Friday: A New King is Crowned

Hey y'all, and welcome to another Friday post here at HJC.  Last night, the Capitals closed out their series with the Golden Knights, officially winning their first Stanley Cup win in the franchise's 44 year history.  I have to say, it was a spectacular way to end the series, with an exciting back-and-forth game  with multiple lead changes.  Beyond just the happiness I feel for the Capitals winning, and thus the Golden Knights losing, I am surprised at just how happy I am for team captain and Conn Smythe winner Alexander Ovechkin.  

WJLA

I'll be the first to admit, I've never been the biggest fan of Ovechkin.  I respect his ability as a phenomenal player, and his incredible drive on and off the ice, but something about the way he conducted himself just didn't sit right with me.  Maybe it was an air of arrogance, maybe his tendency to skate the line between physical and dirty play, but whatever it was it rubbed me the wrong way.  This series, however, changed that perspective for me.  Seeing a man who was just as happy when his teammates scored as when he did softened my image of him.  He was no longer the stern, solemn, beady eyed man that I had seen in the past.  This was a man driven by passion, a love for the game, and a desire to bring glory to the city that he had adopted as his own.  Looking at the above photo, I don't see a man holding the most difficult trophy to win in professional sports.  I see the kid playing Pee-Wee hockey who just scored his first goal.  The pure, unadulterated joy on that face shows that it's way more than just the trophy for him, it's the culmination of over a decade's worth of hard work and dedication to a game he loves, finally resulting in what will undoubtedly be one of the happiest moments of his life.  With that, I'd like to personally congratulate Alex Ovechkin and the entire Capitals organization for their first Stanley Cup championship.

In voting news, we have the regular COTW vote for June 1-7, as well as the COTW May vote, both of which end Friday at noon EDT.  We are also in the middle of the entry period for the Pairs Competition, so be sure to get your entries in before June 22 at noon EDT.  

COTW June 1-7 vote (ends Friday @ noon EDT)

COTW May vote (ends Friday @ noon EDT)

Pairs Competition entries (due June 22 @ noon EDT)

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Now on to today's concepts!

Adam G.- Vegas Golden Knights (Whynn & Encore)

Our first concept of the day is another one of Adam G.'s Golden Knights casino-themed fan jerseys, this one for the Whynn & Encore.  Once again, the striping pattern is styled after the look of the resort, which gives it a good on-brand feel.  This is one of the few I've seen in this series where I think it actually works well without recoloring the VGK logo, so good work there.  I wish the hem stripe better matched the arms, but not all the way up, maybe just a few of them.  Finally, the script shoulder patch once again doesn't really do it for me.  Final verdict: a decent looking jersey in an intriguing series.  7.5/10

Anthony C.- Detroit Red Wings

Next up is Anthony C. with a design for the Red Wings.  The Wings have always been a daunting team to redesign, as they're really one of the untouchable uniform designs in the NHL.  That being said, I think that this is a pretty good attempt.  I really like the idea of a chest stripe for Detroit, and I'm a fan of the striping pattern itself (for the most part).  It really bothers me that the striping on the body is inverted compared to the arms, I'd say flip the arms so that it matches the body and sock striping.  While I am a fan of the gothic D logo for an alternate, the idea that the Wings would chose it over their primary logo, one of the most iconic logos in sports, is completely out of the realm of possibility.  It could have at least been used as a shoulder patch.  Final verdict: a good looking set for a difficult team to take one, but some design choices hold it back.  8.5/10

Burkus Circus- Buffalo Sabres

Our next concept is the first of two from Burkus Circus today, this one for the Buffalo Sabres.  I really like the idea of the Sabres in a yellow alt, despite the outcome of their last attempt.  I love the use of the Winter Classic logo as a primary crest, it's a really strong logo that I'd love to see used again.  It works really well with the chest stripe, and the striping pattern looks great.  That being said, when combined with the matching hem stripe and yoke with striping, it ends up making the design a little too busy.  I'd say simplify the hem stripe and maybe eliminate the yoke, and you've got a really solid design.  Final verdict: a good idea, but it's just a little too cluttered.  7/10

Burkus Circus: Carolina Hurricanes

Burkus' second concept of the day is an alternate design for the Hurricanes.  While I appreciate the attempt to pay tribute to the history of the franchise, I think using Whalers colors and design cues would miss the mark and rub salt in old wounds.  I like the look of the main crest, but I'm wondering how it really fits in with the Canes' identity.  Gear looks good, but the main crest has a lot of pixelation around it, it needs a little cleaning up.  Final verdict: a decent attempt, but execution and dredging up bad memories detract from this design.  6/10

Taylor R.- RPI Engineers

Our final concept of the day is Taylor R.'s design for the RPI Engineers.  I really like these types of resigns, with the full length yoke broken up by a more traditional striping pattern that blends into the base color of the jersey.  It's a good way to stick to RPI's full length yoke design while bringing something fresh to it.  The diagonal text logo works well with the design, and the matching font for the name and numbers looks fantastic.  Gear looks great, and presentation is on point.  Final verdict: a great look for RPI that I would love to see take the ice.  9/10 and my COTW NOMINEE!!!!!

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