Adidas getting rid of all NHL third jerseys for 2017-18 season

In their first season as the NHL’s jersey maker, Adidas will be scrapping all third jerseys. 

Beginning in the 2017-18 season, Adidas will be replacing Reebok as the NHL’s official jersey maker. Fans will likely see some changes, as shown by their jersey designs at the World Cup of Hockey. One of the changes will be the temporary suspension of third jerseys, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

"Multiple sources tell the Star Tribune that all 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. There will be no third jerseys, in order to make the initial implementation of new sweaters easier."

This means some teams could have a difficult decision to make. Most notably, the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs decided to make the decision early by changing their jerseys before the changeover.

One team which is already having issues deciding? The Minnesota Wild.

"The Wild is in the midst of deciding whether to go with red or green home sweaters. If the Wild chooses green, which sounds probable, the jersey likely will be slightly redesigned from the current third jersey."

Now, this doesn’t mean the end of all third jerseys. It just means they won’t be worn for the 2017-18 season. This should help implement Adidas’ new uniforms and perhaps make things a little easier. The biggest change fans will see won’t be aesthetic at all, but rather in functionality.

Must Read: 30 best NHL jerseys of all-time

During the World Cup of Hockey, Adidas created lightweight jerseys designed to keep players comfortable while helping increase flexibility. While those jerseys featured the trademark trio of stripes, it remains to be seen if the stripes will be added to NHL jerseys.