Jerseys unveiled for World Cup of Hockey

Team USA, in conjunction with adidas, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association, revealed its jersey for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey on Wednesday, featuring a red, white and blue shield across the front with USA in white letters, and bold red striping inspired by service uniforms across the sleeves.
The seven other teams competing in the World Cup also revealed their jerseys Wednesday, with Team Canada, the host, celebrating its heritage via a modern interpretation of its classic red and white colors and maple leaf logo, with the motif wrapping each sleeve.
The 2016 World Cup of Hockey will be held Sept. 17 to Oct. 1 in Toronto.

"Players are always excited to wear their national colors on the international stage and these adidas uniforms certainly continue that tradition," said Mathieu Schneider, NHL Players' Association Special Assistant to the Executive Director. "In these unique World Cup of Hockey 2016 jerseys, the game's greatest players will add another chapter to hockey's international story."
The jerseys for Team Russia, Team Sweden, Team Finland and Team Czech Republic should strike a balance between tradition and innovation, with adidas' cutting-edge adizero technology blending three lightweight, resilient fabrics to keep the players cool and comfortable while providing added flexibility and improving overall movement.
"The design and development of the World Cup of Hockey uniforms was a true collaboration between adidas, the NHL and the NHLPA, with important input provided by each participating team," said Brian Jennings, NHL CMO and Executive Vice President. "The best hockey players in the world require the best innovation in uniforms. It was imperative that the uniforms not only feature the best in performance wear but also creatively showcase modern interpretations of each country's rich history."
Team North America and Team Europe, new entrants into the tournament, unveiled state-of-the-art jerseys of their own.
Team North America, consisting of players from the United States and Canada who will be age 23 years or younger as of Oct. 1, sports a black jersey with gray striping on the sleeves and piping in beacon red down the sides; its logo features a triangular crest with an interlocking "N" and "A" in beacon red lettering.
Team Europe, made up of players from any European country not already represented in the World Cup, debuted a jersey with a continental blue color scheme and single crest designed to signify unity between players that will represent Slovakia, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Austria and Norway.
"We took iconic emblems from each of the participating teams to create jerseys that honor the traditions of each nation and fused those with an emphasis on technical design for elite performance on the ice," said Keith Leach, Senior Director NHL, the adidas Group. "adidas is committed to designing and developing high-performance products that make athletes better and we look forward to outfitting the World Cup of Hockey in our newest and most innovative uniforms."
Earlier Wednesday, the eight teams competing in the World Cup announced their preliminary 16-man rosters. The final seven players must be added by June 1.
All World Cup games will be played at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and be televised on ESPN in the United States and Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada.
Team Designs:
•Canada -Celebrating the designation as the host team for the World Cup of Hockey 2016, Canada's uniforms recall a modern interpretation of the national icon-the maple leaf. The motif wraps each sleeve, creating a visual with a direct connection to a crowning era in Canada's hockey heritage. The three veins contained in the Dominion Leaf crest represent Canada's three coasts and make this a mark to represent all of the Great North.

• USA - Building upon a tradition befitting the land of the free and home of the brave, the USA uniform features bold striping inspired by service uniforms that creates a distinct yet cohesive visual across the uniforms. National emblems and banners inspire an unapologetic shield and word mark.

• Sweden - Focusing on Scandinavian sensibility, Sweden's uniform uses bold assertive color blocking drenched in the national blue and gold. The emblematic tre kronor crest is appointed with kurbits detailing, an honored Swedish traditional motif.

• Finland - Paying homage to heritage, the Finland uniform design honors the bold Nordic cross of the Finnish flag. Reflecting the spirit of Suomi, the crests feature the national coat of arms with its crowned lion.

• Czech Republic - The Czech Republic's uniform seizes upon the boldness of national emblems and banners. The statement color blocking highlights the coat of arms, a silver double-tailed Lion crest representing all of the Republic.

• Russia - Centered around the powerful double-headed eagle national shield, Russia's uniform features the traditional crest surrounded by impact color blocking that carries the colors of Russia's national flag. The uniform reflects a modern interpretation of the steadfast Russian identity.

• Europe - Signifying a united Europe, the players' countries are all represented by a modern E shield, featuring a single crest that connects all of their home nations. Players wear their flag on their shoulder and the names of each European nation in the unity stripe across their sleeve. A continental blue color scheme highlights harmony on a unified team.

• North America -The North America team is a group of young talented phenoms who will play in black and white under an inclusive badge of brotherhood. The crest and uniform feature highlights of beacon red, signaling the high energy these stars bring to the ice. This uniform admits the wearer to the exclusive club of the next generation.