Saturday: The Alternate

Hello everyone, and welcome to another Saturday edition of HJC! In today's post we have international concepts,a modern take on an old team, alternates, redesigns, and a new team entirely! 

Two concepts in today's post got me thinking, who has the greatest alternate jersey in NHL history, and what makes a great alternate to begin with? I'm of the belief that an alternate should push the envelope and depart from tradition, so with that in mind here are my top 3 greatest alternates of all time:

Honorable mentions: Nashville Predators 2009-2011, Edmonton Oilers 2001-2007

3. Columbus Blue Jackets 2010-Present

 

(Image Credits: www.blujackets.nhl.com)

I'm a big fan of the cannon. If there was ever a team that could change it's alternate to it's full-time home jersey, it's Columbus. That number font is so cool, too. Were I to ever own one, I would have to get name/numbers put on it. This seemed to be a jersey that said, "We're not an expansion team anymore."

2. Minnesota Wild 2009-Present

 

(Image Credits: www.twincities.com; www.wild.nhl.com)

I would say that this jersey brought green back in then NHL. The baseball-esque script logo was risk, especially considering how great the Wild's primary already is. It's not flashy; just a great, simple, and classy alternate.

1. New York Rangers 1996-1998; 1999-2007

  

(Images taken from hfboards)

Has there ever been an alternate as classic as this one? "New York Rangers Lady Liberty alternate" is a regular search for me on Ebay. I'd love to have one (besides the obvious Gretzky, I think I might get Manny Malhotra on the back of it or Greg de Vries). That primary logo is amazing. It's a shame the Rangers didn't use it for the Stadium Series jerseys. This was the Rangers first alternate jersey, and they did it perfectly. Bravo.

Now on the real reason you all are here: the concepts!

Team Austria IIHF Concept - Stephen T.

What I like: I appreciate out of the box designs. This would be out of the norm for Austia, although it is very similar to Russia's set from Sochi.

What I dislike: The similarities to Russia are impossible to ignore. The black used for the bird on the white jersey can look like a Rorschach test. I'm not a big fan of the striping behind the sleeve numbers, or the colored namebar on the white jersey. I would take all the gold striping out here and just stick with red/white/black.

Overall: It's good to see Stephen thinking outside the box. (7/10)

Team Germany IIHF Concept - Stephen T.

What I like: It's a different look for Germany, even though it's still similar to concept above, and is a play off of Russia's Sochi white jersey. I don't think I've ever seen a home/away that are essentially the same from the front.

What I dislike: Is making the back of a jersey yellow light enough (or different enough) to make it usable as an away jersey? I'm inclined to say no. It's just not dissimilar enough. Germany's socks here are the same as the ones Stephen made for Austria above. Only the colors have been changed.

Overall: These two jerseys are just too similar for me. It's hard to view them as being a set. (6/10)

Real Madrid Concept - David P.

What I like: The colors on the home/away work really well together. I appreciate that David made helmets for all three jerseys, and took the time to put logos on them. David did his research and made sure the proper league logo and advertisements (let's hope this never happens in the NHL) are used.

What I dislike: I'd like to see something with a little more creativity here. Maybe play on the diagonal stripe in the logo with some diagonal striping instead of the horizontal. I looked up some Real Madrid kits, and I know they use numbers similar to what we see on the sleeves here, but man is that font terrible. It reminds me of the numbers on the infamous "Wild Wing" Ducks jersey. I'm not big on the orange jersey here. The colors on the crest don't pair well with that orange. Is that supposed to be a play on a soccer goalie jersey, perhaps? I know they usually wear brighter colors. I don't know much about soccer. Speaking of the crest, it's really pixelated here.

Overall: Execution isn't bad, but I would have liked to have seen more risks taken here. (7/10)

Toronto Arenas Concept - Joey F.

What I like: Here's a concept that takes some risks. Joey proposes what Arenas would like if they were still in the NHL today, and I actually like it. Is everyone going to like it? No, the asymmetry will put some off. As a fan of the old Thrashers asymmetrical jerseys, I don't mind it at all.

What I dislike: Jerseys like this are usually more aesthetically pleasing with more than one color. That's the problem here. There's a lot of white this dark jersey. I would ad some gray to the jersey at least. I know the Arenas never used it in their short life span, but this a modern version. You can take liberties there. A shoulder patch might help as well.

Overall: This is very close to being one of those wonderfully memorable "love it or hate it" jerseys. (7.5/10)

Indiana 500s NHL Expansion Concept - Jake88

What I like: It's not often we get to see a concept for a team that is made up entirely. I have to give credit for that. Color scheme works really well together. I love the number font. The pointed shoulder yokes are a great addition as well.

What I dislike: Not crazy about the logo. I think it's supposed to be shaped like Indiana, but it just looks misshapen. With name like, "500's" you should have some sort of racing imagery on the logo. Also, I don't mean to be a grammar snob, but apostrophes are necessary to pluralize a number. It should be "500s" instead.

Overall: I appreciate the creativity involved in making a new team. A few logo tweaks and deleting an apostrophe could really take this to the next level. (8/10)

Detroit Red Wings Stadium Series Concept - Matt Mc.

What I like: If Reebok sticks with the same Stadium Series template in the following years, this could very well be what we see them in. Side note: this template is awesome. Whoever made it did some great work. Presentation is phenomenal here.

What I dislike: I'm not sure about the arm striping. From what I can tell, I think the arm striping would appear like a chevron on the arms. Otherwise, wouldn't it follow the stitching on the back of the jersey as well? The primary logo is a bit large. I would like to see a logo on the helmet. Also, there is some red in the stitching along the shoulder of the back side of the yoke.

Overall: I think this is a pretty accurate depiction of what the Red Wings may look like in a Stadium Series. (8.3/10)

Winnipeg Jets Alternate Concept - Matt Mc.

What I like: That logo is wonderful. It takes inspiration from the Jets' past, but modernizes and cleans up an old logo to make it feel new. The old Nashville numbers actually look really good here. I like that this jersey focuses more on red. That differentiates it enough from the home/away that it would make a good, complimentary alternate. The modern striping works well here, too. I like house the striping along the yoke an arms seems to mirror that of the jet stream swoop in the primary logo. This jersey has a sense of motion to it, which is what you want with a team called the Jets!

What I dislike: As always, I like to see helmet logos.

Overall: This a jersey that keeps growing on me, and has detail in it that rewards you for looking closer and analyzing it. Great work. (9/10) COTW nomination from me!

Fairfield Stags Concept - T.G.

What I like: TG did a great job modifying Fairfield's logo and showing it's true potential. It's not a bad logo to begin with, but taking those motion lines off it, and moving it more upright really improves it. Where before there was slight tackiness, there is now respectability. 

What I dislike: The logo gets a little lost in the striping on the away jersey. I think what the set needs is balance. There's a lot going on in the middle of the jersey, but nothing to attract your eye on the shoulder or hem. A shoulder patch, or even just a colored hem would help. Not sure how I feel about the two-tone red.

Overall: TG already made significant improvements to the logo. Some tweaks to the jerseys would make this a really great set. (8/10)

Vancouver Canucks Concept - S2udio

What I like: S2udio used Vancouver's best logos here. That orca needs to go. I really like the striping on these jerseys. I am very much in favor of bringing the 'V' back into the jersey striping. I like the yoke on the away jersey as well.

What I dislike: Not sure how I feel about having different colored home/away pants. It is interesting, though. At this point, S2udio knows about the socks. I'm not going to badger him, but I do with the home socks had been blue.

Overall: This set makes a lot of positive changes to the Canucks set. (8.3/10)

New York Islanders Alternate Concept - Dylan W.

What I like: I think my favorite part of this jersey is the color balance. The amounts of blue, orange, and white used here are perfect. The striping looks great, and I like the collar as well. Execution and presentation are very good, which you come to expect from Dylan's concepts, along with his player name puns.

What I dislike: It is pretty similar to one of the Stars concepts we saw from Dylan on Thursday. 

Overall: This could make a good alternate for the Isles. (8.5/10)

We've seen several great concepts today, from top-notch artists. Which do you believe deserves a Concept of the Week nomination? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on today's concepts in our comments section! Don't forget to send in your votes for next week's concepts as well! Every vote you send makes this site better! Do it now! See you all back here again next week.