Don't look now, people, but the start of the hockey season is upon us, which means it's time for Uni Watch's NHL season preview column. With the puck set to drop on the 2014-15 campaign on Oct. 8, here's our annual team-by-team rundown of this season's uniform and logo changes (teams not listed here have not announced any changes):
• The Blackhawks haven't yet announced any changes, but they're playing in the Winter Classic, so they'll presumably be unveiling some sort of retro design for that game shortly.
• The Blue Jackets are hosting the All-Star Game, so they're wearing a chest patch. If that design looks familiar, it's essentially the same one that was going to be used for the 2013 NHL All-Star Game, which ended up being canceled due to the 2012-13 NHL lockout. (No word yet regarding the All-Star uniforms themselves, although a photo of a practice jersey with a chrome NHL logo has been circulating.) Meanwhile: Here are the dates when the Blue Jackets will be wearing their alternate jersey.
• Upgrade of the year honors go to the Blues, who've finally scrapped all the nonsense and gotten back to basics (additional photos and info here). Also: While most teams have their players wear their pants manufacturer's logo on the front, the Blues appear to have moved it to the back.
• The Capitals are marking their 40th anniversary with a jersey patch and a new website devoted to the team's history. Also: The Caps have come up with a fauxback design for the Winter Classic, which will be played at Nationals Park in Washington. The shoulder stripes seem a bit forced, but the chest insignia is very, very nice. You can see some additional photos here, and there's a good explanation of the thinking behind the design here.
• The Coyotes are now officially the Arizona Coyotes, which has led to a change in their shoulder patch. Also: The Coyotes will be reviving their original uni design as a throwback on March 5, although they haven't yet said whether it'll be the white version or the black version. Finally, the Coyotes' arena has changed its name from the Jobing.com Arena to the Gila River Arena. That change is reflected in the team's center-ice logo.
• The Devils will once again break out their green-trimmed throwbacks for St. Patrick's Day.
• Good move by the Ducks, who've scrapped the chest wordmark on their home and road jerseys and replaced it with their web-foot logo. The new black home jersey is extremely similar to last year's alternate, with some minor differences in the trim on the collar, uni numbers, and player name lettering.
• Remember the uni that the Flyers wore for the 2012 Winter Classic? That design is now their official alternate uni and will be worn 12 times this season. It's not a bad look, but it's too similar to the Philly's home design. Meanwhile: In a very cool move, the Flyers are now embedding their primary logo in their red line design.
• No changes this season for the Hurricanes, but here are the dates when they'll be wearing their third jersey and white at home.
• The Islanders are moving to Brooklyn next season, so they're marking their last season at the Nassau Coliseum with a shoulder patch. They'll be using the patch logo on their pucks this season as well. Meanwhile, the Isles have confirmed an earlier report that they'll be scrapping their awful black alternate jersey -- easily the worst uni in the league -- and replacing it with last season's Stadium Series uniform.
• The Kings have worn purple throwbacks for their Legends Night promotions in recent years. This season they're switching to gold throwbacks, which will be worn on Feb. 12, Feb. 24, and March 7. Also: The Kings will retire Rob Blake's No. 4 on Jan. 17.
• After pranking their players with a fake unveiling, the Lightning have officially revealed a new black alternate jersey. Here are the dates when it will be worn. Also: The Lighting's arena naming sponsor, the Tampa Bay Times, has terminated its arrangement with the facility, which is now known as Amalie Arena. You can see the new name on the center-ice logo.
• Nothing new this year for the Panthers, but here are their new players' uniform numbers.
• The Penguins have added a Lemieux-era throwback. Additional photos and the dates it will be worn can be found here.
• The Rangers are going to track their players' movements by adding computer chips to their jerseys.
• It's an annual rite of autumn: Red Wings fans freak out when they see the team's block-lettered nameplates during the preseason. Don't worry, people -- the vertically arched lettering will return when the regular season starts. Meanwhile, here's a more subtle change: The Wings' helmet wordmark lettering has changed from solid to outlined.
• The Sharks have been wearing black during the postseason in recent years, but now they're reportedly going to change to teal. Also: The Sharks will be hosting the Kings for a Stadium Series outdoor game at Levi's Stadium on Feb. 21. Here's the logo for that game; no word yet on whether the teams will wear special uniforms for the occasion, but it seems likely.
That's it for now. Did we miss anything? If so, let us know. And if you're looking for our annual rundown of goaltenders' gear, we should have that for you very soon -- stay tuned.
Paul Lukas lives down the street from the Barclays Center, where the Islanders will be playing next year. If you liked this column, you'll probably like his Uni Watch Blog, plus you can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Want to learn about his Uni Watch Membership Program, be added to his mailing list so you'll always know when a new column has been posted, or just ask him a question? Contact him here.