Friday: Last Day of Freedom

Hey y'all, welcome to another Friday post.  School starts Monday for me, so today is the last true day of Summer vacation.  While I lament losing my free time, it's worth it to know that I'm that much closer to the start of hockey season.

While we have no real uniform news, I wanted to let y'all know about something I came across online that I think would interest a lot of you the same way it interested me.  The team over at Pop Chart Labs have created a print that creates a visual history of the NHL, and to be perfectly honest, it's a thing of beauty.

PopChartLabs.com

It follows the history of jersey design throughout the years, including some of the most famous and infamous designs ever created.  It even includes some international and minor league teams that were particularly inventive.  I think it's a must-have for those interested in jersey design, and I'm sure some of y'all will agree.  You can pick one up for yourself here.  Be sure to use the code TCHJC at check out to receive zero percent off, because I'm not being paid to promote this and they haven't asked me to do it.  I just love this poster and thought I would share it with others who could appreciate it.

Last of the Hockey Card Competition Entries

CHASE C.

CODY R.

EMIN Z.

MATT G.

In terms of voting news, we have the COTW vote for July and the week of August 4-10, both of which end next Friday at noon EST.  Additionally, we have the Top 3 vote for the Hockey Card Competition, which also ends Friday at noon.

COTW July vote (ends Friday @noon EST)

 COTW August 4-10 vote (ends Friday @ noon EST) 

 Hockey Card Comp vote (ends Friday @ noon EST) 

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Now on to today's concepts!

Ben B.- Vegas Golden Knights

Our first concept of the day is Ben B.'s design for the Golden Knights.  I dig the idea of a chest stripe for the Knights, their logo can work really well with one.  That being said, I'm not a huge fan of this striping pattern or the "drip-dye" style two-tone jersey.  The steel grey in the striping kind of gets lost against the black, I think swapping the striping would help.  While I do like the font choice, I think the black numbers with the black back isn't the best call, even with the white stripe in it.  I also think that the Knights have a great shoulder patch, and while I can see why the red in it would make it hard to work with this design, I kind of miss it here.  I also wish you'd somehow incorporated the steel grey into the striping on the breezers.  Final verdict: a decent design, but there's nothing that really pops for me.  7/10

Brooks F.- Uganda

Next up is Brooks F.'s concept for the African nation of Uganda.  Brooks does a great job here of incorporating the flag into the striping pattern, and it works especially well here as a chest stripe.  The striping in the extended yoke is wild, but I actually really like it.  It reminds me a lot of Marquette's basketball uniforms in that it's busy, but consistent enough enough that it's not too overpowering.  While I'm not the biggest fan of the font, I actually think the white numbers work well on both jerseys because of the chest stripe.  Consistent striping on the socks is a plus, but I would have swapped the red and yellow on the breezers so that it's consistent with the chest stripe when the players sit down on the bench.  Final verdict: a concept that took some chances and managed to make them work.  9/10

Chase C.- Winnipeg Jets

Our next concept comes from HJC's own Chase C., who has created a new set for the team formerly known as the Thrashers the Winnipeg Jets.  The first thing I notice is the incorporation of grey into both jerseys, which I think is done quite well here.  I like the simple striping pattern paired with contrasting cuffs, it looks quite sharp in this color scheme.  The collars work well on both jerseys, and the navy yoke on the away was a smart choice to keep the lighter blue from being too dominant.  The gear socks and breezers look great, and while I wasn't sure about that glove at first, it's growing on me.  My only problem is the italicized numbers.  I know that the Jets currently use it, but I really wish that that design choice would have stayed back in the 90s.  Final verdict: a fine set that I would be happy to see the Jets take the ice in.  9.5/10 and my COTW NOMINEE!!!!!

FC Macbeth- Chunichi Dragons

Next up is FC Macbeth with a design for the fictional Chunichi Dragons, a baseball team from the classic Tom Selleck film Mr. Baseball.  I like the logo choices, and the addition of silver to the color scheme is a great decision.  I like the striping pattern, but it kind of bugs me that it's consistent everywhere but the pants.  It's not bad, it's just that it doesn't match all the other stripes in the full uniform.  I'm not usually a fan of full length yokes, but I think it works really well here.  While I do like the font used (from the Sabres' ill-fated third uniform from a while back, if I'm not mistaken), I do think it clashes a little with the more traditional font used for the shoulder patch.  While I do like the thought behind the logos on the gloves,helmet, and pants, no team should have four different logos across one uniform set; it's just way too confusing.  On a final note, I think the main crest should be a little bigger and moved up a tad.  Final verdict: a good design, and by far the best I've seen from you, Macbeth.  You seem to have taken some of our feedback to heart and it shows in your vast improvement.  Keep on rolling with that momentum.  7.5/10

Vaughn R.- NHL 100 Classic

Our final concept of the day is Vaughn R.'s design for the NHL 100 Classic game between the Canadiens and the Senators.  Let's start with the Habs: you say that it is inspired by the Wanderers, which puzzles me because the Wanderers' sweaters were white with red, not blue.  What you've created here looks more like someone created an away set for the Quebec Bulldogs and slapped a badge on it.  As for the gear, it's ironic that this concept is for an outdoor game, because if outdoor games have taught us two things, it's that 1) white breezers don't look good and 2) white gloves also do not look good.  Now on to the Sens:  I love that you went all out with the barber pole design to pay homage to the original Senators franchise.  I also really like the recolored profile logo, adding red to the laurels was a good call with the elimination of gold, and placing it more like a soccer patch helps to keep it closer to the original.  Black breezers were a good call here, as the jersey is busy enough, but I would have liked to see a little red in the gloves.  Putting the name and numbers in the white box is great preservation of the original Sens' look, but I think your TV numbers are a little too low on the arm to be effective.  Final verdict: a lot of issues with one set, but the other set looks pretty good and does a great job of preserving history.  6.5/10

That's it for me this week, see y'all next Friday!