The Minnesota Wild have been very strict about building their brand identity for almost two decades, and at any point between 2000 and 2019, it would have been very easy to give nostalgic Minnesota North Stars fans a different jersey reminiscent of the state's first NHL club.
That's a lot of money to waste. Consider how much the Carolina Hurricanes are making by traveling five state lines from Raleigh to Hartford and digging up the remains of the Hartford Whalers.
Just how much of a hit a North Stars-themed jersey could be became immediately clear in 2020, when the Wild unveiled their “78” reverse retro jersey. The Wild wore the white away version in the 2020-21 season and the green home version starting in the 2022-23 season. Exact sales numbers are hard to pinpoint, but if you go to a game at Xcel Energy Center, you know it was pretty popular.
So why wouldn't the Wild make this their full-time uniform? Well, for at least one day it seemed like they might. The Icethetics reports on NHL uniform news and possible uniform changes. On Wednesday, the outlet released a video conveying rumors that the Wild will be rebranding to a green-and-gold color scheme for the 2025-26 season.
Wilde quickly denied the rumor.
On Twitter, Athletic Michael Russo added, “#mnwild has no plans to rebrand, and of course, we are planning something special to honor their history during our 25th season.” The key word is “their” history. Icethetics confirmed that the Wild had been relaying the same information to them, and acknowledged that he may have “missed the point,” something that can happen even to reporters with the most seasons under their belt.
Still, the news has reignited a battle over the soul of the Wild, or at least its brand. Even fans are divided over whether to go all-in on the North Stars' green and gold or go back to “tradition” with a forest green/Iron Range red color scheme. Hockey Wilderness Editor.
It's a thorny issue that Minnesota brass has kept closely under wraps for two decades. But now? It's out in the open, and it's hard to see the debate dying down anytime soon, especially considering that “78” remains an alternate jersey.
There's a line in Mystery Science Theater 3000 that goes, “You can't put a good movie inside your bad movie.” The Wild sort of violates that rule, which is, “You can't put better branding inside your branding.”
Wild fans may take this as a criticism of the Wild's color scheme and logo, but it's not an attack on the Wild's branding per se. The North Stars' branding is simply Very iconic.
This album will resonate with more than just those with nostalgia for the North Stars. Of course, Reverse Retro is full of 50-year-old men who'll tell you the story of seeing Dino Ciccarelli and keep talking until you find the right reason to leave. There are also plenty of young people with no nostalgia who still love their 78s. This album will appeal to all ages.
They were beloved by NHL fans and media nationwide. Athletic Staff ranked the Wild's jerseys third out of 31 reverse retro uniforms, with an average rating of 8.6 out of 10, and they were the only dissenters to give them a score of 2. ESPN's Greg Wysinski also ranked the Wild's jerseys in the top 10 in the league, saying, “The green and yellow really bring out the details in the logo and I think it looks good.” When the Wild made the color change, Wysinski said, “I wouldn't give it any points for creativity, but it's still pretty cool.”
And then there's the experience of seeing the Reverse Retro in action on the ice. Its vibrant green and gold color scheme popNot only are the colors eye-catching, but they also create an instant, and often beautiful, contrast with nearly every opponent. If you don't think this Wild Kings reverse retro game is the best jersey matchup of all time, congratulations. You have no soul.
But we don't need to look at the all-time list to know if this jersey will work against any team, so let's start by looking at how it works against a decent but cookie-cutter set of Winnipeg Jets uniforms.
Amazing. All the Wild players stand out even from afar.
Compare that to the current home green video of the same teams playing against each other in the same uniforms, and while that's fine, there's no comparison.
From a distance on TV, the uniform blends in a little too well with the Jets' navy blue shoulders (one of the most common colors in NHL uniforms). Love the colors individually, but there's no denying that the “78” has much more contrast and stands out a lot more.
Whether you love or hate any of these jerseys, or are tired of the debate, the debate will continue to rage. The Wild can’t close Pandora’s box. They couldn’t contain their desire to adopt this iconic brand even before they considered opening the box themselves. Now, these “78s” are as much a part of “their” history as the Iron Range Red alternatives and Forest Green script alternatives. Until they fully adopt the North Stars color scheme, this brand identity crisis won’t go away.
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