The Coyotes on Friday night at the team's NHL Draft party unveiled new jerseys and a new secondary logo, the "first major uniform overhaul since the team introduced their current jerseys and uniform" in September '03, according to Craig Morgan of FOXSPORTSARIZONA.com. The body of the home and road jerseys are unchanged, but the new uniforms include an "original sleeve stripe designed to connect with Arizona's striated landscape." The sleeves and new black pants "will be worn both at home ... and on the road." A new red jersey shoulder patch "features a coyote's paw 'A' mark," while the white jersey has a new "AZ" patch. A "Southwestern pattern in the jersey's neckline" connects the team to the state's legacy (FOXSPORTSARIZONA.com, 6/26). In Phoenix, Lia Kamana noted Coyotes President & CEO Anthony LeBlanc said that the "goal of the new jerseys was to create a fresh look while keeping the classic design in mind." LeBlanc: "We took a good thing and made it considerable better, and the reaction that I heard from the fans in the crowd seemed to validate the decision." Coyotes D Connor Murphy said, "The whole combination with the new gloves and pants and different styles of jerseys is really exciting, and it gives a statement of a new start for next year." Meanwhile, Kamana noted an estimated crowd of 4,000 at the Draft party "exploded in cheers, applause and partial standing ovation" when the Coyotes selected C Dylan Strome with the third pick in the Draft (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/27).
