All 32 teams in the National Hockey League unveiled new jerseys this morning, the first time that’s happened since 2022. This time, instead of Reverse Retro, Fanatics’ initiative was “Hometown Remix” (HTR), akin to City Connect jerseys in other leagues. The Edmonton Oilers, of course, were included in this reveal and have gone with a black-base jersey with neon orange and grey accents.
Analyzing the jersey features
At first glance, it’s a black jersey, which has been done a heck of a lot before in the NHL. It is, however, the Oilers’ first time having that as the base colour for any of their jerseys. Add in neon-orange, formatted in a way that this observer prays for Jack Michaels and Cam Moon, who have to make out those number silhouettes, and you’ve got your jersey. Nothing overly special at first glance.
The finer details, however, make this jersey underratedly really cool. Beneath the standout neon-orange, are some “storm grey” accents that add depth to both the logo, and the jersey striping. The shoulders each feature patches; the “Oil Country” patch off the cream alternates is included on the right shoulder. That was hinted before, that this jersey would have a link to the creams, which the Oilers seemingly cannot lose in.
The left shoulder features the clearest link to the past you could imagine, short of the Oilers’ RR from four years ago. The “Rigger” shoulder patch makes its long-awaited (albeit recoloured) return. It is the first time in 20 seasons that that logo is part of Oilers branding again. The last time, of course, was when the iconic “Copper ‘N’ Blue” threads were replaced by the dismal RBK EDGE jerseys.
The jersey name plate font also remains the same from the cream alternates. Ditto, somewhat, for the numbering although that’s undergone tweaks. And the striping, sans shoulder yoke, remains the same as a standard Oilers jersey. All in all, it feels like every era of Oilers hockey is linked here.
There is a sliver of hope for the authentic past to return, after all
Back to the Rigger patch, which was a Halloween surprise dropped by Tom Gazzola, who does work for TSN among others. Gazzola’s sneak-peek became a graveyard smash just like the Monster Mash, as eyes picked up his post. There was already contextual clues, however, that this could happen.
This observer’s previous HTR post detailed clues such as the logo stylization, and “Oil Country After Midnight” teaser, as code for a nod to the Copper ‘N’ Blue era. That the team went and committed to it by including the Rigger was surprising, but not shocking. And there’s a takeaway to be had from all this, even if it required reading the tea leaves.
There’s still some hope, after all, we might get the true 2006 throwbacks folks have been clamouring for eventually. Under Daryl Katz’s ownership, the team has notoriously resisted going back to Copper ‘N’ Blue. But maybe, the team was waiting until it could be considered a “true” throwback. Maybe they were playing the long game, taking the “absence makes the heart grow fonder” approach.
The franchise’s 50th anniversary season is on the horizon, and teams usually do a throwback jersey for those occasions. With the Oilers already maintaining the royal-blues that they entered the NHL with in 1979, and with World Hockey Association throwbacks already done for the Coliseum’s farewell, that leaves one clear option. Additionally, the team has to be seeing the Calgary Flames successfully bringing back the black “C” logo of the 2000’s.
Maybe, in 2028–29, Copper ‘N’ Blue is back on the menu, at long last. That’s probably the soonest we’ll ever see those. But it’s not out of the question anymore.
Could this be similar, perception wise, to the two-tone navy jerseys?
When the Oilers unveiled navy-blue alternate jerseys in 2019, they were initially met with mixed reviews. They offered a nice contrast to the “highlighter orange” primary jerseys of the time, but the minimalist two-tone style was panned as “too bland” at first. Over time, however, they came to be much more appreciated, with the climax being their use as the home jerseys for the 2022 playoff run.
So far, feedback on this HTR sweater is mixed, and largely for similar reasons. It’s a cool jersey in its own way, in that it challenges the norms of an Oiler jersey, and contrasts the royal blues and the creams well. But again, it’s black with neon orange (and grey), so it’s still a bit two-toney.
First impressions aren’t everything for a jersey, we’ve learned. We’ll have to withhold on giving a final score for these, until they’ve actually seen ice time. But it’s possible these chart the exact same course in the ocean that the navy threads did before them.
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Feature photo from @EdmontonOilers on Twitter
Coppeer and blue ok but these black jerseys should sell ,sell, sell!