Pass or Fail: 2016 NHL All-Star jerseys, with Nashville accents

The NHL revealed its 2016 All-Star Game jerseys on Wednesday, for the Jan. 31 game in Nashville.

And they are … drab.

But drab can be good, if you’re someone that likes a black-and-white jersey with a slight gold accent in honor of the host Nashville Predators. Of if you’re color blind. Or if you haven’t updated your television set since the 1950s.

Our theory was that these jerseys were an overcompensation for the neon monstrosities from the Columbus All-Star game – “You don’t like color, eh?! Well how about jerseys with ALMOST NO COLOR AT ALL?!”

But it turns out that the NHL and Reebok have a story to tell:

Each All-Star jersey features the official NHL Shield infused with the Predators’ gold in the crest. For the on-ice version of the All-Star jersey, the crest has been constructed with reflective material which glimmers in certain light as a salute to Nashville’s vibrant night-life scene.

The black and white color scheme in each jersey shares the colors of the keys on a piano to celebrate the city of Nashville’s “Music City” nickname.

The All-Star jerseys will feature numbers and letters designed as modern interpretations of traditional country music poster lettering, which has been a defining aesthetic of Nashville. The numbers for the on-ice versions of the All-Star jerseys also will have the same reflective material as the crest.

The tri-star mark, which appears in the neck gusset as well as on the pant, is a tribute to the Tennessee state flag and the Predators and a symbol of the elite athletes participating in the 2016 Honda NHL® All-Star festivities.

Well, sure, we’re suckers for shimmering reflective numbers, which will certainly add just a hint of magic to our John Scott jerseys.

Look, they’re not all bad. They could be worse. Much worse. They’re plain and sort of unmemorable; alas, if you’re trying to capture the vibe of Nashville, that’s not exactly it.

But as usual with the NHL, their biggest failing is a failure in logic and in actually creating something to awe the fans.

To wit: There are actually four different All-Star teams, as the game itself is split into three mini-games of 3-on-3 hockey. And yet we only have two jersey designs. Does that make any sense? At all?

Are we supposed to view this as a civil war within the conferences? And would that be the worst reference to Nashville ever?

Frankly, reader Johnny Laursen had the best idea: Wouldn’t this have been the moment for divisional jerseys, perhaps even throwbacks to the Patrick/Adams/Norris/Smythe days?

OK, all that said, your call …

Pass or Fail: The 2016 NHL All-Star Game jerseys. 

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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