Twitter Mailbag III

The Twitterers continue to ask questions so I will continue to answer them for all to read. And there are a lot this week so let's get to it.

HBAdventure @icethetics haha Twitter mailbag is a hilarious title for some reason [Jul 24]

I enjoy the irony.

danfranko @icethetics I'll nominate the Caps black jersey for worst ever. and the Pens space-aged Penguin (former 3rd) with grey and yellow stripes. [Jul 24]

I believe danfranko is talking about Ugliest NHL Jersey Ranking that we'll be doing soon. One day this week I'll write up a post to begin accepting nominations. We did Worst NHL Logo back in the day on NHLToL and we all know who won that one (Mighty Ducks' third) so I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

electrocraze421 @icethetics http://bit.ly/D7Sgw Interesting to note that the old Nucks' and Bruins' logo are used in this ad found on the Leafs' home page. [Jul 26]

Actual ad from Maple Leafs' official web siteInteresting you should point that out. I thought this ad was a little perplexing as well. You'd think if anyone would have updated logos it would be NHL teams themselves.

The ad to the right has been running on the Maple Leafs' official web site. Of the 12 teams in it, three changed their logo in 2007 as part of the Age of Reebok overhaul — Ottawa, Vancouver and Boston.

They got the Senators right. However the Senators made more sweeping changes to the logo. The Canucks merely changed colors and the Bruins made only slight modifications to the "B" and the spokes.

Wonder if they'll have it fixed in time for the launch of their new web site this summer.

holdthemap @icethetics Chris Smith's design is delightful. when are the major leagues going to start picking up on these designs [Jul 26]

IceHL fans have proven they really like Chris' logo designs by making his work a finalist for 14 out of 30 teams. If certain teams, who shall remain unnamed (*cough*DUCKS*cough*), were to hire some of the IceHL's graphic designers, the NHL would look a lot different.

By the way, this is the perfect opportunity to remind you to make sure you get your votes in this weekend if you haven't already done so. Today is the last chance to vote on the Boston Colonials logo. The rest will be closing over the next several days.

The next new logo poll will go up on Monday, featuring the Winnipeg Winterhawks. Until then, I'm planning individual Artist Spotlights for the weekend. You can access the IceHL section anytime via the tab at the top of the page.

TheGoalieGuild Everyone should check out @icethetics... one of my favorite sites to check out!! Great stuff and very interactive. [Jul 26]

Icethetics got a few shoutouts from The Goalie Guild over the weekend so it's only right they get one back. It's a nice site, dedicated to goalies. They've got some awesome pictures and links as well as an interesting blog. Worth a read if you're a goalie or you like goalies.

CazaCreations @icethetics forgot to weigh in on the site redesign - love it, just like everyone else! The colour scheme is awesome. Logo, better than ever [Jul 27]

Glad to hear you guys are still enjoying the redesign. I keep getting emails from folks asking where I got the template. That's high praise and I appreciate it. The new look of Icethetics is entirely my own.

blinkfink182 @icethetics Are you going to release the poll results as the polls close or all at once at the end? (So excited, this is awesome) :) [Jul 30]

Ah, back to the IceHL. I will be releasing the results within a day or two of when the poll ends. Each poll is open for seven days so you can do your own calculations based on when it was posted. The Colonials were first and therefore the poll ends today, however because I'm out of town (and away from my computer) all this weekend, it may be Monday before results are available. I'll do my best to get it done sooner.

TJSharky @icethetics Are there any teams who didn't overhaul their jerseys when RBK took over that are now considering it? [Jul 30]

I think that ship has pretty much sailed. However, some teams are slowly converting their third jerseys (introduced last year) to full-time duty — the Flyers and Oilers, for example. Other than that, minor changes may be made here and there but major overhauls are probably over for a while. If you're looking for new jerseys, look to the alternates. More are coming this fall.

eromain @icethetics I heard the 60 teams from the OHL/QMJHL/WHL are converting to the Reebok Edge uniforms? Do you plan on covering them? [Jul 30]

That is true, the Canadian junior teams will be switching over this season. I am happy to cover the unveilings but if you guys thought I was bad at following the minors, this is worse. As long as Icethetics' awesome readers continue to forward me news on the CHL, it'll find its way to the blog.

AvsHkyPodcast @icethetics Any timeline on the Avs' thirds? Us fans need somthing to get excited about in Denver. [Jul 31]

Guess being an Avalanche fan is rough when they're not always winning Stanley Cups and so forth. Unfortunately I don't yet know of any sort of timetable for the release of Colorado's third jersey. I would expect, as with most teams, that we'll see something in time for training camp or the preseason.

brettface @icethetics how much do you know about the jerseys for this upcoming Winter Classic? [Jul 31]

Not a thing, really. I've been getting emails a lot this week asking if I know what the Bruins and Flyers will be wearing at Fenway Park. At this point, no decision has been made public, if one has even been made. That aside, the second question I keep getting is "What do you think they'll be wearing?" That usually comes along with a concept somehow incorporating the Philadelphia Quakers.

Here's my opinion on that: Last year's Winter Classic made many think that the New Year's Day jerseys have to be more than just special, that they have to be drastically different. But look at Pittsburgh and Buffalo in 2008. In each case, these teams have simply gone back into their own history for a throwback uniform they haven't worn in a while.

The Penguins and Sabres went back to the '70s. The Blackhawks and Red Wings have an even longer past and were therefore able to dig even deeper. But this notion that the Flyers should wear Quakers uniforms simply because they had the same colors or were based in the same city makes no sense. They were two completely separate franchises. It's like the Wild wearing North Stars throwbacks.

The argument is made that the Red Wings actually wore Detroit Cougars jerseys. The difference is that it was the same franchise. Founded in 1926, the Cougars became the Falcons in 1930 and after just two seasons settled on the Red Wings. But since then, there has been no significant change to the Wings' uniforms. In order to make sure they had something special for the game, they had to go back further.

The Quakers existed for a single season in Philly after a failed five-year stint as the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Wings had an 82-year history to draw on — with multiple former names. If you ask me, the Flyers will simply opt for a white version of their new orange jersey.

The Bruins will be a little more interesting, having that extensive past and many old uniform designs to consider. If they want to be draastically different, they'll find an old brown sweater, otherwise it'll be black with a gold (unspoked) "B" on the front. But of course it's all still speculation.

Keep an eye on Icethetics for any new information and be sure to follow along on Twitter.