Already unpopular? Photo leaked of Team Canada's possible Olympic jersey

After the apparent leak of a photo on the Internet showing Jonathan Toews wearing a new Team Canada jersey, the Puck Daddy hockey blog encouraged readers to have fun with the photo and show what they thought of it. (Handout/Puck Daddy blog/David Murphy)

CALGARY -- Fans will have to wait a few more weeks for Hockey Canada to reveal the jerseys the Canadian teams will wear at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

The organization issued a statement Friday confirming the uniforms will be unveiled Oct. 8. The statement was released a day after a photo of forward Jonathan Toews wearing a new Canada jersey appeared online, raising questions about whether it was the Olympic uniform.

"Hockey Canada will unveil and launch the jerseys that its men's, women's and sledge hockey teams will wear at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi on October 8," the statement said. "We look forward to telling the story and innovation behind the jerseys at that time."

It didn't take long for the Toews photo, believed to be taken Thursday at a media tour event in Newark, N.J., to generate plenty of reaction on social media.

A photo credited to Getty Images was posted on several websites, creating a significant buzz among hockey fans eager for information on the release of the uniform, traditionally a popular event in the pre-Olympic buildup.

In the photo, Toews is wearing a red jersey with a large red Maple Leaf crest on top of a white stripe with Canada spelled out in small block letters underneath. He's holding a stick and is wearing black pants in what appears to be an area set up for players to pose for portraits.

When asked via email whether the jersey that appears in the photo is the same uniform that will be worn at the Olympics, a Hockey Canada spokeswoman would not comment beyond the statement.

Early reviews of the jersey that appeared in the photo were less than favourable.

The Rogers Sportsnet website started a straw poll to get reader thoughts on the uniform, asking whether it should be used at the Sochi Games. As of Friday afternoon, over 78 per cent of voters said no.

Allan Muir, a columnist with SI.com, said it looked like Toews was wearing an "oversized pajama top."

The rather blank expression on Toews' face was also fodder for online banter. The Puck Daddy blog on the Yahoo Sports website had some fun with it, encouraging viewers to send in their best photoshop images. The reader art contest, dubbed "Unimpressed Jonathan Toews," featured the photo mixed in with other pictures and screengrabs from movies.