by the Bonk's Mullet Staff
Lost in the madness of Rogers buying the rights to broadcast every hockey game for the rest of time is the fact that the Senators are primed to unveil their latest "Heritage" jersey in preparation for the 2014 "Heritage" "Classic" in "Vancouver". The jersey is expected to be a white-ish version of the current heritage jersey...
...which is itself a throwback to the first franchise's uniforms of the early 20th century:
Is this the appropriate heritage to be celebrating, though? Webster's dictionary defines heritage as "the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation." The truth is, no matter how many banners the modern-day Senators hang, theirs is a history that's a little more than twenty years old, not one that's over a hundred.
But why fret about it? There's still a lot of heritage to celebrate in the Senators' last twenty years. Come with us as we show you some potential heritage jersey designs, all inspired by the proud history of YOUR Ottawa Senators!
- Most of the Ottawa's success as a franchise can be attributed to their proficiency at the draft table. 15 of the team's top 18 all-time scorers were drafted by the Senators organization. That said, when you think about the Senators' rich tradition of drafting, only one name comes immediately to mind:
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| Can also be exchanged for a Pat Falloon heritage jersey free of charge. The Falloon jersey can then be released. |
- We would be shortsighted to think the team wouldn't float the idea of a jersey honouring the most iconic player in Ottawa's 22-year history. You remember his calm leadership ability, composure with the puck, and clutch playoff performances. Unfortunately, the fan base is still recovering from his sudden departure from the team - you already know who we're talking about, don't you?
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| Czech the technique. |
- Many teams have paid tribute to local geography on their jerseys. Teams like Dallas and Tampa Bay have included state maps in their alternate logos, while Calgary recently introduced a shoulder patch featuring the Rocky Mountains. Here's a jersey paying tribute to Ottawa's arena location:
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| Fresh from the farm to the bottom of the Eastern Conference table. |
- Keeping with the arena theme, let's not forget who pays the bills with this tribute to the team's corporate sponsors!
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| Oops, this one leaked a little early - this is next year's heritage jersey. |
- You won't need to see the replay to know who this next jersey's celebrating! Keep your elbows up!
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| Are you asking me or telling me this jersey is awesome? |
- Let's not forget the team's first Jack Adams winner, Jacques Martin. Jacques is remembered for a lot of things during his time in Ottawa - turning around a historically-inept expansion franchise; maintaining long-term success with his trademark defensive style of hockey; his OCD goalie flip-flopping - but there's really only one way to immortalize the man with a jersey:
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| Rhodes? Where we're going, we don't need Rhodes. |
- Then there's Patrick Lalime. Not only is Patrick the all-time leader in games played for an Ottawa Senators goaltender, but he also holds the 8th best playoff save percentage in NHL history, as well as the best playoff GAA in the modern era. The team designed this concept to immortalize his memorable playoff performances:
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| For an extra $10, Joe Nieuwendyk will punch the hole for you! |
- Of course Patrick Lalime isn't the only notable goaltender in Ottawa Senators history. In fact, there have been so many that the team thought it only fair to honour some of the best on a single jersey:
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| Think it needs a little more polish? Add a Peter Sidorkiewicz patch! |
- Then there's Alexei Yashin, the first-ever draft pick in the history of the Ottawa Senators. What better way to honour Yashin than with this jersey celebrating the biggest contribution he ever made to the team:
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| Optional turtleneck add-on not pictured. |
- What about one of the players Yashin was traded for? Although a man of great stature, Zdeno Chara's run as a Senator was much too short. In order to lure him back to the team, perhaps the team should consider honouring the Big Z with their heritage jersey:
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| They put this one on Cory Conacher and it took six men to find him. |
- Then there's Dany Heatley, hated by fans today but a real contributor in his time. Since heritage jerseys are about celebrating the good, not the bad, here's a tribute to what Dany Heatley will tell you was his finest hour as a Senator:
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| As an added touch, it's stitched in such a way that it'll fall apart quickly. |
- What about future heritage jerseys? Well, here's another exclusive - the following concepts will be rolled out as part of a series commemorating non-playoff teams:
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| TOO SOON |
- BREAKING: Enough with the speculation - the official design for the Heritage Classic jersey has finally leaked! Like we said, the rumour was that the heritage jersey would simply be a white inverse of the current black heritage jersey. Well, the rumour was close!
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| Why did I pre-order this before I knew what it looked like? |
It's appropriate that
everyone on the
internet stole our punchline, because Ottawa Senators history is all about cultivating talent, building patiently, and then falling flat when it matters most.
But remember - at the end of the day, it's not how you look, it's how you play. So, crap.
