Friday: Buffaloverload

Hey y'all, welcome to another Friday post here at HJC.  As some of you may know, we have a bit of an emergency on our hands.  Our boy Jets96 is in desperate need of a hockey-loving female in the Southwest United States to call his very own.   He is looking for passion, he is looking for commitment, but most of all he is looking for access to 40 oz iced coffee drinks.  If you know of anyone who fits the bill, please let us know so we can put them into contact.  Please help our boy find the love of his life and fulfill his destiny as another Jet who leaves Winnipeg for Arizona.

As for voting news, we have the regular COTW vote for August 25-31 as well as the Toledo Walleyes Competition Top 5 vote, both of which end Friday at noon EST.

COTW Aug 25-31 vote (ends Friday @ noon ET)

Toledo Walleye Top 5 Vote (ends Friday @ noon ET)

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Now on to today's concepts!

Anthony C.- Boston Bruins

Our first concept of the day is Anthony C.'s design for the Boston Bruins.  I love the look of the Bruins in gold, and the golden B logo has always been a favorite of mine.  Unfortunately, none of this is new.  It's essentially a direct copy of the jerseys the Bruins wore for the '58-'59 season, with an extra set of stripes on the cuff and a Philly-style contrasting nameplate.  I'm also not a fan of the font chosen.  Final verdict: I know it'll work on the ice, because it already has.  2/10

Danny R.- Winter Classic

Next up is Danny's design for the 2018 Winter Classic game between the Sabres and my beloved Rangers.  I really like the choice of yellow for Buffalo, it allows for a color-on-color game, which always looks great.  The script from the old alternate looks great, especially without the clutter of the smaller logo.  The blue yoke does a good job of helping the color balance, and it also helps break up the yellow and white in the striping.  While I know it's sort of Buffalo's "thing", I'm still not a fan of numbers on the front of the jersey.  As for the Rangers, I like the nod to the origins of the club with the original lighter shade of blue.  The simple striping works well with the occasion, and the hem looks great.  While I usually like a white yoke, I don't think it quite works here, as the blue is already a very light shade.  Final verdict: a good set for a WC game, but some design choices hold it back.  7.5/10

Joe D.- Buffalo Sabres

Joe D. brings us our second Buffalo design of the day with this set.  You did a good job of avoiding yellow-on-white syndrome with the use of the thin navy stripe in the striping pattern.  I'm also a big fan of the elimination of the silver from the color scheme, I think it's a bit unnecessary for their identity.  While there's nothing wrong with this set, there's also nothing exceptionally exciting about it either.  It almost resembles a jersey one would buy stock for a beer league team.  Final verdict: a decent design, but just a little too bland.  7/10

Lucas D.- Buffalo Sabres

Lucas D. gives us our final Sabres design of the day, and I have to say I really dig it.  While I'm not a huge fan of the silver in their current set, this design does a much better job of incorporating it into the striping.  I really like the striping on the upper arm with the TV numbers on the shoulder, it helps make up for the lake of a shoulder patch.  The blue arms on the away is a great way of preserving the color balance, and it looks really good.  As for execution, the 3D template really helps the design pop.  It looks good in 2D, but seeing it as it would look in the real world shows just how good it can look.  Final verdict: a great looking set and definite improvement on the Sabres' current set.  8.5/10 and my COTW NOMINEE!!!!!

Mr. Moose- Tufts

Our final concept of the day is Mr. Moose's design for the Tufts Jumbos.  With the lack of TV numbers or shoulder patches, the arm striping is way too far down the arm, and would be partially covered up by the gloves.  With all the blank space in the arm, the design looks pretty bare.  I would probably take the logo from the collar insert and turn it into a shoulder patch just to add something there.  The grey striping doesn't pop enough on the blue, but I think that's just a problem with the color scheme.  In terms of execution, the name and numbers on the back are too large and pixelated, and the name is too close to the yoke.  Additionally, the inside of the back of the jersey should be blue, not white.  Final verdict: don't be discouraged, no one's first concept is ever good.  Take a look at the tutorials tab, look at other designs, and try to apply those lessons to your next attempt.  It'll make a vast improvement.  2/10

That's all for me today, see y'all next week!