IceHL Jersey Contest: Southeast

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I'm now accepting entries for the next division in the IceHL Jersey Design Contest.

First, if you want more information about the IceHL Project, download the IceHL 2011 Yearbook, which is now available through Icethetics.info. You can also scan through previous posts in this section to catch up on everything we've done so far.

Entering the Jersey Design Contest

There are three rules:

  • Design 2 jerseys (light and dark) using team colors and logos only. You may not alter the colors or logos.
  • Assemble your final design on the PNG template provided and submit it to icethetics@gmail.com.
  • Include your first and last name and email address in the graphic where designated as well as in your submission email. (Your real name will not be displayed during voting and your email will never be displayed.)

IceHL Jersey Design Kit - Southeast version (.zip/359 KB)

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TEMPLATE. Do not use the template from previous Design Kits. The new one is a PNG file provided in the Design Kit above. It is built to be compatible with just about any graphics software out there from Microsoft Paint to Adobe Photoshop. (For beginners: PNG is the file type required. Please do not submit a JPG or any other type of file. For experts: Please avoid using color profiles.)

Recommended link: Paint Users Paradise at SportsLogos.net

To assist you in your designs, feel free to implement aspects of existing hockey uniform templates. There are hundreds available at at the link above. The copy and paste functions are your friends in this case and make designing a great jersey so much easier. But feel free to experiment on your own too.

The template includes the front and back of a jersey as well as gear like socks and pants. All you have to do is design the jerseys. Designing the gear is up to you. I'd also request that you include a full alphabet and number set as seen in the Design Kit sample. You may choose to leave out any of the elements, but keep in mind that if you do, I reserve the right to design those elements myself.

Last thing. Simply submitting your jersey design doesn't guarantee it will be included in the voting process. If it doesn't meet a certain level of quality, I'll give you the opportunity to try again as long as you meet the deadline. But rest assured, I plan to accept far more than I reject — as you saw with the last two divisions.

Part 5: Southeast Division

We're continuing with the Southeast Division. The Design Kit contains the primary and secondary logos for each of the five teams in that division. You may only use those logo graphics for this project. Do not use them for any other reason without permission.

Here are the Southeast Division teams and the players you may use to customize your jerseys:

  • Atlanta Arsenal (7 Carter, 8 Burns, 12 Marleau, 35 Rinne)
  • Baltimore Blue Crabs (3 Yandle, 9 Parise, 87 Crosby, 91 Tavares)
  • North Carolina Nighthawks (7 Seabrook, 12 Staal, 14 Benn, 30 Brodeur)
  • Tampa Bay Barracudas (4 Lecavalier, 26 St. Louis, 22 Boyle, 32 Quick)
  • Washington Sentinels (29 Howard, 39 Couture, 53 Skinner, 91 Stamkos)

The players listed have been selected by the GMs operating each fantasy team.

Remember, when you design your jerseys, stick to the official team colors and logos. The Southeast Division RGB Color Guide is included in the Design Kit for your convenience. You may also sample the colors in the logo graphics using an eyedropper or similar tool in your chosen graphics software.

One last note about your jersey designs. Do something creative and original. Don't copy existing jersey designs. We want IceHL teams to stand out and be unique. But for what it's worth, you might want to consult the NHL Uniform Ranking to get an idea of what types of designs Icethetics readers tend to like. Just don't let it stifle your creativity.

Deadline: Tuesday, April 10

You have three weeks to design and submit your work. I will not be accepting submissions for the next division until the deadline for this one passes. If you have any questions, please ask!

Good luck to everyone!

Name Nominations: Hartford & Yellowknife

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The time has come to start suggesting names for the IceHL's 2012 expansion franchises. Last week it was announced they were awarded to Hartford, Conn. and Yellowknife, NT.

To nominate team names for consideration, simply post them in a comment below. If you see someone before you has suggestd a name you like, say so in your comment. The more popular suggestions are more likely to be among the 25 selected for the voting process. I will base those 25 on whether they are creative, unique, and of course, popular.

Here is a list of locators you may use to precede your team nicknames:

  • Hartford
    Connecticut | New England
  • Yellowknife
    Northwest Territories | Northwest

You can be creative and suggest other names. The worst that could happen if they're not acceptable is they won't be included in the voting. But so as not to waste anyone's time, don't bother submitting Whalers. It won't be considered.

There are some other important don'ts. You may NOT use the name of any current or past IceHL, NHL or WHA team, nor any current ECHL, AHL, CHL, WHL, QMJHL or OHL team. You may NOT use the name (or any variation thereupon) of any current or past sports franchises in the market or geographical area. And if your suggestion is vulgar, obscene, or in any way inappropriate, it will not be considered.

Only names nominated in the comments of this post will be considered. Do not email or tweet your suggestions if you want them to be included in the voting process.

Submission period ends: Monday, March 26

Voting on eligible name nominees is scheduled to begin on April 6, following the end of the Pacific Division jersey voting. (That begins this Thursday, March 15. Submissions closed on Sunday night.) 

Some other upcoming IceHL events: Later this month, I'll start accepting jersey design submissions for the Southeast Division and then we'll hold a poll to determine how the IceHL will be realigned after it expands to 32 teams this year. In April, we'll vote on Southeast Division jerseys after we wrap up the Pacific. We'll also get to some other minor questions that I think the community should decide. Fun year ahead for the IceHL!

IceHL Expands to Two Cities

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The polls are closed and the votes have been counted! The IceHL is expanding by two teams in 2012 and Icethetics readers have decided they will be in Hartford and Yellowknife.

Hartford garnered 35% of the vote on the IceHL EAST side while Yellowknife picked up 34%. Ottawa and San Francisco were the runners up. However, that doesn't mean these two cities won't get IceHL teams. There's still the possibility of relocation for a handful of teams this summer. More on that to come.

Hartford, Conn. was once home to the Whalers of the NHL and WHA. To my knowledge, Yellowknife (of Canada's Northwest Territories) has never had a professional hockey team. In other words, lots of hockey history to draw on in one city, almost none in the other.

By the way, as far as votes go, people did not want to see Phoenix get an IceHL team while it's struggling to keep its NHL club. The city earned a mere 3% of the western vote. The least-voted city in the east was Miami with 8%. If you click the link above, you can see how 10 cities did.

You'll notice the comments are disabled for this post. This is just an announcement of the winning cities. Hold your ideas. On Monday, I'll open the floor to name suggestions, so start doing some research and thinking about what these teams should be named. (Obviously, Hartford/New England Whalers is not an option.) Get creative!

When the naming submission post goes up on Monday, I'll explain how the process will work.

IceHL Team Logos

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Tomorrow, new polls open that will determine which two North American cities will add IceHL franchises for 2012-13. That's right, expansion is nearly upon us and that's only the first of many changes we could see to our fantasy league this year.

To prepare, I thought it would be helpful to add a post that shows all of our current teams.

Pacific Division

South Division

North Division

Northeast Division

Central Division

Southeast Division

Last September, I put togther a logo map that shows where all of our teams are based.

Click here to check out the interactive version. And be sure to pan over to Alaska so you don't miss the Huskies.

I think the league spread out pretty well, but in order to maximize the schedule and enjoyment of our GMs in the ESPN fantasy league, we need to add one more team to each conference.

With 32 teams, the IceHL will be at capacity this fall. But there's more beyond expansion. In the coming weeks, you'll be voting on which existing teams should be relocated or rebranded.

We could be designing and redesigning logos and uniforms this offseason for as many as 12 teams — or just 2. It'll come down to your vote in the end.

IceHL Jersey Contest: Pacific

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I'm now accepting entries for the next division in the IceHL Jersey Design Contest.

First, if you want more information about the IceHL Project, download the IceHL 2011 Yearbook, which is now available through Icethetics.info. You can also scan through previous posts in this section to catch up on everything we've done so far.

Entering the Jersey Design Contest

There are three rules:

  • Design 2 jerseys (light and dark) using team colors and logos only. You may not alter the colors or logos.
  • Assemble your final design on the PNG template provided and submit it to icethetics@gmail.com.
  • Include your first and last name and email address in the graphic where designated as well as in your submission email. (Your real name will not be displayed during voting and your email will never be displayed.)

IceHL Jersey Design Kit - Pacific version (.zip/355 KB)

Seriously, that's it. The template is a PNG file provided in the Design Kit above. It is built to be compatible with just about any graphics software out there from Microsoft Paint to Adobe Photoshop. (For beginners: PNG is the file type required. Please do not submit a JPG or any other type of file. For experts: Please avoid using color profiles.)

Recommended link: Paint Users Paradise at SportsLogos.net

To assist you in your designs, feel free to implement aspects of existing hockey uniform templates. There are hundreds available at at the link above. The copy and paste functions are your friends in this case and make designing a great jersey so much easier. But feel free to experiment on your own too.

The template includes the front and back of a jersey as well as gear like socks and pants. All you have to do is design the jerseys. Designing the gear is up to you. I'd also request that you include a full alphabet and number set as seen in the Design Kit sample. You may choose to leave out any of the elements, but keep in mind that if you do, I reserve the right to design those elements myself.

Last thing. Simply submitting your jersey design doesn't guarantee it will be included in the voting process. If it doesn't meet a certain level of quality, I'll give you the opportunity to try again as long as you meet the deadline. But rest assured, I plan to accept far more than I reject — as you saw with the last two divisions.

Part 4: Pacific Division

We're continuing with the Pacific Division. The Design Kit contains the primary and secondary logos for each of the five teams in that division. You may only use those logo graphics for this project. Do not use them for any other reason without permission.

Here are the South Division teams and the players you may use to customize your jerseys:

  • Alaska Huskies (8 Ovechkin, 19 Spezza, 9 Ryan, 17 Lucic)
  • California Wave (12 Marleau, 8 Selanne, 91 Stamkos, 24 Callahan)
  • Portland Pioneers (12 Iginla, 81 Kessel, 15 Kaberle, 1 Luongo)
  • Seattle Aviators (11 Kopitar, 2 Keith, 15 Getzlaf, 35 Rinne)
  • Vancouver Lumberjacks (1 Hiller, 9 Duchene, 26 St. Louis, 27 Pietrangelo)

The players listed have been selected by the GMs operating each fantasy team.

Remember, when you design your jerseys, stick to the official team colors and logos. The Pacific Division RGB Color Guide is included in the Design Kit for your convenience. You may also sample the colors in the logo graphics using an eyedropper or similar tool in your chosen graphics software.

One last note about your jersey designs. Do something creative and original. Don't copy existing jersey designs. We want IceHL teams to stand out and be unique. But for what it's worth, you might want to consult the NHL Uniform Ranking to get an idea of what types of designs Icethetics readers tend to like. Just don't let it stifle your creativity.

Deadline: Sunday, March 11

You have three weeks to design and submit your work. I will not be accepting submissions for the next division until the deadline for this one passes. If you have any questions, please ask!

Good luck to everyone!

IceHL Jersey Contest: Central

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It's now time to start collecting entries for the next division in the IceHL Jersey Design Contest.

First, if you don't know what the IceHL is, check out the top of the last post. If you want even more information about the IceHL Project, download the IceHL 2011 Yearbook, which is now available through Icethetics.info.

Entering the Jersey Design Contest

There are three rules:

  • Design 2 jerseys (light and dark) using team colors and logos only. You may not alter the colors or logos.
  • Assemble your final design on the PNG template provided and submit it to icethetics@gmail.com.
  • Include your first and last name and email address in the graphic where designated as well as in your submission email. (Your real name will not be displayed during voting and your email will never be displayed.)

IceHL Jersey Design Kit - Central version (.zip/389 KB)

Seriously, that's it. The template is a PNG file provided in the Design Kit above. It is built to be compatible with just about any graphics software out there from Microsoft Paint to Adobe Photoshop. (For beginners: PNG is the file type required. Please do not submit a JPG or any other type of file. For experts: Please avoid using color profiles.)

Recommended link: Paint Users Paradise at SportsLogos.net

To assist you in your designs, feel free to implement aspects of existing hockey uniform templates. There are hundreds available at at the link above. The copy and paste functions are your friends in this case and make designing a great jersey so much easier. But feel free to experiment on your own too.

The template includes the front and back of a jersey as well as gear like socks and pants. All you have to do is design the jerseys. Designing the gear is up to you. I'd also request that you include a full alphabet and number set as seen in the Design Kit sample. You may choose to leave out any of the elements, but keep in mind that if you do, I reserve the right to design those elements myself.

Last thing. Simply submitting your jersey design doesn't guarantee it will be included in the voting process. If it doesn't meet a certain level of quality, I'll give you the opportunity to try again as long as you meet the deadline. But rest assured, I plan to accept far more than I reject — as you saw with the last two divisions.

Part 2: Central Division

We're continuing with the Central Division. The Design Kit contains the primary and secondary logos for each of the five teams in that division. You may only use those logo graphics for this project. Do not use them for any other reason without permission.

Here are the South Division teams and the players you may use to customize your jerseys:

  • Chicago Hitmen (35 Montoya, 44 Bertuzzi, 29 Penner, 40 Zetterberg)
  • Detroit Motorheads (15 Heatley, 4 Hall, 81 Kessel, 34 Kiprusoff)
  • Milwaukee Lagers (11 Kopitar, 19 Richards, 61 Nash, 1 Varlamov)
  • Minnesota Mammoths (24 Callahan, 23 Brown, 55 Kronwall, 29 Fleury)
  • St. Louis Archers (8 Ovechkin, 68 Jagr, 13 Datsyuk, 31 Price)

Most of the players listed were selected by the GMs operating each fantasy team.

And remember, when you design your jerseys, stick to the official team colors and logos. The Central Division RGB Color Guide is included in the Design Kit for your convenience. You may also sample the colors in the logo graphics using an eyedropper or similar tool in your chosen graphics software.

One last note about your jersey designs. Do something creative and original. Don't copy existing jersey designs. We want IceHL teams to stand out and be unique. But for what it's worth, you might want to consult the NHL Uniform Ranking to get an idea of what types of designs Icethetics readers tend to like. Just don't let it stifle your creativity.

Deadline: Thursday, January 5

You have three weeks to design and submit your work. I will not be accepting submissions for the next division until the deadline for this one passes. You may still continue to vote on the South Division submissions by clicking on the VOTE tab at the top of the page.

If you have any questions, please ask! If it's private, you can email me directly. If you think the answer will be beneficial to the group, ask in the comments and I'll reply as soon as I can.

Good luck to you all!

IceHL Jersey Contest: South

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Time to start collecting entries for the next division in the IceHL Jersey Design Contest.

First, if you don't know what the IceHL is, check out the top of the last post. If you want even more information about the IceHL Project, download the IceHL 2011 Yearbook, which is now available through Icethetics.info.

Entering the Jersey Design Contest

There are three rules:

  • Design 2 jerseys (light and dark) using team colors and logos only.
  • Assemble your final design on the PNG template provided and submit it to icethetics@gmail.com.
  • Include your real name and email address in the graphic where designated as well as in your submission email. (Your real name will not be displayed during voting and your email will never be displayed.)

IceHL Jersey Design Kit - South version (.zip/418 KB)

Seriously, that's it. The template is a PNG file provided in the Design Kit above. It is built to be compatible with just about any graphics software out there from Microsoft Paint to Adobe Photoshop. (For beginners: PNG is the file type required. Please do not submit a JPG or any other type of file.)

Recommended link: Paint Users Paradise at SportsLogos.net

To assist you in your designs, feel free to implement aspects of existing hockey uniform templates. There are hundreds available at at the link above. The copy and paste functions are your friends in this case and make designing a great jersey so much easier. But feel free to experiment on your own too.

The template includes the front and back of a jersey as well as gear like socks and pants. All you have to do is design the jerseys. Designing the gear is up to you. I'd also request that you include a full alphabet and number set as seen in the Design Kit sample. You may choose to leave out any of the elements, but keep in mind that if you do, I reserve the right to design those elements myself.

Last thing. Simply submitting your jersey design doesn't guarantee it will be included in the voting process. If it doesn't meet a certain level of quality, I'll give you the opportunity to try again as long as you meet the deadline. But rest assured, I plan to accept far more than I reject — as you saw with the Northeast Division.

Part 2: South Division

We're continuing with the South Division now. The Design Kit contains the primary and secondary logos for each of the five teams in that division. You may only use those logo graphics for this project. Do not use them for any other reason without permission.

Here are the South Division teams and the players you may use to customize your jerseys:

  • Boulder Beasts (14 Benn, 18 Richards, 26 Vanek, 53 Skinner)
  • Dallas Outlaws (61 Nash, 19 Seguin, 6 Weber, 57 Myers)
  • Houston Hellcats (13 Datsyuk, 33 Chara, 5 Lidstrom, 93 Franzen)
  • New Orleans Gators (17 Kovalchuk, 28 Giroux, 3 Yandle, 9 Weiss)
  • Salt Lake City Scorpions (58 Letang, 10 Perry, 33 Byfuglien, 32 Lehtonen)

The players listed were selected by the GMs operating each fantasy team.

And remember, when you design your jerseys, stick to the official team colors and logos. The South Division RGB Color Guide is included in the Design Kit for your convenience. You may also sample the colors in the logo graphics using an eyedropper or similar tool in your chosen graphics software.

One last note about your jersey designs. Do something creative and original. Don't copy existing jersey designs. We want IceHL teams to stand out and be unique. But for what it's worth, you might want to consult the NHL Uniform Ranking to get an idea of what types of designs Icethetics readers tend to like. Just don't let it stifle your creativity.

Deadline: Wednesday, December 7

You have three weeks to design and submit your work just like last time. That seemed like a decent amount of time to allow everyone so we'll stick with it. I still don't plan to overlap divisions. In other words, i won't be accepting submissions for the next division until the deadline for the current one passes. You may still continue to vote on the Northeast Division submissions, however.

If you have any questions, please ask! If it's private, you can email me directly. If you think the answer will be beneficial to the group, ask in the comments and I'll reply as soon as I can.

Good luck to you all!

IceHL Jersey Contest: Northeast

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The long-awaited IceHL Jersey Design Contest officially begins today!

What is the IceHL?

Let's knock this out first for the new readers. The IceHL, or Icethetics Hockey League, is a design-by-democracy project that began in 2008 with Icethetics readers creating a fantasy hockey league from the ground up. The project may well be the first of its kind on the web.

Users voted to determine every aspect of the league the number of teams to names and logos. And every logo was designed by Icethetics readers and put through a long voting process. It was all just meant to be a way for concept artists to put their skills to use in a new way.

In 2010, the IceHL online fantasy league was established through ESPN.com as 20 readers were selected to be IceHL GMs. We're already underway in our second season of fantasy hockey but now the teams need uniforms. That's where you come in.

By the way, if you want even more information about the IceHL Project, download the IceHL 2011 Yearbook, which is now available through Icethetics.info.

Entering the Jersey Design Contest

Last time we attempted this contest, it was a failure. There were too many rules and the template was too limited to highly-skilled designers — many of whom were too busy to dedicate a lot of time to the project. Not making the same mistakes this time around.

There are three rules:

  • Design 2 jerseys (light and dark) using team colors and logos only.
  • Submit your final design on the PNG template provided to icethetics@gmail.com.
  • Include your real name and email address in the graphic where designated as well as in your submission email. (Your real name will not be displayed during voting and your email will never be displayed.)

IceHL Jersey Design Kit - Northeast version (.zip/1.2 MB)

Seriously, that's it. The template is a PNG file provided in the Design Kit above. It is built to be compatible with just about any graphics software out there from Microsoft Paint to Adobe Photoshop. (For beginners: PNG is the file type required. Please do not submit a JPG or any other type of file.)

Recommended link: Paint Users Paradise at SportsLogos.net

To assist you in your designs, feel free to implement aspects of existing hockey uniform templates. There are hundreds available at at the link above. The copy and paste functions are your friends in this case and make designing a great jersey so much easier. But feel free to experiment on your own too.

The template includes the front and back of a jersey as well as gear like socks and pants. All you have to do is design the jerseys. Designing the gear is up to you. I'd also request that you include a full alphabet and number set as seen in the Design Kit sample. You may choose to leave out any of the elements, but keep in mind that if you do, I reserve the right to design those elements myself.

Here's a sample submission that I created for IceHL All-Star teams:

IceHL All-Star jersey design / sample

Don't worry if you don't like my designs. They're just samples. If you guys want a shot designing all-star jerseys, we'll explore that after we get through all the teams.

Last thing. Simply submitting your jersey design doesn't guarantee it will be included in the voting process. If it doesn't meet a certain level of quality, I'll give you the opportunity to try again as long as you meet the deadline. But rest assured, I plan to accept far more than I reject.

Part 1: Northeast Division

We're beginning with the Northeast Division only. The Design Kit contains the primary and secondary logos for each of the five teams in that division. You may only use those logo graphics for this project. Do not use them for any other reason without permission.

Here are the Northeast Division teams and the players you may use to customize your jerseys:

  • Boston Colonials (71 Malkin, 19 Backstrom, 28 Giroux, 8 Doughty)
  • Hamilton Steelcats (12 Iginla, 33 Sedin, 3 Chara, 18 Horton)
  • Montreal Olympiques (10 Perry, 17 Kovalchuk, 16 Ladd, 1 Hiller)
  • New York Guardians (30 Miller, 20 Pronger, 13 Datsyuk, 21 Stafford)
  • Quebec Armada (22 Sedin, 30 Lundqvist, 10 Setoguchi, 6 Wideman)

The players listed were selected by the GMs operating each fantasy team. These are the guys least likely to be traded or replaced this season.

And remember, when you design your jerseys, stick to the official team colors and logos. The Northeast Division RGB Color Guide is included in the Design Kit for your convenience. You may also sample the colors in the logo graphics using an eyedropper or similar tool in your chosen graphics software.

One last note about your jersey designs. Do something creative and original. Don't copy existing jersey designs. We want IceHL teams to stand out and be unique. But for what it's worth, you might want to consult the NHL Uniform Ranking to get an idea of what types of designs Icethetics readers tend to like. Just don't let it stifle your creativity.

Deadline: Friday, November 11

You have three weeks to design and submit your work for this first division. If it looks like less time is necessary, I'll make the subsequent division deadlines shorter. Also, I don't plan to overlap divisions at this point. In other words, we won't start on the next division until the deadline for the current one passes.

If you have any questions, please ask! If it's private, you can email me directly. If you think the answer will be beneficial to the community, ask in the comments and I'll reply as soon as I can.

Good luck to you all!

Download the IceHL 2011 Yearbook!

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IceHL 2011 Yearbook coverOver the last few weeks, I've been assembling something I hope will revive the IceHL. It's the IceHL 2011 Yearbook, a digital book now available to download!

This fall/winter we'll be launching the Jersey Design Competition so we can have uniforms for all 30 teams. But before that, I thought it might be helpful to revisit how we got where we are. It'll be a handy reminder for those of you that have been here through it all and a useful guide to help new readers catch up.

Download the 50-page IceHL 2011 Yearbook here: 

The high resolution version is ideal for a tablet computer such as an iPad and works just as well on your desktop computer. The low resolution version is available for those of you on mobile devices to speed up download time.

If you're unable to download it right now but would like a preview, check out this video sneak peek.

I plan to make the IceHL Yearbook an annual feature and I'm always open to new ideas about what should be included in it. Let me know what you guys think. Like I said, I'm hoping this format encapsulates the project well and will help to rebuild interest in continuing our IceHL efforts.

Enjoy the IceHL 2011 Yearbook!

IceHL Ready for 2011-12 Season

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Time for an update on the state of the IceHL. As of the weekend, we have owners in place for all 30 teams and have arranged live drafts for both IceHL EAST and IceHL WEST next weekend. The EAST will make their selections on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 PM ET while the WEST will go Monday, Sept. 26 at 9 PM ET.

Because the owners voted to use the All NHL player universe, there will be some roster overlap, meaning some NHLers will play for multiple IceHL teams this year. This may come into play later in the fall when we launch the IceHL Jersey Design Competition. More on that later. But suffice to say, I envision it being much more successful than the last time we tried it.

Other than that, there isn't much to report at this stage, so far from the start of the season. If you have any IceHL questions, feel free to ask in the comments below. I'll do my best to answer them.