Friday: Promotion

Hello folks!  Two weeks ago I discussed shoulder logos that shouldn't be used on the front of a jersey, today I'm going to switch it up and talk about alternate logos that deserve a promotion to become their team's primary logo.

For the first 15 years of the Ottawa Senators existence, they used a side profile Senator logo as their primary.  When they updated their identity in 2007, they switched to a forward facing Senator, but their new logo package also included an updated side profile logo which has unfortunately sat around collecting dust since then.  Not using this logo has been a big mistake by the Senators, it's much better than their current primary, it's a great update to their original logo. and it would be the perfect logo to build a new set of jerseys around.  I've never seen a concept with this logo front and centre that looked bad (okay, that might be an exaggeration).

The Vancouver Canucks are my favourite NHL team, but I'm not a fan of their current primary logo.  I don't like how it lacks green, I don't think it represents the team name, and I don't like its corporate origins (the Canucks were owned by Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment when the Orca debuted).  Instead, I think the Canucks should promote their full-body Johnny Canuck to primary status.  Johnny Canuck has a long and storied history, it was the logo of the WHL's Vancouver Canucks (the predecessor to the current Canucks).  It's also a much better representation of the team name, and most importantly I think it looks better too.

One opinion that seems very popular is that the Washington Capitals should make their "Weagle" logo the primary.  I don't mind their current wordmark, but I too agree that the Weagle would make a better primary logo.  It's a very well designed logo, and I love all the hidden features.  There's of course the United States Capitol building at the bottom of the logo, and the overall logo is in the shape of a W.  Additionally, the triangle that forms the eagle's neckline is the top of the Washington Monument.  If the Capitals ever made the switch, the Weagle would be one of the best primary logos in the league.

Are there any other alternate logos you think should become primary logos?  Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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There's only one vote this week, the regular COTW vote.  All three concepts are very good, I predict the voting will be close, so your vote could be the difference maker.  Also, the Pairs Competition presentations are due today at 10pm EST.

COTW Mar 13-19 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm EST)

Pairs Competition (ends March 25 @ 10pm EST)

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Chicago Blackhawks, by Glen W:

We'll begin with an update of Glen's very first concept.  The execution is the biggest difference between the two, it's great seeing how much he's improved.  There are also a few design changes, the hem stripes were altered, the yoke outline was removed, and the secondary logo and sleeve numbers were moved.  I like all of those changes.  There's still some room for improvement though, the logos use a different shade of black than the jersey, the hem stripes should be lowered a bit, and the name and number should be raised.
Rating:  7/10

2016 Heritage Classic, by Bradley D:

Next up Bradley tackles the recently announced 2016 Heritage Classic.  Both jerseys are more modern than what we're likely to see, they might be a better fit for the Stadium Series.  Moving past that, the Jets jersey is my favourite of the two, I like how it combines their current jerseys with the original Jets' 190-96 set.  The Oilers jersey has some good elements, I like the amount of orange in the striping and I'd like the number font if it wasn't for a heritage Classic, but I can't get past the cut-off arm stripes.  I think those should stay in the past.
Rating:  7/10

Team Switzerland, by Jay S:

You don't see a logo concept for Switzerland very often.  Jay puts their cross in a shield along with a wordmark, and adds a second shade of red.  Part of me likes the end result, the shield helps keep the cross white on both jerseys, and the drop shadow gives the cross some added flair.  The other part of me thinks the logo is a bit generic (you could create a similar logo for almost any team), and the cross would be better on it's own.

The jerseys are pretty good, but the best feature (the cross on the cuff) would be hidden under the gloves.  If you raised it up to show the whole cross it be perfect, I just don't think it works with only half the cross showing.  Besides that, I've got no other complaints about the jerseys.
Rating:  7/10

Prince George Spruce Kings, by Vaughn R:

As someone from BC, it's great seeing the BCHL get some love.  Vaughn adds green back into the Spruce Kings colour scheme, which makes a lot of sense giving their name.  I think the green could be better integrated though, it doesn't appear on the primary logo, and it blends into the other colours on the jerseys.  Maybe it'd be better if you scrapped one of the other colours.  Besides the colour blending issue, I like the striping pattern (it reminds me of the Sharks current jerseys which I think are underrated).  However, the numbers on the red jersey need more contrast, they should be white or another colour with a white outline.

Vaughn also sent in a third jersey.  I like this striping pattern a lot, with only two colours separated by white there's no issue with colour blending, and the two notches on the side panels look sweet.  The names, number, and logos all have contrast issues though, they don't stand out enough without a white outline.  I like the idea of a Rangers style script, but the letters look a bit misaligned (the P is too far left), and I think the angle is a bit too vertical.
Rating:  7/10

Team Slovakia, by Jay S:

For Jays second concept today, he redesigns Slovakia by taking their coat of arms and putting it in a roundel.  It's a very clean, well executed logo, the text follows the curve of the circle perfectly and the coat of arms is placed nicely in the circle.  I'd like to see the text take up more of the roundel though, there's a lot of empty space.  Maybe put Slovakia at the top, hockey at the bottom, and play around with the font and the thickness of the circle to fill up the empty space.

The jersey are also clean and well executed.  The striping is traditional, but by having the red stripe only at the bottom it has a modern feel too.  I'm also a big fan of the sleeve numbers inside of the stripes.  My only complaint is that the logos are too big, they should be about 10% smaller.
Rating:  8/10

University of Notre Dame, by Chris W:

For the second week in a row, I get to end the post by reviewing a great concept by Chris.  I love the subtle Celtic pattern in the stripes of the home and road, which also appear to be made of a reflective material which would be awesome.  The font choice is great as well, it matches the logo perfectly.  The third jersey though is out of this world, the colours look great together, and the gold pattern in the stripes is amazing.  The home and road are very good, but the green jersey is so good it almost makes them look average in comparison.
Rating:  9/10 and a COTW nomination!

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That's all folks!