Tuesday: Championship Week

Welcome back to HJC for the daily Tuesday post. Outside the rink, we have the Super Bowl to look forward to with Philadelphia against New England. Here on the blog, our championship has reached the final vote in producing our Concept of the Year. Let's meet the contenders:


Jake M.- Pittsburgh Penguins

Posted: December 30, 2016

On the very first day of eligibility, Jake sprang right out of the gate with this Stadium Series set for the Pens to take outside. The simplicity sells this design with understated elegance. A solid block letter with the triangle, the foundation of the city of Pittsburgh, is all the crest needed. Combined with a complimentary stripe design, and a classic set of colors, Steve's bold claim for COTY challenger was spot on.

Ryan H.- NHL All-Star Game

Posted: October 23, 2017

This may seem suspicious, but I can assure you that both of the competitors got here without cheating, much unlike the Super Bowl. Ryan may end up at the pinnacle of his own site with this set for Tampa's All Star Game. Whereas simplicity was the principle force driving Jake's design, Ryan showcases an ornate pattern proudly across the crest. The bright Floridian colors pop against Tampa's navy blue, the bedrock in the color scheme, setting this design apart from any in the second half of 2017.

But who's the winner? You tell us. Vote for your pick for COTY (and COTW- don't overlook the less exciting one!) on the side bar, and come back on Saturday for the winner to be crowned!

COTY Final Vote (due Fri @ noon)

COTW- Jan 19-25th Vote (due Fri @ noon)

HJC Season Entries Due Friday(due Fri @ noon)

Now, here's the daily concepts!


Jeff T.- Minnesota Vikings

Jeff starts today's post with envisioning what the State of Hockey's NFL team would look like on the ice. I encourage all of our concept artists to include some sort of identification on your concepts, so the design can always be traced back to you for credit. Without knowing this was Jeff's, I've already seen this concept in several places, and for good reason- this is a great look. This is a exemplary way to bring across the theme of a non-hockey uniform, without making an awkward copy of it. The Vikings' yellow and white stripes on purple looks fantastic on classic pattern (see: Islanders, Charlestown Chiefs). An interesting touch is the subtle tapering on the white arm stripe. This is a common theme in classical architecture; columns gradually taper, bulging out 1/3 above the base, then narrowing the rest of the way up, a feature called entasis. The result gives a more dynamic look to an otherwise static composition, and Jeff creates the same effect is given here. Using text as a shoulder patch rarely gives a satisfactory result, and here, the size makes it nearly illegible. Lastly, carrying across the thin-stripe design to the socks would go a long way in tying the whole look together.

Grade: A-

Noah K.- Ohio Bobcats

Noah's MACtion series nears its conclusion, today stopping in Athens, Ohio. Like the Vikings concept above, the inspiration for this look is the school's football uniforms. The double stripe look also comes across great to hockey, as does the arching Ohio wordmark. I especially like how the pattern was brought to the pants as well, to fix the inconsistency from the football pants. The pattern would be lost on the white, however, with the lower hem stripe blending in with the pants. Unlike the football uniform, the alternate based on the marching band was not handled well. There's elements there that make it a great inspiration for hockey (the script OHIO, for example), but directly copying others doesn't sell this for hockey. The thin lines on the front are based on how a jacket would be stitched, not how a sweater would. The black on the gloves really irks me, as it would be the only black elements on the primary uniforms, making that thumb stick out like a...  you see where I'm going with this.

Grade: C-

Phil B.- New York Islanders

Wednesday writer Phil shows us a new take on his beloved Islanders. Phil leaned heavily on the 90's to create this look, and perfectly captured the zeitgeist. The flashy colors work because of the introduction of light blue, completing the theme.  I usually prefer more color on the pants, especially here with the jersey and socks being so colorful.The wave-like angled and curved stripes is well befitting of the nautically themed team, especially around the yoke- it's a small touch that makes it unique from how other teams shape theirs. The way the logo is angled (leaning inward) against the hem stripes (leaning outward) creates a gawky look that gives me the impression it's fighting itself. On execution, a minor inconsistency is the orange and light blue on the gloves switcheing places from the full-body to the flat template. 

Grade: B

Ryan H.- Boston Bruins

The Boss's Boston concept will wrap up today's post. Ryan takes an approach he's been on a roll with lately, combining several eras to create a unique fauxback. Going away from the Spoke B logo makes the most sense for an alternate, and centering it on chest stripes looks great. I especially like the black block on the upper sleeve, and how it's cut against the yoke, mirroring the arch in the logo. While it's typically a mistake to add a color in just one spot, it makes logical sense here as a way to call out the mascot front and center in the crest. The sock stripes would look better on the concept if they were the same thickness as the other thin stripes on the jersey, though I can see what you're trying to do. I would prefer a black helmet, to keep the bright yellow from overloading my eyes. I'm also not a fan of the recent trend of stitching over the numbers; it comes across as if it was made at 4:45 on a Friday.

Grade: A-

I wish I could give out two nominations today, but I'll have to go with Jeff T's Minnesota Vikings in the tiebreaker. Did I pick the wrong one in the tie? Did I underrate the other concepts? Let me know in the comments by nominating your choice, and keep your stick on the ice.