I wanted the 50th collection to be something special. Instead, it's just something to fill the gap so we don't go a full month without concept art. I've been keeping busy lately, blah blah, you already know. I have a new plan to keep this Concepts page fresh which I will be rolling out just as soon as... I have the time. For now, look at these...
If I go another several weeks without an update, just be patient with me. Doing my best.
If all has gone according to plan, I should be spending the day on the high seas en route to some tropical island somewhere. But I'm going to put you guys in the opposite state of mind with something a bit more wintry. Collected here are some sharp Winter Classic concepts.
The most prevalent rumors have the Flyers hosting the Rangers on the day after New Year's 2012. Of course that hasn't stopped some from hoping for a Western Conference match-up. Look for a new set of concept art on Wednesday.
With all this rapture talk, I thought we might take a look at what the future holds (if there is one) for NHL uniforms next season. These are all based on rumors that have been reported around the web recently.
The first set is based on the rumor that the Flyers will host the Rangers for the 2012 Winter Classic. The inspiration for the Flyers' throwback jersey is the Philadelphia Quakers franchise — which has no relation to the Flyers. Still, I have yet to see a Flyers WC concept not based on that team's uniform design.
Another rumor spreading this spring calls for the Isles to launch a black alternate next season.
Whether or not it's wishful thinking, the prevailing rumors for the Stars is the debut of a green third jersey.
Now this one is a little more outside the box. It assumes the Thrashers are sold and moved to Winnipeg and that True North would retain the Moose branding to some extent while also paying tribute to the Jets.
And last here is just one more example of a Quakers concept standing in as a Flyers jersey for the big outdoor game next year. Personally, I don't see it happening. But then the Flames revisited their city's hockey history at their outdoor game this year. I suppose Philly could do the same in 2012.
As I was considering themes for today's concept post, I started wondering which teams have gotten the least love on this page. So I took a look back, and as it turns out, there are five teams that have yet to be represented with concept art in 2011. We'll rectify that today.
Now these teams won't have to feel left out. Coming in a future concept post, some phenomenal redesigns for another often overlooked group — the minor leagues.
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.
 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.
It's Sunday morning and that means I just officially tied the knot! Though nothing's really changed. My new wife and I have been together for a long time. This was just a formality, really. Anyway, I'm certain we'll be enjoying ourselves today.
This is the third of five auto-published concept posts — each with it's own theme. We've covered Freak Out Friday and Rebranding. Today our subject is rebranding once again but in the form of Part 5 of Elliott Strauss' NHL rebranding project, featuring the Ducks, Blackhawks and Flyers. Elliott's descriptions appear in bold text.
 Elliott Strauss |
Anaheim DucksThis features a new color scheme with a dark shade of green and a brighter orange. The logos are simplified, getting rid of white outlines around the D and the inner webbing. The jerseys have a modern, wavy feel. The Anaheim Ducks are probably one of the teams most in need of a rebrand. Unfortunately, aside from adding a welcome green to the palette, Elliott hasn't really fixed the main probably — the primary logo. While the D is a refreshing change of pace, I'd really like to see some kind of duck mascot. Logos aside, the jerseys are very distinctive — just what the doctor ordered when you're talking about a rebrand. Let's hope one day the Ducks do move in this direction — even if it's only on a third jersey. |
 Elliott Strauss |
Chicago BlackhawksI tweaked the logos by dropping all the excess colors in the feathers. The tertiary color is now an orange-yellow. The jerseys are really just an attempt at consistent striping. The simplicity in this design actually wins points in my book. While many of you would say the Chicago Blackhawks' logos and uniforms are perfect as is, I would disagree (as you well know). This simplification of the color palette is a welcome improvement. But while we're at it, I say the Hawks revert back to the old vintage logo found on the Winter Classic and alternate jerseys. |
 Elliott Strauss |
Philadelphia FlyersOriginally this had striping wrapping all the way around the chest, but I simplified things while making the design a little more modern. The logo is NOT the sharp-winged logo that Flyers fans insist on. I figured that since they use the curved wings on all merchandise, it might as well be on the jerseys too. The secondary is the old Zephyr X-line hat logo, I believe. As mentioned in yesterday's post, Elliott is correct about the F logo on the Zephyr hat. Other than that, he's kept things pretty straightforward and simple. The one element I really like is the orange numbers on the black third jersey. That is a Halloween jersey if ever I saw one. The striping on the front of the home and road sweaters is a nice change of pace too, yet doesn't lose the classic feel that goes along with the Flyers. |
That's actually all I have from Elliott at the moment. I'm anticipating he will send along the other half of the league in the next few weeks. Until then, we have two more auto-posts left before I get back from Las Vegas!
I'm sure I'm enjoying Sin City right about now. And I'm sure you guys are enjoying these daily concept posts. This is the second of five auto-posts and today's theme is rebranding.
Rebranding has become a very popular topic among Icethetics concept artists — giving a complete uniform and logo overhaul to a given team. Sometimes the overhaul is drastic and sometimes it's subtle. But it usually results in something better than which actually exists.
 Robert Giannone |
We start with Robert Giannone's rebranding of the Philadelphia Flyers. Robert isn't looking to replace the classic P logo so much as give it a nice complement that could be used as a shoulder page, third jersey crest or merchandising mark. He's created an F lettermark based on the P used on the team's old orange alternate sweater. And he's put an awful lot of work and thought into it. He's had patches embroidered and attached to an actual Flyers jersey as well as a cap. They don't look out of place at all. So I'm completely with him — that is until we get to his wordmark. That's where you lose me. That does not say Flyers at all. To me, it says graffiti. But aside from that, I like this logo, and although we've seen versions of it before — and by that I mean this Zephyr X-line hat — it's always nice to see someone putting some effort in. You can see more of Robert's work on his web site. |
 Ryan Broda |
Next, Ryan Broda offers the Atlanta Thrashers a newer look. He's kept the same color scheme and wordmark but has made some adjustments to the other logos — ridding them of the primary mark often ridiculed as looking like a bird stirring itself into a bowl of soup. Ryan's kept the strongest element of that design — the bird head — and has added some additional details to the logos to make it look a little meaner. It's a very sharp concept. |
 Julian Kazmierczak |
Julian offers us something a little different for the Ottawa Senators. He's decided to drop the gold completely and stick with the black and red which were most prominent when the Sens first existed in the early 20th century and were later revived in 1992. The logo is back-to-basics but the striping may be a bit much. Overall, however, I think he may be on to something. It's simple and isn't that what we've been wanting ever since the beginning of the Age of Reebok? |
 Matt Marczel |
I've got one more item to share today. This comes from the always prolific Matt Marczel. However, Matt hasn't so much rebranded the Capitals here as offered up a third jersey to die for. Every time the topic comes up, we look for ways of getting the Caps into a blue third jersey with the Weagle heavily featured. This does that in the best way. But better yet, I'd vote that this be the primary home jersey. And even if we can't have that, what about putting the Weagle on the front of the red jersey? The Capitals have a brilliant logo here and it seems to just be going to waste. |
Excellent work by all of these artists. They should be proud. And you should come back tomorrow for more concept art.
