Philadelphia Flyers to Wear Special Jerseys on 12 Games for 50th Anniversary season

(Photo via Philadelphia Flyers)

The Philadelphia Flyers unveiled a 50th Anniversary jersey that they will wear for 12 games during the 2016-2017 National Hockey League season.

While it would still be mainly black and orange, the numbers and lettering on the sweater will be gold. The gold lettering, which will celebrate the franchise’s golden anniversary, highlights the logo as well as the players’ names, numbers and the captain’s, `C’ and the `A’ on the assistant captain’s jerseys.

The Flyer’s said that the reason they chose not to change much of anything else about the jersey is due to the fact late owner, Ed Snider, believes that the logo and colors are too valuable and important to interfere with.

Flyers captain, Claude Giroux, helped model the special anniversary jersey at the press conference on the 57th floor observation deck of One Liberty Plaza. He had said that knowing Snider played a part in the creation of the jersey, made it that much more exciting to wear it.

Giroux added, “We have been saying it a lot, but all he has done for this organization and this city, not a lot of people can do that. To be able to know that he approves of this jersey and he wants us to wear it, it is an honor.”

Snider’s approval was given this past December, when he gave Reebok the go ahead to create the anniversary jersey.

Team President, Paul Holmgren said, “He does not want anyone messing with the logo. Even when you put color on the outside of it, he [recoils]. At the end of the day he was great with it. He saw what the final draft was and we sent it off to get the initial one made, and then once we all looked at it, him included, it was unanimous. We were all unanimous but waiting to hear what he said. At the end of the day, it was unanimous mostly because he was OK with it.”

The first of the 12 games that the special jersey will be worn, is the home opener against the Anaheim Ducks. The jersey will just be one part of the plans for the 50th anniversary season. Other events include special nights honoring the past goaltenders, captains, Stanley Cup Heroes and the Flyers Hall of Fame.

Holmgren, who is excited about seeing the jersey in action added, “Under lights, it looks really cool. The gold accent on the letters and the names the shoulders, the sleeves, it looks really great.”

He went on to say, “We have got a lot of heritage nights over the course of the season. We have got a lot things going on that we will announce as we get closer to training camp. It is exciting stuff.”