Pass or Fail: Minnesota North Stars jerseys return in alumni game
Minnesota had to wait several years for an NHL outdoor game despite, you know, having the actual climate for an outdoor hockey game.
But if they had just told the rest of the hockey world that outdoor game-equals-North Stars heritage jerseys, they would have gotten one in roughly under a millisecond.
The Minnesota Wild revealed their jerseys for the Wild/North Stars alumni game team, a.k.a. “more people want to watch Neal Broten than Hnat Domenichelli.”
The game will be held on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. in TCF Bank Stadium, leading up to the Stadium Series game between the Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 21, which fulfills the annual Blackhawks outdoor game quota.
From the Wild:
The 2016 NHL Stadium Series Alumni Game uniform, in contrast to the enlarged numbers and bold striping of the Minnesota Wild NHL Stadium Series jersey, harkens back to the first NHL® franchise to call the State of Hockey® home. The vintage Minnesota North Stars™ home white uniform directly mimics the last version of the jersey adorned with the “N-star” logo. Nostalgic green and yellow shadowed numbers and accent stripes will be a familiar sight back on Minnesota ice. The shoulders of the alumni jersey feature the Minnesota North Stars™ and the Minnesota Wild logos, linking together the alumni from both teams.
The classic look does not end with jersey. The pants are also vintage Minnesota North Stars™ green with gold and white piping and the uniform is finished with retro tan gloves resembling leather gloves of the 1960-70s.
Look, they’re going to sell a metric ton of these heritage jerseys and assorted other North Stars gear. (We might have already preordered ours, with Gilles Meloche on the back.)
That said … it is a Wild/North Stars alumni team, and it is a Wild outdoor game. Wouldn’t have been bold to create some awesome hybrid of the two logos, with North Stars colors?
Which brings us to the most salient point:
THE DALLAS STARS ARE THE MINNESOTA NORTH STARS.
The Stars count the North Stars as part of their franchise. They use their records for all-time marks. They count Bill Goldsworthy and Bill Masterton among their retired numbers.
So when the Dallas Stars get an outdoor game, their alumni wear … what? Chaps and denim?
Eh, maybe they just need to have a discussion with the Arizona Coyotes about sharing your heritage with another city…
Maybe you feel that way. You probably don’t. So with that:
PASS OR FAIL: The Minnesota Wild’s Minnesota North Stars alumni jerseys.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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