Friday: Domes and Deserts

Hey y'all, and welcome to another Friday post here at HJC.  To echo what Justin said in his post yesterday, I have just finished up finals week, and as such my brain is pretty fried.  In light of that fact, I'm going to keep my post short and sweet this week.  Last night's games went much the way I expected them, with the Penguins using their frustration with the Caps, especially toward Tom Wilson, to tie the series up at two games a piece.  I think it was actually really nice of the Pens to let the Caps take a series lead before inevitably eliminating them, as is tradition.  The Preds also evened out their series against the Jets, which I have to say was not the most exciting game to watch.  The Jets just couldn't get anything together, and their only goal came on a powerplay with the goalie pulled in the final minute of the game.  While I am pulling for the Preds to win it all, I would like to see a little more fight out of Winnipeg, if only for entertainment's sake. 

In voting news, we have the regular COTW vote for April 27- May 3, as well as the entry period for the Wheeling Nailers ReDesign Competition, both of which close Friday at noon EST. 

 COTW Vote April 27- May 3 (ends Friday @ noon EST) 

 Wheeling Nailers Competition (entries due Friday @ noon EST) 

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Now on to today's concepts!

Adam G.- Washington Capitals

Our first concept of the day is Adam G.'s latest entry in his De-Edge series, this one for the Washington Capitals.  I really like the look of this set, it draws upon the original Caps uniforms while changing enough to give it its own identity.  I love the movement of the stars to the yoke and upper arm, it looks really sharp and also probably helps mobility and dexterity for the players.  The simple striping and contrasting cuff and hem are a great call, anything else would be too busy with all the stars in the design.  The alternate is also a solid look, I love the Weagle logo, and it still bothers me that they haven't moved to using it as the primary.  The striping pattern serving as a large W is a clever touch, but my main issue with it is that it shouldn't overlap with the number on the back.  Gear all looks good, and execution overall is solid.  Final verdict: a good looking set for the Caps, and a definite improvement on their current set.  8.5/10

Matt G.- Arizona Coyotes

Our second and final concept for the day is Matt G.'s entry into our Color Swatch competition, a design for the Arizona Coyotes.  Right off the bat, this color scheme lends itself really well to the 'Yotes, it's close to what they already use, but far enough off that it gives it its own flair.  The decision to use the greyish-brown instead of the more traditional red for the coyote head was intriguing, but I think it really pays off here.  I love the chest stripe, it works really well with this logo.  While the chest stripe doesn't match the striping on the arms and socks, it's close enough that it still manages to work for me.  My main issues with the main set are the chest stripe not continuing onto the back, and the vintage-esque stitching on the numbers.  The chest stripe issue is just a major pet peeve of mine, and the numbers don't really add anything for me, especially for such a new team.  The third is where you really have me, though.  I love the grey-brown as the base of a jersey, and the sublimated kachina pattern in the striping is a great way to tie into the 'Yotes uniform history without being as ostentatious as previous iterations.  Gear and presentation look great, and my only other complaint is the collars across the set falling prey to the usual follies of the Adizero system.  Final verdict: a fantastic entry in one of my favorite contests of recent memory.  9.5/10 and my COTW NOMINEE!!!!!

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