A bold, fresh jersey design is the perfect complement to the speed and agility of those selected to play in the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Game on Jan. 25 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Reebok believes it has accomplished just that with its state-of-the-art look and modern appeal in the uniforms for the participants at this year's event.

"Fans get to see their favorite players in their typical uniforms every game during the season," said Reebok uniform designer Dave Conetta. "But we wanted to do something with this uniform that made the idea of a hero coming alive."

Fans immediately will notice the green trim on each of the lightweight jerseys, regardless of whether they are the "home" blacks or "away" whites. The "elite green" color, while new to fans as a primary color, actually is in the necklines of all authentic NHL jerseys.

"This was a fresher spin and a color that is unique," lead NHL Reebok designer Dominic Fillion said. "No other team owns this color so that was unique and it complemented very well the black and white while bringing a great accent with high visibility. We wanted something energetic and bright enough that it would stand out and grab your attention.

"We wanted something that fans hadn't seen on an NHL uniform before."

The coloring and design of the NHL shield also was tweaked in celebration of the all-star athlete.

"The shield has a chrome effect and the body has a little more of a texture and variance in the finishes," Fillion said. "We wanted to raise the volume on the colors in the shield, dial it up with some custom chrome finishes while offering a new perspective on what a hockey crest could be. We feel there's a newness and freshness in the crest that fans have never seen before."

Within the shield are two stars, representing the two League conferences. In addition to creating a memorable jersey, Reebok, which had between six and eight designers working on the All-Star Game jerseys the past few years, wanted a product that could be communicated through several different mediums.

"In the digital age we are in, it was important for us to bring something that had color, texture and graphic elements," Fillion said. "We wanted things that would resonate just as well on digital mobiles and television as they would in person at Nationwide Arena."

Another addition to the jersey is the authentic team logo and event mark on the shoulders, which is new with regard to the All-Star Game. Typical All-Star jerseys had the team logo for a particular player on the shoulder and in its actual team color.

"With this jersey we wanted to be consistent from head to toe, so we brought the team mark on the shoulder down to a more darker tone so it would complement the uniform look yet give it a modern visual," Fillion said. "We feel it complements the colors of the jersey well."

Fillion said Reebok always is looking to fulfill the wishes of the NHL with regard to always creating something new and edgy when it comes to outfitting its athletes. The Reebok design group accounts for most of the design work of on-ice uniforms for NHL teams, including primary jerseys, third jerseys and special-event uniforms.

"The NHL always wants to be the pioneer in connecting with the youth while showcasing that in several different ways," Fillion said. "We wanted to make sure that this mindset translated onto the ice and into the uniform. The inspiration for us was to complement the League's direction to where it is going as a brand and be able to create a design and uniform that would fit that direction and look."

Reebok believes the fans and the players will enjoy the look of the jersey.

"This is far and away the most technologically advanced uniform that we've ever put on ice," Conetta said. "At the end of the day our design process always reflects on bringing the absolute best to the ice for the athlete so we're really proud how we can service and be a great partner to the NHL."

---