Saturday: Concepts are my Business, and Business is Good.

Hello everyone, and welcome to another Saturday HJC post! We have several great designs, from alternates, to Team Canada sweaters, and wild, colorful designs! 

Last week I mentioned the beginning of the trade deadline deals, with Miller/Ott going to St. Louis for Halak/Stewart/prospect/picks. So, how did everyone enjoy their "Hockey Christmas" presents? Did your GM bring you something nice, or do you wish you could take it back? Personally, I was very happy with the moves my Predator made at the deadline. We got a better haul for David Legwand than the Islanders did for Tomas Vanek, and even managed to get something for Dubnyk, even if it is the proverbial bag of pucks that is "future considerations." So how did you feel about the trade deadline, and has it changed who you believe will win the cup this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!

Also, if you didn't see the link to the Advanced Division teasers for our Pairs Competition that got tweeted out earlier today, go here now! There's some really great stuff there. I cannot wait to see what these designers come up with. The teasers look phenomenal. 

Now let's get down to business!

Denver Nuggets concept - Stephen T.S.

What I like: We've had cross-league concepts from the NFL, but rarely do we get one from the NBA. Translating an NBA look to a hockey jersey can be tricky. I tried to do one for the Memphis Grizzlies, and results were mixed at best. I like the striping on the arms

What I dislike: The shoulder yokes are too busy. With hockey equipment, you need a light sock, and a dark sock. In this case, you would need one that is light blue, and one that is gold. You would also need a light and dark helmet. I would move the chest striping further up the jersey. The sleeve numbers are really tiny. I don't really understand why the pants stitching has been colored.

Overall: Really ambitious design. (6/10)

Denver Nuggets throwback concept - Stephen T.S.

What I like: This is a pretty wild design. It has that 70s tacky coolness to it.

What I dislike: Most everything I said above applies here. I would take the lace-up collar off the jersey. 

Overall: These jerseys would definitely be a conversation starter. (6/10)

Germany vs. Austria concept - Stephen T.

What I like: This could be an interesting game. Outdoor international games could be a huge draw. I think the aesthetic here is supposed to hearkening back to the WWI-era. Considering that, this is an interesting match-up, as Germany and Austria-Hungary were allies.

What I dislike: With Germany, you have to be careful. This design is dancing on razor's edge of honoring German heritage, and bringing back designs that remind people of the Third Reich. I would take some inspiration from some of these designs. There's some good stuff there. Both logos are really pixelated, but Austria's is especially bad. Details are totally lost. There is some blank areas left around the helmet for Austria.

Overall: I like the idea behind the game, but these jerseys some work. Logos are the biggest issues here. (6.8/10)

New Danzig (Create-A-Country Competition entry) concept - Stephen T.

What I like: I really enjoyed the Create-A-Country contest a few weeks back. There were a lot of creative designs. I think the best thing Stephen did here was create a country with a flag that has a unique color scheme. There are enough red/white/blue countries out there already. The striping and logo work well here. I like that the flag colors enable you to use only those three colors.

What I dislike: The maroon-ish color is hard to see against the black. It's not a huge problem with the numbers, but the name is very hard to read.

Overall: These jerseys look almost IIHF ready. (7.5/10)

Florida Panthers De-Edge concept - Justin S.

What I like: I could see the dark jersey as one of the 90s-era third jersey experiments. One of those that people collect, like this old Lightning third jersey.

What I dislike: The white jersey needs more red. The name/numbers can be hard to read against the white jersey. The claw marks are great for a tacky third jersey, but not suited to a full-time home/away.

Overall: I love old tacky 90s jerseys. I'd like to see that red jersey paired with a slightly more traditional home/away. (7/10)

Edmonton Oilers concept - Christian L.

What I like: The Oilers' logo is a classic that needs no changes. It's hard replace that and improve the jersey. It's not a bad logo, Christian, it's just hard to improve upon the logo the Oilers currently have. Presentation is good.

What I dislike: Two different shades of orange are used here. The old Reebok logo should be replaced with the new Reebok wordmark, because Reebok no longer uses it on hockey jerseys. There's not real changes here besides a new logo, so not much to write home about. The number font used is not an improvement, either.

Overall: Christian creates a curious crest for a team from Canada. (7/10)

Montreal Canadiens concept - Caleb F.

What I like: It takes guts to take on a new look for the "untouchable" Canadiens. I submitted a freak-out jersey for Montreal to Icethetics last year, and I wouldn't have been surprised to find Habs fan boys outside my house with pitchforks. I like the striping pattern.

What I dislike: The red on the number is a different shade than the red used on the rest of the jersey. I would move the sleeve numbers further up toward the shoulder to avoid crowding the arm stripes. I would like to see some striping or something else on the shoulders than just a plain red yoke.

Overall: I would love to see the reaction if the Canadiens unveiled this as an alternate or a Stadium Series jersey. It's not a bad design. (8/10)

A.I.K. concept (SHL) - Andrew W.

What I like: I like the simple overall design. The AIK logo looks good here. I appreciate adding the logos on the helmets. That's a small detail, but it really adds authenticity to the concept.

What I dislike: I'm not digging the two shades of yellow used here. It clashes awkwardly to me. 

Overall: Just use one shade of yellow. (7/10)

Team Canada concept - Dylan A.

What I like: This is a nice, simple design; an improvement over what Canada actually showed up, thanks to Nike. Gold plays a fairly prominent role here, which I like. I love the striping, and the gold outline on the crests. The subliminated maple leaves (feels really good to be able to pluralize that properly) are a nice touch on the shoulders. Execution and presentation is fantastic.

What I dislike: The colored namebar on the light jersey isn't necessary, and bleeds into the red on the shoulders. Plus, it reminds me of the classic 1980 USA hockey jerseys.

Overall: Canada would have looked great in these. (8.8/10)

Winnipeg Jets concept - Dylan W.

What I like: If the Jets ever do an alternate, something like this would work well. It's a clean, traditional design. Striping works well, and the jersey really benefits from more red.

What I dislike: Anyone reminded of the Rangers here? It's a small complaint.

Overall: This would make a great compliment to Winnipeg's home/away. (8.8/10) COTW nomination from me!

Team Canada (2014 Sochi fix) - Ryan H.

What I like: Putting info with the concept always helps. It really allows you to see and understand the purpose and intention behind the artist's creation. This isn't intended to be a redesign of Canada's jerseys from Sochi, but rather fixing what Nike came up with by only changing certain aspects of the design. Execution and presentation are top-notch as always.

What I dislike: I'm not sure how I feel about two different styles of maple leaves on the crest and arm.

Overall: This is a big improvement over what Nike rolled out. (8.8/10)

I hope you all enjoyed this weeks post! Leave any comments if you agree/disagree with my assessments, and don't forget to send in your votes for concepts next week. I timed myself this week, and it only took 20 seconds. You can do it! See you all next week.