ST. PAUL, Minn. — The long-awaited Minnesota Wild alternate jersey was unveiled Saturday morning, and the jersey is one that looks awfully familiar to fans who cleared the shelves of last year’s green Reverse Retro jersey.
That’s because they’re almost identical.
The only variations added were a shoulder patch featuring the “State of Hockey” logo, as well as distinctive treatment for Jared Spurgeon’s Captain’s “C” and the “A” on alternate captain Marcus Foligno’s upper left chest (the Wild will choose a second “A” to replace Matt Dumba later in training camp). The letters are now layered over a patch in the shape of the state of Minnesota.
The jerseys are expected to be officially modeled for fans by a handful of players during a program at TRIA Rink, the Wild’s practice facility, after Saturday morning’s 9 a.m. practice.
Dubbed “The 78’s” in honor of the former Minnesota North Stars, the throwback alternate jerseys celebrate the design and colors of the North Stars’ late-1970’s uniforms. These uniforms introduce a new colorway, with a Kelly Green base color and bright yellow striping.
“Our primary home and road jerseys are as popular as ever with our fans,” said John Maher, Wild senior brand advisor. “They also let us know last season that they still loved this legacy look so we decided to keep it in our mix as a new alternate jersey, with some updated ‘State of Hockey’ details.”
(Photo courtesy of Minnesota Wild)
The 78’s are based on the Wild Reverse Retro uniforms from the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons that were created in collaboration with Adidas and the NHL.
Minnesota will wear the new alternate uniform 15 times this season: Oct. 21 vs. the Blue Jackets, Nov. 4 vs. the Rangers, Nov. 24 vs. the Avalanche, Dec. 3 vs. the Blackhawks, Dec. 16 vs. the Canucks, Dec. 23 vs. the Bruins, Dec. 27 vs. the Red Wings, Dec. 31 vs. the Jets, Jan. 13 vs. the Coyotes, Jan. 27 vs. the Ducks, Feb. 17 vs. the Sabres, March 10 vs. the Predators, March 23 vs. the Blues, March 30 vs. the Golden Knights and April 6 vs. the Jets.
The launch of jersey sales began Saturday at The Hockey Lodge at Xcel Energy Center and Hockeylodge.com.
Wild fans have waited for a third jersey for quite some time, but the unveiling was delayed due to both the pandemic and the fact the Wild wore a special jersey at the 2022 Winter Classic they hosted at Target Field.
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(Photo: Matt Blewett / USA Today)
