Saturday: A race to the finish line

When this posts, I'll be busy at work. I'll be stressed out because I won't be home in time to catch the beginning of game 5 and I can't wait. Thankfully, I won't miss the first two periods like I did for game four. Things could be worse.

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NHL Premiere Logo (by J3 Hockey)

Michigan Warriors (by Alex)

This is the first NAHL concept I've seen and it's certainly an interesting one. Red and blue is a hard color scheme to go wrong with, even though it's a bit overused, and the color scheme really melds well with the jersey template. The pants could use some kind of striping, though. Overall, I'll give it a 7.5/10.

Montreal Canadiens (by Bobby)

Bobby has three concepts today, all for teams north of the border. I can't say I'm a big fan of this one. I like the change to the tiedown collars but Montreal's uniforms should not change. If there is any change that should happen, it's bringing back the 1944-47 white jersey, but only as an alt. That being said, the changes aren't hugely drastic and have some basis in history so they're not all that bad. Overall, I'll give it a 7.5/10.

Ottawa Senators (by Bobby)

This one I'm not sure about either. The Sens have a great barberpole look already and changing it to a sleeve design doesn't seem like a step up. However, if the Senators were to adopt the barberpole look as their primary home and away look, I could definitely see one of these two as an alternate. It's a good design overall. I would have stuck with the O logo on its own without the shield. Overall, I'll give it a 7.5/10.

Toronto Maple Leafs (by Bobby)

Third time's the charm! This one I really like. The Leafs desperately need to make their alternate the primary with a matching road version. Their current sweaters aren't bad but the alternate is so much better. I would have used the 1967-70 logo, though. That has always been Toronto's best logo. Overall, I'll give it an 8.5/10.

Brandon Wheat Kings (by Dylan)

Dylan's two concepts today illustrate two of the WHL's (in my opinion) unusual looks. Here we have the Brandon Wheat Kings. The color scheme is great (take note, Lemieux!) and I love the wheat motif in the hem stripe. It would be even better if it was included in the arm stripes. The Senators made it happen from 2000-07 and it could happen here. Overall, I'll give it an 8/10.

Portland Winterhawks (by Dylan)

The Winterhawks are an unusual case because despite their logo and uniform designs, they have no actual connection to the Blackhawks. The look is pure coincidence brought on by the team buying surplus Black Hawks jerseys to use back in the 1970s. The look and name stuck. You all know I'm a sucker for the Blackhawks' look and even variations like this count. Overall, I'll give it an 8.5/10.

Chicago Express (by E.Awad)

And here we see an example of what can happen to a team in the same market as two teams in higher-level leagues. The Express ceased operations because of lack of support thanks to the Blackhawks and the Wolves. It's a sad story. The jerseys are great, though. Double blues don't always work but here they do. A standard hem stripe matching the arm stripes would improve this design. Overall, I'll give it a 7.5/10.

Guelph Storm (by Gerard)

This concept isn't bad. The jerseys are great since the color scheme is great and the design is really strong. I don't like the different color scheme on the alt, though. It'd look better if the maroon was consistent. Also, the right cuff on the rear view of the white jersey isn't colored properly. Overall, I'll give it a 7/10.

Hartford Rangers (by Gerard)

Now this one is really cool. Gerard takes Hartford's association with the Rangers to its logical conclusion and gives them recolored Rangers jerseys. I really like this idea. I happened to like the Connecticut Whale identity because the green and blue is so associated with Hartford and it looks great here applied to a classic hockey look. I even like the old-school Rangers throwback alt. Overall, I'll give it a 9/10.

Peterborough Petes (by Gerard)

Sometimes you really can't go wrong with a one-color color scheme. This is one of those times. This one looks great because of the simplistic design which lends itself well to the colors. I even like the white yoke since it's properly balanced with a lot of white on the maroon jersey. I think the concept could do without an alt. The primary jerseys are good enough on their own. Overall, I'll give it an 8/10.

HIFK (by Jake)

Shifting gears a bit, we move to Europe. Specifically, Finland, from where Jake brings us two concepts today. First of all, I will always appreciate European hockey concepts that do away with the countless ads European hockey jerseys always feature. I know it's a reality of the sport there but I will never like it. Having one sponsor on a soccer jersey is enough for me. Anyway, as for the design itself, I like the design of the red jersey. It's simple and effective. Why couldn't the white jersey have a matching design? The vertical piping look is just unnecessary. Overall, I'll give it an 8/10.

Oulun Kärpät (by Jake)

This one suffers from the same problem multiplied by two. I'll give you extra points for the first concept I've ever judged with a team named after a type of weasel, though. If you got rid of the Bettman Apron and the vertical sleeve piping, this would be an excellent concept. The color scheme is classic and this concept uses it well. Overall, I'll give it a 7.5/10.

Victoriaville Tigres (by Kyle)

Coming back across the Atlantic, Kyle's concept for today features the Tigres of Victoriaville. I'll give this a similar comment as the last one: the color scheme is great. I love the yellow and black.

Tampa Bay Lightning (by Jets96)

To be honest, anything would be an improvement over what the Lightning are currently wearing. I like this concept a lot because it's a good hybrid between modern and traditional and doesn't look like the team is playing Original Six dress-up. I'd take the black out of the color scheme, though. It doesn't stand out well from the blue. Overall, I'll give it an 8/10.

Toronto Maple Leafs (by Jets96)

Jets' Leafs concept (in a way) inverts the striping pattern the Leafs should have and it looks pretty good. The Leafs should never have anything other than a traditional striping pattern and this one isn't too out of the box. I've never been a fan of the really pointy leaf logos, though. They're just too overly-complex for my tastes. I'm also not sure about the collar. It looks like a t-shirt collar. I definitely like the return of the TML shoulder patch, though. Overall, I'll give it a 7.5/10.