Olympic Spirit

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We're now a few days into the 2010 Winter Olympics and Canada and the United States are off to decent starts but the real test will be Sunday when they face each other. In the spirit of the games, a few artists have submitted related concept art.

Jake Niehl

Jake has put together these sweater designs for Team USA. The shield is cool, if not reminiscent of the NFL shield. But I fear he hasn't fully thought through the size of his numbers. Double-digits would have a little trouble.
Jeff Kennedy

And Jeff has sent in this Team Canada concept. It's not so much an original design as it is a fusion of a few different ideas. But mainly, he's dropped the black in favor of gold.

I'm really hoping to add more of an international flavor this post, so if you've got any ideas for ways to improve upon Finland, Russia, Sweden or anything like that, send it along and I'll include it here!

The State of Hockey

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The Minnesota Wild are the subject of the newest Icethetics concept post. Our artists have come up with a slew of unique designs for Wild jerseys — all of which are worth a look.

Brian Brideau

First up, how could the Wild look better on the road? After all, they are 9-19-2 right now. Brian may not be able to offer any legitimate tips on improving play, but maybe a new away jersey instead.

He's put the Wild's wheat color to good use by creating a reversal of the red home jersey. Is it better than what they have now? I don't know.
Adam L'Italien

Adam has a different idea. He's keeping the white and the primary logo but making it look more like that red jersey. It's a good jersey and it's been copied a lot but do we really want to oversaturate it? I liked it better when it was an alternate sweater.
Glen Cuthbert

So speaking of third jerseys, can we improve upon their current one? Glen liked the M but not much else. He stripped down the text-based crest and added the primary logo to the shoulders. For better or worse?
Jake Slavik

Jake's got a little off the beaten path, both in jersey design and customization. Probably the only time you'll see a Guillaume Latendresse jersey on these pages.

But it's the funky striping that really gives me pause. It's just so... strange. Notice I didn't say "horrible."
Brian Brideau

Now we switch gears and pretend to go back into the past. The Wild played their first game in 2000. But imagine if they existed in the 1980s. Brian thinks they'd be a lot more brightly colored — and that somehow they'd still have a goalie named Backstrom.

Even better, what if the Wild were around in hockey's early days along with the Montreal Canadiens. Would a 1910s Wild sweater look like this? Would Derek Boogaard's great grandfather be a member of the club? For sure, the color saturation would be much less than in the 80s.

Very creative. This is the sort of stuff I love to see.
Matt Marczel

And as a bonus, let's go back into legitimate Minnesota hockey history — but in present day. Confused? Just look at these concepts for the team formerly known as the North Stars.

Matt's taken the AHL's Iowa Stars logo and given it a shot on the Dallas uniform. While I love the heavy-handed green and total lack of black, I'm not sure it's an improvement. Thoughts?
Ryan Haslett

Lastly, Ryan has come up with a simple black jersey that calls back to the Stars' earliest days in Dallas. Unfortunately that's the Dallas Cowboys' logo painted green and gold. The stripes are great, though.

Hoping to not wait so long to get the next batch of concepts up. Been hard at work on new jersey galleries. Almost time to start getting the home and road sweaters on there.

By the way, Elliott Strauss' NHL Rebrand series will be picking up soon with the last half of the league. Stay tuned for that.

Midwest Modifications

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It's Super Bowl Sunday so that means a super-sized concept post. (Also I haven't put up anything new since Wednesday, so I owe you.) Normally I'd make the big game the theme, but as there are no NHL franchises in Indiana or Louisiana, we'll have to settle for the Central Division.

Matt Marczel

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of great Blackhawks concept art. This one has to be one of my favorites. Matt has ditched white for "vintage white" and it's made all the difference. I love the color combination and the use of color in this uniform set.

He's got home/road/third jersey, in that order, and I have to say the third may be the best. If that was ever a real NHL sweater, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. No question. Very nice work here, Matt!
Brad McPelican

One thing you don't seen an awful lot of in hockey is striped shoulder yokes, the assumption being that it would look terrible. I think this design proves the opposite.

I think Brad's design is a winner right up until the third jersey. I just don't think that trumpet logo ever worked for the Blues. Just wasn't meant to be. I think the Blue Note represents the club much better than a literal logo.

So what about the third jersey then?
Mike Bell

Mike has this to offer and I think he hit the nail on the head. Throwbacks work for some teams and not others. For example, it was bad news for the Flyers at the Winter Classic but good news for the Blackhawks at the Winter Classic.

The Blues would look great in those vintage colors and stylings. All we need is that nameplate.
Ryan Haslett

But if your idea of a third jersey is something completely different, Ryan has the answer. I didn't think I'd like a gold Blues jersey. This has changed my mind. Great colors and striping. That is a hockey sweater.
Jeff Kennedy

One team that has struggled with their identity for the last decade — no, not the Canucks — is the Blue Jackets. I think they've finally settled on a good solid look. So that's a plus.

What they don't have yet is a third jersey, so Jeff has taken it upon himself to put forth a couple ideas. They're certainly unique, but I'm not sure I'm sold on these.
Josh Gagnon

So how about this one? Many of you will say you don't like the sweater number on the front, but it is presented in a unique way. However, I'm not sure the vintage white works with such bright shades of blue and red. Maybe something a bit muted.

To be sure, the last thing the Jackets need is to introduce yet another new jersey logo. So we'll just wait and see if 2010-11 is the year the alternate uniform returns to Ohio's capital.
Ryan Haslett

We can't leave out the winningest team in the Central Division. Ryan's made some minor changes to the Red Wings' unis. Not sure about the shoulder piping or the repetition of the winged wheel, but the rest of the striping works.
Matt McElroy

We'll finish off the division with the Predators. Actually, Matt has given us simplified jerseys and primary logos for both the Preds and the Wild. It sort of works for the Wild, but the saber-toothed tiger just looks washed out. And the jerseys may be a little too simple.

But let this final graphic today serve as a bit of foreshadowing to the next concept post.

I'll have new artwork up in a day or two featuring the self-proclaimed State of Hockey.

Sticks and Sunshine

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California seems like an odd place for hockey, doesn't it? Though I guess it's no stranger than Florida. But today we visit the Golden State, which also tends to see the sunshine year-round. What do our illustrious concept designers have in store for SoCal?

Matt McElroy

Matt thinks the Kings could be well-served by a permanent transition to the third jersey. Here he's added a white version for our enjoyment.

Me? I'm a fan of the purple. So many readers find black jerseys to be boring. Imagine if they had no other color in them. Well actually, you don't have to. I'm looking at you early '90s Kings.
Ryan Haslett

But wait, Ryan has another idea for a white version of that third. Is this a popular concept? Are we so nostalgic for the Gretzky years that we'd want to abandon one of the best-looking identities in the NHL? The purple works. At least I think so.
Chris Fraterrigo

I've often theorized that one of the things that could save the Ducks' current/dreadful identity is a bit of green. But this is not what I had in mind.

While this designer has the home and road crests right, I worry the overload of green — and an ugly green at that — might not be the best plan. Back to the drawing board.

Southeast Visionaries

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Time to ring in February with some new concepts! Icethetics artists have been hard at work on a couple Southeast Division teams these days. Let's take a look at what they're working up for the Capitals and Thrashers.

Glen Cuthbert

Just last Thursday I posted the news that the Washington Capitals are planning a special 35th anniversary celebration this coming Friday. The release tells us they'll wear a red jersey with a unique commemorative patch.

While the rest of us are getting our hopes up for some type of throwback sweater, Glen is being a little more realistic in his interpretation. Not as exciting, but likely what to expect in D.C. on Friday.
Ryan Haslett

But speaking of throwback, Ryan has taken some liberties by merging two different eras of Caps logos on this white jersey. Sad to say, I am not a fan.

But I must admit I always liked the Caps' blue and bronze days of the mid-90s and early 00s. It gave them a unique identity until they ditched the blue jersey for a black one.
Brian Brideau

I can always tell when a team's uniform design is unpopular with Icethetics readers — because concept art just comes pouring in. And evidently, the Thrashers are one of those teams.

Brian's jerseys may not look much different from Atlanta's actual sweaters — and honestly, the blue one isn't — but look closely at the white one. It's been simplified and freed of piping. Actually, it's really just a white version of the maroon third jersey.

Amazing what a few slight alterations can do.
Ryan Haslett

And to go with that design, imagine Ryan's dark blue sweater as an alternate. It harkens back to the Thrashers' original dark uniforms and a time when it was rare to see an NHL club with two different crests for their home and road jerseys. I'd love to see that make a comeback.
Glen Cuthbert

Now we finish with the artist, Glen, who began today's concept post. He offers up another maroon option for a Thrashers third jersey. Only the logos have been changed from the current alts. But even that is a major improvement.

Thanks to everybody who's been sending in concept art — keeping the reserves full. All of your amazing work will be posted soon!

Freak Out Friday XLV

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Friday is here again and you know what that means. Time to freak out!

I'm really trying to get back into the habit of having a Freak Out Friday for you guys every now and then. Of course it relies primarily on your submissions. So keep them coming!

This week's theme is Original Six. Just how horrible can we make these most legendary of teams look? The answers to that question ensue.

John B

I don't mean to always be picking on the Blackhawks, but I think we can all agree that gravity-defying feathers are not the way to go. Not by a long shot.

Even the colors have me a little concerned. Maybe we should just move on.
Charles Cadieux

Nope, shouldn't have moved on. Adding black to the Rangers color scheme. Now that's something I never thought I'd see. And obviously I hope I never have to. Hockey fans everywhere would revolt!

But since it is only fake, we can all rest easy. The tricky part will be removing it from your memory.
Randy Dudek

The Maple Leafs were the focus of the previous concept post and we had a lot of really nice artwork. Now it all goes out the window because this just beats everything. I mean, it's a Maple Leafs jersey covered in actual maple leaves!

Wonder why we've never seen a third jersey that looks like that.

In closing, all I'll say is I hope you are not bleeding from the eyes. More concept art (the good stuff) this weekend.

Time Traveling in Toronto

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Whenever I put together a new concept art post, I often try to tie it all together with a theme of some kind. One of my more common themes is geography. Sometimes I'll take you on a virtual journey across the continent with a number of different teams. Tonight's theme focuses on one team and instead of traveling through space, how about time?

A handful of designers have reached back into history to come with their ideal versions of Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys — be they home, road or alternate. Now strap in. Don't want to lose anyone on the journey.

Matt Marczel

We begin with Matt's combination of present and recent past — though I use the term "past" loosely and you'll see why in a moment.

These home and road Leafs jerseys are pretty much a hodgepodge of the last half-century — especially when it comes to the logos. For the primary logo, he's got the leaf introduced in 1966 with the text stylings that came about in 1970.

The secondary/shoulder mark is based off of the leaf logo launched in 1938. And it looks to me like the T within it is borrowed from the TML shoulder patch which debuted in 2000. So that's a pretty good mix of history there.
Yoav Ickowicz

The oldest thing in Matt's design dated back to 1938. Yoav Ickowicz wants to go back at least another decade. His Maple Leafs concept is based on the less-common 1928 logo. He's also gone with three stripes on the sleeves and bottom of the jersey instead of the usual two.

It's great work and I sure hope we see more from Yoav in the future.
Ryan Haslett

So maybe you thought 82 years was far enough back in time. As it stands, the Leafs themselves are only 84 years old. But you'd be wrong. Toronto's hockey history dates back much further than that, as Ryan demonstrates with his Toronto St. Pats concept.

With the Devils dipping back into their past for green-infused uniforms this St. Patrick's Day, perhaps the Leafs might join them in something like this? Not to mention, I'm sure they'd sell like mad.
John B.

Now this last one may have you puzzled. I sure am. The only way I can figure it, not only would you have to travel to another time, but also another dimension to find it.

It's what I imagine someone from the 1950s would draw if you asked them to predict what the Maple Leafs would be wearing in 50 years. (Except that the CN Tower wouldn't come for another 20 years. Let's just look past that.)

Man, I just gave myself a great idea. What if we started concept contest where we try to imagine/predict what teams would be wearing (or even exist) 50 or 100 years from now? I think it would yield some interesting artwork.

Your Sunday Concept Fix

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I've been getting some great concept art submissions in the past couple weeks, but I wanted to keep Haiti at the top of the page for a little while. I just added a few new items to that post, by the way. But now I think it's time to start sharing some of the other great artwork that's been coming in.

Mark Komondor

We'll begin with the Penguins and a concept created by an artist brand new to Icethetics. These are his first submissions and he sure seems to know what Pens fans want. Imagine Crosby in the same uniforms that Lemieux and Jagr once wore when they lifted the Stanley Cup together.

Of the first one, he writes:

I was going for a throwback look by incorporating elements from the late 80s/early 90s sweaters the Pens wore when they won two stanley cups. I took that uniform and simplified it, using the Wild's red home sweater as a guide. I feel like this is a good mixture of the 90s elements, and the circle logo which has found popularity on the blue sweaters.

He says the other is simply a combination of the jerseys worn just prior to and since the Age of Reebok.
Adam L'Italien

Adam's Canucks concept makes some revisions to the new Johnny Canuck/V logo introduced on the third jersey last year. He says, why not use the full-body JC on the V?

But the most important thing about this jersey: it's green!
Brian Brideau

Rumors that the Predators plan to launch new home and road jerseys for 2010-11 could result in something like what Brian has come up with here. In fact, these should look familiar. I posted the first two jerseys two weeks ago.

What's new is the blue alternate sweater Brian has now added. For the most part, I like this one. The striping is unique but the Flyers-copycat nameplate is what I think needs to be revised. I truly hope differently-colored nameplates do not become a league-wide fad.

More concepts coming during the week.

With Haiti In Mind

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Want to donate? RedCross.org

Last night I posed the notion that creating Haitian concept jersey designs (I know, ice hockey in Haiti) could be a small way for Icethetics artists to bring a little awareness to the earthquake disaster victims. Nothing big, but a few of you did decide to get involved.

Here's some of the artwork I've received in the past 24 hours.

Brendan Klein

Brendan Klein sent in this concept, with blue elements evoking the watery nature of the island nation. The sweater is based heavily on the Haitian flag, as are most of the concepts you'll see here.

The name on the back of the jersey is that of René Préval, the president of the Republic of Haiti since 2006. Not sure where the 47 comes from, but it is a fun prime number.
Matt McElroy

Matt McElroy submitted this one, incorporating all the colors of the flag and even the seal.
Connor Hanley

Connor Hanley played the gradient game — last seen in the NHL on the 2001 Vancouver Canucks third jersey. More astute readers might also note the typeface used for the numbering and lettering — it's what the Canucks wear today. Just saying.
Marty Thompson

And finally, while Marty Thompson's designs may lack the polish of other concept art you see on Icethetics, it certainly does not lack the spirit. The flag pretty much says it all.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this. Well done! And if you're still working on a submission, don't stop now. I'll keep posting them as long as you all keep sending them!

We Are All Canucks

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I'll be making the long cross-country journey back to the Sunshine State today. Sad.

This is the final of five auto-posts featuring new concept art and it is being written nearly a full week before it will even see the light of day. Trippy. Or not.

You knew it was coming eventually. Not a single Canucks-centric post all weekend. How can this be possible? I saved it all up for today, that's how. Readers seem to send in more Canucks concepts than any other team. I don't know if it's the team's undying identity crisis or the possibility that Canada somehow funnels its most artistic people into one corner of the country.

Matt Marczel

We'll kick things off with my personal favorite. Matt Marczel's concept depicts the ideal Canucks identity. It's not plagued by spaghetti, corporate interests or over-simplification. That logo represents Vancouver and Johnny Canuck. And it incorporates the green and blue to boot. What more could you ask for?

The design also manages to hang on to its history by keeping the modernized stick-in-rink logo on the shoulders. If ever there was a 40th anniversary jersey that could spell perfection, folks, this might as well be it.

What's even better is this set paves the way for a brilliant green third jersey.
Jared LeBlanc

Jared LeBlanc has provided us with just such an example of a green third. It certainly shouts Reebok Edge but it shows a willingness to accept the things we cannot change and work inside certain parameters.

That being said, the curved tail of the sweater may be rather exaggerated. We get it.

As long as the greens matched up, there's really no reason that Matt and Jared's designs couldn't form a complete package here. Jared's even offered a nice pants design.
Ryan Haslett

Continuing with Matt and Jared's ideas, if it's a special event, vintage type design you're looking for, Ryan Haslett has the answer. He's gone with the "vintage white" and the new VC logo.

Do I smell a Winter Classic coming? Though to be fair, all the previous Winter Classic jerseys have either taken elements or entire jerseys from actual historical record. This would just be vintage for its own sake. Not that that's bad.

Could I be any more equivocal? The point is these are all great designs but what really needs to happen for the Canucks is they need to choose one and commit to it — for more than a few years.
Kevin Krilow

This next concept by Kevin Krilow focuses on the full-body Johnny Canuck logo. It's just as good as some of the previous artwork so what can you really say? Now it just comes down to personal preference. Do you prefer the full body or just the head?

You know where I stand but that doesn't mean I'm right.

This set comes with a home, road and alternate jersey. Surprisingly, it's the home and road sweater the make use of the text logo. Not necessarily bad, but uncommon.
Ryan Broda

The last one had to be an '80s recreation. You just knew it.

If the Canucks never introduced the orca logo in 1997, it's entirely possible their current Reebok Edge uniforms could look something like what Ryan Broda has come up with here. It features an orange (some call it red) alternate and gold vintage jersey. Though I'm surprised the Flying V hasn't found a place on the gold sweater.

The red/black/gold stick-in-rink logo is even there on the shoulders of all four sweaters. Glad to see it there. It was the cornerstone of the team's original identity and even if it can't be center stage anymore, it needs to be part of their look in some way forever.

The only drawback this set seems to have is the numbering and lettering styles. I think for these, you need to just stick with your standard block text. Don't try to be fancy.

The end. I hope you guys appreciate all the effort I put in to make sure there was new content on the site every day while I was gone.

I'll be back in town Tuesday night but have some errands to run on Wednesday so the next update to the blog/concept page may not come until Thursday. In the meantime, enjoy the archives!

What's in a Third?

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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.

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.

Strauss NHL Rebrand V

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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 Ducks

This 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 Blackhawks

I 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 Flyers

Originally 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!

Rebranding the East

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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.

Freak Out Friday XLIV

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Happy Friday, all! Right now, I'm on an airplane bound for Las Vegas. This is the first of five auto-posts that should keep you guys occupied with new concept art while I'm off getting married. I've scheduled one for every day that I'm away and each one has its own theme.

Today's theme is an Icethetics fan favorite: Freak Out Friday! For new readers, this was a very popular regular feature of the site when I used to get loads of concept art sent in. Sometimes it would miss the mark — meaning we would never want to actually see it on the ice. Here's what I mean...

John B

The last time the Coyotes put a cactus on their jersey, it came to us in the form of one incredibly unpopular green third jersey in the late '90s. Unfortunately, this makes no improvements on that.

The designer is obviously trying to take a bad page out of the Lightning and Senators' books by running the nickname across the front. Yotes works about as well as Bolts and Sens. And while the sand and brick colors are still used today in the Phoenix color scheme, the purple and green are not.
John B

While we're on the subject of colloquialism failures on jerseys, let's add Minny to the list. I think Wild fans would agree there's just no call for it.

I don't want to dismiss this design out of hand, though. The striping is pretty nice, if not based somewhat off of Minnesota's current home and former third jersey. The red and beige color combo is one of the best looks in hockey right now.
Jules

Some of you may not necessarily be freaked out by this idea of a Kings third jersey, but I sure am. It may not be a popular notion, but I think one of the best uniform overhauls in NHL history was when the Kings switched to silver and black. Then they improved upon it by adding the purple back. But at no point do I want to see them wearing yellow on a regular basis again.

The only way I could excuse it is for a special night with historical significance as a one-off jersey. But now that I've said my peace, I'm curious what the rest of you think of a return to the '60s color scheme. At least at that time the NHL wasn't overrun with only two colors. Variety is good.
Matt McElroy

But hopefully we can all agree that such a variety of color on a single jersey is not a plus. A deep purple sweater with neon yellow sleeves and silver accents is in the dictionary next to "ugly."

That was harsh, but look, even the purple in the logo doesn't match the purple of the jersey itself. Same with the gold. And that numbering style is not a saving grace either.

This jersey design needs to be buried. Deep.

So while I'm enjoying myself in Vegas, I hope this post freaked you out sufficiently. As I mentioned earlier, there will be new concept art posted right here automatically every day until Tuesday.

New Content All Weekend

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Hey guys, one last reminder that while I'm in Vegas this weekend, there are five concept posts scheduled to go live automatically from tomorrow until Tuesday. I've set the Concepts page as the Icethetics home page from now until then so each day when you log on, you'll have something new to look at without having to click on anything else.

While I'm gone, I don't plan on updating the blog at all. If anything pressing comes up while I'm away and I happen to see it, I'll make a quick mention on Twitter so keep an eye on that in the sidebar. I'll gather up and post all pertinent news when I return to the blog on Wednesday or Thursday.

Heading Out West

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This is the last new concept post until I head out west so I'm making the Western Conference today's theme.

Mike Ivall

We begin with Mike Ivall, a longtime Icethetics concept contributor. Today we're flashing back to his roots. That first image you see there is, I believe, his first ever concept submission. It was first posted on July 8, 2008 — a year and a half ago.

Now he's sharing the fruits of his labor with us. You see that logo embroidered onto a red Blackhawks jersey, proof that perhaps it should one day take its place on an NHL uniform.

And if you were wondering what the entire sweater looks like — including its new shoulder patches, just click here.

It's really quite something to see an old Icethetics concept come to life that way. As always, great job Mike!
Ryan Haslett

Sticking with the Blackhawks for a moment. If Mike's red jersey is too drastic a change, then maybe Ryan Haslett's is right on the money. I don't know what it is about the red, black and beige that screams old time Blackhawks hockey to me.

I love this design and if it ever became a reality, I might be the first in line to get one — and I don't even like Chicago. Sometimes a jersey design just does something to you, though.
Ryan Haslett

If you hadn't already noticed, the rest of this post belongs to Ryan. Knowing that the Predators are planning sweeping uniform changes for 2010, he's come up with a simplified uniform design for the Hawks' Central Division rivals.

My only concern is that the gold used here may be a little too light. There's not enough contrast for it to be a standout uniform design. Fix that and you may just have a winner on your hands.

I'd also consider reverting to the dark blue triangle on the white jersey. I just think it makes for a stronger design.
Ryan Haslett

Ryan will get us finished up this afternoon way out west in Anaheim. His third jersey concept for the Ducks goes with the beige that slowly seems to be gaining popularity in the NHL as a vintage color — actually called Vintage White by the Boston Bruins.

I like the beige and the orange. But I still think the Ducks need to drop the black in favor of a dark forest green. That would really give their identity a complete and unique feel.

The one thing I'm not sure about is the use of a wordmark on the front. I think an alternate sweater in Anaheim would provide the ideal opportunity for an alternate logo that actually resembles a duck. An intimidating duck to be sure, but a duck all the same.

That's it. The next time you see concept art on this page, it will appear as if by magic as I will be far, far away from my computer — and Florida! (Really though, don't forget. New auto-posts every morning at 9 from Friday until Tuesday. I've worked really hard all week to make sure that happens for you guys.)

Northeast Roadtrip

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This is shaping up to be quite a week. New posts on the blog and jersey galleries, and now brand new concept art. Today, I'm grouping up a handful of artwork for the Northeast Division — namely, the Sabres and Maple Leafs.

Jeff Wozniak

We start with a slew of Buffalo concept jerseys by Jeff Wozniak. The first graphic shows what he thinks the Sabres should wear on a regular basis as road/home/third. I like them all but I always liked that crossed-sword logo better on the red jersey several years ago.

His next attempt is a gold Sabres jersey. I don't believe they've ever worn gold so that would be quite a step out of the ordinary. (And not a pleasant one either.)

The other two are all about early 20th century sweater styles. Lots of stripes and simplistic crests. I think I could get behind the first one for some kind of special event.

However, the "BS" jersey should stay right here on this page where it is and go no further. We learned from the Montreal Canadiens' 100th anniversary that this type of striping does not work. You have to be able to read names and numbers and not be concerned with epileptic fits.

Then there's the white pants. Very few uniforms can make that look good. This is not one of them.

Look back toward the top of this group and you'll see Jeff has some great design ideas for the Sabres. But clearly he should avoid fourth, fifth and sixth alternate uniforms in the future.
Ryan Haslett

Another Icethetics regular, Ryan Haslett, came up with a grey-infused Sabres concept. It's based on the vintage three-stripe sweater from the '70s with several contemporary elements, including the grey/silver accents and numbering and lettering style.

As for my thoughts, white would probably be a better highlight than grey. Simply swapping white in would probably be an improvement. But I think I'd have to see it in a game to know for sure.
Ryan Haslett

This post has been pretty focused on the Sabres, so let's switch to another Northeast team. This Maple Leafs concept calls for two alternate sweaters — one for home games and another for the road.

Also designed by Ryan, it features the two waist stripes that will be returning to Toronto's regular home and road sweaters next season. He's also come up with two new alts. The home design is a dark version of the Leafs' current third jersey. The road whites are a new design borrowed from the team's rich past.

There will be one more new post before I leave for Vegas on Friday. Then beginning Friday, check back for new concepts to be auto-published daily.

Next Winter Classic: Revisited

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The Winter Classic at Fenway Park was nothing short of classic. It's such an awesome tradition and there's no shortage of opinions on who should play in future outdoor games. Since the last concept post, a few other artists have submitted some interesting ideas. I have a pair here I thought worth sharing before we move on to a new concept topic.

Brad McPelican

Brad writes in with an idea for a New Year's Day game not in 2011 but in 2014. He calls it the Canadian Classic. It would feature the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks (playing as the Millionaires) at Frank Clair Stadium in Ontario.

It may seem a bit unusual, so I'll let him explain. He wrote a very long proposal which I have actually edited way down for your convenience. All the key details are intact.

There was a time when the Stanley Cup was a challenge cup exclusively for Canadian clubs and in the Canadian Classic, I would like to relive that era.

The contest I find would be the best is one between Ottawa and Vancouver. Both cities currently are home to NHL franchises who have never won the Stanley Cup but, in hockey's early days, had taken home the prize as two of the nation's finest teams.

What makes this game even more special is that — 100 years earlier, in 1914-15 — the Vancouver Millionaires played in a best-of-five series in Vancouver and won the Cup. It was the last time the Stanley Cup would be exclusive to the best Canadian team — with the Portland Rosebuds joining the PCHA. This series was the last truly Canadian challenge for the Stanley Cup, which I think is pretty special.

As for the jerseys and event logo, I tried to make them as classic and as true to their time as possible. The logo was designed to look like the old team championship pictures and features vintage colors. The jerseys, on the other hand, are almost exactly what they wore — refitted for Reebok Edge jerseys of course — with Ottawa wearing brown pants and Vancouver wearing white ones. You might notice as well that their are no names on the back of the jerseys. This is to be true to the times, not a mistake.

If that game doesn't satisfy traditionalists, nothing could. By the way, just wanted to point out (because I know someone will) that the nameplates on NHL jerseys are currently part of NHL regulations and would probably require an Act of Bettman to sidestep. And he hates Canada.
John B

Obviously this one is just meant to be for fun. You could call it Winter Classic Freak Out. While my little corner of Florida has been atypically cold the last couple of days, there's clearly no way it could sustain a sheet of ice outdoors.

But as a Lightning fan, this was a fun concept to look at and muse on. As long as the Winter Classic is around, I don't ever imagine the Bolts or Panthers getting a shot at it. It will forever be reserved for teams who play where outdoor ice is a viable option.

John does have some interesting artwork here but I'm just not sure these "classic" jersey designs really work. Tampa hockey club? An F with cat ears and a tail? I'll pass.

The icing on the cake probably has to be the Winter Classic-themed surfboard design.

Thanks to John for giving us a laugh.

Thanks to all the artists who sent in their ideas for future Winter Classics.

The Next Winter Classic(s)

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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.

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!

Strauss NHL Rebrand IV

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It's time for another installment of the concept series by artist Elliott Strauss. In this edition he takes on the Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames. The artist's descriptions appear in bold text next to each set.

Elliott Strauss

Buffalo Sabres

I updated the logos, taking the B from the shoulders, changing the shape, and crossing the swords that are also on the shoulder logo on top of a circle.  The jersey plays on the theme of their Winter Classic jerseys: striping that switches its direction from hem to arms. The alternate is a retro design.

The Sabres have long been a staple of Icethetics concept art. The problem is that ever since 1996 when they ditched the blue and gold, fans have been unhappy. Fourteen years later, the message finally seems to be getting through to team management, but we'll see how that goes.

Elliott has a great concept here, mixing the old with the new and keeping the classic logo alive on the alternate sweater. Personally I always loved the logo on the red third jerseys and this harkens back to that.
Elliott Strauss

Tampa Bay Lightning

Hopefully here you see an obvious throwback to their pre-Edge uniforms with the simple two solid stripes at the base. The shoulder designs get a little more abstract. A very miniscule amount of silver is found in all three unis. The primary logo is slightly tweaked and the new wordmark I tried to make very jagged to match the nickname.

As a Lightning fan, I have my own thoughts on this one, which I'll try to keep to a minimum. First, I think the current secondary should be the primary mark. It doesn't need the text if you ask me, tweaked or otherwise. And for that matter, the wordmark needs some adjustment. This isn't a criticism of Elliott so much as the team itself. Not the best choice, if you ask me.

Regarding the jerseys, I like the striping, but the font isn't quite suited — or perhaps it would just require some getting used to. Mainly, though, I'm glad to see the lightning bolt sill on the pants.
Elliott Strauss

Calgary Flames

Black is dropped here as I wanted to get a more retro feel the jersey. But the design has some modern influences in the angled patterns — reminiscent of the old Pens jerseys.

The Flames are a team with an established visual identity that is difficult to improve upon. The Flaming C will last longer than a lot of other NHL logos which is likely why Elliott saw no point in changing it.

He mixed elements of Calgary's pre-Edge uniforms and I think it really works. However, I'm not sure there's any way to beat the classic '80s jerseys that the Flames pulled out as a 30th anniversary tribute this season.

In Part 5, Mr. Strauss tackles — you guessed it — the Blackhawks, among others. In the meantime, check back for new concept art. I plan to have new posts here several times a week.