Tuesday: And the Summer Marches On

As the free agent signings really slow down, July becomes the month where I truly begin to accept that it is the off-season. There will probably be a post later this month where I will finally admit this to myself. Either way, we continue on with the fun and concepts here on HJC all summer!

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Icethetics tweeted this info out over the weekend, but just in case you missed it the Peoria Rivermen (AHL) and Ontario Reign (ECHL) are both having fan designed jersey contests. I'm currently working on my Peoria entry. After I send it in I'll put it into the HJC concept rotation to be posted. I'll then do the same for the Reign entry.

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HJC Open Round 2 entries need to be in my inbox by Wednesday @ 11:59pm EST. If they come in early then voting will begin early. If not then voting will begin on Thursday.

I've noticed that people are getting their Concept of the Week vote in, but are forgetting (or choosing not) to vote for the June Concept of the Year vote. Take a moment and get in both votes if you can.

COTW July 2-8 vote (ends Thursday @ 11:59pm EST)

June-COTY vote (ends Thursday @ 11:59pm EST)

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St. Kilda Saints concept (by Matt D.)

I don't think I'm digging the four quadrants design on the chest and back of the jersey. I also think that because that part of the jersey is so lively that the arms could have been left blank. Or use something that is very minimal. Execution is quite good, as has been the case with this whole series. 7/10

Phoenix Coyotes concept (by John Ha.)

The idea of the jersey could be good, but there are a lot of execution errors that need to be corrected first. The biggest thing being that the lines aren't straight and are going outside the boundaries of the template. Take your time with your concepts. Also check out the PAINT.net TUTORIAL page and the TUTORIALS link which is on the side of the page. 2/10

Florida Panthers concepts (by Deferoiler)

I like the overall idea of these concepts. The red jersey with the yellow does remind me of the Florida heat. I think a yoke outline would be better than that triangular shape that is being used though. A couple of execution notes, the logo seems too big and the tie-down has not been fully coloured around on the red jersey. 6/10

Birmingham Bulls concepts (by NB14)

Of course myself being from Toronto, I prefer the Toros' version of this logo but that's irrelevant to this concept. As for those jerseys, they're Reebok cookie-cutter jerseys. If this were a re-born team I would hope that they have a superstar to sell to the fans because this jersey doesn't inspire people to get behind this team, in my opinion. 6/10

Nashville Predators concept (by Mike S.)

I really like the sublimated checkerboard pattern on the collar, namebar, and numbers. I also like the arm and hem stripes. I feel like the attention they should get is being taken away by the irrelevant yokes though. This concept suffers from execution errors including no NHL shield in the collar insert, no TV numbers, and the logo looks too small. 6/10

Team Czech Republic concept (by Stephen T.)

I like some elements on this one. The yokes and arm stripes are good, but the white knit area under the arms is what I'm not a fan of. I think the squares at the bottom of the jersey could be re-worked. I think it would be better if it resembled the bottom of the country's sweaters from the 98 gold medal team. 6/10

Columbus Blue Jackets concept (by John T.)

John has sent a version of this one before, but never a grey one. I think the Jackets can pull off a grey jersey, however there are a few teams I would like to see try it before them. The design here is good, but I would say it needs a touch more blue. Perhaps a blue collar or collar insert, or both? 7/10

Hamilton Tigers concepts (by Tyler G.)

Tyler uses a logo from the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which is who the hockey team was named after. I'm not a fan of that using that logo here, but I would say that I think the tiger head needs to go in front of the H and not hide behind it. The alternate sweater suits this team quite well. The home and road also do a nice job of creating something new with a Reebok template (Buffa-slug). 7/10

New York Rangers concepts (by WhiteLightning)

Oooh, grey as a secondary colour for the Rangers? Hopefully not in my lifetime. I'd like to see those grey stripes turn white on the dark blue jersey. Perhaps grey trim would be good there? It looks good on the white jersey. My favourite part here is the pants, which have the logo on them leaving a trail behind it to make the stripes. 7/10

New York Rangers concept (by Scott M.)

This one is pretty good. It's hard to find something wrong with it. It's not flashy, but it definitely gets the job done. I might say that the arm stripes need to be thicker to avoid looking like the Blackhawks. 8/10

Gold Coast Suns concept (by Matt D.)

To me this one just didn't transfer well to a hockey jersey. I can see Matt tried to make it work, but it's just not happening for me. Unfortunately, this jersey just doesn't look appealing...to a hockey fan such as myself anyways. 6/10

Holy Cross Crusaders concepts (by Brady)

Here is the current white jersey for this school. I don't know if Brady has improved the jerseys as much as he's given two good options for alternate sweaters. The black jersey is fine and nicely executed, but it also seems like it's exactly what you would expect them to wear. It's almost too straight-forward. 8/10

Ottawa Senators concepts (by MasonII)

Sens fans, you would have to be pretty pleased if your team was wearing these! The updated side profile logo and the current font and numbers are a MUST for me on any new Sens sweaters. It seems like nitpicking to say I'm not a fan of the jersey cut that Mason has used, but that's a minor detail and only my opinion. 8/10