GALLERY: Capitals Debut New Reverse Retro Gear; Kuemper Discusses Design

ARLINGTON, V.A. — “It’s kind of like Christmas day,” Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper said with a big smile, looking down at his new Reverse Retro pads.

It was the first time that he and his teammates got a glimpse of the team’s new Reverse Retro gear. The uniform will feature the black, copper and blue color scheme, and the jerseys will likely be black. Washington’s new sweater will debut in November, per sources.

“It’s fun for everybody. It gives the fans exciting games when guys are in different jerseys. For the players, especially the goalies, we got to design new gear and new helmets and stuff like that,” Kuemper said.

No. 35 also showed off his new helmet. It features a matte finish and the retro color scheme with the vintage “Screaming Eagle.” It is similar to his current mask, but in the black, copper and blue.

Kuemper again collaborated with DaveArt for his maskand, presented with several mockups, picked the final product with Vaughn for his pads, blocker and glove. He has been working on the concept since before the season, but Tuesday marked the first time the 32-year-old saw them in person. The gear arrived just before practice.

“It was fun to put them on for the first time and start the break-in process,” Kuemper added.

Charlie Lindgren admitted that he was a bit jealous of Kuemper but that his gear is on the way and is at the league office. He will likely get them in the next couple of days. He is excited for the new setup and consulted with his Bauer rep in Minnesota and family and friends to decide on the final look.

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For the players, the team will be wearing black helmets with numbers in the vintage font. Players will also wear black gloves with white font and a blue outline. The Capitals new uniform also features black pants with the three stars. However, those stars are bronze instead of the usual red.

Dylan Strome was also excited to take the new gear for a whirl. He hasn’t seen the jersey yet, but he enjoyed the new look.

“I heard rumblings,” he smiled. “I like it a lot.”

The team’s first Reverse Retros, which debuted in 2020, featured the “screaming eagle” design with a red, white and blue finish. Now, it’s a complete throwback.

Here’s a gallery with the new look: