Leafs, Flyers, and Jets Guest Concepts

Toronto Maple Leafs, by Jared:

We have some more NHL2K10 concepts by Jared.  Here he makes a couple of changes to the Leafs jerseys.  First of all the gloves are now brown to look like old leather gloves, which I think would work well for a throwback jersey (like a Winter Classic jersey) but I don't like them for full time use.  He also gives both jerseys yokes, a normal yoke on the white jersey and a phantom yoke on the blue jersey.  I like the yoke on the white jersey, but I'm not a fan of the phantom yoke on the blue jersey.
Grade:  C

Philadelphia Flyers, by Jared:

Jared also sent in this hand drawn concept for the Flyers.  The orange jersey looks like it's inspired by the old Philadelphia Quakers jersey with a few changes, and then a new matching white jersey is made.  I really like the design, especially of the white jersey.  The only problem with this concept is the execution, so I'm going to provide a few suggestions in handy point form (although the execution is getting a bit better than Jared's first couple of hand drawn concepts).
-If you have access to a printer, print off a a pre-existing template and use it to trace the outline of the jerseys.
-Use something with a sharper tip for colouring.
-Use a neutral colour (like grey or black) for the outlines of the templates.
-Use a ruler to draw straight lines.
-Take your time to make sure every detail is perfect.
Grade:  C

Winnipeg Jets, by Jared:

Jared's final concept of the day is an NHL2K10 concept for the Jets, but not the current Jets the 1979-96 Jets.  His story behind this concept has the Coyotes moving to Winnipeg in 2017 and the current Jets moving back to Atlanta.  While that obviously won't happen in real life, it's a neat way to be able to use the original Jets identity for a concept.  Although it kind of looks like the original Jets logo was just put on the Leafs 2007-10 jerseys.  Also while white pants kind of make sense in Winnipeg since they are known for white-outs, I just don't think white pants work in hockey.  Another problem is that the blue looks too bright.  Now looking at all of Jared's concepts, I actually prefer his hand drawn concepts even with their execution errors over these NHL2K10 concepts that don't seem to allow much room for creativity.
Grade:  C-

Thanks for visiting!

Ducks Guest Concepts and a Flames Jersey

Anaheim Ducks, by Ricky:

We have a couple of Ducks concepts today, and we begin with this set by Ricky.  He uses orange as the main colour, and uses the Ducks oval secondary logo as the main crest.  I'd have to get used to orange as the Ducks main colour, but I think I'd end up liking it after a while.  The striping pattern on the home and road is okay, but I think it could be improved with a couple of fixes.  First of all I think the piping from the arms should connect to the yoke somehow, and I also think the stripes at the bottom of the sleeves should be on the other side of the piping so that they are more visible when being worn by a player.  The third jersey is a good classic jersey, kind of like the Ducks 2003-06 third jersey.
Grade:  C+

Anaheim Ducks, by Jared:

Jared sent in this Ducks concept which he made in NHL2K10 for the Wii.  His home jersey is also orange just like Ricky's, but the road jersey doesn't use any orange (I think, the colours are a bit washed-out so I may be wrong).  In my opinion if you going to go with an orange home jersey then the road jersey needs to use more orange.  The biggest problem with this concept is that the jerseys are recoloured versions of the Islanders 2007-10.  I don't know how creative you can be making jerseys in NHL2k10, but I'd like to see something new, not a recoloured jersey.
Grade:  C-

Calgary Flames Jersey:

I have a new jersey in my collection.  Actually it's not new, I've had it for years but I couldn't find it anywhere.  Finally I found it in the bottom of a drawer in a dresser in a spare bedroom.  You can see this jersey, and all the other jerseys in my collection on the "My Jersey Collection" page.

Have a good day!

Liechtenstein and Prussia Guest Concepts, and a Blue Jackets Concept

Team Liechtenstein, by Alan:

I don't think Liechtenstein will being winning any Olympic medals in hockey anytime soon, but that didn't stop Alan from creating this concept for them.  He used their flag as inspiration for the striping, as well as the logo.  I really like the striping, especially the stripes on the shoulders, although I think those shoulder stripes could be a tad thicker.  The logo is pretty good too, but I think the bottom part of the L is to thin, and also I think it's too sharp to be paired with a rounded number font.
Grade:  B

Team Prussia, by Alan:

Here's another country that won't be winning any Olympic hockey medals anytime soon, but this time it's because the country doesn't exist anymore.  Prussia was officially abolished in 1947, but for this concept Alan imagines what their hockey jerseys might look like if they were still around.  The logo used was Prussia's coat of arms (I think), and I think it looks great on the front of a hockey jersey, but it's a bit too large.  I also think the striping pattern looks good, and I like the fonts used for the name and number.
Grade:  B

Columbus Blue Jackets:

The Blue Jackets won a playoff game for the first time in franchise history this year, so I thought it would be a good time for them to get new jerseys.  These jerseys are partly inspired by the Blue Jackets current and original jerseys, but also with some new things added in.  I originally had just half stripes on the sleeves of the blue jersey to match the white jersey, but without the yoke area coloured in it didn't make sense to stop the stripes.  I also added a couple of hidden details on this concept, the first is a hanger effect on the inside of the collars, and I also added some sublimated stars near the cuffs of the sleeves.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Latvia and Denmark Guest Concepts

Hello folks!  We have four concepts today for two different countries by two different people, so let's get going.

Team Latvia (Olympic Version), by Jared:

We start off with two Latvia concepts by Jared.  For these concepts he uses the jersey builder on LAGA's website.  I'm not a big fan of using a website's jersey builder to make jersey concepts, first of all it's very restrictive since you have to use pre-made templates, and also it doesn't help improve your skills at making concepts.  If you want to make concepts on the computer instead of making hand drawn concepts, I'd recommend using a program like Microsoft Paint (if you use a Windows computer), or installing Paint.net.  The actual design of the jersey isn't bad, I like the yoke, and the curved striping that starts on the sleeves and the travels down the front of the sweater.  Although I don't like how that striping suddenly stops at the black patch (it looks like the striping is getting sucked into a black hole), and I'm not a fan off of the white patches by the armpit area.  I'd also like to see an actual logo used instead of just a wordmark (although good job using the proper Latvian spelling).

Grade:  C- (I have to deduct points since it's from an online jersey builder).

Team Latvia (World Championship Version), by Jared:

For his second Latvian concept Jared uses a somewhat more traditional striping pattern, and uses more black.  For the most part I like this striping pattern, although I think the sleeve stripes look a little awkward how they suddenly stick out at the top edge of the sleeve.  I'd also once again like to see an actual logo instead of just a wordmark.  Also for both of these concepts, it would be nice to see the back of the jerseys and also white versions of the jerseys.  Now even though I'm not a fan of using an online jersey builder, it's nice to see Jared trying to improve his concepts.  Just keep at it Jared, and you'll keep improving.
Grade:  C-

Team Denmark (Olympic Version), by Alan:

We also have a couple of Denmark concepts by Alan.  This concept is a Lego themed concept, which makes sense since Lego is based in Denmark.  I love all the Lego stuff in this concept, the striping made out of Lego looks great, and I love how the logo and numbers look like they're completely made out of Lego.  I just don't know if the Lego theme makes sense for an Olympic concept since the Olympics are very anti-sponsorship, and these jerseys kind of seem like an advertisement for Lego.
Grade:  B  (Would be an A if this wasn't for the Olympics).

Team Denmark (World Championship Version), by Alan:

Alan also sent in this World Championship version which uses a more traditional, less Lego-y design.  I'm a big fan of the primary logo, which I'm assuming Alan put together since I didn't see it in a Google search.  I don't like the shoulder patch though, I just don't think the flag looks good in a diamond.  The striping pattern on both jerseys look good, some people won't like that they don't match, but they're similar enough for me that I don't mind.  In my opinion this concept would work better as the Olympic version, and the previous version would work better in the World Championship.
Grade:  B

Thanks for visiting!

Guest Concepts, and a Canadiens Concept

Calgary Flames, by Scott D:

Hello folks, we have four concepts for today's post, starting with this Flames concept by Scott.  He removes black from their colour scheme, and uses the darker red they used in the Heritage Classic.  Both of those choices are great in my opinion.  I also really like the pants stripe, it's a cool nod to the pants the Flames wore from 1995-2000, and it looks really good.  The striping on the jersey also looks really good, but it's also a bit generic.  The striping is similar to a Stars concept Scott previously sent in, and it's somewhat similar to his Jets concept from a few days ago (all three have sleeve and hem stripes that use a double stripe pattern, and a coloured yoke on the white jersey).  I'd suggest adding the cowboy-shirt-style yoke from the Flames current third jersey, or some other element that's specific to the Flames to make the striping look less generic.  Even with that complaint, this is still a great concept.
Grade:  A

Original Six Concepts, by Jared:

We also have some original six concepts by Jared.  These jerseys look all look to be inspired by retro jerseys, but with a some changes.  The biggest issue here is that the photo was taking from too far away, and that combined with the lack of detail in these hand drawn concepts makes it impossible for me to tell exactly what I'm looking at (like for example, I can't tell what logo is used on Chicago's jerseys).

2018 All-Star Classic, by Jared:

Jared also sent in these concepts for a new event he calls the All-Star Classic, which would replace the All-Star game in Olympic years.  The jerseys look good, they have a good classic-looking striping pattern, and I like the football style numbers on the front.  Also the flags are a cool touch, but I'm not a fan of using the player's NHL team socks, I think a logo would be a better way of representing the player's teams.  Another issue is that both jerseys are white, which would cause confusion when trying to tell the two teams apart.  Execution is also a problem for these hand drawn concepts, but I've already discussed those issues in previous posts.

Montreal Canadiens:

This concept is kind of an updated to the Canadiens De-Edge concept I made last year.  I took the white jersey from that set, made a few changes, and then created a new matching home jersey.  Also, in other news, I've made a minor change to my template.  I've removed the Reebok tag from the inside of the collar, because on a recent HJC post Ryan mentioned that jerseys used in NHL games don't have that Reebok tag, so it doesn't really make sense to include it on concepts.

Have a good day!

Winnipeg and Winter Classic Guest Concepts

Winnipeg Jets, by Scott D:

Today's post begins with this Winnipeg Jets concept by Scott.  He suggests that the Jets ditch light blue and go with a navy blue, silver, and white colour scheme (with a tiny bit of red).  I do like the light blue on their current jerseys, but this colour scheme does make more sense with their logos.  Scott also went with a more traditional striping pattern, and a standard block font.  Overall I'd say this is a very good looking concept, but not very exciting, although not every concept needs to be exciting.
Grade:  B

2018 Winter Classic, by Jared:

We also have another hand drawn concept by Jared.  He suggests that the Canadiens and the Leafs play each other in the 2018 Winter Classic (the NHL's 100th season).  The Canadiens jersey is based off of their 1912-13 barber-pole jersey, which they previously threw back to in 2009, but this time it has a Canadiens CH logo instead of a leaf.  The Leafs jersey is inspired by their early 1950's white jersey, but the logo is white instead of blue.  I like the idea of the Canadiens and Leafs playing an outdoor game in the NHL's 100th season, it makes a lot of sense since they're the only two franchises left from the NHL's first season.  The Montreal jersey is pretty good, I like that the number of stripes is toned down a bit from their 2009 version and I also like that the logo was changed from a leaf.  The Toronto jersey is also a good choice, but I think the leaf should be mostly blue.  Now the execution of these concepts still need improvement.  There are lots of colouring outside of lines, the sleeves are different lengths, Toronto's pants look more like skirts and their logo doesn't really look like a leaf.  The presentation of these concepts also isn't very good, we don't want to see your feet, just the concept.  To improve your concepts Jared you're going to have to put some more effort into the execution, so you don't make mistakes like colouring outside of lines.

Thanks for visiting!

Ducks and Oilers Guest Concepts, and an Avalanche Concept

Anaheim Ducks, by Jake88:

We have a couple of alternate jersey concepts by Jake88 for today's post.  As you can see the first concept is an orange third jersey for the Ducks.  For a long time I didn't think the Ducks should have an orange jersey, but since I've seen their Stadium Series jersey I've changed my mind.  The striping looks nice, Jake88 did one thing that I think is very important in a Ducks concept which is keeping the gold from touching orange in the striping.  I'm not a big fan of the shoulder yoke, in my opinion if a shoulder yoke has a sharp corner then the outline shouldn't go all the way around (look at the Blues pre-edge jerseys if you don't get what I mean), and I'd rather it didn't cut up to avoid the Reebok logo in the back.  The number font also isn't my favourite, as I think the angled part of the four is too thin.
Grade:  B

Edmonton Oilers, by Jake88:

Now this concept was Jake88's entry into HJC's Steel Drop Competition held a few weeks ago.  I love the modern striping, it works great with modern Steel Drop logo.  I especially like the stripes on the front of the yoke.  The "OILERCITY" hanger effect is also really cool, it's great when concepts have little details like that.
Grade:  A

Colorado Avalanche:

This is kind of an update of my Avalanche De-Edge concept.  I realize now I used way to much light blue on the original concept, so I minimized it for this update.  I also used a mountain design like what was on the Avalanche's original jerseys, but with arm stripes instead of an arm length yoke.  When creating this concept I made a version on the Reebok Edge template and also the vintage template, you can see the vintage version on this Icethetics concept post.

Have a good day!

College Guest Concepts

Bemidji State Beavers, by Jake88:

Today we have a couple of college hockey concepts by Jake88.  I live in Canada and really know nothing about American college hockey, but luckily for me I can google to find out what these colleges currently wear.  Jake88's first concept is for the Bemidji State Beavers, and their currently wear very boring monochrome jerseys with a generic script.  This concept is much better than those jerseys, adding black and beige to the jerseys gives them much more life and this script-logo looks much better than their current generic version.  The striping pattern also looks good, I really like how the striping on the two jerseys match but it's not just a simple switching one colour for another.
Grade:  A

Virginia Commonwealth Rams, by Jake88:

Jake88's second concept is for the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, a school who doesn't have a hockey team (unless my googling skills a failing me).  The striping looks great how it's unchanged between the two jerseys, especially after I noticed it matches the logo.  The yoke is also very cool with the outlines on the sides, and I like how similar stripes are used on the pants and helmets.  The only thing I don't like is how the sleeve stripes on the back of the jersey bulges out a bit on top, but that's a very minor complaint.
Grade:  A

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Jets Guest Concept and a Wings Concept

Winnipeg Jets, by Jake88:

This is one of my favourite concepts ever.  I just love how the arm stripes are done, it's unique and it looks so good.  I also like the colours and how they are used.  Using a brighter shade of blue like what the original Jets used works great on this concept, and I like how all the colours on the logo are used on jersey and vice versa (unlike their current jerseys).  The main logo also looks great, and Jake88 properly gave credit to the original designer.  There are also some cool hidden features, like the sublimated maple leaf behind the numbers, and the hanger effect on the inside of the collar.
Grade:  A+

Detroit Red Wings Third:

For this concept I was just messing around with a few ideas for a Red Wings third jersey.  The striping pattern is inspired by racing stripes on old fashioned cars.  The captain patch in a circle is also inspired by old cars, specifically how old racing cars had numbers within a circle.  I then used their old fashioned D logo as the primary logo, and I kept the equipment from their current jerseys.

Thanks for visiting!

International Guest Concepts

Team Netherlands, by Jake88:

Jake88 is back with concepts for two more countries, starting with the Netherlands.  I love the sash stripe, you don't see it very often but it works perfectly on this concept.  The orange and white colour scheme is also great.  I think the black equipment is a smart move since orange would make the uniforms too bright, but I'd eliminate the black on the sleeve cuffs (but that's a very minor complaint).  I have to say this is one of the best Netherlands concept I've ever seen (I don't think I've seen many Netherlands concepts).
Grade:  A

Team Slovenia, by Jake88:

For his second concept Jake88 tackles Slovenia, who appeared in their first Olympic games this year.  I feel like these jerseys are more refined versions of what Slovenia wore at the Olympics.  I really like most of the differences, like adding sleeve stripes, using royal blue equipment, and using blue numbers on the white jersey.  On thing I preferred on the Olympic jerseys was the mountain striping, the sublimated design on this concept is still good, but it doesn't make as much as a statement as the mountains on the Olympic jerseys.  Another thing I don't really like is how the yoke on the white jersey doesn't extend down all the way in the back.  I know a few teams had yokes like that in the Olympics, but I don't think it's a good look.  Even with those few complaints I still think this concept is a big improvement over their Olympic jerseys.
Grade:  B

Have a good day!

Germany Guest Concept and a Knights Concept

Team Germany, by Jake88:

We start today's post with a concept for team Germany by Jake88 (he also sent in seven other concepts, which I'll be posting in the coming days).  He uses the Germany flag as striping on the arms, hem, and along the ends of the shoulder yokes.  I love the flag striping, especially the unique striping by the shoulders.  I also really like the number font, which looks great and really stands out in just one colour.  Overall this is way better than what Germany wore at the Olympics.
Grade:  A

London Knights:

Now we end today's post with a concept I made for the London Knights.  I used their 2008-13 logo as the main crest, but I got rid of the vintage white.  I used some basic hem and sleeve striping, and then on the white jersey added my own version of striping on the ends of the shoulder yoke.  You might be wondering why I used CCM branding on the green jersey but kept Reebok branding on the white jersey.  I did that because on the Peterborough Petes new jerseys the dark jersey has CCM branding and the light jersey has Reebok branding.

Thanks for visiting!