Tuesday: Bossman Reviews

Hey everyone. It's your friendly blog admin Ryan here to write today's post!

We are entering the final stretch in the Arena Logo Competition. We could really use some entries on this one, so I encourage you guys to give it a shot. Literally the WORST thing that could happen is that you lose a just for fun pretend competition on a just for fun blog. And you may actually enjoy logo creation!

COTW voting continues, so place your vote before Friday at noon Eastern!

We've seen the Winter Classic logo, now I would love to see the Stadium Series logo.

COTW vote September 8-14 (ends Friday @ noon ET)

Arena Logo Competition entries (due Friday @ noon ET)

Cincinnati Cyclones (Jets96)

I really like what you have done with the yokes. They're great and should be are big focal point of the jersey. I find that the other striping on the jersey is so large or broad that it starts to distract from the awesome logo and yokes. I understand that you're working within the confines of the Nike template, but I would move that silver line in the yokes closer to the collar to allow for more black. The TV numbers do seem small, yet I am still able to accept that because that's how Nike jerseys look in during IIHF play. I am disappointed to see no branding on the jerseys. Maybe the jerseys are Nike clones, but any jersey used in the ECHL gets an ECHL patch on the rear hem.
RATING: 7.5 / 10


Arizona Coyotes (Alan H.)

Alan has sent in all 31 teams, so look forward to seeing his concepts for a few weeks here on HJC. Alan has been one of the longest tenured contributors on HJC, so I always welcome his concepts. I really like these concepts! I think the white version is the better of the two. The crazy Aztec type pattern fits nicely. I think it should have been placed on a sand base on the home jersey though. I really like how Alan has used the Adidas collars here, he makes it work really well for a relatively young franchise like the Coyotes. The change of font on the back of the jersey is a lateral move and I don't even know if it was really necessary. If we're looking for authenticity the branding on the back should be the full Adidas logo otherwise if this was a design choice that you consciously made then it should be noted on the concepts.
RATING: 8.3 / 10


Buffalo Sabres - Winter Classic (Avi S.)

Three longtime contributors in a row! I picked a great day to sub-in on. I really love this concept and I feel that this is the direction that the Sabres will go for the Winter Classic. This is based on a 1930's Buffalo Bisons jersey and the full buffalo logo that the Sabres have come out with fits this look very nicely. As much as I would love to see the two Sabres logos come back as shoulder patches I don't think both of them is an option. It seems for the past few years that the NHL has decided that placing the event logo on the shoulder of the jerseys is better than the front. The last team to wear the Winter Classic patch on the front of their jersey was the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2011, seven years ago.
RATING: 8.8 / 10


Indy Fuel (Jets96)

Here we go with another ECHL concept in Jets' series. All of the branding remarks that I made about the previous concept still apply for this concept. I want to like this concept because Jets seems like a good guy and I don't want to put down his work. However this is what we are all here for, to take criticism and get better. I find this concept very plain. Placing the secondary logo on the arm is neat, but it's not enough excitement. I also don't understand why you have used two shades of black on this concept Jets. The pants, gloves, and secondary logos use the black with a RGB value of 0-0-0. However the jersey stripes and the primary logo use the black with a RGB value close to 30-30-30. There are no glaring errors on this concept but it's boring.
RATING: 5.9 / 10


Boston Bruins (Alan H.)

I again like what Alan has done here with the Adidas collars. I didn't think they could ever look good but Alan has given me a small glimmer of hope. I also like what Alan has done with the cuffs on these Bruins concepts. It seems like a small callback to the yellow jersey of the 50's. The arm and hem stripes seem too broad to match the finer collar and cuffs. It seems like two different jerseys trying to be mashed together. I mentioned on Alan's previous concept about the Adidas logo and the same applies here.
RATING: 7.4 / 10


Philadelphia Blazers (John E.)

This is my favourite concept of the day! Initially I like it because it's something different and creative. Those are the types of concepts I'm personally digging right now. Even though these aren't logos created by John he uses them in a way that fits this team and this look and they appear to be meant for this concept. The Blazers written down the pants fits the style that the WHA embraced. They always tried to do whatever they could to be different from the NHL without changing the game. The curved stripes and the italicized numbers give this concept some movement and some life, likes flames dancing in a fire.
RATING: 9.2 / 10
COTW nomination from me!!!



That's it for today. Keep your eyes posted on the blog this week. We will be looking for a new writer soon.

In summary John's Blazers concept was the best today. Jets' Indy concept was not the best today. Now in the comments section you guys can tell me that I am wrong, but make sure to say why I am wrong. You guys also have the chance to react to the ratings that don't mean anything and are simply a reflection of how that particular day's writer feels about a concept.