This story was updated August 12 with new images. Scroll down for more.
For the third time in as many weeks, an online leak has apparently given us a sneak peek at a new NHL third jersey. This time the Edmonton Oilers are at the center of it.
Early this morning, @dave_waddell tweeted this screenshot, saying it was a “sponsored shopping link that comes up when you Google ‘oilers third jersey’.” He said the linked page was “not available when you click through” and surmised “the unveiling has to be close.”
By the time I attempted the same search about two hours later, the image was no longer appearing. Though I believe search results may differ based on your location. Dave seems to be in Calgary and even his search result (pictured) shows “adidas Canada.”
Dave’s search result does match up with other search results pointing to Adidas’s online store. It’s likely this happened when the shopping item was created by someone working on the Adidas website. It was briefly published by mistake and later removed, which is why the image stopped appearing in searches. But the damage was already done and someone was able to capture it.
The image doesn’t appear to be manipulated and aligns with our earlier JerseyWatch report in which a source told me to expect a navy blue jersey without any white. That is what we seem to have here.
Initial reaction on Twitter has been decidedly mixed, but isn’t it always? Personally, I think it makes for a great addition to the Oilers’ overall look. It’s what I like to see in a third jersey—a third color, a new or altered crest, and a fun theme, this one being the two-tone style. I’m eager to see how the full uniform comes together.
I know a lot of fans prefer Edmonton’s throwback jersey, which the team used on a handful of occasions last year, but I don’t think these things are mutually exclusive. Bring out the throwback for special events once or twice a year, but keep moving your brand forward with the alternate uniform.
No word yet from the Oilers—or any team, really—on when to expect an official announcement. Though history shows we should anticipate a busy September.
Update
It looks like someone managed to track down a page on Adidas’s own website that features high-resolution images of the new Oilers third jersey. A Reddit user posted the link on Sunday night. However, I was automatically redirected me away from that page when I clicked. But I was able to stop the redirect from loading long enough to grab the images to share here.
These images really bring some clarity to the design and also show us the name and number treatment, which wasn’t visible in the earlier leak. They’re definitely embracing the no-white look for this uniform. We still don’t know what the rest of the pieces will look like though. Helmets? Pants? Socks?
Here’s another look at some of the details including the crest and numbers.
Still no word from the Oilers on an official release. But I expect they won’t wait too much longer now.