California (and Connecticut) Dreaming

Hey y'all, and welcome to another Friday post here at HJC.  The WiFi at my house is acting up, so I'm sitting here typing this at my local Starbucks, out on the patio because it's finally good enough weather in Georgia to enjoy the outdoors.  The sunshine a slight breeze set the perfect stage for our California concepts today, and also remind me that this may be my favorite time of year.  Not only is the weather finally nice enough to venture out of my house, but it's time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  As much as I love watching regular season hockey, there's just something special about the postseason that makes me care about every game.  There is no garbage time, there are no throwaway games, every single minute counts.  This all-or-nothing mentality leads to players giving their all on the ice, and has led to some of the most spectacular performances in NHL history.  When everything is on the line, nothing is held back, and that makes for a great game to watch.  Combine that with beautiful weather, and I'm completely enamored with this time of year.  Sunshine and some of the best hockey you'll see all year, there's really nothing better.

In voting news, we have the regular COTW vote for April 13-19, with polls closing Friday at noon EST.  We also have the St. Andrew's College Competition going on, with entries due Friday at 6 PM EST.

 COTW April 13-19 vote (ends Friday @ noon EST) 

 St. Andrew's College entries (due April 27 @ 6 PM EST) 

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Now on to today's concepts!

Adam G.- Los Angeles Kings

Our first concept of the day is Adam G.'s latest entry in his De-Edge series, this one for the LA Kings.  I really like the return to color for the Kings, their current color scheme is probably the least aesthetically pleasing in the NHL.  I also really like the recolored crown, it looks so much better in gold than it does in silver.  That being said, I would much rather have seen it used as the main crest, I've never liked the batting plate logo as the focal point of a jersey, and I think it's much better relegated to a shoulder patch.  I like the simple striping pattern and contrasting cuffs on the purple jersey, but I would have swapped the grey and purple on the white jersey just so the grey didn't bleed into the white.  I really like the font used here, it's close to the King's current font, but just different enough to give it a new look.  Final verdict: a decent look for the Kings, and a welcome return to color.  7.5/10

Adam G.- San Jose Sharks 

Adam's second concept of the day is his De-Edge design for the San Jose Sharks.  I really like the jagged striping on the main set, it gives a great shark bite feel to the jersey and reminds me of the Sharks' old wordmark logo.    The use of copper as an accent color here works really well, almost better than the Sharks currently utilize it.  I'm not so sure about the logo choices though, if the Sharks do a redesign, I'm hoping that they make a full switch to their great "Tiburones" logos.  My main issue with the main set, however, is the choice to make the dark jersey black.  The Sharks' teal is a great color for a main set, and it's unique enough in the NHL that they should use it to its full potential, rather than be just another team in a black jersey.  The alternate looks great, the simple striping and contrasting cuff and hem are a great way to bring a unique spin on the Sharks' original jersey design, and I honestly think it would make a better primary than their current design.  Final verdict: love the striping, but the choice of a black primary really holds this one back.  8/ 10

Ben S.- Hartford Whalers

Our final concept of the day is our very own Ben S.'s design for the defunct Hartford Whalers.  I love the colored upper arm, it's a design that I use frequently and have rarely seen gone wrong, and Ben's incorporation of the striping into it looks fantastic.  I also like the contrasting cuffs, it really helps breaks up all the green on the home and brings in some more color on the away.  Ben's treatment of the hem stripe is a great way to tie it in to the arms without completely mirroring it, which would have made it a little too busy.  The recolored crest, probably my favorite logo in sports history, works surprisingly well on the dark jersey, and font choice is solid for a historic team.  Gear looks great, and I love the use of Pucky and the whale tail on the helmets.  Final verdict: a fantastic design that makes me wish the NHL would return to Hartford.  9/10 and my COTW NOMINEE!!!!!

Well, that's all for me this week, see y'all next Friday!