Saturday: Eight concepts, five artists

Yep, my luck of posting after Blackhawks games continues. The Hawks have clinched the President's trophy and tonight's game in St. Louis will feature a ton of players from the Rockford IceHogs getting some major league experience. No point in risking your stars when you have nothing left to play for, after all. On to the concepts.

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New Jersey Devils (by Casey)

Casey has taken the Devils’ current design and changed the black out for green. I really don’t have much to say about the design since it’s not all that original (not that I mean that as an insult in any way) so there isn’t much to critique. I like the idea, though. It’s certainly better than the original red-and-green sweaters and would probably look good as a Devils alternate. Overall, I’ll give it a 7.5/10.

Ottawa 67's/Centennials (by Derek)

Here’s the first of Derek’s two OHL concepts – this one for an update to the Ottawa 67’s. He’s changed their name to the Ottawa Centennials, which is appropriate since the real team is named the 67’s in celebration of Canada’s centennial in 1967. I definitely like the color scheme, which is a good change from the ever-so-common red, white and black that so many teams use. However, I am concerned about the color balance. The black seems to be much more present on the red jersey than the white. Balancing that would improve the concept quite a bit. Overall, I’ll give it an 8/10.

Plymouth Whalers (by Derek)

Derek’s next concept is for one of the OHL’s three American teams, the Plymouth Whalers. Plymouth’s real-life logo is a complex logo that you’d expect from minor league hockey and to be honest, I’m not sure if the crossed harpoons work as a replacement. I think it’s mainly because of the colors. The brown and silver are both very dark so they don’t stand out well against the dark green. On the other hand, I do like the diagonal script on the white jersey. It’s too bad that the Rangers have a monopoly on that design in the NHL because I’m sure a few other teams could pull it off. Except Pittsburgh. Theirs didn’t look good. Overall, I’ll give it an 8/10.

Columbus Blue Jackets (by Mason)

Mason’s Columbus concept takes the design from the Ohio state flag and applies it in a striping pattern that, as far as I know, has no history in the NHL. I like to think I’m a traditionalist, but this is one non-traditional design that I actually like. So many teams adopt striping designs that are out of left field, but this one actually makes sense. It’s relevant to the team. Plus, Columbus’ red and blue color scheme really works. The red pops against the blue really well and this is a design I would not mind seeing as an alternate. It would work. My only critique is the template. I’m not sure why you went with that Edge design when a standard yoked design probably would have worked just as well. Overall, I’ll give it an 8.5/10.

Tampa Bay Lightning (by Mike)

Mike’s design is actually split up into two images, presumably because of size considerations. I’ve been on the record before as stating that I don’t like the Lightning’s current design since it’s obviously Steve Yzerman trying to make his team look like an Original Six squad, which they’re not – neither in history nor on-ice performance. The Lightning should be in a semi-modern design befitting the fact that they’re a relatively recent addition to the league and this fits the bill. That being said, I don’t think they should go crazily out there (see their first alternate) so this set would work really well for them. The striping motif is entirely appropriate and it’s a modern design that isn’t too modern. I especially love the gray alt. There has never been a gray jersey in the NHL and this one would look good on the ice. Gray and blue are a really good combination that work together. Overall, I’ll give it a 9/10.

Oakland Seals (by WinnipegJets96)

Jets’ concept is also split into two images, and while the third is quite easy on the eyes, the home and road are like a Don Cherry or Craig Sager suit. That’s not Jets’ fault, though. Blame that on Charlie Finley, the guy who bought the Seals, changed their name to the California Golden Seals and put them in green and yellow – like the two other sports teams he owned at the time, the Oakland A’s and the Memphis Tams. Fun fact: the Memphis Tams broke with standard basketball uniform traditions and at one point wore yellow jerseys with green pants. As for the design, eye-burning aside, I like the design. You can never go wrong with a simple design like this. Apart from some minor pixelation on the third’s logo, it’s a solid concept. Finally, this isn’t a critique but a suggestion: colors like that green tend to blend in with the gray outline used on these templates. The collar on the green jersey doesn’t really stand out well. It’s why I outline my templates in black. Overall, I’ll give it an 8/10.