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| Michael Farren, left, and Jantzen Leslie model the Blades Pac-Man uniforms. |
Colin Priestner chuckled it might have been the worst kept
secret in Saskatoon sports history.
Actually, it might have been the most welcomed worst kept
secret in Saskatoon sports history.
For the last few months since the Saskatoon Blades 2016-17
campaign came to a close in March, the team had been using its classic blue and
gold Pac-Man logo in its various communications.
The logo and colours became prominent on the team’s Twitter
and Instagram handles as well as its website. The traditional Pac-Man jerseys
were used during team press conferences and public appearance functions. The
appearance of the Blades dressing room was changed to the full out Pac-Man
look.
The Pac-Man jerseys have been utilized on special occasions
and on more of third jersey status in recent years. A call from fans had been
out for a lengthy time to bring that look back as the club’s regular look, and
the frequent appearance of that style increased hopes the Blades would use that
look again on a regular basis.
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| Leslie Jantzen grins in the Blades blue Pac-Man uniform. |
On Thursday during a press conference, Priestner confirmed
the Blades would return to using the blue and gold Pac-Man colour scheme and
logo as the club’s regular look
“The first day we got the team people were emailing bring
the Pac-Man back,” said Priestner, who father, Mike, purchased the Blades
before the start of the 2013-14 campaign. “We’ve tried to bring the Pac-Man
back at times, but there are definitely limitations in lead times in the WHL as
to how quickly you can get things done.
“We didn’t want to make any rash decisions. Everybody that we’ve
talked to for years said, ‘Let’s get this back. Let’s bring back a little bit
of that Pac-Man swagger.’”
After Priestner confirmed the Pac-Man look was back, defenceman
Jantzen Leslie walked into the media gathering in the team’s dressing room to
model the dark uniform in full gear and right-winger Michael Farren arrived to
show off the white look to Aerosmith’s “Back in the Saddle.”
The development drew praise over social media channels with
one Regina Pats fan saying on Twitter the Blades Pac-Man jerseys have to be two
of the best in hockey history.
The Pac-Man jersey look is by far the most identifiable one
the Blades have ever had. The team sported the blue and gold Pac-Man style as a
regular look for 12 seasons from 1982 to 1994.
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| Michael Farren shows off the Blade white Pac-Man uniform. |
During those 12 campaigns where tie games existed, the
Blades posted a 479-353-32 regular season record, had six campaigns with
40-or-more wins, made the WHL playoffs 10 times, advanced to the WHL Eastern
Conference championship series five times and fell in Game 7 of the WHL
Championship series in 1992 and 1994 to the Kamloops Blazers. The Blazers went
on to win the Memorial Cup in both those campaigns.
They wore the Pac-Man jerseys as the Memorial Cup host team
in 1989, where they dropped a heartbreaking 4-3 decision in overtime to the
Swift Current Broncos in the event’s championship game. Tim Tisdale scored the
overtime winner for the Broncos.
The Pac-Man was the look worn by Blades legend Wendel Clark,
who went on to star with the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs after being selected
first overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. It was the look sported by star
netminders Tim Cheveldae, who is currently the team’s goaltending coach, and
Norm Maracle. Standout defencemen Trent Yawney, Curtis Leschyshyn, Richard
Matvichuk and Rhett Warrener all wore this style too.
High scoring forwards Lane Lambert, Kevin Kaminski and Frank
Banham all donned the Pac-Mans. The look had toughness as the Pac-Mans were the
uniforms of heavyweights Joey Kocur, Kelly Chase, Tony Twist and the late Wade
Belak.
Blades head coach Dean Brockman, whose team has missed the playoffs
for the past four seasons, welcomed the fact the Pac-Mans will be the team’s
regular look.
“I love it,” said Brockman. “I think it is great. There is a
lot of history in that logo.
“It just gives us that fresh air that we needed. No more
stale blue. Now we have the royal blue.”
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| Braylon Shmyr, left, celebrates a goal last season in a classic look. |
With the move back to the Pac-Mans, the Blades have retired
the “SB” logo and the double blue colour scheme that was their main look.
Colin Priestner was well aware fans were fond of the Pac-Man
look due to what the team accomplished while wearing it.
“People have been asking for this,” said Priestner, whose
has missed the playoffs for the past four seasons. “They associate these
jerseys with better days.
“I think that is one of the reasons we wanted to have them
back was just too really kind of have a visual change. We have had four years
of real trouble in terms rebuilding in having to kind of going through what you
have to in this league to rebuild.
“Now I think we are well on our way to being a competitive
team every year and a championship team in the future. Plus, they are just
really cool jerseys.”
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