Friday: RiverKings Revamp

Hey y'all, welcome to another Friday post! For the first time in a while, we have some uniform news!  Yesterday, the Mississippi RiverKings of the Southern Professional Hockey League revealed their new uniforms for the 2017-2018 season, and I have to say, they're not too shabby.

riverkings.com

The dark set is basically a copy of the Penguins' current home jersey with a minor change in the collar, but the light jersey is where this set really shines.  I love the idea of using yellow as a light jersey, it adds more vibrancy to a game and allows for color-on-color games, which I think we can all agree make for a more visually exciting experience.  The sublimated crown pattern on the upper arms and hem is a nice touch, it brings in brand identity while being subtle enough that it isn't too distracting.  The third jersey is a nice fauxback look, with a traditional striping pattern with the sublimated pattern appearing in the yellow stripes and yoke.  While I'm usually only a fan of one particular team who owns the diagonal wordmark on their jersey, this one actually works for me.  Final verdict: a good set of jerseys with some distinct features that make them uniquely the Riverkings'.  9/10

In voting new, we have the regular COTW vote for August 18-24, which ends Friday at noon EST.  Additionally, we have the Toledo Walleyes redesign competition going on, so be sure to get your entries in by Friday at noon EST.

COTW Aug 18-24 vote (ends Friday @ noon ET)

Toledo Walleye entries (due September 1st @ noon ET)

Here's the latest entry into the contest:

Dallas K.

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Now on to today's concepts!

FC Macbeth- Winnipeg Jets

I may be a little biased, but I've always preferred the Jets in these uniforms.  That aside, this is a pretty good set for Winnipeg.  I like the inclusion of more red into their color scheme, I think it's a little underutilized in their current set.  I also really like the white yoke on  the blue jersey, it's a design that I have yet to see look bad.  I would have gone with a blue yoke on the white jersey, just because the red is a little too dominant with blue being the base color on the home set.  While I appreciate your attempt to keep consistent striping, the idea of having two sets of breezers is impractical, and the blue stripe against the blue breezers on the light set would just blend in.  I'm also not a fan of the J logo on the breezers.  While I like the idea of a red helmet, white helmets are required with away jerseys.  In terms of execution, the white pixels around the crest on the home set need to be eliminated, and the numbers on the back are way too big.  You're also missing TV numbers, and the places on the helmet where you have red on the blue and white on the red are vents, so they would not be colored.  Final verdict: not a bad design, but a lot of execution errors detract.  6.5/10

Matt G.- Columbus Blue Jackets

Our next two entries are Matt G.'s  design for the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Since it's the home and away set, I'm going to do them both in one review.  I really like the striping pattern on this set, it's simple, but it's definitely the focal point of the jersey.  I also like the blue arms on the white jersey, it adds a nice contrast and makes the striping work better than if they had been white.  The away set is definitely the stronger of the two, as without the contrast the blue jersey is just a little too bare.  A shoulder patch would do a good job of fixing that, even if it was just the star from the cuffs on their current set.  I like your presentation, but you should move the navy "Columbus Blue Jackets" text so it's entirely on the silver outline.  Final verdict: a good jersey and nice presentation, but a little too sparse.  8/10

Noah B.- Las Vegas Raiders/ Golden Knights

Next up is the latest entry in Noah B.'s city mashup series, this time for Sin City.  I like the contrasting upper arm on this set, it works really well with this color scheme.  The striping pattern is minimal, but the use of one stripe combined with the contrasting upper arm makes it more complex and interesting.  While I do like the striping pattern, I think that from a distance the silver would be hard to see against the white, and kind of just get lost.  Final verdict: the home set is great, but the away set has a fatal flaw that I can't overlook.  7.5/10

Noah B.- Winnipeg Jets/ Blue Bombers

Here we have another city mashup series entry from Noah, this one for the Jets and the Blue Bombers of the CFL.  Noah does a fantastic job here of combining the striping patterns of the Jets and the Bombers, and it looks great on this jersey.  I love the full length yoke on the away, and the way the stripe is incorporated works terrifically.   The font choice matches the logo well, and the recolored shoulder patch looks surprisingly good.  Final verdict: a fantastic set with an away jersey that I wish I could buy.  9/10 and my COTW NOMINEE!!!!!

TG- Pittsburgh Penguins

Our final concept of the day is a Penguins design brought to us by TG.  I like the return of the powder blue, but I do think that it's a color best left for a third jersey, as Pittsburgh has embraced the gold and black, and it helps them match the city's other sports teams.  The angled hem stripe is a new design for the Pens, and I think it actually works alright.  The silver is okay, but I think what really made the powder blue work was the inclusion of navy, as the double blue color scheme works really well.  The real star of this set is the alternate yellow uniform.  I love the striped yoke, and the gold and black with no white is a good look for the Pens.  I'm not a fan of that number font, though, I just don't like the way the seven looks.  Final verdict: a decent concept, but the third outshines the main set.  7/10

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