Sunday: All-Stars

Hello everyone! Today's post features a fan-made jersey, a Winter Classic concept that turns the clock back 90 years, a second chance for the black Islanders third template, and one of the better Coyotes sets I've seen, and more!

A few days ago, the NHL released the design for the jerseys to be used in this year's All-Star game. While rumors of neon green and chromed NHL shields had prepared us for the visual carnage to come, let's take a look at what they chose. Instead of describing my reaction, I'll show you.

Image Credit: NHL.com

Woof. The colors, chosen arbitrarily, and striping remind me of a motocross jersey. There have been lots of comparisons to the corporate identity of Monster energy drinks. It looks like it markets to people who consider playing Call of Duty a competitive sport. Shouldn't an All-Star game be prestigious? These jerseys lend no gravitas to the game whatsoever.

Image Credit: NHL.com

When will the league be free of these chrome logos? It's like an intern showed some photoshop effects to Gary Bettman, and he was like, "Ooooh wow, put that on everything." The Stadium Series jerseys were bad enough, but at least they had multiple colors and some level of contrast. This has none of those things, and it makes the gimmicky effect look even worse.

Image Credit: NHL.com

The numbers are simply an outline on the dark jersey. My wife said it reminded her of Tron, and I must agree. The All-Star game logo isn't terrible in gray, although it does make it more difficult to discern the details in it. The colors had to be changed, though because the red, blue, white, and silver used on the logo wouldn't match the colors used on jerseys. So it's a decent solution to a problem that should have never existed.

Image Credit: NHL.com

I'm not a big fan of this new All-Star wordmark, either. It could be a lot worse, but the elongated star seems a little 80s to me. 

Basically, I hate them. When Nashville hosts the All-Star game in 2016, I sincerely hope that the NHL's jersey designers get through puberty in time to draw up some more professional, prestigious jerseys worthy of being worn by the best players in hockey.

Speaking of designers doing a good job, why not take a moment to send votes in for December's Concept of the Year entry, Concept of the week, and our World Cup of Hockey Logo Competition? Let's show some respect and recognition to some great work!

COTY-December vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

COTW Jan 4-10 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

World Cup Logo Top 3 vote (due Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

Baltimore Orioles (MLB) jersey made by Will S.

Will sent a picture of a hockey jersey for the Baltimore Orioles that I'm assuming he had made. Baltimore has one of my favorites identities in MLB, and is probably the team I pull for when the Cardinals aren't playing. This reminds me a lot of Philadelpha's Winter Classic-turned-new-third jersey, but that's not a bad thing. I like the jersey, and if I were an Orioles fan, I'd proudly wear it to games. Thanks to Will for sharing this with us!

California State University of Long Beach 49ers Concept - CID

Positives: Good execution of the sleeve numbers. CID has improved the "ID" logo since the last time I reviewed one of his concepts. I think it's pretty clever. Striping dominance at the shoulders and hems is interesting, as you typically see striping in closer to the elbows. 

Negatives: The yokes are oddly shaped. They are higher than usual. I can't tell exactly what is on the shoulders, but after some research, I think it may be the Walter Pyramid, a very unique stadium at CSU Long Beach's campus. This look is very "baseball," and not in a good way like the picture above. The monogram, making heavy use of serifs, combined with dominant black/white colors, and muted, thin stripes looks more appropriate for the baseball diamond. The socks aren't typically meant to be worn with either home/away. The primary logo is too big on the jerseys.

Overall: Baseball aesthetic and proportional oddities bring this down. I would start with a clean slate, and try using the Walter Pyramid as an inspirational focal point. That is a seriously cool looking building. (6.25/10)

Ottawa Senators Concept - Connor J.

Positives: The half light/half dark look has been an emerging trend in jersey design this year (well before the Stadium Series jerseys came out last month). Connor taps into the trend here. Sleeve numbers are executed well.

Negatives: The chest stripe just ends abruptly on the front of the jersey. On the back, the stripe is much higher, and side panel striping appears out of nowhere on the back as well. It almost seems like the front and back are two different jerseys. It's unsettling, and ruins the whole look for me. The old side-facing Senator logo doesn't translate well in the colors chosen. The lack of color on the helmet makes it blend in with his face; details just disappear. There's no need for the logo used on the back hem.

Overall: This is a disjointed design. (4/10)

Pittsburgh vs. Detroit 2019 Winter Classic Concept - BPoe96

Positives: Bpoe goes into detail here, showing when these teams would play, where they would play, what uniforms inspired his designs, and even a logo. That's very respectable; hat's off to you , there. Both jerseys are very well executed. I have no complaints in that area. Presentation is detailed, as said before. Were Pittsburgh to get in the WC again, I think a look similar to what BPoe proposes is exactly where they should take the design. It's traditional, but has a touch of interesting, unusual proportions and design elements, which doesn't make it seem so expected.

Negatives: The Detroit jersey. It's not bad, don't get me wrong. I just feel like I've seen a couple dozen jerseys like it. Maybe I'd change my mind by 2019, but I really wouldn't want to see these two teams in the Winter Classic yet again.

Overall: Interesting proposal for a game that would be essentially like turning the clock back 90 years. (8.5/10)

Pittsburgh Penguins Concept - Ben S.

Positives: Execution is a plus; helmet logo and numbers are a nice touch. With this template, I always appreciate if a person takes the time to include the small part of the number that would appear on the back left arm. It shows dedication. 

Negatives: The jersey itself looks like more of a template job than anything else. I'm not sold on bringing silver into Pittsburgh's color palate, but if you're going to do it, using the robo-penguin logo is the right decision. I just wish the striping was more angular and geometric to match the feel of that logo. 

Overall: The design isn't groundbreaking, but it is executed well. (7.5/10)

New York Islanders Concept - Alex J.

Positives: I really love Alex's presentation. Everything is very clean and looks professional. Execution on the jerseys is pretty good as well. Color balance is spot-on. I never liked the Islanders black alternate (as most people didn't) but this concept takes the overall design, changing the colors and logos, to show it had potential. 

Negatives: It is essentially just the old black Isles third with the colors and logo changed. 

Overall: Alex's presentation is on point, but the jerseys aren't anything new. (8/10)

Phoenix Coyotes Concept - Dylan N.

Positives: I love a good Native Southwestern-style pattern on a Coyotes jersey. Execution is phenomenal. Take a really close look at the stitching; that's quality. The yoke design on the light jersey really makes it, and eludes to the Coyotes' original jerseys. The font is an improvement over Arizona's very round font. The serifs on this font lend a more athletic, almost Western feel, without going full cowboy. Never go full cowboy. The color of the light jersey...lets's call it wheat...would give it a very unique look in the NHL. The side panels incorporate the sunburst pattern from Arizona's secondary logo, inspired by the state flag.

Negatives: The downside of the tapered yoke is that the shoulder patch barely fits. Yes, I know that is a inconsequential complaint.

Overall: This is exactly what I want Arizona to wear. I would want the team to stay in the desert just to see them play in this. It's a rare set in which both dark and light jerseys are equally strong. (9.5/10) COTW nomination from me!

How do you feel about this year's All-Star game jerseys, and today's artwork? Do you disagree with my assessment of them? Let us know your thoughts! Don't forget to send in your votes, and if you haven't signed up for our Mailing List, get with the times, man.

That's all for today. See you all back here same time tomorrow for Dylan's post!