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Bruins Go With ‘Pooh Bear’ Crest On New Reverse Retro Jerseys

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Boston Bruins

The NHL did their league-wide 2022-23 Reverse Retro jersey reveal Thursday morning and as expected, the Boston Bruins are going with the ‘Pooh Bear’ crest.

The new reverse retro jerseys for the Boston Bruins pay homage to the alternate jerseys that the team wore when they ushered in the Fleet Center, now TD Garden era in team history. From 1995-2006, the Bruins’ alternate jerseys had a not-so-great looking gold base with a bear that many felt resembled the famous Disney character ‘Winnie The Pooh’. The 2022-23 Reverse Retro jerseys have that same crest but instead of a gold base, they’re white.

Just as there was with the original ‘Pooh Bear’ Boston Bruins alternate jerseys, there’s been plenty of mixed reaction to this modern dust-up.

Ironically, leading into the first NHL Reverse Retro jersey campaign, there was plenty of speculation that this second edition of Bruins Reverse Retro jerseys would be the first edition.

Instead the Boston Bruins honored their jerseys from the previous era and the last ones worn during the Boston Garden era from 1981-1995. Those actually had a gold base.

As longtime NHL play-by-play man for TSN Gord Miller recalled on TSN 690 then, the 1995-2006 Bruins players forced to wear ‘The Pooh Bear’ were not thrilled to do so.

“I remember [former Bruins goalie], Craig Billington telling me when he went to play for Boston and they had this awful third logo,” Miller recalled. “And. …and there’s a funny story behind it but, Craig looked at me and said ‘I’m finally playing for an Original 6 team and I got ‘Winnie The Pooh’ on my jersey.’”

If the Bruins had decided to use the ‘Pooh Bear’ logo for the Reverse Retro, Sinden may have had to pay a Florida Golf Club a much more expensive rights fee than the one Miller claims he did for the original ‘Pooh Bear’ logo.

“So, it turns out, that’s the logo from the Bear Lakes Golf Course in Florida that Harry Sinden’s a member at,” Miller explained. “Instead of paying a designer to do the third logo, he just paid the golf course a couple grand and then used that.”

Here’s the official release from the Boston Bruins with the dates the team will wear the new Reverse Retro jerseys and purchase info:

The Reverse Retro jersey is part of the NHL’s partnership with adidas to re-introduce a vintage jersey for all 32 teams in the league. Each team will wear their Reverse Retro jersey for a select number of games throughout the season. 

The Bruins Reverse Retro jersey will focus on the original 1995 gold third jersey, which was worn in the first NHL third jersey game. The 1995 gold third jersey is one of the first five third jerseys in NHL history. 

The hem, sleeves, and stripes will stay authentic to the 1995 jersey, with the current NHL shield logo remixed in vintage orange and black colors. The original color of the third jersey, a gold base, will now be featured in a bright white.  

Fans can pre-order the Bruins adidas Reverse Retro jerseys beginning today on BostonProShop.com. Jerseys will be available beginning Nov. 15 at the ProShop powered by ’47 at the Hub on Causeway (84 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114).

The Bruins will wear the new Reverse Retro uniform for six games throughout the 2022-23 season, all of which will be played at TD Garden. Fans will see the jerseys on ice for the first time Nov. 7, when the Bruins host the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m. 

The full schedule for the Bruins adidas Reverse Retro jerseys can be found below: 

Monday, Nov. 7 – St. Louis Blues, 7 p.m. 

Saturday, Nov. 19 – Chicago Blackhawks, 7 p.m.  

Friday, Nov. 25 – Carolina Hurricanes, 1 p.m. 

Tuesday, Nov. 29 – Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m. 

Saturday, Dec. 3 – Colorado Avalanche, 7 p.m. 

Saturday, Dec. 31 – Buffalo Sabres, 1 p.m. 

Fans can purchase tickets to all Bruins games at bostonbruins.com/tickets.

 

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