The San Jose Sharks have a new alternate jersey. They are calling it the “Cali Fin” jersey. It is an alternate jersey. It may not be around next season since the NHL is switching jersey manufacturers from Adidas to Fanatics. It was reported that Fanatics requested teams not make changes to their uniforms until the 2026-27 season. It was also reported that there would not be any alternate uniforms until the 2026-27 season. Anyway the Sharks are back in black for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
Last season the San Jose Sharks introduced new uniforms. While they are based on their original uniforms from 1991, they did not resinate with fans as well. This season they are bringing back black alternate uniforms. The Sharks have had a black jersey almost every year since 2001. Their new jerseys are black, white, and teal. It has teal and white stripes with a teal pattern on the arms and bottom. On the front of the jersey is their alternate shark fin logo. On the shoulders is their alternate Northern California logo. The Northern California logo on these jerseys is different than the one they used in 2015. On the collar is a shark tooth pattern.
The design of the jersey looks like they tried to mash two jersey designs together. A jersey with just the stripes or just the teal pattern would have been better. We may see more jerseys like this in the future after Fanatics takes over. Jerseys that have some kind of pattern added to them. We might also see a lot more sublimated features on jerseys in the future.
Out of all four of their alternate black jerseys I like the one they used from 2008 to 2017 the best. A lot of people do not like the jerseys without stripes on the bottom. I think San Jose pulled it off really well. I really like the logo on the front of the jersey. When I think of the San Jose Sharks this is the first jersey that comes to mind.
There are two sharks logos that would have been great on the front of a jersey but have not made it there. One of them they no longer use. The other one they could still put on the front of a jersey. I also think they need to incorporate the California Golden Seals colors as their permeant alternate colors. The Sharks have not had an orange jersey either. The San Jose barracuda did though. I think embracing more colors, more types of jerseys, and more patterns like the NBA is doing would be good for the NHL.
Zac Electrifly 
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