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The San Jose Sharks made some minor changes to their uniform set. In fact, the changes may be minor, yet they make a huge difference.

As you can see by the slideshow, the Sharks look to be emphasizing more on teal and less on the orange. It has been said around the uniform community that orange is a nice color for the team, but should be kept at a minimum.

Now that we’ve seen these minor tweaks, it’s time to break down the uniform, starting from the top of the jersey.

• Gone is the black collar and instead, the collar will match the jersey itself. The home white’s teal collar is excellent. And to match their black armor third jerseys, the laces have been added. I can dig that, although the craze of adding laces is still too much in the NHL. But I think if they were going to use laces, the teal laces for the road set is a fantastic addition.
• The shoulder yokes are gone from both sets. The teal set doesn’t have the black yoke and the white set doesn’t have the teal yoke. It’s less cluttered. It’s simpler. Good.
• Unfortunately, the shoulder patch is the same. I wish they could have used the fin logo instead. Almost.
• The numbers no longer feature the orange. It’s one solid color with one outline.
• The stripes on the sleeves (and the socks) feature one less orange stripe. This isn’t a big deal but if the team is going to de-emphasize orange, it’s a subtle way to do it.
• No horizontal stripe across the hem so the jersey is lighter in weight. Makes the set much simpler. Good. But too simple? Maybe. I’m indifferent.

This is the simplest look the Sharks have had in their entire history. With this fourth uniform change, I must say this one is among the best. They’ve really made the teal pop out even more in their set and the design complements the black armor much better. There’s also less black, which really gives their black thirds more value as a design.

Overall I am pleased with the changes. It could be a classic if the team sticks with it for a long time. I do hope that they continue to wear this throughout the playoffs if they return. It’s a solid look despite it being so simple. Maybe too simple?