Redwings Wings not using Arched Name Lettering anymore?

[steezyb]

I'm watching the Wings / Pens Preseason game and it looks like the Wings have flat name lettering on the back of their jerseys this year instead of the normal arched? Has anyone heard anything about this? Could it only be for pre season?

[BPerkins]

It's been that way for preseason jerseys for years.

[steezyb]

OK, thanks man!

[NJDevilsGreg]

I prefer this to the arched nameplate

[LAK74]

I must be the only one who dislikes the preseason name font. I'll take the arched font any day.

[Skid Mark]

I must be the only one who dislikes the preseason name font. I'll take the arched font any day.

I like the arched too, but I think it would look good for one season if they did, maybe, the road whites to look like the preseason, just to change it up. Traditionalists aren't going to like the change though.

[bobbyp6565]

Much prefer this font/style -

To this -

[Flyers845]

Is there a reason why they do this

[thebiggoalie]

I actually think it's really cool, and I wish more teams would do it. Look at how collectible those old preseason North Stars jerseys with the almost unreadable font have become; finding gamers are impossible. It's not like all the regular season gamers are recycled in preseason jerseys the following season nowadays.

I wouldn't want to see anything too dramatic, but something subtle in the customization each preseason would be a good way to experiment a little for some teams. Look at how many different fonts Tampa Bay went through in their first five seasons before finally settling on something they liked.

[BPerkins]

It's easier to make the nameplated jerseys for preseason as well. Similar to the old heatpressed Rangers preseason shirts.

[Cygnus X-1]

Arched!!!

[SnakeOiler12]

Always seem to see a thread of this type every year, lol.

As posted above, this is a tradition the Wings have employed for years, going back a few decades actually.The Ilitch family respects the heritage that comes with being an Original 6 team and are very protective of the Red Wings history and not into doing super trendy things the way other clubs sometimes make changes. Their sweater is their sweater and they have only introduced variants when part of a league-driven initiative such as the Winter Classic or the league's 75th Anniversary celebration back in 1991/92 with the Turn Back the Clock jerseys.

As far as why they do it, I understand it to be centered around the notion of having to earn the right to wear the true Red Wings sweater -- kind of like making the "Varsity" team. Though a player may have been invited to training camp, it is not an automatic right to wear the true sweater. The player has to earn the right by making the team. The club wants to keep the mystique and specialness of being an established and storied franchise.

I'm a hardcore Red Wings fan, so I like the concept and will join LAK74 and say that I like the arched font tremendously more, but am OK with the role that the preseason font serves.

Red Wings sweater

[thebiggoalie]

Arched!!!

Think of how cool Rangers preseason jerseys would be if they used the old straight font on them!! (Preseason only, of course)

[LAK74]

I actually think it's really cool, and I wish more teams would do it... I wouldn't want to see anything too dramatic, but something subtle in the customization each preseason would be a good way to experiment a little for some teams. Look at how many different fonts Tampa Bay went through in their first five seasons before finally settling in something they liked.

I totally see your point, and I'm not against changing things up at all. I just don't like that thick serifed font that they chose to use.

[DropkickMurphy8]

Is there a reason why they do this

Because they have 40 players in camp who need to get ice time. Do you have any idea how hard it is to make custom arches for each player based on the number of letters in that player's name? Most of those players will see one game and then the jersey will be stripped and recycled for the next group of players who won't make the team to get an audition for a callup later in the year. The Wings do this every year, it's just easier to strip a straight nameplate and put another straight nameplate on.