NHL Events Uniform Design
For a decade, I had the honor and privilege to lead the creative and design direction for all the NHL Events uniform designs (68). For each NHL event, we crafted a unique narrative and a new design, translating into new merchandising opportunities. I collaborated with the NHL executives, and its teams, to create newness and build a memorable experience for the fans watching.
NHL Winter Classic.
The NHL Winter Classic is an annual regular season outdoor hockey game played on or around New Year’s Day, generally in a football or baseball stadium in an area with a resident NHL team. Uniform designs were typically inspired by the past, leading the fauxback trend in sports uniform design.
NHL Heritage Classic.
The NHL Heritage Classic is one of a series of regular outdoor season games played in the NHL. The event has been held infrequently—only six games have been played in the series so far, and the first five matchups had been exclusively between Canadian teams. Uniform designs have typically been inspired from the past through unique heritage design markers.
NHL Centennial Celebration.
As a part of the NHL’s centennial celebrations, the league hosted 2 outdoor games: the NHL 100 Classic and the NHL Centennial Classic. The first honored the 100th anniversary of the first games of the NHL’s inaugural season, while the other celebrated the centennial season of the Leafs, and the beginning of the NHL’s centennial year. The uniform design utilized traditional team colors enhanced with a silver trim detail inspired by the Stanley Cup, drawing a direct connection to the NHL’s Centennial Celebration narrative.
NHL Stadium Series.
The Stadium Series is an event held by the NHL in which a regular season hockey game is played outdoors. Games in the Stadium Series have been held in either late January, February or early March in a stadium in the United States. Uniform design typically promotes a more progressive and modern design approach tailored for large venue settings.
NHL All-Star Games.
The NHL All-Star Game is an exhibition game that is traditionally held during the regular season of the NHL, with many of the league's star players playing against each other. My first NHL All-Star design was used to launch the Reebok Edge uniform at 2007 All-Star Weekend in Dallas. These uniform designs were typically progressive and used to test new advanced technology in a controlled “game setting” environment.
