Wednesday: Happy Anniversary

While it may seem like just another Wednesday, it is my 10th post on HJC. It was the absolute middle of the night when I saw the email from Ryan welcoming me to the site, and I have enjoyed every moment of being a writer. I thought I would share my first ever hockey jersey concept as well as my first concept that I submitted to HJC.

Ouch! This was my entry into the Saskatoon Blades alternate jersey contest. Definitely not my proudest moment as a concept artist.
    

This was my entry into HJC's Colgate College Autism Awareness contest. After reading HJC daily for almost two years, I finally submitted my first concept!
    
Enough about me, there's a vote going on & a deadline to meet!
    

COTW Mar 17-23 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

Roadrunners entries (due Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

    
Here are the Roadrunner Contest entries for today! I'll have to sit this one out due to exams, but I have been really impressed with the entries I have seen so far.

  

Ben A.

Jeff H.

 

Joey A.

 

Finally, today's concepts...

Brady S. - Bentley University Concept

Design: Brady will be attending Bentley in the fall, so congrats! I hope you continue to find time to make concepts through college because I give this one an A! Too much bad humor, but that is the only thing that is bad about this concept. I like the striping, as I have used something very similar in my Ohio State concept. Something about that striping pattern looks great on college jerseys. I also love everything about the fourth dark blue alternate.

    

Score: 8.5/10 - Great concept! I like these crests better than ones the team currently wears.

        

          

S2dio - Quebec Nordiques Concept

Design: Although the Nordiques never wore a husky on their jersey, and the version that has floated around as their "unused logo" should have stayed unused. The crest used on this concept, however, looks great. I especially like the fleur-de-lis on the hem of the white jersey, and I would have liked to see that the pattern on the blue jersey as well.

        

Score: 7/10 - I get why red trim was used, but I think it looks out of place on the two tone blue color scheme. Otherwise, a very attractive uniform.

      

       

S2dio - IIHF Centennial All-Stars Concept

Design: When the IIHF named the Centennial All-Star Team in 2008, only one Canadian made the list. I bet you can't guess who that was... 4 of the 6 players were from the Soviet Union, all 6 are in the IIHF Hall of Fame, and 5 of 6 are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. This concept also belongs in the Hall of Fame! Although there is only one team named to the list, I think these jerseys would fly off of the shelves.

     

Score: 7.5/10 - I don't like how the patches are on the upper sleeves. I would move the TV numbers to where the patches are, and move the patches to the shoulder yoke. Very creative design!

          

       

WinnipegJets96 - Chicago Express Concept

 

Design: I had the honor of attending the UHL Chicago Hounds very first game. Wow, did the team make that an unforgettable experience. When I arrived 45 minutes to puck drop, the glass in the arena hadn't been added to the boards and the player benches were still being constructed. Fire extinguishers were also being used to freeze the ice. So why does this matter? No franchise has ever survived their stay in the Sears Center, even the Express which only had a brief one year stay in the ECHL. The concept is solid, simple, and I wonder what number font was used given Jets96's name.

     

Score: 7/10 - I'm not sure how I feel about the template. It has a lot of seams, but I like to see something new on HJC.

      

    

WinnipegJets96 - Philadelphia Quakers Concept

Design: After working with Jets96 in the Pairs Competition, I learned that he isn't afraid to try something crazy and different. I like the colors used in this concept. The "earthy" tint to the orange really gives this concept some context. This concept really reminds me of the Coyotes' 1998 alternate.

     

Score: 7.5/10 - The patterns are fuzzy, but it doesn't bother me given the context of the team name. That may have even been intentional/ I like these as concepts, but I'm glad they haven't been seen on the ice.

         

        

Christian L. -  California Golden Seals Concept

Design: Christian's Golden Seals logo couldn't get any more literal than a gold seal. The crest looks great on this jersey, and it would look great in the NHL. I think the striping looks too much like the Blackhawks and Stars striping. I would have liked to see something creative and unique.

     

Score: 6.5/10 - The white and yellow number is kind of hard to see. I might add a thin green outline in between the white and yellow. The Golden Seals color scheme has always looked good, and I wish green and yellow would come back to the NHL.

         

         

Stephen T. - Montreal Canadiens Fauxback Concept

Design: I have always wondered why the Canadiens signature chest stripe was only featured on their white jersey from 1944-47. I personally think it looks better than their current white uniform, but you can't mess with a classic. I don't know if I like the crest on the sleeve, especially if it is only on one sleeve. I might rather see a shoulder patch for the first time in team history.

      

Score: 8/10 - I'll give an exception here to messing with a classic look. I think this set should be adopted by the Habs.

           

       

Stephen T. - Philadelphia Flyers Fauxback Concept

Design: Stephen's second concept is incredibly cool. I like the throwback look that is used here. I think the orange is a touch too dark, and I think the white number on the black jersey seems too light on such a dark concept. I also think the white jersey could use some more orange.

      

Score: 7/10 - I personally think the color scheme brings this concept down, however I like the striping. Just make sure that all of the stripes are uniform in thickness.

         

        

Phil B. - Dallas Stars Concept

Design: Just the other day, I was thinking about how gray could be incorporated into the Stars color scheme. The way that the stripes lie on the template reminds me of the 1997 away uniform that Dallas ripped off from the NHL's All-Star jerseys. One thing I never noticed about the Stars new logo is how awkward it looks when centered. Skewed star leads to an off-centered "D" which makes the logo heavy on the left side. Definitely not Phi's problem, I just thought I'd mention it.

     

Score: 7/10 - I don't think I will ever look at the Stars uniform the same after my crest discovery. I do like this concept though. I would like to see the striping on the pants reflect that of the jersey striping.

        

         

Phil B. - New York Islanders Concept

Design: When the Islanders were recovering from the fish sticks era, they rolled out an orange alternate with a striping pattern very similar to this one. I actually really like these uniforms. The Islanders are a relatively new team, and have toyed with many identities. I would support this concept as an NHL uniform set. I like the brighter blue as opposed to navy. The Islanders can't seem to decide which shade of blue they like.

     

Score: 9/10 - Could we possibly see this concept in Brooklyn? Unfortunately not, as the team already announced that they would not be changing jerseys. I do love the "NY" logo on the shoulders. COTW nomination!

            

             

That's all! Canada may have won the gold medal, but they also invented this sport... I bring you Leaf Blower Hockey! Do I smell the next HJC Contest theme?

(The video is old, but it is just going viral in the US, so my bad if it's old news to our neighbors up north)

         

Okay, NOW I'm done. See you next time!