Alternate sweater designs leaked?

The guys over at Icethetics do an excellent job. They're the site formerly known as the NHL Tournament of Logos.

They'll be running a new tournament starting Monday about who has the best center ice logo. That's not the good stuff, though.

They've reported today that they've got an inside track on all 18 alternate sweaters.

Before anyone gets excited, their "Deep Throat" happens to be one of Eklund's lackeys, so it should all be taken with a grain or two of salt. This guy claims, though, that he's seen pictures of all 18 sweaters, and has given descriptions of them all. You can read the whole thing for yourself, but here are the ones that apply to the Southeast division:

Atlanta Thrashers
The club will introduce a dark red jersey with the word “THRASHERS” on the front, just above the player’s uniform number, which will appear on both sides of the design. A broad white stripe will adorn each arm of the jersey with a dark red number in the stripe. A broad white-and-dark blue stripe will run down the sides of the jersey.

Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes will introduce a black third jersey, with red and white trim – different than their customary red home uniform with the black and white trim. Each arm will sport red and white angular stripes. The bottom of the jersey will feature a narrow white stripe and a thicker red one. In between, will be 10 white stars. The club’s red logo on the uniform front is placed within a white triangle, presumably to honor the famed Research Triangle that dominates the Raleigh-Durham area.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Also completely different. The Lightning will introduce a predominantly dark-blue alternate with the word "BOLTS" angling downward in white on the jersey front. A narrow white stripe is featured above a broad black stripe at the uniform base. Grey and white stripes are on each arm, and the latter half of the sleeve, to the tip, is black.

Some of these designs are pretty different from the rumors that have been circulating for months. They all sound really interesting, and I can't wait to see them. Obviously, this Eklund co-conspirator is a dubious source, but at least it's something to talk about.

What's the Plan, Man?

[Cross-Posted at Bolts Blog by RJ]






I have come down from my rage over the Boyle trade, and have decided it best to make an honest attempt to decipher just what the "new" Lightning are up to. What appears to be on the outside, isn't always representative of what's on the inside...case in point, those boxes of mixed chocolates, I hate gettting something that looks great but tastes like garbage. In the case of the Lightning, the ouside looks, well like the guys at XM Home Ice said, "a bunch of frat boys that bought themselves a hockey team. Go get the beers and girls and meet me in the suite to party!" But what is really going on underneath the blue jean clad, untucked shirt and over quaffed hair of the new guys?

What has been said by the new owners is that they are retaining core players (actually just Marty, Vinny L. and Vinny P.) while adding veteran depth to assist in the development of younger players. I know the Boyle trade seems contrary to this theory, but that is what they are saying. They have done this with regard to the forwards and goaltending. Gary Roberts and Mark Recchi are definately gritty veterans, perhaps brought in to fill a role similar to that of Dave Andreychuk. The Pens Sidney Crosby definately benefitted from the presence of Roberts, and perhaps the thought is, is that rookie Steve Stamkos will also learn from him as well. In goal, the addition of Olaf Kolzig to "mentor" Mike Smith looks like a great move. Smith has shown a ton of promise, but has never been the outright #1 for a full season. Having a veteran like Kolzig to guide him along this season will no doubt help the guy develop into a solid NHL starter.

That brings us back to defense. Melrose and the owners are looking for big guys to clog up the neutral zone, and cut off the blue line to the oppostion. Not a trap, just "Detroit-Like" puck control. Cough..trap..cough...The defensmen currently average about 6'2 - 215, so they are big. Unfortunately they are also young and inexperienced, with 6 players at 24 years old or yonger. The gizzled veteran of the bunch is 31 year old Filip Kuba, a less than offensive or mobile defenseman. Just what the final lines will look like is anybodys guess. With a plethora of forwards on the roster, it is rumoured that the Lightning are still looking to trade for more veteran defense. The new owners and coach Melrose seem to think newly aquired Matt Carle is the heir apparent to Dan Boyle as a puck moving defenseman. That is yet to be seen. After having a solid 06-07 season recording 11 goals, 31 assist and going +9, he fell off in 07-08, and the Sharks saw him as disposable. If he can pull it together the Lightning may have something in this kid. Returning after a solid rookie year is Mike Lundin, perhaps the lone bright spot on defense from last year. After coming to camp, expecting to be sent to the AHL to develop. He surprised everyone beating out the likes of Matt Smaby to earn his spot witht the big club. The 23 year old played solid defense all season recording only 6 points, but more importantly, he was +3 on a very shaky defensive team. Alex Picard, aquired in the trade with Philly for Prospal, played like a man posessed down the stretch, and most certainly will be needed to lock down the opposition. Add to the group newly aquired Andrew Hutchinson who played the last couple of years in the Carolina organization, Paul Ranger, Matt Smaby and wild man Shane O'Brien, and you have the current Lightning defense...nervous yet? I am, but not many NHL teams are. Will the Lightning head into the season with this as their actual defense...stay tuned.

So what am I getting at here? I think the new regime actually has some sort of plan. It just appears that we are heading into anpother season with a lot of questions on defense. We have solid lines of forwards. With the addition of Stamkos the potential is there to have two potent powerplay units. Kolzig and Smith solidify the net in a way that hasn't been there since the departure of the Bulin wall circa 2004. If the defense plays solid, not great, just solid, we could be calling the new guys geniuses by the end of the year as we raise a division banner (according to Barrie). If not, we could be wondering just who thought it was a good idea to give control of an NHL franchise to a couple of rich frat boys.

Marsha's Song of Draft Night Joy

(with apologies to Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim)


I feel gritty,
And so pretty,
Cuz my Bolts will be back for the fight!
And I pity
Any team that wasn't mine last night.


See the first-round pick on my telly there.
And Oren Koules with spikey hair.
Got the pretty goals,
Got new gritty guys.
Look at Steven's smile,
What a gritty team!

Look out SeSo!
Got Artyukhin
Coming back to the Bolts for next year!
And our top line
Should be your nemesis, MVP!*

*Martin St. Louis, Vincent Lecavalier, Vaclav Prospal
**Vinny #4 should be rehabbed by December.

We Got Stamkos!

Our ownership situation is still up in the air. Our star D-man (aka my fave player) was out most of the season. We had to trade one of our beloved Trinity to live within our current owner's cut-rate budget. Our franchise player has some serious shoulder surgery coming up, and will likely have to delay the wrist surgery he needed. We can only hope that Vincent Lecavalier will return strong. The Versus announcing crew for tonite's draft lottery follows sportscasting tradition by shortening our name to "The Tampa Lightning." But a silver lining emerges after a long and painful season. We. Got. Steven. Stamkos! He'll look good in a suntan, too.
(picture from BoltProspects.com)