Pittsburgh Penguins must reintroduce the ‘robot-pigeon’ jersey

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a rich jersey history and now it’s time to reintroduce a classic from the 1990s.

The 2019-20 NHL regular season wasn’t shy to flaunt throwback sweaters in numerous cities. Teams such as the St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes all turned back the clock at least once with retro uniforms and specifically from the 1990s.

Let’s not forget that the Arizona Coyotes incorporated their Kachina-themed sweater from the 1990s and early 2000s as an official alternate last season.

After that era was arguably labeled as one of the most disliked fashion-themed years in professional sports, it seems that hockey fans are finally appreciating the unique designs more than ever.

If the NHL should grant teams the promotional opportunity to don a throwback sweater for one game next season in addition to owning alternates, then the Pittsburgh Penguins are left with no choice then to reintroduce the “robot pigeon” jersey.

Which version should Pittsburgh revive?

There’s no doubt that the black edition with the grey triangular yokes on the shoulders and (then) futuristic and horizontal stripes across the chest is the thread that hits the ice.

The Steel City’s white version of this design wasn’t bad by any means, well maybe the whites were so bad they were that good, but the black edition was always more vibrant with its unique details. Let’s not forget that the white version replaced the classic skating penguin version as the full-time home jersey for the 1992-93 season.

Pittsburgh didn’t introduce the black version until the 1995-96 campaign, but it was unveiled as an alternate. Sometimes alternate jerseys are just too good to wear only once in a while, and clearly the Penguins felt that way about one the most unique hockey sweaters of all-time.

The black edition later replaced the diagonal “Pittsburgh” lettered and black road jersey full-time once the 1997-98 season arrived.

Considering that all-time greats such as goaltender Tom Barrasso, Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux and Ron Francis all donned this jersey — then witnessing the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin wear a modern-day version of the sweater makes for quite the Kodiak moment.

For the record, the Penguins have experienced luck during the Stanley Cup playoffs when they reintroduce jerseys. Look no further than the 2015-16 Stanley Cup run when the team officially wore their then alternates, now official home, sweaters for every home game. That decision worked out well, no?

We’re sure the city of Pittsburgh would welcome this sweater back into the jersey rotation and if it meant another shot at Lord Stanley.

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