Wednesday: A Champion Is Crowned

You may remember from a few weeks ago that I made a logo bracket for all of teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I promised a Final 4 the next week but got busy, so here it is now!

Bracket from 5/12

How We Got Here:
-The Blackhawks logo is full of tradition. It is placed on one of the best rated sweaters in the NHL, and is considered an honor for players to have the chance to wear that crest. Chicago's logo beat out the ever changing Blues & Wild crests and undoubtedly deserved a spot in the top 4.
-San Jose's crest was up against a handful of relatively new logos in the southwest portion of the bracket. It easily beat out the Kings, who haven't been able to settle on a crest. In the quarterfinals, it faced off against the Stars new logo. The intensity & intimidation of the Sharks logo landed it in the final 4.
-Like Chicago, the Bruins crest screams tradition. The choice between the Boston & Detroit was a tough one, but the simplicity of the pinwheel makes the Bruins logo easily identifiable anywhere. The Canadiens logo also put up a fight, but the prominent "B" at the center of the pinwheel stood strong against the "CH" logo that is often confusing to amateur hockey fans.
-The Flyers logo made it all the way to the final 4 because unlike any other team in the bracket, Philadelphia's logo has gone unchanged in any capacity since the team's birth.
     
The Final Four:
Although I know that I may sound predictable by picking the Blackhawks as having the best logo, there is never a question as to which team the logo belongs to as it is one of the most notable sports logos in all four major professional sports. It focuses more on tradition & honor than the team's colors, and that is why I place it #1 above all other playoff teams. As I mentioned before, the Bruins logo proudly displays the city's initial, while Philly's takes a little more inspection before noticing the "P" hidden in the wings. Feel free to disagree, and I'd love to hear what you think in the comments.

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In HJC News, the Stanley Cup Game 1 live chat starts at 9pm ET tonight! Make sure you have your laptop or smartphone next to you while watching the game so that you can interact with the rest of the HJC community.

     

We also have a COTW vote going on, as well as a vote for the logo that will be used for this year's edition of the HJC Open competition. Make sure you vote for that as well. Every vote counts, help make HJC history!

   

COTW May 26 - June 1 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

HJC Open Logo vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

     

Now, today's concepts:

     

Ryan H. - New York Rangers Alternate Concept

Design: Ryan's Lady Liberty jersey auction just wrapped up last night, so it is only fitting that we start today's post with his take on the jersey. Both the Rangers blue & white "Lady Liberty" jerseys didn't really depend on stripes for their design, where as Ryan's concept does. I personally like this concept because I think it would fit very well into the Rangers' current uniform set. The original "Lady Liberty" jersey used angled stripes that had never been seen before on a Rangers jersey. Ryan's jersey could be a keeper.

    

Score: 8.5/10 - The Rangers are currently working with a navy "vintage" alternate that really doesn't look too different from their home blue. I really commend Ryan for going in a completely different direction with this concept.

     

     

Mario A. - Boston Bruins Concept

Design: Mario is back with some of his new concepts that we have seen in the past couple of days. In my opinion, the black jersey is one of the best in the bunch. One big complaint that I have is the lack of continuity between the different components of this concept. I like the use of a brighter yellow, but I wish the yellow in the logo would have changed as well.

    

Score: 5/10 - Both of these jerseys are very busy, and I think they would look messy on the ice. The white nameplate on the black jersey seems out of place, and the numbers look too far apart from each other.

    

    

Dylan W. - Acadie Bathurst Titan

Design: From my research, it looks like Acadie Bathurst has tried to look like the Panthers as well as the Flames, but Dylan finally gives them their own identity. On top of the jerseys, he also gives them a killer new logo! I really like color palette, as it is pretty unique. The yoke is also very cool. I like how it stretches down to include the TV numbers, but doesn't extend down the entire arm.

    

Score: 8/10 - Great concept! It would be very cool to see an NHL team concept utilizing some of these design features.
 
 
Steve M. - New Orleans Saints Concept

Design: Steve's NFL concepts take center stage again, and I can assure him that hockey fans would be glad to see a fleur de lis back on a hockey jersey. I like that the Saints' helmet stripe was the basis for the concept's striping, and the logo looks awesome as a crest on a hockey jersey. I also really like that black was used over gold as the prominent detail color on the white jersey. Sometimes gold on white doesn't always come out looking very good.

    

Score: 7/10 - Cool concept, well done.
 
 
Steve M. - New York Giants Concept

Design: I really like that Steve's take on a Giants' hockey jersey is a literal copy of their away jersey. The striping on the white jersey, which is the same as the striping on the white football jersey, also makes its way onto the blue jersey. I think the red striping on the blue jersey could use some white to make it pop, but I understand why Steve wouldn't want to alter the striping pattern.

    

Score: 7/10 - I have made the joke too many times, but would the Giants win more games playing hockey?
 
 
Steve M. - Philadelphia Eagles Concept

Design: Steve's final concept of the day is my favorite of his designs. Steve elects to use a wings pattern, similar to what is found on the Eagles' helmet as arm striping for his hockey jersey concept. This feature is very unique, and is something that works much better on a hockey jersey than it would on a football jersey. It really allows the team's identity to come out through the uniforms.

    

Score: 7.5/10 - Steve changes it up, and goes for a creative approach as opposed to a literal approach. I really like this concept.
 
 
Joey A. - New Jersey Devils Concept

Design: The New Jersey Devils name is kind of an oxymoron because the team very rarely ever wears a new jersey. They didn't even debut a one-off uniform in the Stadium Series. Well Joey mixes some things up, and makes a new jersey for New Jersey. The biggest overall design change is a change in the striping pattern and the yoke. I personally think that Joey's striping is more interesting than the Devils current striping. It really does look sharp. It's also funny to me that the striping stands out to me considering that Joey gives the Devils their first ever black jersey! And what is that? Red pants? It all looks very good, and it is refreshing to see someone drastically alter NJ's standard look.

    

Score: 7/10 - When
 
 
Steve G. - Montreal Canadiens Concept

Design: Steve's concept has won my heard for this week, as he has done the near impossible of changing the Canadiens classic uniforms. I think the double stripe pattern looks a lot more modern, while still maintaining the classic identity of the Canadiens' franchise. The new white jersey is a must, however. It has always bothered me that the Canadiens' white jersey has lacked the chest stripe that has made the red jersey so famous. Montreal has used a chest stripe on their white jersey once, but only for a handful of years. This concept has pulled off this feature perfectly.

    

Score: 9/10 - COTW Nomination! Enough said.
 
 
That's all folks! I have been making concepts left and right this summer, so get in the summer mood and start making some new concepts! Pretty soon, the only hockey fix you'll be able to get will be at HJC!