Throwback uniform Throwback uniforms , throwback jerseys ( AmE ) or retro kits ( BrE ) are sports uniform s styled to resemble the uniforms that a team wore in the past . One - time or limited - time retro uniforms are sometimes produced to be worn by teams in games , on special occasions such as anniversaries of significant events . Throwback uniforms have proven popular in all major pro and college sports in North America , not only with fans , but with the teams ' merchandising departments . Because the " authentic " uniforms ( accurate reproductions ) and less - authentic " replicas " had been so popular at retail , the professional leagues institutionalized throwbacks as " third jersey s " . Background . Throwbacks were first popularized in Major League Baseball , where teams not only wore renditions of their past styles , but also tributes to defunct minor league and Negro League baseball teams as well . Often , the games where teams will wear throwbacks are promoted as " " Turn Back The Clock Nights " " . Throwbacks also make frequent appearances every season in college football games , National Hockey League games , and in National Basketball Association games . The first companies to produce throwback uniforms were Tiedman & Company Sportswear ( college football , basketball , hockey , NFL and World Cup soccer ) , Mitchell & Ness ( Major League Baseball ) , and Ebbets Field Flannels ( Negro League baseball ) . All three companies are still in business ; Tiedman & Company relaunched in 2009 under the brand name Tiedman & Formby Vintage Athletic Co . . In some instances , teams will wear " fauxbacks " : retro designed uniforms harkening back to an era which pre - dates the team . For example , the Tampa Bay Rays wore 1979 - style baseball uniforms in 2012 , and the Dallas Mavericks have used a 1970s - like basketball uniform since 2004 , despite having been established in 1980 . American football . National Football League . Throwbacks were introduced in the NFL in 1991 at retail through the NFL Throwbacks Collection . The rights to produce the vintage apparel was limited to six apparel licensees , including Tiedman & Company Sportswear ( exclusive to jerseys ) , Riddell ( helmets ) , Starter ( caps ) , Nutmeg Mills ( sweatshirts ) , and DeLong ( jackets ) . In 1994 , to honor the NFL ' s 75th Anniversary , teams were allowed to wear modern versions of their old uniform styles . However , the designs varied widely in their accuracy : All the teams were informed that they would be wearing the Throwbacks during Week Three of the season . Some teams continued to wear theirs throughout the season . The San Francisco 49ers wore replicas of their 1955 uniforms in their Super Bowl XXIX victory . The uniforms were well - liked enough that the 49ers brought them back , in slightly modified form , for 1996 - 1997 . In 1998 , the gold pants from before were returned , in more modern form . In 2009 , the team debuted an updated design of the 1980s uniforms that won them four of their five Super Bowls . Both of the NFL ' s New York City teams ' throwbacks proved so popular with their fans that the teams returned to wearing them full - time soon afterwards : The Jets ' replicas of their 1968 uniforms ( with a darker shade of green than before ) , and the Giants ' 1961 uniforms , with the lowercase " ny " instead of the underlined uppercase " GIANTS " - which was retained as a secondary logo - imposed after moving to East Rutherford , NJ . Both teams have modernized the 1960s decals for their current primary corporate logos . As a result of the NFL modifying its rules to allow teams to wear alternate jerseys in 2002 , throwbacks still make occasional appearances . The Thanksgiving Classic games hosted by the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have been a showcase of throwbacks in recent years . The Bills , San Diego Chargers and Cowboys traditionally wear their early 1960s throwbacks twice each season . Additionally , the Lions dropped their much criticized black alternates in favor of the popular 1940 ' s and 1950s throwbacks ( plain blue jersey , silver pants and helmets ) in 2008 . The Cleveland Browns throwbacks are based on a uniform / helmet combination that first appeared in 1957 when Jim Brown was drafted . ( Players Numbers appeared on the side of the helmet that year . ) The Browns began wearing their throwbacks in 2006 as part of the team ' s 60th Anniversary . They only wear them once per season . The Tampa Bay Buccaneers , who substantially changed their uniforms and team colors in 1997 , never wore their orange throwbacks from 1997 - 2008 . In 2009 , the team wore their throwbacks for the first time in against the Packers on November 8 to debut the " Buccaneers ' Ring of Honor . " The club has continued to do so annually . The San Diego Chargers wore their 1960s style powder - blue uniforms with white helmets as alternates from 2002 – 2006 and in 2007 adopted a modified version as their full - time uniforms . Meanwhile the San Francisco 49ers wore their 1980s - style home red uniforms as throwbacks in 2002 ( in 2005 the team re - designated them as alternate uniforms to be worn 1 - 2 home games a season ) . The team also petitioned the league to wear the throwbacks on the 2007 season opening night , as a tribute to their late former head coach Bill Walsh . For the 2009 season , an updated design based heavily on the 1980s throwbacks was debuted by the 49ers , which was combined with the team ' s current modern logo . On September 16 , 2007 , the Pittsburgh Steelers , celebrating their 75th season , wore a variation of their older early ' 60s uniforms that featured gold helmets with black stripe , black jerseys with gold numbers and stripes , and white pants with black - and - gold side stripes as they hosted Buffalo . They wore them again on Monday Night Football on November 5 against Baltimore . The Steelers enjoyed immense success in both games , winning each handily ( 26 - 3 vs . Buffalo , 38 - 7 vs . Baltimore ) , in direct contrast to the team ' s struggles when they wore those jerseys originally . On November 11 , 2007 , The New York Giants , wore their red uniforms against the division rival Dallas Cowboys . Also in 2007 , the New York Jets twice wore replicas of their New York Titans uniforms - once against the Philadelphia Eagles , and once against the Miami Dolphins . Since then , the Jets have worn the Titans uniforms several more times - twice in 2008 , three times in 2009 , and once in 2011 . For two of the 2009 games , the Jets wore white versions , replicating the Titans road uniforms . The Eagles wore their powder blue and yellow throwback jerseys during the home game against the Lions on September 23 , 2007 . Though the Eagles had a big 56 - 21 victory , these particular Throwbacks were criticised as being very unattractive . During Sunday Night Football on NBC that week , Keith Olbermann named the Philadelphia Eagles the " Worst Persons in the NFL " for their blue - and - yellow throwback jerseys , citing " Throwbacks ? Try " throw - ups ! " " . The blue and yellow uniforms , which are the same colors as the flag of the City of Philadelphia , were used by the Eagles , and their predecessors , the defunct Frankford Yellowjackets franchise , until the 1940s when the more familiar pre - Jeffrey Lurie era kelly green was introduced . The kelly green throwbacks from the 1960 season were wore for the 2010 season opener vs . the Green Bay Packers to commemorate the 50th anniversary of when the Eagles beat the Packers to win the 1960 NFL Championship . For the 2009 season , commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the American Football League , the eight charter members of the AFL wore throwback uniforms from the early 1960s on select " Legacy Weekends . " The Dallas Cowboys , also celebrating their 50th anniversary season , wore throwback jerseys for some games . College football . The Texas Longhorns college football team wore throwback uniforms for a single game during their 2005 national championship season as a way of honoring the past . The throwback jerseys were similar to jerseys worn during their 1963 National Championship season under Coach Darrell K . Royal . The University of Virginia ' s football team wore throwback uniforms in a single game on September 6 , 2008 , in honor of Virginia ' s teams from 1984 through 1993 . The university ' s athletic department termed the game a " Retro Game " instead of using the term " throwback . " For the 2009 and 2010 seasons , as part of Nike ' s Pro Combat program , several college football teams , including Ohio State and Oregon State wore throwback - inspired uniforms . The Kansas Jayhawks football team wore throwback uniforms in October 2011 to honor the 50th anniversary of the 1961 KU football team , winners of the 1961 Bluebonnet Bowl , the program ' s first - ever bowl victory . Association football . ' Retro shirts ' , as they are known in the United Kingdom , are also sometimes used in association football , albeit ( as with the NFL ) with modern fabrics . In 2005 – 06 Arsenal changed their home colours from their traditional red and white to a variant of maroon known as redcurrant as a commemoration of their final season at Highbury Stadium ; this colour was the same shade the team had worn when they had moved to Highbury in 1913 . Redcurrant still plays a part in their kits ; an alternate kit being worn features redcurrant pinstriping as of 2009 - 10 . More authentic reproductions of kits from the past have become popular fashion items , especially jerseys linked to successful or memorable teams . When France won the 1998 World Cup , their uniform was reminiscent of the design of the 1984 team with a red horizontal stripe across the chest . When the United States men ' s soccer team took the field between 1999 and 2001 , their plain white uniform with a thick V - neck collar looked reminiscent of the U . S . Soccer Federation ' s first uniform worn in 1916 . France and Brazil played a " throwback " game in the Stade de France in 2003 , with lace - up collars and the Brazilian team wearing its old ( pre - 1950 ) white top ( which was replaced in 1951 by today ' s yellow and blue kit after the 1950 World Cup defeat ) . For the 2009 – 10 Premier League in England , newly promoted Burnley wore modified replicas of their 1960 championship kits , when they competed in the then - First Division . Southampton celebrated the club ' s 125th anniversary in 2010 – 11 , by wearing the strip worn by the team ' s original forebears , which consisted of a white shirt with a red sash , white shorts and black socks . During the later stages of the 2011 - 12 season , financially troubled Scottish club Rangers F . C . wore their normal blue shirts on the pitch , but began selling and encouraging fans to wear throwback red and black striped scarves , the traditional colours of the burgh of Govan ( where Ibrox Stadium is located ) in an attempt to raise money . ( The club would be placed in receivership , and the club liquidated and sold to a new ownership group with a severe relegation penalty for the 2012 - 13 season . ) Australian rules football . Throwback uniforms , more commonly called heritage guernseys are worn occasionally by clubs in the Australian Football League , mostly to commemorate the anniversaries of past successes or events . Between 2003 and 2007 , there was an annual " Heritage Round " , in which all clubs were encouraged to wear heritage guernseys from either their club or state . The heritage guernsey of the Port Adelaide Football Club has been a regular source of controversy . The primary historical guernsey of the Port Adelaide Football Club , when it competed in the South Australian National Football League , was black with a white " prison bars " design ; however , when the club entered the Australia Football League in 1997 , it was forced to change its colours to avoid a clash with the Collingwood Football Club , who wore black and white in a different design . Whether or not Port Adelaide is permitted to wear its black and white guernsey in any heritage matches , even those not played against Collingwood , has been a point of contention between the clubs . Baseball . Major League Baseball . In 1990 , the Chicago White Sox wore replicas of their 1917 World Series uniforms against the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the White Sox celebration of the final season at Comiskey Park . During the game , the scoreboard and public address system were turned off , and the lineups announced with a hand - held megaphone . Since then , these games have proven popular not only among team fans but also with viewers of TV highlight shows . ESPN , for the highlights of the 1990 game , sped up the highlights and showed them in black and white . The team then adopted a modified version of the 1959 " Go - Go Sox " era jerseys for the first year at the new Comiskey Park in 1991 , having kept that design since and winning the 2005 World Series in that design , ending an 88 - year World Series championship drought . With the introduction of Interleague Play , when the Atlanta Braves played the Boston Red Sox for the first time in a regular season game in Boston in 1997 , the teams wore uniforms that traced back to the initial season in which each team adopted the current nickname , the Braves wearing road uniforms from the 1912 season with the word ' BOSTON ' and the Red Sox wearing 1908 uniforms with a large red sock with the word ' BOSTON ' in white on the sock . It was the Braves ' first official game against the Red Sox since the team moved to Milwaukee after the 1952 season . Braves manager Bobby Cox went on record as being firmly against his team being identified as ' Boston ' by their uniforms . Some throwback nights featured the Oakland Athletics wearing one combo or another of the gold / white / green uniform set it featured in the 1970s and 1980s , or the Pittsburgh Pirates ' black - and - gold combo from the same era - on June 26 , 2010 , they did so against one another , with Pittsburgh in black and Oakland in gold . In 2003 the St . Louis Cardinals hosted the Baltimore Orioles with teams wearing retro St . Louis Cardinals and St . Louis Browns ( the predecessor to today ' s Orioles , which moved to Baltimore for 1954 ) uniforms , respectively . The scoreboard that day said " Browns " and the stadium announcer played along with the fantasy as well . Also in 2003 , in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the first modern World Series , the two participants in that game ( the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates ) met in a 3 - game Interleague series at PNC Park in Pittsburgh . While the Red Sox took two of three of those games with both teams wearing their standard uniforms , the one the Pirates won was meant to replicate their matchup in the 1903 World Series with both teams wearing 1903 - era throwbacks . Although baseball teams did not have uniform numbers at the time , to keep with the current rules numbers were put on the backs of the otherwise - accurate throwbacks . The JumboTron screen was left with a static background , and the scoreboard had the different team names at the time : the " Boston Americans " and the " Pittsburg Pirates " . The stadium crew at PNC Park also did other 1903 - era activities such as using a megaphone for announcements . In 2006 the New York Mets , in honor of the 20th anniversary of the 1986 World Series , held a " turn - back - the - clock - night " and wore their 1986 uniforms . In 2009 the Mets played three games of a four - game set against the San Francisco Giants in a " fauxback " jersey based on early 20th century New York Giants ' jerseys with a giant " NY " on the chest , but using the Mets ' current team colors of orange and blue . ( The Mets are the only team to have worn a throwback from their home city ' s past instead of their franchise ' s past ; while the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers , both of whom were once the Washington Senators , have each used throwbacks from their previous hometown , the city ' s current team , the Washington Nationals , have worn both Twin - Senators and Ranger - Senators throwbacks as well . ) In 2008 , the Philadelphia Phillies adopted an alternate uniform based on their 1948 uniforms , but with modern graphics on an off - white color background . Not all throwbacks use Major League uniforms ; at least 15 MLB teams have at some point paid tribute to the pre - integration Negro Leagues by wearing the uniform of a Negro League from the city ' s past ; in almost every case both teams do so simultaneously . Since the Homestead Grays played " home " games in both Washington and Pittsburgh , the team has been honored as such by both the Nationals and Pirates ; in 2008 the two teams did so together , with Washington wearing the Grays ' home uniforms and Pittsburgh the away ones . The Tampa Bay Rays have staged a " Turn Back the Clock " promotion with a retro theme and throwback uniforms almost every season of their existence . Because the franchise does not yet have a long history from which to choose uniforms , they have often worn the uniforms of historical local teams such as the Tampa Tarpons of the Florida State League ( worn in 1999 , 2006 , and 2010 ) , the St . Petersburg Pelicans of the Senior Professional Baseball Association ( worn in 2008 ) , the St . Petersburg Saints ( 2007 ) and Tampa Smokers ( 2011 ) of the Florida International League , and the University of Tampa Spartans ( 2000 ) . The Rays have worn their own uniforms for Turn Back the Clock night only once : in 2009 , when they wore Devil Rays " rainbow " uniforms from their 1998 inaugural season . Usually , the Rays ' opponent on Turn Back the Clock night wear throwbacks of their own from the same era as the Rays ' retro uniforms . For example , the Houston Astros wore their 1980s " Rainbow Guts " uniforms , the Dodgers wore the 1955 road uniforms of the Brooklyn Dodgers , the Mets wore the road unis of their 1969 championship team , and the Orioles wore their rare all - orange uniforms from the early 1970s . The San Diego Padres have also worn multiple throwback uniforms . Pre - 1969 designs have represented the Padres of the Pacific Coast League . During the 2010 season , throwback uniforms were worn during all Thursday home day games . Multiple designs and color schemes were used , including the 1969 " first major league season " brown and gold , 1984 " first World Series " white with gold lettering and brown trim ( and " RAK " on the sleeves for then - recently deceased owner Ray A . Kroc ) , and a 1990s era white with orange - trimmed blue lettering ( while these were the accurate Padres jersey of the period , the design is also very similar to that of the New York Mets , as the owners of the team at the time were investors from New York ) . All of these were fairly accurate representations of the team ' s uniforms and colors of the period , and in most games the visiting team wore throwback uniforms of a similar period . For example , at the final home game on September 30 , the visiting Chicago Cubs and the Padres both wore 1984 - era jerseys , in tribute to the 1984 NLCS , in which the same two teams played against each other . In recent years , the Milwaukee Brewers have resurrected their old 1980s pinstriped uniforms with the old ball - in - glove " MB " logo on the caps for use as an alternate uniform . In 2008 , the Toronto Blue Jays unveiled their new " Flashback Friday " powder blue throwback uniforms , similar to those worn in the 1979 season . The Cleveland Indians throwbacks are usually worn once a year in July and normally are based on their uniforms from the mid - 1970s to the early 1980s . ( Most notably , their 1974 " All Red " Home Uniforms . ) They have also worn uniforms based on the 1948 Indians in honor of Larry Doby who was the first African - American player in the American League with the Indians . The 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks celebrated the tenth anniversary of their 2001 World Series championship on September 9 – 11 . To commemorate the event the Diamondbacks held a reunion of players who had been on the championship team . They also wore the purple , teal , and copper uniforms that the team wore from 1998 - 2006 . In the 1999 season , MLB turned the throwback uniform concept on its ear with a series of " Turn Ahead the Clock " nights . It was inspired by an independently - held promotion on July 18 , 1998 at a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Kansas City Royals . During those nights , teams wore uniforms envisioned as they might be in the year 2021 . Twenty - two teams ultimately participated over 13 different games in 1999 , with some teams wearing the uniforms more than once . The promotion proved unpopular , and has yet to be repeated since . Other leagues . In 1921 a baseball game held at Rickwood Field as part of the Semicentennial of Birmingham , Alabama was played in " old - style " uniforms and according to " the rules of the games as they were in 1872 . " . Since 1996 Rickwood Field has been the site of the annual " Rickwood Classic " , a regular season Birmingham Barons game in which both Southern League teams wear uniforms honoring some period of their respective histories . The Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization has " Again 1984 / 1992 " day once per month in commemoration of their league titles from those respective years . The team dresses in their old baby blue jerseys as well as their old cap , complete with the old logo . The " Again 1984 / 1992 " games are usually the most popular games of the year in Busan , with the stadium as well as the throwback merchandising usually selling out fast . Due to this success , starting in 2008 , other teams in the league such as Doosan Bears and Samsung Lions have started to incorporate a similar style of throwback day as well . The Buffalo Bisons of the International League adopted a throwback uniform as their main jersey in 2012 as part of their change in parent club affiliation to the Toronto Blue Jays . Basketball . National Basketball Association . In the 1996 – 97 NBA season , the NBA celebrated its 50th anniversary by introducing throwback jerseys , known as " Hardwood Classics " . The Toronto Raptors were notable for wearing the uniforms of the long - defunct Toronto Huskies , an original BAA team . The Raptors have since brought back this tradition on certain occasions , notably games against the New York Knicks . The Chicago Bulls wore script - logo throwbacks from the beginning of Michael Jordan ' s career . Some of the throwbacks that were introduced in this season have been brought back on more occasions since , notably the Golden State Warriors , whose throwback placed the players ' numbers inside an angled cable car ( a reference to San Francisco , where they had played in the early years in California ) . In more recent years , throwback jerseys in the NBA have recalled some of the more gaudy uniforms of the NBA and the ABA , ranging from the aforementioned Warriors uniforms , to the Detroit Pistons ' lightning bolt uniforms of the Dick Vitale era of the late 1970s , to the Miami Floridians throwbacks worn by the Heat , and the Cleveland Cavaliers ' 1980s era jerseys worn by Brad Daugherty , Mark Price , and Ron Harper as well as uniforms based on the early and mid - 1970s . In contrast , the New York Knicks often wear throwback uniforms from the 1970s and 1980s that are understated by comparison . The warmups and uniform shorts of that era feature an " interlocking NY " identical to the one worn by the New York Yankees on their caps and home jerseys . Most " Hardwood Classics " jerseys worn by current players for games , however , are based on modern fabrics , and not the classic fabric designs of the past . The Los Angeles Lakers wore throwback short - shorts in 2007 for one game . Kobe Bryant complained , saying , " I feel violated . I feel naked . It ' s one thing to see those old guys wearing them on film , it ' s another to actually wear them " . The Philadelphia 76ers began wearing throwback jerseys from their championship season of 1982 - 83 in 2007 - 08 to honor the 25th anniversary of their championship . They were so popular that the Sixers kept these jerseys for next year , and reverted to their old logo ( modified with a newer " 6 " ) for the 2009 - 10 season . The Orlando Magic are notable for wearing the same throwback design at least twice ; their black pinstriped throwback was used in 2003 – 04 , 2006 – 07 and 2009 – 10 seasons . They also wore the blue pinstriped throwbacks in 2004 – 05 and the white pinstriped throwbacks in 2005 – 06 . The New Orleans Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies were also notable for wearing throwbacks of the New Orleans Buccaneers and Memphis Pros , two long - forgotten teams in the old American Basketball Association . The usage of throwback uniforms even inspired some NBA teams to acquire elements used from old uniform designs in creating new ones . For example , the Atlanta Hawks , Milwaukee Bucks , Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors reverted to their original color schemes while adding some accent colors to create a more modern look , while the Magic , Hornets and the Charlotte Bobcats revived the use of pinstripes on their uniforms . The Utah Jazz are re - using their classic note logo and a similar ( though not the same ) color scheme , and also plan to adopt a similar uniform design to what they originally wore from 1974 - 1996 . The Washington Wizards also went retro , with secondary logos inspired from the old Bullets logos and the modernized " Stars and Stripes " uniform used during the 1970s and early 1980s . The New York Knicks eliminated black from their color scheme and unveiled a modern adaptation of their 1970s uniforms , sans the shorts ' side stripes , addition of silver trim , and a bolder , less arched " NEW YORK " script . Other leagues . In 2003 , the Kansas State Wildcats men ' s basketball team wore throwback jerseys in home games against Kansas and Missouri to celebrate the program ' s 100th anniversary season . The jerseys were lavender with black letters and numerals , similar to the uniforms worn by Jack Hartman ' s teams in the 1970s , during some of KSU ' s best seasons . The Kansas Jayhawks basketball team wore throwbacks in March 2005 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Allen Fieldhouse . In February 2008 and February 2013 , they wore throwbacks for the 20th and 25th anniversaries , respectively , of the 1988 NCAA championship team , and did so again in February 2012 to honor the 1952 NCAA championship team ' s 60th anniversary . Box lacrosse . The Philadelphia Wings indoor lacrosse team ditched their silver , red , and black uniforms for a game to wear their original orange and white jerseys worn in the early 1970s from the original National Lacrosse League . For the 100th anniversary of the rivalry between Johns Hopkins and Maryland in men ' s lacrosse , both teams wore special retro jerseys . During the 35th anniversary of women ' s field hockey at Dartmouth College , the Big Green are wearing a special harlequin - design throwback uniform . Canadian football . Also in 2008 , on September 12 in Toronto and October 10 in Winnipeg , the Canadian Football League ' s Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers wore replicas of the uniforms the teams wore during the 1950s . Toronto ' s jerseys were a light blue in colour , with dark blue striping on the sleeves and the team ' s old " Pull Together " football - as - a - ship logo on the shoulders . The Blue Bomber jerseys were a dark blue in colour , with gold sleeve stripes . The team ' s 1950s - era logo was on the front of the jersey , just below the V in the neck . A special CFL " Retro Week " logo adorned each jersey as well , that logo being a take - off of the maple leaf one used as the league symbol from 1954 through 1969 . This became an annual tradition starting with the 2009 campaign with all teams putting on replica of 1960s uniforms each team wore . The league had another retro week the next year , this time with 1970s jerseys . However the following year there was no 1980s retro week The Saskatchewan Roughriders have also worn a popular throwback uniform since 2007 in addition to the league wide movement to wearing the uniforms of the designated decade . The Roughriders wore these throwback uniforms and helmets in the 2009 Grey Cup Championship game . When the CFL renewed the uniform contract with Reebok in 2012 , several of the league ' s teams took the opportunity to redesign their jerseys to more closely resemble their past incarnations ; this was in preparation for the 100th Grey Cup . Cricket . In February 2005 at Eden Park , Auckland , Australia and New Zealand contested the very first Twenty20 cricket international match . Both teams appeared in retro 1980s style tight fitting one day international uniforms without team names , numbers or sponsors logos . The Australians wore their original " yellow and gold " whilst New Zealand were in " beige " inspired by the Beige Brigade sports fans . The game was played in a light hearted manner with both teams sporting 1980s style head bands , moustaches and hairstyles . Cycling . When Lance Armstrong won his fifth Tour de France championship , in 2003 , his U . S . Postal Service - sponsored team wore a special jersey sporting the old U . S . Mail logo from the 1970s for the final day of the race . This was not technically a throwback jersey , as the team itself did not exist in that era , and had only been affiliated with USPS since 1998 . Ice hockey . National Hockey League . Throwbacks were first introduced in the National Hockey League in their 75th anniversary season of 1991 – 92 . At the time , only the Original Six teams wore throwbacks , although they were also used in the All - Star game . While the NHL had long since replaced the heavy wool sweaters with more modern air - knit jerseys , the patterns for the 75th anniversary throwbacks were consistent with the original versions , with a few exceptions ( as noted below ) . Player surnames were worn on the back of the throwback jerseys , even though this was not originally the case ( the NHL did not require names on the jerseys until 1977 ) . The Original Six teams ' throwbacks included the following modifications : As other leagues began using throwbacks , interest in retro jerseys increased within the NHL . To celebrate new ownership , the New York Islanders wore a modified throwback design for one game in 1998 . The Buffalo Sabres pulled a similar stunt for a game in 2003 . The Toronto Maple Leafs also brought back a 1960s - era jersey as a third jersey beginning in 1998 – 99 . In 2003 – 04 , the NHL implemented a Vintage program , allowing several teams to wear throwback uniforms that were specially branded with a vintage " V " patch . The following teams were among those that participated in the program : A few teams also introduced " fauxback " uniform ( a term that was coined by Paul Lukas , the creator of the Uni Watch column and blog , for a uniform design not worn in the past , but given the appearance of decades - old vintage ) designs as alternate jerseys . The Colorado Avalanche introduced burgundy third jerseys similar in design to the New York Rangers ' blue ones , while the Minnesota Wild introduced a red alternate featuring a logo encased in a circle containing the team ' s name , a feature previously used by the Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins . The 2004 National Hockey League All - Star Game also featured faux throwback designs . The Bruins , Canadiens , Maple Leafs , and Canucks used their throwbacks through 2006 – 07 . The Buffalo Sabres also wore a throwback blue - and - gold jersey for one season , bringing it back again in 2008 - 09 , and making it their 2009 - 10 home sweater . Although third jerseys were temporarily discontinued for 2007 – 08 so that teams could get used to the new Rbk Edge uniforms ( third jerseys returned for the 2008 - 09 season ) , Boston and Vancouver have adopted new uniforms that are based on their throwback designs . On January 1 , 2008 , the Sabres and the Penguins donned throwback uniforms in the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park , New York , albeit with Reebok ' s " Edge " design template . The Penguins also used the throwbacks as their third jersey for the 2008 – 09 season . And as mentioned earlier , at the 2009 NHL Winter Classic , the Blackhawks and the Red Wings wore throwback replicas at Wrigley Field and the Flyers and Bruins donned retro schemes at Fenway Park in 2010 . For the 2011 game , the Penguins ( 1967 – 68 ) and their opposition , the Washington Capitals ( 1974 – 75 ) are expected to wear their first season replicates . In recent years , CCM , now owned by Reebok , has made additional replica throwbacks available for sale , in addition to those in current use . 1992 throwbacks such as Detroit ' s and Chicago ' s were among those reissued , while others included older - era jerseys of current NHL teams the Phoenix Coyotes , the Colorado Avalanche , the Dallas Stars , the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils when they had played in their former markets of ( Winnipeg , Quebec City , Bloomington , MN , Hartford and Denver ) . The much - maligned " Flying - V " uniforms of the Vancouver Canucks were also reissued . The Winnipeg jerseys were particularly popular and were seen throughout Winnipeg after it became clear that a new Winnipeg Jets franchise would be established in 2011 ; Jets jerseys were prevalent at the 2011 NHL Draft , where the new Jets ' name was revealed .