Golden Knights unveil long-awaited 3rd jersey

The long-awaited Golden Knights’ third jersey was unveiled Friday.

It’s bold. It’s gold. And it’s over-the-top Vegas.

“It’s going to light up T-Mobile Arena at our games, and we’re really excited about that,” said Brian Killingsworth, the Knights’ chief marketing officer. “It’s going to be something that’s going to stand out when you’re watching our games at T-Mobile Arena or on TV. You’ll know Vegas is on the ice.”

The metallic gold jerseys, touted as the first of their kind in NHL history, are the brainchild of Knights owner Bill Foley and were produced after a two-year collaboration with Adidas.

Killingsworth said there was doubt from both sides initially whether the proper shade of gold could be reproduced, and the color on the first few prototypes came out too “flat” for the team’s liking.

After eight tests, he said, the final product was approved.

“We wanted it to pop under the lights,” Killingsworth said. “We wanted it to really have that shine effect, and they pulled it off.”

The metallic gold fabric appears to shimmer and sparkle, and the jersey features several additional elements.

Foley’s slogan “Always advance, never retreat” is embroidered on the inside collar.

The logo on the front is the same as the home and away jerseys, while shoulders are adorned with the secondary logo inspired by the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.

The stripes on the sleeves are steel gray, white and red, with white numbers and gold trim. On the back, the nameplate and numbers stand out in a dark font with white trim.

Also, the waistline has a thin white stripe above a bar of steel gray.

The full uniform includes steel gray pants and helmet, white gloves, along with gold socks that feature red, white and steel gray stripes.

“When Mr. Foley and the Golden Knights’ leadership indicated the desire to ‘go gold,’ it was on our team to turn this from an idea into reality,” said Dan Near, senior director of Adidas hockey. “The signature element of this particular jersey is the newly developed metallic gold body fabric. Under the lights, it will dazzle fans as it shimmers, sparkles and marks a key innovation from Adidas that meshes perfectly with the Golden Knights brand.”

The Knights have had the best-selling jersey in the NHL two of the past three seasons, according to Killingsworth.

The third jersey was supposed to premiere last season but was delayed. Its arrival Friday was announced in a video on the team’s social media accounts featuring Wayne Newton and Lil Jon.

The team is still working with the NHL to determine how often they will be worn. Killingsworth said it’s possible the third jerseys will be used on a specific day of the week or on theme nights.

“Obviously we want that fans are going to feel really comfortable at our games or for a night out on the Strip,” Killingsworth said. “For us, it’s the lifestyle aspect of it, too. It’s not just a hockey jersey, it’s a fashion statement.”

The first wave of 777 jerseys went on sale at 10:30 a.m. Friday at The Arsenal store at City National Arena and came in a “treasure chest” that include customization, a limited-edition gold coin and metallic gold Adidas shoes.

The third jersey also is available for purchase at The Arsenal, The Armory at T-Mobile Arena and Vegasteamstore.com.

More than half of the league’s 31 teams wore alternate jerseys during the 2019-20 season.

“For us as a brand, it’s really important,” Killingsworth said. “It keeps evolving who we are as a franchise, as an organization. It just makes logical sense to have the Golden Knights have a gold jersey.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.