Collection 28: Canadian White Out

It's weird. Last time I updated Concepts was only a week ago and the Lightning had just dispatched with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs. Now the Bolts are already moving on to the Conference Finals with a sweep of the Capitals! So much can happen in a week.

Now with a brief break in the action, I thought it might be time for a concept post that honors a playoff tradition — the white out. And it just so happens these are all Canadian teams.

If it seems my team's unlikely playoff run is resulting in fewer updates to the site, I won't argue with that. I fully expected to be enjoying the Stanley Cup playoffs from the sidelines. But with my team in the middle of it, I find it hard to spend my free time doing anything but cheering them on.

I'll do my best to keep the updates coming when I can.

Collection 18: To the Northeast

Today's batch of concept art brings us to the Northeast Division.

Last month, I re-posted some early sketches from the Sabres' 2006 rebranding on the blog. Here, Ross decided to spruce up one of the sketches and put it on the current uniforms. I get the feeling something like this would've gone over a lot better with fans than the "Buffaslug."

We've gotten Jets and Nordiques concepts on this page recently, and I didn't want to leave the Whalers out. They were part of the Northeast Division back in their day.

Benoit brings a unique set to the table. A bold choice with the red-free, two-tone blue jerseys for the Habs, but that's why it's interesting to look at.

New concepts are rolling in all the time. If you'd like to submit yours, just send a JPG or PNG file by email.

Concept Collection 1

I'm testing out a new format for concept posts. It features a standardized look for all submissions as well and limited commentary from me. Some posts will still have a particular theme, but from now on, most will just be a hodge-podge of whatever's in the Icethetics inbox. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

I know I said the last Connecticut Whale concepts would be the last. But Ross' attempt was too good not to share. We always talk about logo simplicity. This is one of those great designs that you can see a kid drawing on his notebook.

Unfortunately, this new format doesn't yet include ratings but I'm sure the artists will appreciate your feedback in the comments. Just added ratings. Enjoy!

There's Something About Retro

They say fashion is cyclical. Trends come and go and come around again. In the NHL, we seem to be re-entering a retro phase. Throwback jerseys have always been popular with fans, but it seems only in the last few years have teams started to take advantage of that. Classic designs that bring history back to life have started making their way back into the mainstream, in the form of alternate jerseys and special events such as the Winter Classic.

So "retro" is the theme of today's post. Let's see what our artists have come up with.

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Jared LeBlanc	I'm a big fan of Jared's Winter Classic concept uniforms, especially what he's done for the Penguins. It's been suggested that the Pens might join the Bruins in borrowing elements from multiple past jerseys for a unique new look that still feels vintage. Jared's also submitted some ideas for the Heritage Classic, details of which will be announced later today. Regarding the design, he writes, "The Canadians jersey is really the only vintage jersey left that they haven't worn already. ... For the Flames, I took a look at the Cowboys jerseys, which looked like a pretty solid design. I considered doing a carbon copy but I thought they might still want the Flames logo on it." Both sets get a big thumbs up from me!
Connor Hanley	Another set of retros based in real life, come by way of Connor. Over the summer, it was announced that the Canucks would don a throwback jersey to celebrate their 40th anniversary. While this won't be the one, the Kings' vintage threads seen here are probably not far from what they'll be wearing on a few occasions this season. The Kings did give their first round draft pick a gold jersey from the 1960s after all. We're still waiting on an official announcement from the team, however.
Connor Hanley	Connor also sent in this set which calls back to the 1920s and the NHL clubs that arrived long before the Penguins and Flyers — that's the Pirates and Quakers. Of course the design is a little dated now with Gagne's name on the back. (He plays for my team now!) I suppose it might be a treat for centenarian hockey fans in Pennsylvania to see those two sweaters hit the ice again. But they shouldn't hold their breaths.
Jack Martineau	Canadian fans always like to see their teams don the retro duds. Jack digs back deep into Maple Leafs history with these St. Pats sweaters. The team actually wore that green jersey for a game or two back in the mid-90s. They should do it again!
Ryan Haslett	And while we're on the subject, here's another throwback for the Leafs from Ryan. Just like the St. Pats jersey, this one also saw life in the afterlife when it was dusted off for at least one game in the early '90s. Now that the Leafs seem to be taking an interest once again in looking like the storied hockey team they are, maybe more of these throwbacks are in the cards.
Matt Marczel	And to finish things off, one of our most prolific artists, Matt Marczel, offers up this throwback to the previous iteration of the Ottawa Senators club. He points out that it could be used if the Sens ever play in a Winter/Heritage Classic. Unfortunately, the first problem is legibility. The second is the Canadiens just wore a very similar stripe-y sweater last year.

By the way, I have lots of new concept art ready and waiting. Someone needs to stay on me about keeping this page updated. I'm very forgetful.

Numerous Northeast Concepts

Settle in, folks. This is one of the biggest sets of concept art I've ever posted. Because I haven't had a lot of time to write new posts, obviously the artwork has been piling up. The Northeast Division seems to be the most popular for Icethetics artists, so I thought it'd be the best way to unload a dozen new designs. Here we go.

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John Fusco	Had to start with this one. It's just phenomenal. You wouldn't think this type of design would make a good hockey sweater. Then you look at it. I'm waiting for an NHL team to jump onto an idea like this. Very sharp look. Well done, John!
Drew Krause	Another great Maple Leafs concept comes from Drew. He's made some updates to the traditional leaf logos, and they look great. Even the striping on the uniforms really works. Can't believe I haven't gotten around to posting some of these sooner.
Matt Marczel	By now we all know the Sabres will go back to their original uniforms next season — or at least something similar. Matt's put together a solid concept here with a nice modern flair.
Joni Oksanen	However, if you want more of a throwback feel, Joni's concept is the way to go. It's much simpler and features a royal blue just like the originals did in 1970. The only thing he's changed a bit is the striping on the dark jersey. But either way you go would be a win for the Sabres and their fans, desperate for a return to the vintage uniforms. Sometimes you get it right the first time, don't you?
Jake Slavik	And sometimes we mix things that probably shouldn't mix. Jake's concept plays off of every era in Sabres history. And it's not ideal. Stare into those yellow eyes. Stare deep. Frightening. Let's move onto another team.
Joshua Heckman Adam L'Italien	Joshua and Adam have both opted to experiment with brown jerseys for the Bruins — something I half expected to see at the Winter Classic earlier this year. Joshua's could even work as a third jersey this coming season if they were up for a change. Adam's isn't bad either but doesn't lend itself well to Reebok Edge or television, for that matter. It's a very drab-looking jersey with the dark brown and the slight striping. However, I really do like the crest.
Dallas Hicks Ryan Haslett	Got a couple of new Senators concepts here. Dallas tries his hand at a Winter Classic-insipired concept... you know, in the event the NHL decides Canada should play an outdoor version of its own sport. Ryan's isn't bad either — though without the stripes, the O just looks like a zero and nobody wants that associated with their team. Unless it's in the goals-against column, I guess. But if nothing else, this uniform has the best socks so far!
Ryan Haslett	That's right, it's all Ryan all the time for the rest of this post. This is his Canadiens throwback. Unfortunately, the numbers are rather illegible on the striped back of the jersey. Other than that, it's a nice-looking sweater with an old-time feel.
Ryan Haslett	Lastly, as a bonus, this concept is based off of a Quebec Nordiques logo that designed in 1995 but never implemented as the club was relocated Denver to become the Avalanche. And that is, in fact, where Ryan gets most of the elements of his design. I'll be honest. Makes more sense in the Rocky Mountains. Oh, what could have been.

And breathe. That was a lot to take in. Up next, it's Elliott Strauss' final rebranding set. That comes this weekend. After that, I'm implementing a new element into our concept posts. Details to come.

Strauss NHL Rebrand VIII

After a slight delay we pick up with Part 8 of the NHL Rebrand series by Elliott Strauss. Today we see big changes out west and sometimes change isn't really necessary — if you're part of the Original Six.

The Kings, Bruins and Canadiens are featured this week. Elliott's descriptions are in bold text.

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Elliott Strauss	This is the one concept that gave me the most trouble. I went through about five drafts, with secondary logos that included a lion and an interlocking LA, but all secondaries were eventually scrapped. I finished with this rendering of a crown and the lack of purple in favor for the Gretzky era colors of black and silver. The striping is very atypical and was inspired by the old alternates from the mid-90s. Unfortunately I am not happy with the final product here but I'm showing it anyway. I'm thinking about a complete redo, which I will send to Chris if I get around to doing it. It's certainly not as bad as Elliott is making it out to be. But it does look like it is still in the process of being perfected. Is it better than what the Kings currently have? Maybe not. But with a little more work it could be.
Elliott Strauss	Not many changes here. I made the stripes on the arms go white-yellow-white on the home to match the white outlining on the numbers. Same goes for the shoulders, reversed on the roads. A new thing is yellow socks on the roads as well with stripes tweaked to match the arms. Not much has changed at all here. Kudos to Elliott for recognizing some teams are perfect already.
Elliott Strauss	Obviously this team's identity is timeless but lets face it, the home and away aren't consistent, which is slightly bothersome to me. I tried making them correspond more, it's a little hard to even explain my thinking here, but hopefully you can see the consistency this design brings. I actually sort of like the blue backdrop stripe for the logo and numbers, which plays off the current homes. The uniform change is significant and might require some getting used to, but it's certainly not the worst thing we've ever seen. And here again, there are some classic, iconic logos you just can't change.

Just six more teams left to cover in this series. Check back for some very sharp rebrands for the Predators, Canucks and Rangers in the next two weeks.

What's in a Third?

Monday is here again. But while you guys are headed back to work or school, I'm probably in a casino wondering what time it is or something like that. Not to rub it in or anything.

Here we are at the fourth of five auto-posts featuring all new concept art from talented Icethetics artists. Today's theme is another fan favorite — third jerseys. Several of you have come up with ideas for alternate sweaters based on what's actually being worn in the league right now. Let's get started.

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Ryan Haslett	The Pittsburgh Penguins are up first because we're pretty sure they're actually getting a new third jersey next fall. Folks keep saying the powder blue sweater is on its way out. Personally, I think that paves the way for an '80s style third reminiscent of the Mario Lemieux/Jaromir Jagr days, but I digress. Ryan's got a whole new set of jerseys here which includes a black third loosely based on the team's earliest NHL days — sans the blue, of course. But it might suffer from the same problem that Bruins currently have. That being both the home and alternate sweaters are black. One of them needs to be gold (I'm speaking both about the Bruins and Penguins). Gold will solve all their problems.
Charles Cadieux	Also in the east, the Canadiens introduced — or should I say re-introduced — a handful of vintage sweaters to celebrate their 100th anniversary. They started last season and continued into this one. One of the favorites was the blue one with the big white C. I believe Charles' attempt was to turn it into a third jersey but putting the classic CH we've all come to know and love, front and center. I'm torn. Part of me likes it because it means this jersey could stick around. But the other part of me says it's just wrong.
Brian Brideau	Moving ever westward, we now land in Nashville. The Predators have discussed making wholesale uniform changes to just simplify. Brian, here, thinks they'd be wise to just make a light version of the new third jersey and go with it. He's saved them the extra steps by having already designed it. This is hard not to like and the Preds are in need of some jersey overhauls. This could just be the ticket. The only thing I'm not sure about is the triangle on the white jersey. It's not necessary to making the logo stand out and it actually takes away from the simplicity effort. That aside, these are top notch.
Chris Fraterrigo	Sticking to the direction of the sunset, Chris Fraterrigo thinks the Avalanche could use a uni redo. And ever since the Age of Reebok was ushered in, I can't say I disagree with him. In this new set, the "modern" striping elements are gone. Instead, the simple striping from the new third jersey is carried over to the home and road shirts. And the alternate here is simplified losing all striping — which actually doesn't hurt it. I'm a big fan of incorporating the black into the burgundy sweater. However it's not done as well on the white one here. Overall, though, a solid look. The only thing I might add is some striping around the bottom — just so it doesn't look like a t-shirt.
Uncleben	At last we find ourselves as close to the west coast we're going to get today. I think the Coyotes have a pretty decent third as it is and this one may be a little cluttered. Still I'm a big fan of that paw logo and traditional jersey striping. It has its pros and cons. But the largest con is probably the use of the Maple Leafs' lettering and numbering. Huge no-no. But we won't crucify anyone for it. We just don't want to see it on a real Phoenix jersey is all.

One more auto-post to go! You'll see right here tomorrow morning at 9. But at this point, my concept art reserves are beginning to dwindle. If you've thought at all about dipping your toe into the artistic pool, email your designs to me at icethetics@gmail.com.

The Next Winter Classic(s)

It's hard to believe 2010 is a mere four days away. That means the third annual Winter Classic is coming up at the end of the week.

And on the eve of the big event, a bunch of eager artists have started thinking about the next one. Or should I make that plural? A couple weeks ago, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he'd like to see a second outdoor game on New Year's Day 2011 — this one in Canada.

No decisions have been made at this point and any discussion on the topic is pure speculation. But that's what the Icethetics Concepts page is for. So as we prepare for the Philadelphia Flyers to face the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park, let's think about what we might like to see in 2011.

Rumors suggest Yankee Stadium will play host to at least one of the 2011 outdoor games. That puts the Rangers at home to face who? Islanders? Maple Leafs? Capitals? And regarding the Canada game, Bettman mentioned Calgary by name. Would the Flames face their province rivals, the Oilers? Perhaps the Canucks or even Avalanche?

Let's see what some talented people have come up with as suggestions for 2011.

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Brendan Droppo	Yankee Stadium Rangers vs Islanders This may be the most well-designed Winter Classic 2011 concept I've received. Brendan Droppo is sticking with the New York City rumors and pairing the Rangers and Islanders at Yankee Stadium. Probably a safe bet. He's got a great logo that evokes the locale (as the past logos have done) and a pair of classic sweaters. Though I'm not sure you can call anything but their current jersey a classic. But then I thought that about the Red Wings too. And theirs worked out just fine last year. This is an awesome concept and I'm completely on board with it only if western Canada also gets their own Winter Classic. If they don't, I say out with the Isles. Canada deserves to get back into the outdoor games. Pit the Rangers against the Maple Leafs. If there is a Canadian game, I'd vote to leave it the way it is. Not sure the Rangers have another rival as big as the Isles. Plus we need to share the wealth. Everyone should get a shot at a Winter Classic game.
Cole Jones	Target Field Wild vs Stars Cole Jones of The Other 6 Seconds hockey blog emailed in to tell me about his idea. You can read the full proposal on his blog, but here are the bullet points. While I'm over here trying to get a Canadian team back into their own game, Cole, a Stars fan, is attempting to get a southern U.S. team into the mix — his own. He'd like to pit the Dallas Stars against the Minnesota Wild at Target Field, which is currently under construction in Minneapolis. It will serve as the home of the Minnesota Twins beginning in April 2010 — more than enough time to prepare it for a hockey match. It would be a huge day for Minnesota hockey fans, that's for sure. To see their current team after 10 years on the ice, facing a blast from the past in the form of North Stars jerseys would probably send some people into a tailspin. The only problem I see is this: Aside from Minnesotans, who cares? Part of the idea behind the Winter Classic is to appeal to new fans. To put the game in front of people who normally wouldn't watch. The past few seasons the NHL has been going for teams in big markets or with long histories. Yes, Dallas and Minneapolis are two huge markets, but the point is to go beyond them. A Rangers-Isles game would certainly do the trick. Everybody knows the Rangers, even if their not hockey fans. But this idea of getting the Stars back to Minnesota for a big event is a pretty popular one in hockey circles...
Ryan Haslett	Target Field Wild vs Stars Another regular Icethetics artist, Ryan Haslett, independently came up with the same idea. Wild and Stars at Target Field. But Ryan's idea for an event logo and game jerseys is a little different. They definitely feel like classic hockey, but both designs borrow from current sweaters. The "M" on the Wild jersey comes from the new green third while the Stars sweater is based off their current third, but infused with a little more gold. Either Cole's or Ryan's designs could work well if, indeed, one of the 2011 Winter Classics were to take place in Minnesota.
Ryan Haslett	Rogers Centre Maple Leafs vs Canadiens Speaking of Canada, Ryan did have a second Canadian option — going with one of the oldest rivalries in professional sports. He's got the Habs and Leafs at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Formerly called the SkyDome, the stadium plays home to the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts. As expected, he's got the teams in vintage sweaters, and surprisingly enough, one that the Canadiens have NOT worn in the past two seasons. The logo is a little weak but it plays off the simplicity of the Rogers Centre logo. Now to be fair, the Canadiens just took part in an outdoor game in 2003. Maybe they should sit on the bench a little while longer, you know? If you're going to put the game in Toronto, maybe have the Leafs face their province rival Ottawa Senators. As I said, spread the wealth.

One thing I've noticed with these concepts is they're all set at baseball stadiums. Let's not forget the first two NHL outdoor games took place in football stadiums and were quite successful.

In wrapping things up, the one concept I don't have to share that I would really like to see is Calgary. I'm not familiar enough with the city to know where it should be played, but the Flames should host it and their opponent should NOT be the Oilers. (The Oilers faced the Habs in 2003 in Edmonton.) I think it comes down to the Maple Leafs, who play in a huge market and have a long history, or the Canucks, who are geographically closer and a more common foe during the regular season. But it's not up to me.

So what are your thoughts on the 2011 Winter Classic(s)? If you have have concept art to share, I'd be happy to add it to this post. If you just have another thought about a good match-up, drop a line in the comments.

By the way, happy new year!