At 4pm on Monday, the Detroit Red Wings released their 2016 Stadium Series jersey on Twitter. The comments in reply to the picture of the jerseys, which will be worn on February 27 in a game against the Colorado Avalanche at Coors Field, were extremely negative, and those on Twitter immediately used terms such as embarassing to describe the jerseys.
The jerseys, as seen above, are mostly red, with a thick, diagonal white stripe running across the front. On that stripe is a more modern version of the jerseys worn for the 2009 Winter Classic. The modern "D" is simlar to both that logo and that of the Detroit Tigers, a standard in Detroit. But the obscenely large logo and strange "sash" across the front really make the sweater an aesthetic nightmare. There is so much going on that you don't exactly know what to look at.
The team can not make changes to the jersey, however the negative fan fare is not good for them at all. Winter Classic jerseys are always very popular, both by consumers and those looking to create counterfeit items and profit off of them. The team could take a huge hit due to a lack of desire by fans to get the jersey.
The outdoor game will still have many viewers, and fans will still get the jersey when it is available to buy, but a better sweater might have increased profits. This could be seen as a missed opportunity if the jerseys of the Blackhawks and Wild, who will also play in a Stadium Series game, outsell those of the Wings.
