Ocean Hockey Supply, a NJ-based mail order company
which sells hockey equipment and jerseys, included new home
and away Capitals jerseys in its summer catalogs, "which
many customers received Monday," according to Eric Fisher of
the WASHINGTON TIMES. While the team has yet to release the
new jersey designs, Fisher writes that the ones featured in
the catalogue, with a black and white color scheme and a
red, white and blue eagle crest, "matches descriptions" made
by Capitals Majority Owner Ted Leonsis last month. Fisher
notes "within hours, pictures of the jerseys hit the
Internet, generating large amounts of comment from Caps
fans." Team officials, which have been "working for months
with noted designer Tommy Hilfiger on new jerseys," issued a
statement saying the "jerseys were not a final product."
The new design "is expected" in September. But industry
sources "strongly insisted" yesterday that the design in the
Ocean Hockey catalog, "after some minor modifications, will
in fact be what the Caps wear in next season." Sources also
said that the leak "was intentional and designed to generate
fan comment to help with the final tweaks." The Caps'
statement on its Web site, www.washingtoncaps.com, included
"pictures of the two jerseys and a link to an online
discussion on the design" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 6/14). The
uniform design can be seen on www.washingtoncaps.com.
