Thursday: In the Building

The day has come folks. It's game 5 and Stanley's in the building. Washington looks to take a page out of the Penguins book and win the cup on the road, while Fleury and the Knights try to stave off elimination at hockey's greatest stage and live to don their armour another day.

Are the Caps crowned tonight or are we headed back to Washington? Let us know in the commetns.

REMINDERS:

 COTW May 25-31 vote (ends Friday @ noon ET) 

 Pairs Competition entries (due June 22 @ noon ET) 

 Jersey Nerds Podcast every Monday (Leave a question in the HJC Mailbag) 

On to the concepts!

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Adam G.- Vegas Golden Knights (Trump Hotel)

Adam's Vegas Hotels series takes us to Trump Hotel with another striping pattern based off the window pattern of one of Vegas' iconic temporary residencies. Truth be told, I think this look could work full time in the NHL if its reined back in a little. The thin white stripes amidst the field of gold create an almost sublimated look, though to be effective for full time use I think it'd be better to constrain them to more traditonal arm and hem stripes rather than covering the whole of the look. I love the white yoke here as it calls upon the roof of the hotel with the arms appearing a direct copy of the hotel, right down to the Trump text emblazoned at the top. Like last week, I still think this jersey (and the rest of the series) would be more effective with a recolored primary, especially two golds so close to each other already.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

Trump's the name of the game in Euchre and this is a look I think could be in the cards as a hypothetical Vegas promo.

Adam G.- Vegas Golden Knights (The Venetian)

As someone who's had the pleasure of visiting Venice in his young life, I can confirm that this concept includes the key players in the Venice identity. Unfortunately this look is far to busy overall. The bridge and building design is just too much on the hem, though I appreciate the creativity in the teal hem striping mimicking the water under the city. The arms are simple a mess and though some of our other writers may appreciate the Thrashers-esque Venetian text running down the left arm, it simply falls flat here

  

Overall Rating: 5.0/10

For a city that floats, we've unfortunately gotten a look that sinks.

Anthony C.- Boston Bruins

Anthony brings us a Bruins fauxback look on one of my favorite templates and one I've used for much of my career as a designer. When one creates a traditional look, it's easy to get suckered into patterns that have been done and redone to death in a teams history. Fortunately, Anthony does the opposite here by given us a look I can honestly say I've never seen before, on the Bruins or otherwise. And it really works! I've always been a proponent of the bruins in brown (they are bears after all). Though the gold pants and helmet are a bold choice, I think they really work here. Only changes I'd make would be to provide a look at the rear of the uniform which is especially important for chest stripe designs and to consider adding a shoulder patch to the look. I'm thinking maybe the original bear head shoulder patch we discussed in the last podcast.

  

Overall Rating: 9.5/10

Pretty please with a cherry on top. Beautiful look benefiting Boston's Bruins.

Burkus Circus.- Boston Bruins

Boston in Black from Burkus and yet another callback to the this weeks podcast where we discussed not only the original bear shoulder patch but the recolored spoked-B we see here. While I don't mind this look, it's hard for me too see it slotting into the B's current set. The yoke and striping pattern follows too similarly to their early 2000s look without being just different enough to bother me that it's not as effective as the original. Also, as much as I like the recolored crest I think the prevalence of white brings too much into the set when paired with its heavy use on the arms and hem. One thing I do like, however is the interaction between the yoke and socks where they mimick one another and bring back a staple design that Adidas did away with in their original take on the Bruins (I think an alternate offers the perfect opportunity for Adidas to rectify that mistake and bring back the eccentricity of the Bruins). Well done on that.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

For the B's, I give this concept a strong B, but it needs a bit more before it is ready for top marks.

Chase C.- Columbus Blue Jackets

Now this, ladies and gentlemen, is a beauty. The chevron striping. The stars. The cannon crest. THE HJC-APPROVED DOUBLE BLUE. I know it's been rumored the Jacket's will be adapting a red and blue cannon logo to base their alternate around, but how can they do such a thing when there's this beauty staring them in the face. The updated Jackets font looks great and plays wonderfully off the logo and the upper-arm fill frames the TV numbers beautifully. Only suggestions for improvement would be to bevel the arm stars the same way the star in the crest is beveled for consistency's sake and to flip the socks so they are primarily dark blue with just a touch of light to better match the hem and arms. But beyond that, I've got nothing. Fantastic work, my good man.

  

Overall Rating: 9.9/10

Like a said... A BEAUTY. Just a couple missteps keeping this look from seemingly unattainable perfection

That's all for today folks. 

If I could give two, I would, but that's against the rules. Feel as if I'm doing Anthony's Bruins Concept a disservice here, but I can't not extend my COTW Nomination to Chase's CBJ Alternate. Fantastic work all around today, gentlemen.

Got Questions? Send 'em our way by stuffing the HJC Mailbag.