These NHL jerseys still confuse me

Ray Bourque and Bruins at Montreal during the "good 'ol days" 

Sure, go ahead and call me "old fashioned."  I just can't get used to NHL teams wearing dark uniforms at home.

I just still can't figure it out, and it has been what, nearly 10 years since the teams decided to mess with tradition and suit the desires of fans who have overwhelmingly been craving to see opposing team colors. According to the NHL, colored team jerseys accounted for between 60 and 70 percent of all merchandise sales throughout the league.

And the NHL is not alone with most NFL teams opting for dark jerseys at home with the occasional third jersey mixed in from time to time. However, the NBA and major league baseball teams still wear the "whites" or "lighter shade" of their team colors when at home and put on the dark jerseys when at home.


I am sure it is just me, but whenever I put a game on the television, I identify the teams right away, almost without looking at the miniscule chyron graphic on screen. And with that, I've always identified where the game was being held, mostly from recognizing the various arenas or stadiums, but by also the jerseys the teams are wearing. I see the Lakers in yellow, I know they are in Los Angeles.  Celtics in white, they're in the Garden. Dallas Cowboys wearing white, most likely in Big D.  Yankees in Pinstripes, yup, definately in the Bronx.  But hockey, I'm still confused.

Growing up, there was nothing better than tuning into old Bruins - Canadians games. The games at the former Montreal Forum where the Habitantes were in their customary white uniforms and their counterparts, the Big Bad Bruins, wearing the all-black.  I can still here Fred and Derek make the call on Boston's WSBK TV-38.

And when the two teams would meet up on Causeway Street at the famed Boston Garden, the evil Canadians would show up wearing the signature red jerseys with blue and white trim that is virtually recognizable to a sports fan anywhere.

Sure I'm showing my age and I think I'm the only one who has noticed the change. Anyone I ask the question to ends up staring at me like my head just exploded. And these are hockey fans.

But there is just something weird watching the black wearing Bruins scoring a goal and seeing the crowd erupt in euphoria.

Are we in Montreal?