Sunday: Respect the Light Jersey

Hello everyone, and welcome to the start of another week at HJC! Today's post has a few concepts for the Philadelphia Flyers, redesigns for the Capitals, Sabres, Hurricanes, and some really great light jerseys. Dark jerseys tend to get the lion's share of attention,, so it's good to see some light sweaters getting the time and respect they deserve.

Yesterday, we saw some jerseys our readers had received this Christmas, and it looks like some of you got some good hauls this year. My wife hinted I might be getting one later. We'll see. 

Speaking of getting what you wanted for Christmas, did your team get what they wanted this season? Let's take a look at some teams that whose seasons have been just what they wanted, or those who could even trade for a lump of coal.

Winnipeg 

What they wanted: Better Goaltending, defense

What they got: Michael Hutchinson has been a revelation in net so far. Considering he was in the ECHL at this time last year, Hutchinson has really stepped up. Pavelec has looked good as well.

Tampa Bay

What they wanted: Young players stepping up, consistency

What they got: Nikita Kucherov and Tyler Johnson aren't getting enough attention for the kind of seasons they are having. Stamkos and Callahan have developed good chemistry, and Tampa Bay has quickly rebuilt on the fly.

Dallas

What they wanted: Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, Ales Hemsky, and Valeri Nuchushkin form a formidable offense. Anders Lindback rediscovers his Nashville form to become a reliable backup.

What they got: The offense still seems to lack chemistry, and Lindy Ruff has made the lines very top-heavy. Lindback is likely playing his last NHL season, as he has been a total liability when asked to fill in for a Kari Lehtonen who is taking a shellacking in net.

Nashville

What they wanted: Peter Laviolette successfully installs a better offensive system, improving forwards already on the team/in the system, while using offensive blueliners effectively; a healthy Pekka Rinne.

What they got: Laviolette's system has worked wonders. Forsberg already looks like the best offensive talent the team's ever had (including James Neal). Weber/Josi is the league's best defensive duo, and Pekka Rinne has been the best goaltender in the league thus far.

New York Islanders

What they wanted: Improved defense; better goaltending (or any goaltending)

What they got: The Islanders picked up some really underrated players in Johnny Boychuck, Nick Leddy, and Jaroslav Halak. The results have been instant - the Isles sit just 2 points out of first place in the East, and they have 2 games in hand against 2nd place Tampa Bay.

Washington Capitals

What they wanted: Mitch Korn and Barry Trotz to improve goaltending and defensive play.

What they got: Some players have improved (Braden Holtby, John Carlson) while some haven't (Mike Green, Evgeny Kuznetsov). That's Trotz for you. Players will either play lights out for him or not play at all. It can produce amazing results at times, and be maddening at others.

Did your team get what they wanted this year, or are you hoping that they will get a late present in the form of a trade, a certain KHL player who may not be getting paid in the Russian ruble collapse, or is your team desperate enough to claim Derek Roy? Let us know in the comments section!

The best way to ensure that you and your team gets what they want for Christmas is by being a good HJC reader, and voting for Concept of the Week! Joining the Mailing List makes it even easier!

(COTW Dec 21-27 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

Philadelphia Flyers Alternate Jersey Concept - Kevin M.

Positives: The striping pattern has some historical significance, hearkening back to the 1930-31 Philadephia Quakers. 

Negatives: The black in the logo is a different color than the black used on the jersey. The trademark hasn't been taken off the logo, either. That wouldn't appear on the jersey. The stitching around the collar was colored over when the template was filled in with black. The number/name font is not very good. I recommend using some of the fonts on our TEMPLATES page. The jersey would be better balanced with arm striping that matched the hems. The inside of the jersey shouldn't be white.

Overall: There are some good ideas here. A few changes would make this a good alternate. (6.75/10)

Philadelphia Flyers Concept - Jack H.

Positives: These are very clean jerseys. Helmet logos always help make the look more authentic. 

Negatives: The white jersey needs a little more black to balance the orange out. I'm not sold on the chest striping, but without it, there is nothing interesting about this concept.

Overall: Well executed, but doesn't seem to take much inspiration from Flyers' history. (7.75/10)

Washington Capitals Concept - Jack H.

Positives: The problem with the Washington Captials' Winter Classic jersey is the color balance. There isn't enough blue. The white jersey is much better balanced. 

Negatives: The red jersey could still use more blue. I think the two inner stripes should stay blue, as they are on the white jersey. I'm not sure the Caps' current primary logo (used on the pants here) fits with the Winter Classic aesthetic.

Overall: The white jersey is interesting, but the red jersey suffers from the same color balance problems the Capitals's Winter Classic jersey does. (8/10)

Wheeling Nailers Concept (ECHL) - Ryan C.

Positives: The overall design reminds me of the Buffalo Sabres' jerseys, but that's not a bad thing these days, unless we're talking about their third jersey. The striping pattern is pretty good. I don't like piping, but I don't hate it here.

Negatives: The logos and name/number on the white jersey are a different shade of black from the rest of the jerseys. The "Nailers" nickname is unique, so I would like to see a set that is just as unique. 

Overall: Not a bad set, but I would like to see something a little more memorable. Minor league jerseys allow you a lot of room to stretch your creativity. (7/10)

Colorado Avalanche Concept - Matt M.

Positives: I think we all agree that the Avalanche have terrible uniforms. Even my wife commented on how bad their jerseys were when they played the Preds a few weeks back. I really like the striping pattern here. It takes inspiration from the Avs' original jerseys, but modernizes the look, instead of just translating that look to a Reebok template. The secondary logos look great; a huge improvement over the foot logo. Execution is flawless. Matt puts a logo on the helmet, and numbers. Take notice. The next few concepts include that detail. It's the small details that separate good artists from the best ones. 

Negatives: Why not include an away jersey and make it a set? 

Overall: This would be a great home jersey for the Avs, but I wish an away jersey was paired with it. (9/10)

Buffalo Sabres Concept - Dylan N.

Positives: That white jersey is a real standout. Dylan incorporated the tapered sleeve stripe from their alternate, but to much greater effect. The change isn't dramatic on the dark jersey, but the white jersey is a very positive difference. Execution and presentation is perfect. I like the helmet logo design. The more minimal design translates better when sized down. I don't mind the striping not wrapping completely around the sleeves here.

Negatives: The dark jersey could use some white. 

Overall: Dylan's design improves Buffalo's away jersey, and makes the home jersey a little more unique. (8.85/10)

Carolina Hurricanes Concept - Dylan N.

Positives: The Hurricane's redesign only made their jerseys more bland. Dylan's, naturally, brings back the hurricane flag striping, but placing it only on the yoke ensures that it gets attention, but doesn't dominate the jerseys. These jerseys have better color balance, using more black and silver trim. The red still dominates, though. The flag logo fits well on a helmet. Love the reference to this. I think the white jersey is the stronger of the two.

Negatives: This is more of a general complaint with Hurricanes concepts, but I would like to see more organic striping with their jerseys. I think that match the logo better, which is a very organic design.

Overall: Very solid set for the Hurricanes. (9/10) COTW nomination from me!

Today's post had some really great concepts, so be sure to nominate those you think deserve to go to our Concept of the Week vote! Let the artists know what you like/dislike about their concepts, because it's always helpful to get more than one opinion when you're looking for feedback. 

That's all for today. Be sure come back tomorrow for Dylan's post, and check out some of the jerseys that our reader's received in yesterday's post!