CHICAGO – There will no hunt for Red October this year for the Rangers. Or for any year in the foreseeable future, for that matter.
The Rangers will make changes to their uniform in 2001 for the second consecutive year. Red, the dominant color during the tenure of club president Tom Schieffer, will be replaced by blue. The Rangers will also add a hint of black.
The home white uniforms with red lettering will be replaced by a white uniforms with blue lettering. The player’s number will be on the front of the uniform as well as the back. The team will wear the blue hat with the white “T” it has worn for away games and with alternate uniforms this season.
The team will also introduce an alternate hat that will be blue with a black brim. Black will also be included on the lettering trim on both home and away uniforms. The alternate blue tops, which the team wears mostly on Sundays and for special occasions, will remain the same.
“We just like the blue better,” said club president Jim Lites, who was in Chicago to attend a National Hockey League Board of Governors meeting. “We surveyed the fans and did some focus groups, and the blue seemed more popular with them, too. We also want a consistent look. When you put all that together, going with blue made some sense.”