2015-2016 Season: Division Predictions part 3 - Central Division

WESTERN CONFERENCE - Central Division

1. Nashville Predators

What Nashville brought last season was tremendous regular season success. While sitting atop the Western Conference for multiple periods of time during last season, the Preds saw the emergence of their young forward prodigy Filip Forsberg. Forsberg put on a spectacular show in his rookie season, finishing with 26 goals and 37 assists. Still quite amazing how he did not win the Calder Trophy. Defenseman and captain Shea Weber has been the man for Nashville for awhile now. He's been the team points leader for a couple seasons in a row, and is the heart and soul of the Preds. A first round exit to Chicago last season will remain fresh in the mind of olympic goalie Pekka Rinne, as the Finnish net-minder looks to backstop his team to a deeper playoff run in 2016. Seth Jones is only 20 and he already looks to be on the path to becoming a solid defenseman for the Predators. All is well in Smashville. This team will be solid for a long time. 

2. St. Louis Blues

Oh, St. Louis. Is this the year they finally turn it around and escape their postseason demons that have been tormenting them for what seems like forever? I have hope for the Blues in 2016. They will get past the first round. Expect yet another dominant regular season for St. Louis. Russian sniper Vladimir Tarasenko tore it up last season, and with a fresh 8-year/$60 million contract freshly signed, Vlady-T will have another stellar year in 2016. The Blues made a move to trade forward TJ Oshie in the summer and brought in Troy Brouwer. The goal seemed to be to add another power forward to the roster and give the Blues a little more on the physical side. They are set on defense. Alex Petriangelo is one of the best in the league and, along with Kevin Shattenkirk and Jay Bouwmeester, can be the deciding factor on the Blues finally going deep into the postseason. Will Brian Elliot and Jake Allen be enough in net to get it done? I see the Blues skimming the market for a goalie upgrade come the trade deadline. 

3. Minnesota Wild

The Wild are team with a lot of potential. They just have not seemed to be able to pull themselves out of holes, especially in the postseason. The 3-0 hole they had in the second round against Chicago last year is a prime example. Minnesota will snag the 3rd playoff spot in the Central after really making no changes to their roster in the offseason. Zach Parise and Mikael Granlund as both will put up more points than 2015. Captain Mikko Koivu will move down on the center depth chart with the solid play of Charlie Coyle being one of the standouts of last season. Tomas Vanek needs to have a better year. After being virtually invisible last season, the Austrian will have to improve if he wants to help his team. Ryan Suter and Jonas Brodin are at the head of the Wild's solid defensive corps. Defense is undoubtably Minnesota's strongest asset. Having another year of experience under everyone's belt has made them a stronger team already. Darcy Kuemper will be given the starting role in net and looks to build on what was a strong and unexpected 2015 performance. 

4. Winnipeg Jets

This is where the Central will turn into an all-out war for the 2 wild card spots. It will be two of Winnipeg, Dallas, and Chicago for sure, but it could result in any combination of the three. The Jets will finish with the top wild card spot. This is a very exciting team, fueled for the future. There is a lot of excitement surrounding Winnipeg. Getting swept in the first round wasn't ideal last year, but they will rebound a put out a better playoff performance. Blake Wheeler and captain Andrew Ladd will again lead the Winnipeg forwards. Young center Mark Scheifele is a very promising player, and in this author's opinion will replace Bryan Little as the Jets' first line center by the end of the season. On D, Winnipeg is headed by the physical Dustin Byfuglien, young phenom Jacob Trouba, and 6-foot-8 monster Tyler Myers. Ondrej Pavalec and Michael Hutchinson make up the goalie tandem for Winnipeg, and Hutchinson will replace Pavalec as the starting goalie for the Jets. 

5. Chicago Blackhawks 

The reigning Stanley Cup champions had an interesting offseason with a lot of key losses. LW Patrick Sharp was traded to Dallas, bringing back d-man Trevor Daley. LW Brandon Saad was dealt to Columbus. Saad brought back center Artem Anisimov and young winger Marko Dano. Defenseman Johnny Oduya left via free agency and reliable winger Kris Versteeg was traded away to Carolina. Veteran Brad Richards left and signed with Detroit as did Antoine Vermette signing with Arizona. So the Blackhawks are left with a lot of missing components from last year's championship team. KHL signee Artemi Panarin will look to fill Sharp's spot, Anisimov will fill Richards' or Vermette's spots, and Daley will fill Oduya's spot. The Hawks have lost a bit of their fire power. They will be a low seed playoff team in 2016. Leader Jonathan Toews is one of the best in the sport, and having two players like Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith are always a plus. While a bit of a weaker team, Chicago can still make a deep push. 

6. Dallas Stars

Dallas is a team that could surprise a lot of people. Again, they'll be in a tight race for the final wild card spot with Chicago and Winnipeg. They are a much better team that last season. The Stars acquired coveted winger Patrick Sharp from Chicago, which automatically boosts there offense. A line of Sharp-Seguin-Benn looks deadly on paper, and will be incredibly productive in 2016. Art Ross Trophy winner and captain Jamie Benn has proved to be a good leader and point scorer. Russian power forward Valeri Nichushkin is finally healthy again, which is fantastic for Dallas. Val will continue to grow as a player and fulfill his potential. Dallas also signed defenseman Johnny Oduya to add some needed help to their defense. John Klingberg and Jyrki Jokipakka are on the rise and growing into some solid players. Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi will need to be forces in net if they want to help their team snag a playoff spot. All is shaping to be very nice in Dallas for a few years. 

7. Colorado Avalanche 

The Avs suffered a disappointing 2014-2015 campaign after coming off an incredibly strong season the year before. Unfortunately, they will finish at the bottom of the Central division again in 2016. They have gotten a bit stronger, but not enough to the point where they can compete with the stronger teams in the Central. They're just the odd-man out this year. Captain Gabriel Landeskog still has to prove himself as a reliable leader at 22 years old. Nathan MacKinnonis entering his third season, and still has the potential to be a top player in this league. Carl Soderberg was brought in from Boston to fix the center depth issue. The signing of defenseman Francois Beauchemin adds physicality and veteran experience to an other wise very young Avs team. Tyson Barrie continues to develop into a solid d-man and has some great two-way potential. Semyon Varlamov posted some insane stats in net just a few seasons ago, and he will look to rebound fro last year and step up with a solid performance. 

2015-2016 Season: Division Predictions part 2 - Metropolitan Division

EASTERN CONFERENCE - Metropolitan Division

1. Washington Capitals

They've gotten nothing but stronger. After being knocked off in the second round by the Rangers in the '15 playoffs, the Caps will sit atop the Metro division and aim for a deep playoff run that could possibly include a trip to the Cup finals. Superstar Alex Ovechkin will continue to be in the goal scoring race and be the backbone of his team. Two key additions at right wing will bolster the Capitals' forward corps and some much-needed depth, as veteran Justin Williams and shootout-star TJ Oshie were brought in via free-agent signing and trade, respectively. The Capitals' defense will be led olympian John Carlson and veterans Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen. Braden Holtby will provide solid goaltending for Washington yet again and backstop them to a division title. 



2. New York Islanders 

After an unbelievable regular season that saw the them come from out of nowhere and put together one of their most successful seasons in a awhile, the Isles will set their sights on a high seed playoff placement in 2016. 2015 runner-up points leader John Tavares will take his captaincy into its third year and will remain the heart of his club. Emergences of Brock Nelson and Anders Lee, as well as blue liners Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy in 2015, are what Islanders fans can look forward to seeing again in the upcoming season. The Isles also may have the best and most destructive 4th line in hockey: Matt Martin + Casey Cizikas + Cal Clutterbuck = hitting...and lots of it. Jaroslav Halak continues seems to get better every season and that trend will continue for him in his first full season with Islanders. Look for the Isles to make a push further than another first round exit. 

3. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins were the recipients of the most coveted player on the trading block this offseason: sniper Phil Kessel. Kessel will be entering a new environment after leaving the tumultuous Toronto locker room, which will pay extreme dividends to him and to his new team. He will play on the top line with Sidney Crosby on his center and Chris Kunitz taking the opposite wing. The point total that will be amounted from Kessel while playing with the best player in hockey at his center will be off the charts. The Penguins new top line will rank among the most lethal and hockey now. Not to mentioned they have maybe the second best player in the league playing on the second line: Russian center Evgeni Malkin. Defensive dynamo Kris Letang will be getting top minutes with young prodigy Olli Matta. Pittsburgh will be looking to add more strength to their D come trade deadline. Marc-Andre Fluery will remain solid in the crease for the Pens with hopes that he can overcome his notorious playoff jitters. Pittsburgh can aim for a middle-seed playoff spot. 

4. New York Rangers

The Rangers will suffer a bit of a regression in the upcoming season, but not so severe that they will miss the playoffs. A wild card spot is where they can look to finish. Henrik Lundqvist  is the rivaling Carey Price as the best goaltender in the league, and at 33 will be entering his  13th year with the Rangers. The Blue Shirts will be led upfront by scoring threat Rick Nash. Nash is the top point scoring for his team and needs to continue his pace from last year if he wants a spot in the playoffs. D-man Ryan McDonagh will lead his defensive troops along with Dan Girardi and fellow US olympian Keith Yandle, who was acquired from Arizona during the last trade deadline. The Rangers lost a bit of speed when they traded away LW Carl Hagelin to Anaheim, but got back a bit of speed with forward Emerson Etem and Viktor Stalberg. 

5. Columbus Blue Jackets 

CBJ is a really a team that could go either way. They could exceed or fail expectations. For now, I place them as finishing just outside of a wild card spot. The Jackets made a big splash in the offseason, when they acquired stud LW Brandon Saad from Chicago in a muti-player deal. Saad will fit in quite well on the top line along side Ryan Johansen and captain Nick Foligno. With two Stanley Cups already under his belt, the 22 year-old will provide some experience to a very young team. Columbus lacks defensive strength. There is not much depth there and will require tinkering at the trade deadline. This team has potential to snag that last wild card spot, they just need to put it all together. Sergei Bobrovsky needs to be a force in net if CBJ wants to be playing in May. 

6. Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers have potential, but in this author's opinion are not quite there yet. What Philly lacks is a strong defense and goaltending, and like so many other teams, will look to upgrade in those areas in February's trade deadline. The Flyers have two top-15 point scorers in Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek who both embarked on some their most productive seasons in their careers last year. These two linemates will continue to feed off of last years performance. However, this will not be enough for the Flyers. They will miss the playoffs for a second straight year in 2016 and will continue to build. 

7. New Jersey Devils

John Hynes' new team has suffered a very mediocre last few seasons. Finishing in the bottom of the league standings isn't exactly ideal for any team, but New Jersey went through a huge management change with the resigning of GM Lou Lamoriello and a head coaching change, the Devils have rebuilt their management, not just their team. It was a quiet offseason for New Jersey, with the only move that really stood out was the acquisition of RW Kyle Palmieri from Anaheim. Palmieri will take the first line RW job playing with center Travis Zajac and left wing Mike Cammalleri. Goaltender Cory Schneider was solid in his first full year as a Devil, and looks to build on last seasons performance. While New Jersey just does not have a strong enough team to make a push this season, they are headed down the right path.

8. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes are just not a very good team right now. Not a lot of offense, not a lot of defense, the goaltending could be better, the real bright spot is the future. The Hurricanes selected highly-touted defenseman Noah Hanafin with 5th overall pick back in July, and Hanafin will be thrown right into the starting lineup. Elias Lindholm is a promising young forward, and the Swede will aim to continue on his 14-15 success. Captain Eric Staal needs to step up. Last season was one of his worst, and the Canadian needs to get back to his former ways. No moves were made in the forwards category, but the Hurricanes did acquire defenseman James Wisniewski and goaltender Eddie Lack. Wisniewski will take over top pairing duties and Lack will be backing up Cam Ward. The Hurricanes won't have success in the immediate future, but like New Jersey, they are headed down the right path. 

2015-2016 Season: Division Predictions part 1 - Atlantic Division

The new NHL season is on the horizon! With less than 25 days to go before puck drop, it's the time where some hockey writers make their early predictions of where teams will finish once the regular season ends in mid-April. I will give a brief analysis of each team going by division. The order that a team is listed is where I think that respective team will finish within their own division.

EASTERN CONFERENCE - Atlantic Division

1. Tampa Bay Lightning 

The reigning Eastern Conference champions are built for another strong year and even another run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Captain Steven Stamkos will remain in hot content for the goal scoring title. However, Stamkos is entering the last year of his contract. Until he signs a long-term deal, the Bolts will have to wait to make any moves so they can have space to sign their All-Star center. The Triplets line of Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson, and Nikita Kucherov will continue to dominate and be one of the best new lines in hockey. The Bolts are a young team with a ton of assets, and will sit atop the Eastern Conference standings once again. 

2. Montreal Canadiens 

You can't have the best goalie in hockey and not expect to win. Carey Price did just that last season for the Habs and will do that yet again while remaining the most dominant goalie in the game. PK Subban matures more and more every year and will rise to the top as one of the dead-set top 5 defensemen in the league. Forwards troops Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec will be relied on as the leaders of the Habs forefront, and will gain a bit of a boost in their forward department with addition of winger Alexander Semin. Semin has had a disappointing last couple seasons, but the former 40 goal scorer should feel ignited again playing for a Cup contender. 

3. Detroit Red Wings 

24 consecutive playoff appearances. Absolutely unheard of in sports. Red Wings fans can look to celebrate a 25th consecutive year of playoff madness in 2016. They are always a threat. With veterans Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Niklas Kronwall leading the way, Detroit will grind its way into the postseason yet again. With the emergence of Gustav Nyquist and Tomas Tatar as some of the better young forwards in the game, Detroit is set on forward depth for the future. The blueline is where Detroit should be concerned. Past Niklas Kronwall and newly-added Mike Green, they are below average. Jakub Kindl and Kyle Quincey are underwhelming, and Jonathan Ericsson is about as average a hockey player as they come. Look for the Wings to snag a low-seed playoff spot. 

4. Ottawa Senators 

The Pesky Sens are still quite pesky. The Senators will be a playoff team again this season, but look for them to get one of the two wild card spots. Erik Karlsson will enter his second season as captain of the Senators, while many question his leadership ability, I believe that EK has what it takes to lead an NHL squad. Bobby Ryan will have a bounce back year after a fairly disappointing 14-15 campaign. Ottawa has a lot to be excited about with their future. Winger Mike Hoffman and Calder Trophy finalist Mark Stone will enter their sophomore seasons looking to pick up right where they left off. Backstopped by goalies Craig Anderson and breakout-sensation Andrew Hammond, Ottawa can look for another push into the playoffs this season. 

5. Florida Panthers 

Florida was a team that last season found themselves in and out of a wild card spot at the butt end of the year. The veteran goalie presents of all-star Roberto Luongo helps bolster the net for the Cats. 2015 Calder Trophy winner Aaron Ekblad enters his sophomore season and will continue his pace from last season. Young forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Alexander Barkov will remain the core of the Florida forwards. This team got more leadership last year from the ageless Jaromir Jagr. At the ripe, young age of 43, Jagr will lead the otherwise young Panthers team to a higher finish in the upcoming season. A possible stab at the final wild card spot? It's a possibility in Miami.

6. Buffalo Sabres 

While they will probably will not make the playoffs this season, the Sabres are sure enough building to become one of the better teams in the next few years. 2015 2nd overall pick Jack Eichel will make his NHL debut this season and will look to make an immediate impact centering Buffalo's top line. New additions include winger Evander Kane, Ryan O'Reilly and Robin Lehner in goal, the Sabres pose a promising future. Tyler Ennis continues to get a little better each year and has the looks of making a fine 2C behind Eichel. After suffering many less-than-mediocre seasons, Sabres fans will finally have something to cheer about yet again as their team continues to get better and better. 

7. Boston Bruins 

Regression at it's finest. The Bruins are not what they used to be just two years ago. After failing to make the playoffs in 2015, Boston has not gotten any better. Veteran defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara is getting very old and is almost a shell of his former self. After trading away winger Milan Lucic and promising young defenseman Dougie Hamilton and getting virtually nothing in return, the Bruins have taken one giant leap back. The edition of LW Matt Beleskey will help ever so slightly, but nothing to bat an eye at. Goaltender Tuukka Rask hasn't had a stellar season for a couple years and will be tasked with more work now that the Bruins have a weaker defense. The Bruins cup window is officially closed. 

8. Toronto Maple Leafs

New head coach Mike Babcock will only be able to do so much. The Leafs will sit at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference in the upcoming season. What has been a bit of circus in Toronto cooled down a tad after the long-awaited trade of star winger Phil Kessel finally happened in the offseason. While that might make the Leafs locker room a bit more subdued, it will up to captain Dion Phaneuf to lead the Leafs in the right direction. They are a very inexperienced team and don't have much to show on paper. Toronto may want to get used to the bottom of the standings for a couple seasons.

Sounds of Hockey: My Top 10 NHL Goal Horns

One of my favorite atmospherical developments in the NHL over the last two decades is the goal horn. It's a moment that can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Something about having a loud horn blaring in your ear after your team scores is exhilarating to hear, and there have been times I’ve found myself scouring YouTube for videos of goal horns. A weird, little obsession? Maybe (yes). I thought I would take a break from the more serious content and bring something a little more on the fun side. Here are my top 10 NHL goal horns along with videos each horn and song! Also included are images of the horns, with the exception of one for reasons you will find out. 

10. Chicago Blackhawks - United Center 

Horn type: Kahlenberg Q-3
Song: Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis

They were the first ones to use a goal horn back in the 80’s in the old Chicago Stadium, and the Blackhawks brought that same horn with them when they moved to United Center. The old horn hangs above center ice, underneath the scoreboard. Reasons to love this horn: its a classic, and it was the really the first goal horn to ever be used

photo author unknown

9. San Jose Sharks - SAP Center

Horn type: Kahlenberg Triton S-120
Song: Rock and Roll pt. 2 - custom version

The Sharks goal horn is awesome. I am a huge fan of goal horns with deep bass, and the one up in San Jose is one that sounds like it fits the team name. It sounds like it would belong in the bay area, signaling to ships in the foggy mornings. The custom edition of the famed sports anthem "Rock and Roll pt. 2" is a great touch as well. The horn is located up in the catwalk above section 207. 

photo author unknown

8. Buffalo Sabres - First Niagra Center 

Horn type: Kahlenberg Q-3
Song: The Miracle - U2

Same type of horns as Chicago's? Yes. Does it still sound different? Yes. Many goal horns in the NHL are the very same horn, but all horns sound different and have their own unique qualities. The Sabres is no exception. Just an all-around pleasing horn to the ear. Fun fact: It is actually an old boat horn that has been tied to an air compressor. It sits up in the rafters near center ice. 

photo by Ryan Burgess

7. New York Rangers - Madison Square Garden

Horn type: recording of a 1990's NYC firetruck horn
Song: Custom song

Yes, it is a little strange to think that the world's most famous arena utilizes a recording of a horn instead of the real thing. However, it doesn't take away from the fact that it sounds great. The fact that is a firetruck horn is all the more cool, and the goal song is one of the most famous ones in hockey. 

6. Calgary Flames - Scotiabank Saddledome

Horn type: Buell plastic "Lifeguard" 4-chime horn sets
Song: Righteous Smoke - Monster Truck

The Flames goal horn is extremely pleasing to the ear. Coupled with the spotlights making the entire goal red for a second when the Flames bury one, this horn will become a reoccurring sound as the Flames get better every single year. That is it. It is mounted in the catwalk high above the Flames scoreboard. 

photo by Ryan Dittrick

5. Minnesota Wild - Xcel Energy Center

Horn type: Kahlenberg Q-3A
Song: Crowd Chant - Joe Satriani

This horn is a beautiful sounding one. It is located right next to a lighthouse structure which doubles as a press box. The lighthouse emits smoke after a goal is scored, giving the impression of a moon-lit forest night with this woodsy-sounding horn. It is actually 4 different horn bells that emit the sound. 

photo author unknown 

4. St. Louis Blues - Scottrade Center 

Horn type: two Kahlenberg S-203C horns
Song: When the Saints Go Marching In - organ

The Blues horn is absolutely fantastic. It is a very intimidating sound. The horns pump a cadence of three blasts: a long blast, a short blast, followed by another long blast. The cadence is unique, no other team does the long-short-long blast cadence. The horns were actually taken from an old ship liner that was going to be scrapped. They are set to only 40% airflow. Located in the catwalk above the center ice and face in opposite directions. 

photo author unknown

3. Montreal Canadiens - Bell Centre

Horn type: Airchime K3HA
Song: Loco Locass - Le But (Allez Montreal)

While I don't usually enjoy high-pitched horns, the Montreal Canadiens horn is an exception. It just sounds classic. A classic horn for a classic team. It is a very long horn. Running a single blast for more than 20 seconds at times during the playoffs. There are 3 horns emitting sound at a time. It is located above the scoreboard at center ice. 

photo author unknown

2. Anaheim Ducks - Honda Center
Horn type: Ibuki 200 diaphone fog horn
Song: Bro Hymn - Pennywise

Ahh yes, the Ducks horn. Heard it many many times during my adventures to Honda Center over the years. I can tell you one thing: it is loud... very loud. It shakes your seat and you can hear it from the parking lot. It's deep, mean, it sounds heavy. Coupled with a police siren and in my opinion what is the best goal song in hockey, it makes for an exhilarating combination when the Ducks score. It is located in rafters above section 418. 

photo by Brenden Bihun

1. Dallas Stars - American Airlines Arena
Horn type: two Kahlenberg KDT-123 horns
Song: Puck Off - Pantera

Here we have my favorite goal horn. The Dallas Stars horn is great for many reasons. The overall sound is a very "bossy" sound. It just sounds absolutely massive. The number of blasts coincides with number of goals the Stars have scored. 1 blast for the first goal, 2 blasts for the second goal and so on. The goal song "Puck Off" is one that was specially made for the Stars by Texas-based metal band Pantera. Loud goal horn + loud heavy metal is an A+ in my book. The horn is located above center ice in the rafters.

photo by Jason B.

Messing with Perfection: The Jersey Advertisements

Tarnished, gross, unappealing, wrong. These are words that can be used to describe NHL jerseys if the horrid idea of putting soccer-esqe advertisements on them goes through. Once Adidas acquired the rights to become the NHL’s apparel provider last month, it was made clear that Adidas and the NHL are closely considering filling up the jerseys with advertisements. The plan is for Reebok, the current apparel provider, to continue through its last season and have Adidas takeover starting in the 2016-2017 season. 

What does this mean? Well, it means that all 30 NHL teams will be getting essentially “new” jerseys, but mostly it will just be the same jersey with very minimal altercations. The current Reebok EDGE jersey template will be replaced with the pending Adidas template. The consensus from multiple sources is that the jerseys will feature the classic Adidas “three stripe” design, but it was not made clear if that would just be a small adidas logo on the back, or that all NHL teams will be welcoming three stripes into their beloved uniforms. That is a horrible idea from the start, and we haven’t even gotten into the advertisement aspect of it. 

Hockey is a sport of tradition. There is not a sport out there you can name that relies more on its history and tradition, and that goes for the NHL as well. Why do you think the Original 6 teams have the same logo and in some cases the same jerseys they had when they started back in the 20’s? It is the identity of the team. A sacred crest. Something that should not be touched. The reasoning for the NHL wanting to put advertisements on the jerseys is a reasonable one: the league has been trying to increase revenue for quite some time now. They are trying to move away from playing little brother to the Big 3 sports in today’s world. The point is clear, the NHL will be increasing advertisement in some sort of fashion. It would absolutely devastating to see these beautiful jerseys tarnished. Montreal fans will say goodbye to the classic “CH” crest bestowed on their team’s jerseys and say hello to a big ole’ McDonalds “M”. You’re a Boston Bruins fan and can’t get enough of the spoked “B”? Sorry, here’s the “B” from Budweiser or Bud Lite. The Ducks could try to make a webbed Honda “H” to replace their webbed “D” but just like the whole idea of putting advertisements on NHL jerseys itself, it’s a nauseating idea. 

This atrocity can be avoided. The jersey don’t need to have advertisements slapped on them. The sideboards of the rink are already covered with advertisements, there are advertisements in the ice surface, there’s commercials, advertisements all over the arenas, it’s already advertisements-galore. The NHL may have a reason for wanting to go through with this, but there is no true point. They already have littered everything with ads that they can, the jerseys are an area that should not be tampered with. Period. End of story. It is an ugly idea, literally and figuratively. So please NHL and Adidas, don’t make a poor decision and ruin something sacred and beautiful. Keep the jersey free and don’t make it yet another slave to the advertising prison that soccer has fallen into. 

You tell me what looks better: