According to the New York Post, the NHL will unveil the much-feared new Reebok jerseys at a press event on Wednesday. The jerseys are described as tighter, sleeker and way different than the sweater-type jerseys being worn today. It's made of a new-fangled material to draw moisture away, and allow for a greater range of motion.

But read what some Sharks players said about the new jerseys, when several of them didn't exactly blast the new jerseys, but didn't give them two thumbs up either. And the new unis aren't just limited to new jerseys. They are also redesigning the socks players wear.

Among the reasons cited as pros for the new duds: performance and protection. Protection in the way that the tighter fit will hold pads in place better than the looser CCM ones. Performance in that the new material is lighter and doesn't absorb water. But if the jersey doesn't absorb sweat, just where exactly is it going to go?

Since the new threads are described as a "Performance Fit Uniform System," I just have a vision of a small flask hidden somewhere in the waist of the hockey pants, connected to tubes under the armpits. Sweat is absorbed throughout the jersey and drawn into these tubes, where it gets collected into the flask. What to do with all the collected perspiration? Why not market a sports drink?

Whatever they look like, here's two things that are intriguing. According to Andy Strickland from ESPN 1380 in St. Louis: 1) home teams are going back to wearing white/light jerseys and 2) there will be no third jerseys. The home whites may take some of the pressure off the new jerseys, but the deletion of the third jersey is a little disappointing. I prefer the purple third jerseys the Kings wear now, as opposed to the black jerseys. Black and white jerseys are so boring. I would hope that the road jerseys... er, "Performance Fit Uniform System"... for the Kings is actually purple and not black.

Another concern is whether or not the NHL has decided to actually change the crest of some NHL clubs.
According to Strickland, the design of each club's logo hasn't been changed, only shrunk slightly. I think this isn't a bad thing, considering the Kings Crown on the jerseys now feel like a Kevlar vest. That may be a plus for hockey players, but it does feel a bit odd when I hop into the car to head to the store, and try to put a seatbelt on over this bullet-proof material.

Here's USA Today commenting on the new jerseys...

The NHL and Reebok have been designing and testing the new uniforms for 30 months. That quiet period has spawned several myths, Jennings told USA TODAY. No, NHL players won't wear form-fitting garb like Olympic speedskaters. No, the new uniforms won't eliminate horizontal stripes, although some clubs will experiment with vertical striping next season.[/quote]

The Toronto Star's story, which is accompanied by this pretty picture...

And the Sabres' new duds won't change too much (at the bottom of the article)

Many teams will be changing designs because horizontal stripes at the bottom of the jersey will either disappear or diminish. The Sabres were made aware of the upcoming changes, so their jersey does not have stripes at the bottom. The new sweaters will have different cuts and seams under the arms and along the sides.

Being a bit of an artist, I took some examples of the new RBK designs and applied what I think the new Kings jer... um, "Performance Fit Uniform System"... could look like. The basic design looks like the practice jerseys the team is selling down at team LA. They aren't horrible, but they are a far cry from the jerseys I've grown to love and collected, which has ballooned to 20 this season with the addition of a Luc Robitaille jersey I received from Santa Claus. I'm still debating picking up an Anze Kopitar jersey before they stop making them altogether.

What do you think of my proposed designs? I'd like to hear other opinions about the new jerseys.