Our opinions of third jerseys being what they are, that's a damn fine looking hockey sweater right there. The St. Louis Blues unveiled their new alternate jersey to fans at their second annual FANFest today. Via the Blues, and from the mouth of forward Brad Boyes:

"I think it mixes both the past and the future, but at the same time, it's not as if we're messing with (a good thing) too much," said Boyes, who modeled the jersey for a top-secret photo shoot earlier this weekend. "We're leaning more on something different, but at the same time, we're not changing the whole thing."

The third jersey was designed by St. Louis-based Fleishman-Hillard, whose sports and creative services team worked closely with the Blues to develop a uniform that could appear modern in today's NHL while also bearing a look that would make vintage collectors salivate. Fleishman-Hillard's team has also designed jerseys worn by the club since the 1998-99 season.

It's all in the approach: There's nothing that would make "make vintage collectors salivate" at the look of the Carolina Hurricanes' third jersey, but the same can't be said of the Buffalo Sabres' new alternate sweaters and this Blues one. (And kudos to the Blues for leaving out the trumpets.)

There's something to said for the historic preservation of the Blue Note jersey that the team now wears. But this jersey is reminiscent of the Minnesota Wild's recent uniform change; the team "crest" that debuted as a third jersey was so classic that it replaced the solid-colored sweater. The same thing could, and should, happen in St. Louis.