Guest Concept Post #71

Hello everyone!  There is a poll question on the sidebar of the page.  I'm wondering when I should switch the blog's header (design at top of the blog) to a Christmas design.

Sonic the Hedgehog NHL Jerseys, by Jared:

Our first concept today is another Sonic concept from Jared.  We have pretty much seen these concepts twice already, so I'm not going to comment on the designs again, but I will briefly talk about the execution.  The biggest issue here are that the armpits of the jerseys are down too low, and overall the drawn lines look sloppy and rushed.

Edmonton Oilers, by Jared:

Jared also sent in this concept for the Oilers.  I like the sash-style striping, it's a unique look which has a bit of history in Edmonton.  I also think this layout of the jersey is the best we've seen from Jared, as it seems to hide some of his execution errors.  There are still some errors though, including the sash-stripe which has a gap between the orange and blue at the bottom but no gap on the upper half.  Also the finer details get lost (which has been a problem with Jared's concepts), most noticeably on the oil-drop which is much more rounded on top than it should be.  In my opinion the only way too fix that problem is to take your time and not rush your concepts.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

My Thoughts: Blackhawks Winter Classic and Jersey Ads

Back on November 5th the Blackhawks unveiled the new Winter Classic jersey, then the next day a story was circulating that the NHL was considering putting ads on jerseys.  Today I'm going to discuss those two subjects (better late then never I guess).

Chicago Blackhawks Winter Classic Jersey

Images from blackhawks.nhl.com

When the Washington Capitals unveiled their Winter Classic jersey, the graphics in the stadium used the Blackhawks current logo.  That made me go "hmm" maybe the Blackhawks are just going to use their current road jersey (like the Canadiens in the 2011 Heritage Classic), and I thought to myself "I'd be perfectly fine with that".  My second thought was they might take an older version of their road sweater and put their current logo on it, which was exactly what they did.  The Blackhawks went with a design based off of their 1957-58 road jersey, completely accurate except for the use of their current logo.

I think the jersey is a great choice, I especially like the placement of the secondary logo on the sleeve stripes.  I don't like the choice to use their current logo though, although I understand why the Blackhawks would want to use their current logo, and I don't think the logo choice hurts the jersey that much.  Overall I think this year's Winter Classic will be a great looking game.
Grade:  A-

NHL Jersey Ads

Image from marlies.ca - Image from canucks.nhl.com

My thoughts on the idea of ads on NHL jerseys can be summed up in a very short sentence, which is "IT'S A TERRIBLE IDEA"!!!  The NHL would look like a minor league if their jerseys had ads, and unlike minor league teams they don't need the extra money, the NHL would just be being greedy.  I also think jersey ads would hurt jersey sales, I know I would stop buying them.  Another way to look at this is that many people have said that hockey is like a religion, building off of that you could say that hockey jerseys are like a sacred religious artifact, and putting ads on jerseys would be sacrilege, it's simple a terrible idea.

That being said it wouldn't be the end of the world, I would still watch the NHL just as much as I do now, I would still run this blog, and I'd still make jersey concepts.  Eventually I would get used to the jersey ads, I don't really notice them anymore when I'm watching my second favourite sports league the CFL (although the CFL needs the money a lot more than the NHL, so ads are more acceptable for that league).  It would just be very, very disappointing seeing ads on NHL jerseys, especially on timeless classics like the Canadiens red sweater.
Grade (of the idea of ads on NHL jerseys):  F-

Have a good day!

Guest Concept Post #70

St. Louis vs Chicago (Stadium Series), by Scott:

Scott is back with another Stadium Series concept.  Last time he made some fauxback jerseys for a hypothetical game between the Blue Jackets and Sabres, this time he does the same for the Blues and Blackhawks.  The Blues jersey looks like a much improved version of their 1984-85 road jersey, I particularly like having the "Blues" script in yellow.  I'm also a big fan of the Blackhawks jersey, which appears to be inspired by their 1958-59 jersey road jersey (although with their 1941-55 logo) with the secondary logo centered on the sleeve stripes, and also the hem stripes on this concept appear to be based off of the sleeve stripes on that 1958-59 road jersey.  Lastly I have to mention how much I love the red numbers on the Blackhawks jersey, they really stand out and balance the colours on the jersey.

Sonic the Hedgehog NHL Jerseys, by Jared:

We also have more Sonic jerseys from Jared, but this time it's for the comic series Sonic the Hedgehog (these jerseys are for are the Ducks, Rangers, Canadiens, and Canucks).  I like that Jared stuck to colours that the teams currently use this time.  Where this concept could be improved in my opinion are the logos, I'd like to see actual logos used instead of just letters for each team.  The execution also has lots of room for improvement, some of the biggest errors include the sleeves on the Ducks jerseys which are too long and skinny, and the sleeves on the Canadiens jersey that are different lengths.

Thanks for visiting!

Remembrance Day Guest Concept Post

Poppy Initiative Concept, by Justin S:

Justin sent in this concept which is very appropriate for today being Remembrance Day.  He suggests that the Canadian NHL, AHL, and CHL teams wear a poppy patch on the front of their jerseys leading up to November 11th.  I think that is a great idea, especially having all three leagues working together.  The presentation of this concept is also top notch, I like the fact that Justin chose the captain of each team too show that poppy patch wouldn't be too crowded.  My one suggestion is to have an outline around all the poppies, as I like how the poppies stand out on the Kamloops and Halifax jerseys, and then the same patches could be applied to any colour background (even a red background).

Lest we forget.

Guest Concept Post #68

Sonic Boom NHL Jerseys, by Jared:

Jared starts us off today with some NHL theme night jerseys for the TV-show/video-game Sonic Boom (the teams from top left to bottom right are the Jets, Kings, Rangers, Ducks, Canucks, and Red Wings).  I had never heard of Sonic Boom before Jared sent this in, but after a bit of googling I figured out that the jerseys are meant to look like the characters from the show/game.  I think that works well for the Jets, Rangers, and Ducks, but not for the other teams because the colour schemes don't make sense for them.  The Kings look odd in purple and red, same with the Canucks in orange and blue, and it looks really weird having the Red Wings wearing pink and blue.  In my opinion it would be better if the jerseys kept the teams current colour schemes.

Calgary Flames, by Justin S:

The second and final concept today comes from Justin and it's a very unique black jersey concept for the Flames.  I love how far the yoke comes down on the jersey, that large area of red really gets your attention (in a good way).  Unfortunately I'm not a fan of some of the other unique things done on this concept.  The oval shapes behind the TV numbers look kind of awkward to me, and I don't like piping on the bottom of the sleeves (which I think is supposed to be over where the elbows are reinforced, but I don't think that element should be part of the striping pattern).  Lastly, I dislike the use of the side panels from the Ducks' current jerseys, not only because I don't like when teams copy striping patterns from each other, but also because I feel that it clashes with that awesome shoulder yoke.

Enjoy the rest of your day!