5. Nameless blues (1978/79)
The 1978/79 Leafs jerseys might not knock anyone’s socks off at first glance, but they bring with them one of the most bizarre stories in sports uniform history.
It might be tough to fathom in today’s era of athlete-centric sports, but up until 1977, the Leafs didn’t have surnames on the backs of their jerseys.
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This all changed when the NHL Board of Governors voted 13-5 to mandate surnames on the backs of jerseys across the league.
Of the five owners who disagreed with the move was legendary Leafs boss Harold Ballard. In a take straight out of the ’70s, Ballard asserted that adding names on the back of jerseys would “significantly eat into scorecard sales,” according to NHL Uniform Database.
Never one to back down from a fight, the crafty Ballard thought up a solution: make the names invisible by using blue lettering.
Whether Ballard’s egregious efforts to evade jersey nameplates had any effect on scorecard sales is lost to history, but the eclectic owner eventually caved, with the team taking the ice with fully visible names later on in the season.
Notable Moments in NOB History: Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard, fearing loss of scorecard sales revenue, protests NHL rule requiring NOBs by having his team wear blue-lettered nameplates on blue jerseys for two games in 1978. Additional info: https://t.co/wi5iQyywGN pic.twitter.com/v4XWvlF7Cr
— Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) February 20, 2018
Which Leafs jersey was your favourite one? Is there one that you hate the most? Let us know in the comments below.