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The Columbus Blue Jackets new retro jerseys are coming, and they promise to be better and more interesting than the current third jerseys

The Columbus Blue Jackets teased the new reverse retro jerseys yesterday, and they look unlike anything the team has worn in previous years.

RED.

That’s right, the Blue Jackets will be sporting red jerseys at least once next season, and to that I say: about damn time.

That’s right, it’s high time this team actually did something creative and interesting with their jerseys. Step aside, bland and boring third jerseys, there’s a new king on the block.

What could these new jerseys look like? On reddit, u/Chorridus did a mock-up of what we could be seeing.

Hey, would you look at that! Something that could be unique from this franchise! Rather than trotting out yet another blue jersey with a generic circle logo that someone could have made with Microsoft Word in 2002, the Blue Jackets will dressing in red with a throwback to one of the more unique (and certainly peak late-1990s) logos that the NHL has seen in recent years.

Three reasons this jersey could possibly superior to the current thirds:

The logo

The logo, a slight twist on the initial logo on the front of the jerseys, its as retro as it gets for this franchise. The Jackets have mostly disavowed the original logo in recent years, but to bring it back for a few games (while eliminating the neon bug green) would be a significant improvement on the current alternate cannon logo, a boring circle that looks like it should be representing a middle school, not a professional hockey team.

The exclusivity

Remember when alternates were just that – alternates? Something you wear maybe 3 or 4 games per year to let it feel special? The Jackets wear their current thirds an average of 12 games per season. Limited to just home games, that’s more than 25% of all home dates, 12.5% of all games in an 82 game season. The Jackets, wearing these just a few times for potentially one single year, make them more special.

The color

The red kicks ass. That’s all there is to it.

Most identifiable (obviously) with Ohio State, done correctly, these will not feel like a take-off of the Buckeyes uniforms. An homage to the unofficial city color, however? That could work. Properly done, with a well-paired set of gloves and blue breezers (the inverse of what the uniform is currently)? That is something special.

Selfishly, I’ve wanted a red Blue Jackets jersey for a long time. Red is my favorite color, and it’s a true alternate to the blue that the team always wears (rather than a different shade as an accent with an ugly cream color). Red jerseys, to my eye, simply appear slicker on the ice.

It’s a chance to try something new. For once, this franchise appears to be taking it.

How do you feel about the rumored jerseys? Sound off below!