What the Detroit Red Wings new ‘Reverse Retro’ jersey should have looked like [Photo]

If you are a fan of the Detroit Red Wings (you are or you would not have clicked on this), you have probably seen the new ‘Reverse Retro’ jerseys that they will wear from time to time during the 2020-21 season.

In case you have already wiped the ‘Reverse Retro’ jersey from your memory because it is trash, here is a quick reminder (I am sorry).

YUCK!

Now, the jersey shown above is what we are stuck with but Bacon_Zetterberger from SB Nation’s Winging it in Motown blog put together a mock-up of what the jersey should have looked like.

Here is what Bacon_Zetterberger (cannot find his/her real name) has to say about what the ‘Reverse Retro’ jerseys the Red Wings will be wearing and what he believes they should be wearing.

When you discover the perfect design and scheme early on in your existence, it will always be scary to tempt the fates and try something new. This jersey is the result of said fear. If the Reverse Retro collection was the news anchor community from San Diego, the Wings are the Wes Mantooth anchor entourage. Even the guy who can’t think says something and all they do is just…stand there. Nearly every other team went into the fun zone in some fashion to try something different and it appears that the Wings didn’t see the appeal in that. I mean, why would they? They’ve stuck with what’s been an iconic look and have very rarely strayed away from that success. In many respects, that decision is beyond reproach…. but not all. Succumbing to metathesiophobia too many times is no way to operate a franchise. This is one area where peer pressure might be good! It worked for hiring a new GM, why not this? I mean, sure, that happened 8 years too late but still! It worked! X-P

So, once more, I shout into the ether: it is time for Detroit to spread their wings farther (I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m trying to delete it) in the jersey design department. The Red Wings have abstained, courteously, from taking their “wing nut” hats off and putting their creativity caps on for far too long. And if they won’t do it, I have no problem answering that call. Fans of the show will recall this sentiment from my Red And White Sweaters article. In a weird way, I have to thank the Wings for choosing vanilla because that meant I had something to channel my pent up “Sports and Graphic Design: Why Do People Do The Bad Thing? rant” energy into. Let’s take a look…

JWT / NHL.com

It was reported that the gray on the bottom stripe and sleeves was tribute to the Detroit Centennial jersey. Why they chose just straight up gray, over the actual silver that was used, is beyond me. That meant the first fix was to put our team red back into those areas. Porting over the standard AWAY Winged Wheel felt pretty darn lazy so that was the second fix to address. The Winter Classic at The Big House gave the Wings a great old-timey iteration of the wheel, so why not re-purpose? I’m happy with how this turned out and I’m curious about the level of ire or approval this will generate. Discourse! Nothing bad ever happens during…Discourse!

Nation, which of these ‘Reverse Retro’ jerseys do you like best? Personally, I am not a fan of either. In fact, if I had to choose, I would take the original over the remake.

What about you?