Friday: Power Outage

Hello folks, it's nice to see you again!  First of all I'd like to congratulate Avi on winning the 2016 Concept of the Year.  His concept was very deserving of the win, it's difficult to create your own logos, but Avi created a great set for his Las Vegas Knights concept.  The jerseys he paired with those logos were very nice as well.  Good job, Avi!

In other news, the power was out in my area all of yesterday, and I've now run out of time to write a longer intro.

--------------------------------------------------

Two new votes will begin today, January's Concept of the Month vote and the Concept of the Week vote for February 3rd to 9th.  The polls should be up sometime this evening (or earlier).  Also, the Pairs Competition officially begins today!  The deadline isn't until March 3rd though, so you (and a partner) have lots of time to create something awesome.

COTW-January vote (ends next Friday @ noon Eastern)

COTW Feb 3-9 (ends next Friday @ noon Eastern)

Pairs Comp entries (due Friday, March 3rd @ noon Eastern)

--------------------------------------------------

Pittsburgh Penguins, by Burkus C:

Our first concept is from Burkus Circus, who's returned the Penguins to vegas gold.  I actually don't mind the vegas gold (proof here), it's especially interesting seeing vegas gold as the main jersey colour.  The striping pattern is nice as well, however there are several execution errors.  The sleeve numbers are missing, the back numbers are pixelated, the names are blurry (I recommend using the fonts on HJC's Photobucket), the stitching shouldn't continue below the hem stripes, there are mis-coloured areas along the hem, the laces have disappeared, and the shade of black is different on the road jersey's logo.  Also, cropping the blank space below the jerseys would improve the presentation.
Rating: 6/10

Team Sweden, by Mike F:

Next up is Mike with another Team Sweden concept, which goes with his Team Sweden concept from a couple Sunday's ago.  I like the striping of the first two jerseys, plus the crowns on the shoulders and socks are interesting additions.  The numbers on those jerseys are unique as well, but they might be too hard to read.  Using the shield from Sweden's Coat of Arms is a nice touch, but I don't like the crowns in that shield (also, the shade of blue is different in the shield).  The bottom two jerseys are solid vintage designs, although I think slightly thinner stripes would look better.  Additionally, the yellow jersey's logo uses a darker blue, and all the sock stripes are a bit too high.
Rating: 8/10

Ottawa Senators, by Ryan C:

Now we head back to the NHL for an Ottawa Senators concept from Ryan.  He's created an alternate jersey inspired by the team's original black jersey, but instead of a hem stripe he's used a shoulder yoke, and he's also used their updated logos.  The logos are clearly an improvement, and I also like the changes to the striping pattern, as it gives the jersey a more modern feel.  I'm a fan of the solid white numbers as well, but I think the white collar stands out to much (especially the white part behind the laces).  Execution is good, except it gets a bit rough or pixelated next to the template lines.
Rating: 8/10

St. Louis Blues, by Tyler M:

Here Tyler continues his "NHL Road Alts" series with this sharp design for the Blues.  He gives them a very retro striping pattern, similar in style to the Bruins' Winter Classic jersey, which is unlike anything St. Louis has ever worn.  I really like this design (besides the similarity to the Bruins), it almost feels like it could have been a prototype jersey for the Blues back in 1967.  I also like how the logo's outlines were simplified from three down to two, but I think the logo should be a bit bigger and maybe slightly higher as well.  The sock stripes, on the other hand, should be a tad lower.
Rating: 8/10

Pittsburgh Penguins, by Lucas D:

Last but not least we have a yellow Penguins jersey from Lucas.  I'd love to see the Penguins add a yellow third jersey to their rotation, and this would be a very nice option.  The striping pattern looks great, I especially like the return of their triangle yoke and how it flows directly into the collar.  Using their Stadium Series jersey's logo and triangle captain patches were also good decisions.  I do think solid black pants and gloves would be a better looking option, but using their current equipment (as Lucas did) is probably most realistic.
Rating: 9/10 and my COTW nomination!

--------------------------------------------------

That's all folks!