secret in Blue Jackets quarters as the Oct. 9 season opener at Atlanta approaches. Team officials apparently are trying to maximize the promotional bang they expect to receive from introduction of the new sweater and related merchandise.

But an expected bump in merchandise sales is not the primary reason the club is introducing the new look, Humes said.

"It's not so much retail sales," he said, "as it is about branding and telling our story. It will give our fans more (team) marks in which to take ownership."

He also thinks the third jersey will clear up confusion among outsiders over the roots of the club's moniker.

The name is intended to reflect Ohio's contribution to American history - that good ol' red-white-and-blue patriotism - and the state's significant contributions during the Civil War. Ohio is said to have contributed a larger share of its population to the Union Army than any other state.

No Stinger?

The Blue Jackets' first two jerseys - for home and away games - bear a red, white and blue color scheme and a stars-and-stripes logo. But the outfits also feature the team's bug-like mascot, Stinger, on the sleeves and pants.

Humes said that has contributed to a misconception that a Blue Jacket is a bug, not a Civil War icon. So Stinger's mug likely won't be found on the new sweater.

"A Blue Jacket has never ever been a bug with an attitude," Humes said. "It's about the history of Ohio and Ohio's contribution to the Civil War."

But Stinger isn't getting the boot. It will remain the team's mascot.

"Stinger is still a very important component of our community awareness and outreach efforts," Humes said.

Brian Jennings, the NHL's group vice president for consumer products marketing, said Columbus' third sweater will zero in on state history and move away from Stinger.

The bug, Jennings said, is "too whimsical and didn't tell what the Columbus Blue Jackets are about."

Traditional look

Humes said the Blue Jackets will don the third jersey for about 15 games this year, most of them at Nationwide Arena. The team's familiar white and blue sweaters will be worn the rest of the time.

Humes won't confirm it, but fans may have already gotten a sneak peek at part of the front of the third jersey in the team's "Tied and True" promotional posters around town. The artwork on them features a closely cropped photo of a navy blue jersey with white laces at the neckline.

"It's a very traditional look," said Jennings. "There's a whole movement toward retro-futurism - mixing things from the past with modern aspects of design."

The NHL prohibits expansion teams from rolling out a third jersey until their fourth season of play.

"We've been considering what the third jersey will look like for almost three years now," said Humes, noting the team started looking for design help 18 months ago.

It hired SME Inc., a New York-based brand development and design firm that serves sports teams. SME Chairman Ed O'Hara said the firm helped the Blue Jackets conduct focus groups and run tests on possible designs for the third jersey.

"It's really a terrific new look for them that helps clarify the origins of their name," he said. "There will always be cynical fans who say they are doing this just to get them to spend more money, but this gives more texture to their whole (brand) offering."

The NHL's Jennings said 21 of the league's 30 teams will have a third jersey when the 2003-2004 season opens.

Teams typically climb a few rungs on the NHL's merchandise sales ladder when they introduce a third jersey, Jennings said, but he and Humes declined to speculate how much of a sales gain the Blue Jackets are expecting.

Columbus was 11th among NHL teams in merchandise sales in the league's most recent ranking, Jennings said. The NHL closed the fiscal year June 30 with $1.3 billion in retail merchandise sales.

The league does not disclose merchandise sales totals for individual teams, nor do the Blue Jackets reveal merchandise receipts.

Blue Jackets officials said the third jersey and related merchandise will be sold Oct. 13-20 at the team's Blueline store at Nationwide Arena and Blue Jackets Zone shops at the Easton and Dublin Chiller rinks. It will be available at other shops starting Oct. 21.

Joe Nahay, owner of the Hockey Stop store off Bethel Road in north Columbus, is looking forward to receiving his allotment of the new garb.

"A third jersey always helps," he said, "and will be another shot in the arm from a retail standpoint."

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