Is this the Maple Leafs’ Winter Classic jersey?
Well, no. This is a jersey the Toronto Maple Leafs wore in the late 20s and early 30s, as well as twice during the 1996-97 season to commemorate the 65th anniversary of Maple Leaf Gardens.
But according to Howard Berger, there's a good chance they'll be wearing something like it again at next year's Winter Classic. From Berger Bytes:
Marking one of the truly historic occasions in franchise history, the Maple Leafs are reaching back to their earliest years for a jersey to be worn at the Bridgestone Winter Classic next season. When the Leafs take on Detroit Red Wings at Michigan Stadium, Jan. 1, the players will be decked out in blue uniforms similar to those worn by the club in 1931-32, the first year of hockey at Maple Leaf Gardens.
A merchandising source — the same individual that tipped me off, last summer, about the Leafs new alternate jersey (replica of the 1967 home playoff edition, worn last season for the first time) — says the club will don a "slightly tweaked" version of the 1931 uniform.
It makes a lot of sense that the Leafs would appeal to history, especially a history with a nod to 1967. They seem pretty into whatever happened that year.
But according to Icethetics, Berger's wrong about when the jersey first debuted. The excellent Hockey Uniform Database puts the above jersey on the Leafs from 1927-1930. After that, it was updated with shoulder stripes. That makes it a different jersey.
Speaking of nuances of the 1927 design, a visit to the database also yields a much more exciting piece of information, and here's where things get interesting: if the Leafs are actually planning to go with a revamp on this design, I'm hoping they keep one aspect of it exactly the same:
Tan hockey pants. TAN FREAKING HOCKEY PANTS. Seriously, if they bring this jersey back and don't keep the tan pants, I'll be crushed.
I have two questions for you, puckheads: first, if Berger's source is correct, is this the jersey the Leafs should be modelling their Winter Classic apparel after? And second, if they do, they absolutely must bring back the tan pants, right?
