As the Edmonton Elks prepare to open the club’s 75th season, the team has unveiled a third jersey.
Dubbed the “Icon Jersey,” the third option is meant to bridge the past with the present while drawing on elements from the team’s rich history.
“There’s a great deal of pride in what our club has meant to Edmonton and northern Alberta since 1949,” said Evan Daum, Elks vice president of marketing and fan engagement.
“This jersey represents the icons who came before us, and the bright future pro football has in our community.”
The jersey, which is a result of nearly two years of work, includes a logo that mirrors the football club’s original logo. It features an oil derrick — a nod to the past that represents the historic Leduc No. 1 site that triggered Alberta’s first oil boom.
The logo also features the classic EE, surrounded by elk antlers — a nod to the future.
“I think it’s great,” new Elks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson said of the new jersey as it was unveiled Wednesday night.
“I’m just happy to be here. I think Edmonton is a football town and we’re excited to bring back the legacy that is this great team.”
The shoulder pattern is meant to represent the “sprawling evergreen forests of northern Alberta and Canada’s largest urban park — the river valley,” according to the team.
The Edmonton Elks will debut the new jersey at Saturday’s home opener against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium. The game starts at 2 p.m.
The Elks plan on wearing the third jersey two more times during the regular season.