Monday: Pink Gator

Welcome to another Monday post on HJC!

I've been stuck in a blizzard all day and dealign with hazey at best interest so apologies for the lateness of this post . The entire Maritimes has been covered in a layer of white powder so thick I'm debating making a Jared Stoll joke.

Monday Minor League Roundup

Florida is home to both the beautiful Everglades and the Everblades. The later of which donned pick alligator skin jerseys for Breast Cancer Awareness night. Don't believe me on the skin texture part? Check these out:

Photo from Official Florida Everblades Twitter (@FL_Everblades)

Wow, this is pink. I swear I've seen fashionable purses with this same pattern. None the less we have a pretty solid jersey. The pink is not overly gaudy and the striping seems to be a mix of a Flyers jersey and the old Everblades jerseys. The ribbons stick out nicely on both the arms and hem. One thing I really like is the toned done Kings font, it really goes well with the Everblades logo.

Rating: 8/10

The Cyclones are going purple for Cyclones Fight Cancer night (their version of Hockey Fights Cancer), which included a pattern on the jersey that I can only describe as a monochrome version of Ricky's shirt on Trailer Park Boys.

Photo from Cincinnati Cyclones Official Twitter (@CincyCyclones)

I wasn't joking about the pattern eh? I'm getting a Darth Vader vibe off of the yoke with its lack of purple and the whole silver/white/black thing. Overall the recoloured logo looks pretty solid, and more so we get a Cyclones jersey with a more traditional striping pattern that balances all the colours in the primary logo well. There'a part of me who wishes they made a purple version of their current jerseys but as is , this is pretty solid. If someone can give me the significance of the Ricky pattern that'd be helpful!

Rating: 7/10

I know this league is not a minor league but I felt like including it here: the NWHL held their 2nd annual ASG in Pittsburgh (where they don't have a team yet and with the league struggling financially who knows what they will get one) and we have been given a look at their ASG jerseys.

Photo from NWHL Official Twitter (@NWHL)

One thing that every other league except for the NHL sets to do is using the actual ASG logo as the logo on the jersey, and while it doesn't always work, I think in this case and quite a few others, it works. The sock design, which is found on the cuffs and hem works pretty well, and while this sort of deign is a bit outdated in the NHL (it reminds me of a more traditional version of the 2006-08 ASG jerseys). The one part of the black jersey I would change would be sone white on the socks/striping/starts so it's not limited to the numbers and logo.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Pairs Competition has begun! If you have not done so already, please give your team to Ryan so he can add it to the list. Telling Ryan is not mandatory, but it helps Ryan give an idea of how big the competition, but it also gives other artists an idea of who already has a team and who is available. If you want to advertise yourself as available.

COTW has reset for the week, click on the poll on the side of the blog to choose your favourite of the best of last week!

There's also the best on January to vote for!

COTW-January vote (ends Friday @ noon Eastern)

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

Pairs Competition entries (due March 3rd @ noon Eastern)

On with today's concepts!

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

Guelph Storm OHL Concepts (By: Ryan C.)

+ Excellent colour balancing across both concepts! 

+ The classic Guelph look of the pre-edge days and rounded numbers are intact, while still holding on to something new, particularizing in colour distribution and the amount of grey 

+  Improvement over the Blackhawks recolours they wear now

+ Great execution

- The shoulder patch would look better if it were the stylized S rather than the 2001-2003 alternate logo (ever seen those jerseys, they're nasty)

- Taylor pointed out in the comments that there was an execution error on the arms, and he's right. The front of the right arm (your right, on the actual jersey it'd be left) the stripe that ends the yoke is black while the other 3 are grey. I much prefer the black to grey but the error brings it down.

Rating 8.5/10 

TCU Horned Frogs NCAA Concepts (By: John E.)

+ Loses of purple across both concepts, which is always nice to see as it is lacking in much of hockey 

+ The mountain looking striping would seem more like a Colorad/Everett thing to do, but it fits with the horned nature of the primary logo

+ It's a lost art, but the script shoulder patch actually looks solid 

+ Good execution

- The white jersey needs a lot more black on it, perhaps the cuffs or numbers

Rating: 8.75/10 COTW Nom from me

Toronto Maple Leafs Concept (By: Ben S.)

+ I've seen a few concepts with this idea, using numbers or a logo under the script but I really like that idea and want to see them attempt it

+ Nice striping pattern

+ Numbers in the yoke and yoke striping add uniqueness to it, especially with regards to that script on the helmet 

+ Good execution 

- NOB matching the script on the front is much too large imo

- Numbers on the back look weirdly sized, almost squared off

Rating: 8/10

Kootenay Ice WHL Concepts (By: Matt G.)

+ Nice update to the current Yeti logo, that looks like it should have stayed in 1998 and Edmonton 

+ As is the alternate logo roundel, pretty solid 

+ The jerseys are get that winter look down pat, and it gets the Ice away from the Caps look they've had for 20 years 

+ Good execution and presentation 

+ Love the addition of apparel 

- The one logo that I think is a downgrade is the K logo, which would look better in the new colour scheme but remaining as exciting 

- Mountain stripes loo good, but at the same time they look like an EKG meter rather than mountains
- Adding a yellow stripe to the hem would make it look better 

Rating:  8.75 /10

Team Switzerland Concept (By: Mike F.)

Now I'm 99.99% sure I reviewed this concept last week, and I can't find any changes but there is an addition of some concept artist I.D. on it, which is always a good idea. I'm not gonna review it again because I already did so but if I am mistaken please let met know.

Traktor Chelyabinsk Rebranding (By: Nikyurmax)

+ This is a really solid not just primary logo, but shoulder patch, it's one that works simultaneously both as that and a primary logo 

+ Pretty solid colour scheme

+ I'd say the logo certainly is superior to the Chelmet logo Chelyabinsk currently uses that rips the Caps logo off and slaps it in a metallic rink with stars on it

- The jerseys don't do the logo justice. The striping much too simple and doesn't show off enough of any of the colours to make any primary 

- If you want to keep the jerseys as is, they need shoulder patches

- Stitching should stop at the hem striping

- Black numbers on the yellow jersey don't match the logo

Rating: Logo: 9/10 Jersey: 5/10 

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