This 1997-98 Tampa Bay Lighting Darcy Tucker jersey is also known as "The Seasickness Jersey". While the Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins jerseys that kicked off the Curious, Weird and Ugly™ Collection did not have nicknames, this Tampa Bay Alternate has risen to the level of the named jersey. Once a jersey receives a nickname, it's a sure sign that it has risen to a new level of notoriety among both fans and collectors alike.
This alternate jersey was first introduced for the 1996-97 season and depicts a raging storm at sea, with angry, tossing waves across the bottom and streaks of subtle black and grey pelting rain across the main body of the jersey. The black sleeves are adorned with violent streaks of lightning down each arm, creating a scene so well executed you can almost hear the crashing of the thunder and feel the sting of the spray against your face. This jersey was only made possible by the use of dye-sublimation to create the rain, waves and the lighting bolts on the sleeves.
The jersey is completed with it's fantastic "electric" numbers and bold, vertically arched names on the back, which are both highly visible and only add to the visual excitement of the complete package. A very clever and unique jersey that was well executed and whose life span was all too short. Yes, as you may have sensed by now, we really love this jersey here at Third String Goalie.
During it's first year of use, this jersey was worn without any additional patching, but the 1997-98 season would see them wear the #12 shamrock patch as a tribute to teammate John Cullen, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1997 and would miss the season fighting the disease before returning to the ice briefly the following season. Tampa Bay wore the 1999 All-Star Game patch on all their jerseys as hosts of the 1999 NHL All-Star Game during the 1998-99 season, the last for this jersey style.
For some unexplained reason, the Lighting would begin the season wearing their "paintbrush" font from their standard home and away jerseys on the "Stormy Weather" jersey, a font that adds nothing to the theme of the jersey and looks very out of place when compared to the "electric" numbers. The team did change back to the jerseys original "electric" numbers after the first two months of the season, making the "paintbrush" numbered alternates a rarity.
While this jersey style only lasted three seasons, it is still quite sought after by collectors and never fails to attract a lot of attention when they become available.
Since we don't find it weird nor ugly we must classify this one as "Curious". Curious that it only lasted three seasons and the odd choice of the "paintbrush" font for the start of the 1998-99 season.
W couldn't come up with any video clips of this jersey in action , so feel free to send any youtube links via the comments function and we'll post the best ones.
This was one of the best third jerseys in the NHL. I too, am sad that it went away.
ReplyDeleteIf we owned the team, we'd have them play in blue jerseys instead of black. While the lightning bolts down the arms are bit over the top, but probably somewhat necessary given the name of the team, we love the waves across the bottom. The number font is pure genius and we're glad we are not the ones who had to sew it on.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what the "electric" number font was called? I know the paintbrush font was "Reporter-Two". I've still never found the electric one anywhere.
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