Earlier this week, The Hockey News reported on the possible new name of the OHL's Plymouth Whalers, which will relocate to Flint, Michigan next season.
Apparently, Flint Tropics is one of the names in the running — the same name as a fictional basketball team in Will Ferrell's 2008 film "Semi-Pro."
What's funny is that Nick Burton applied the Tropics branding to a hockey uniform and sent it to me almost three years ago! I've had it in my vault not quite sure how/if/when to post it.
When this week's news came out of Flint, I realized there'd never be a more appropriate time to share it with the world. What do you think?
But wait, there's more.
Shades of “Semi-Pro”: New OHL team in Flint could be called The Tropics: http://t.co/nsICPt7ugX
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) February 10, 2015
As a bonus, Nick put together another version of his Tropics concept this week.
By the way, this name has inspired more than one artist. Expect us to revisit the Flint Tropics in the near future.
Nick Burton sent in this jersey set just this morning for the 2016 NHL Winter Classic. And I couldn't hold off on posting them right away given today's news. What do you think? Would this make a good look for next season's big game?
It's impossible to go very long without seeing a great new concept from Nick Burton. It's practically inevitable that the Penguins will go full time with their new '80s-era third jersey. When that happens, they could reach back into pre-Pens Pittsburgh hockey history for alternate inspiration. That could be epic.
In today's concept, Nick Burton mixes together a handful of branding elements from the Washington Capitals' colorful history. And it looks amazing!
There's no question the NHL team based in and named for the United States capital should be red, white and blue. But there are so many other teams using those colors and it's hard not to like that bronze and blue color palette the Caps used between 1995 and 2007.
