Like the new Sabres uniforms? Me, neither.

But if Reebok – or RBK, as it's known in hockey – gets its way, NHL fans will see a lot more of the look.

You know the look, where stripes are replaced by swooshes, where odd colors are placed under the arms or around the shoulders or on the pant leg. It's all the craze in college football, where Texas Tech and Oregon and Miami throw out uniform ideas so bizarre they were rejected by the Arena Football League.

And the kids today love this stuff, we are told.

So in an attempt to reach those kids – and in a serious attempt to make the game of hockey better – the NHL has enlisted the help of Reebok to design new jerseys for the entire league. And old codgers like myself who still call these garments "sweaters" will have to tolerate the change.

During the lockout, the NHL decided to look into every aspect of the game in an attempt to improve the product. Hockey has historically had heavy jerseys that were baggy, which the league decided not only are hot and uncomfortable, but encourage defensive players to hold.

So Reebok came up with new materials that are lighter, that wick moisture off the skin and that stretch. It designed a look that is sleeker, and tighter, not unlike a football jersey, where players could move easier and skate faster. Original attempts were too tight, but Reebok came up with a prototype that many teams used in the 2006 Olympics in Italy.

Even newer versions started appearing in practice jerseys at NHL rinks last season, and the final product is supposed to be unveiled at the All-Star Game in Dallas this season.

Many teams already have done away with the striping, so this transition probably won't be as shocking as I think. But does this new look mean the Blackhawks and Rangers and Canadiens have to change their looks?

Bill Daly, the NHL's executive commissioner, said horizontal striping is possible, but that it would probably negate some of the positive performance aspects of the new jersey. He said it was up to teams to decide what look they wanted for next season, when the NHL launches new sweaters for all teams.

Designers would do well to remember two things: One, the main purpose of the hockey sweater is for fans to wear them in the stands. And two, hockey fans are generally a traditional lot – much more like baseball than football or basketball.

I'm sure everybody thought those 1970s Houston Astros jerseys were a good idea at the time, but look where baseball is today.