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Report: NHL To Outlaw Third Jerseys In 2017-18 Season To Smooth Transition From Reebok To Adidas

By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- In a move that is so typically NHL, the league will not be allowing teams to wear alternate jerseys next season.

According to Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "all NHL teams will be permitted to have only home and road jerseys next season as Adidas takes over for Reebok as the official outfitter of NHL uniforms."

How fun.

Third jerseys have become increasingly common across the NHL and especially here in Boston. The Bruins unveiled their third jersey, a more sleek version than the unfortunate '90s bear jerseys, back in 2008.

Patrice Bergeron - Washington Capitals v Boston Bruins
Patrice Bergeron celebrates after scoring against the Washington Capitals at TD Garden on March 5, 2016. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

But they retired that jersey upon the introduction of last year's Winter Classic jerseys.

Brad Marchand
Brad Marchand (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The Bruins wore those jerseys three times last season before adopting it as their official third jersey.

Yet now, because Adidas' manufacturing abilities are apparently substandard compared to Reebok's, it'll be back to a two-jersey system for the NHL.

One change that might be worth exploring for the NHL is switching back to white jerseys at home and dark jerseys on the road. The league made the switch to dark jerseys at home back in 2003-04, but many fans have since clamored for the days of seeing the home team skate in the bright white jerseys.

That's a change the AHL partially instituted for this season, as they announced in July that home teams would wear white jerseys until the Christmas break, before switching back to dark jerseys at home for the second half of the year.

If white jerseys for the home team is truly a desire for hockey fans, then maybe the NHL ought to grant it to them. It's a league that has a bit of a knack for often doing the exact opposite of what its fans want.

With the NFL touting its weekly "Color Rush" games on Thursday nights, with the NBA celebrating the many alternate jerseys of its teams, and with even MLB getting in on the action, it's not surprising to see the NHL going its own way.

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