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Three questions about the new Adidas Bruins jerseys

They're here, so...now what?

Ottawa Senators v Boston Bruins - Game Six Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Did you refresh Twitter every few minutes last night, breathlessly awaiting images of new, overpriced fabric?

What do you mean you had better things to do?

The NHL's Adidas jersey unveiling was, largely, a very NHL event. It was oddly timed, not broadcast anywhere and handled differently by every team.

In the end, however, we've got new jerseys for a bunch of teams, including the Bruins.

In case you missed it, here's their set:

Adidas bruins jersey

And a GIF showing the back:

Like any other big jersey event, this one left us with some questions.

1. Why bother?

This was, far and away, the prevailing sentiment on our social channels last night.

It's hard to blame people: the changes are minor at best, and few teams went all-out and overhauled their looks (hello, Colorado).

Couldn't Adidas have just tweaked the materials used for the jerseys, slapped their logo on the back and called it a day?

Yes, yes they could have.

However, it's all about money for Adidas. By making minor tweaks here and there, Adidas is technically making "new" jerseys.

While many people don't care about subtle changes, there are a ton of people who MUST HAVE THE NEW THING.

Making small changes is easy money for Adidas, so you knew they were going to be all over it.

2. What does this mean for merchandising?

If you remember, there were a number of different options for jerseys when Reebok had the contract.

Most people owned Premier replicas, which looked just like the on-ice jerseys, aside from screen-printed or heat-pressed names/numbers.

There were also authentics, like Edge 2.0's, that were a little heavier, had stitched lettering/numbers and had a fight strap.

Things are changing with Adidas. Reports indicate that only Adidas will be offering "on-ice" jerseys, ones that will presumably be available in team stores and online.

Per a report on reddit, Vegas will be charging $265 for a customized authentic. That's a lot of dough, but is similar to what a Reebok authentic cost.

The problem comes with the replicas. The NHL and Adidas have a deal with Fanatics that gives them exclusive rights to make the replica jerseys.

These replicas will reportedly have the Fanatics logo on the "jock tag," that little rectangle tag on the front of the jersey that usually features the size and fine print.

These jerseys will apparently be of even lower quality than the RBK Edge replicas. I've read many jersey people refer to them as little more than t-shirts. Don't expect stitching.

And with Fanatics as the sole supplier, it probably decreases the chances of getting good deals from people like Full Moon Jerseys on eBay.

The point? Unless you really like the new look, be patient and scoop up some old Reebok jerseys when they inevitably end up on clearance racks.

These may be collector's items one day, much like the CCM/Starter/ProPlayer jerseys of the 90s are today.

3. What happened to the Bruins alternate jersey?

"Third" or alternate jerseys have been cash grabs by the NHL for years. However, this year will see every team wear only two jerseys, with no thirds around.

This is a temporary situation:

Chances are Adidas wanted all of the focus to be on their redesigned product, and to not flood the market all at once.

Holding off on thirds also allows Adidas to solicit feedback and improve the product, while also giving them an excuse to hold another big media event next year.

The real question: what will the Bruins third look like?

They have switched thirds a lot lately, going from the men in black nightgowns to the 2016 Winter Classics.

It's hard to see them tweaking the WC's to fit the Adidas template, so we're probably looking at something completely new.

Will it be gold? A throwback? We'll see, but it would be nice to see the team do something bold for once.