Saturday: Some American, some Canadian and some German
Another happy Saturday to everyone, especially to my fellow Blackhawks fans who have seen our team go another week without a regulation loss. The record now stands at 21 consecutive games.
Don’t forget that two weeks from tonight at 9PM Eastern time, Ryan will be hosting the next HJC live chat. Mark your calendars!
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Now, onto the concepts.
Montreal Canadiens (by Charles)
For the Untouchables series, Charles went in a different direction and decided to use the rare Under Armour template, which was originally commissioned by my request since I was working on a college series that required it. The yoke stripes are certainly unique and are definitely a nice touch. It's a good way to approach the Habs from a completely different angle.
The only real critique I have is an execution issue: the pixelation of the name and number. It would help the design if they were cleaner.
Overall, I'll give it a 7/10.
Columbus Blue Jackets (by Drew)
The inclusion of the gray in this concept is a little strange considering the reasoning behind the Blue Jackets' name (for those of you unaware, in the American Civil War, Union soldiers wore blue jackets and Confederate soldiers wore gray jackets) but I like the look. If the NHL switched back to white jerseys at home, this would be a pretty good option for Columbus.
Just a few small issues, though. I just can't get behind the divided sleeves, the number font is a bit strange and the front logo is too small. Also, on the Edge jerseys the vertical seams on the front and back stop at the hem stripes.
Overall, I'll give it a 7/10.
Melfort Mustangs (by Eric)
I do believe this is my first Nike concept I've graded and it is so cool to see a template I made (the Nike socks) being used by other artists. That makes me a little proud. Anyway, enough yammering... the concept - for a team from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League - itself is good. I absolutely love the color scheme. This would certainly be an interesting Whalers-esque look (and one that I may consider imitating since I intend to add the Whalers as part of my Nike NHL series) and here the colors really pop. I think it's mainly because of the bright green. Definitely an improvement over the Mustangs' real colors.
I don't really have any issues with this one. I can't really criticize the pixelation of it because that's the aesthetic of the entire concept, so it doesn't stand out like it does on other concepts.
Overall, I'll give it an 8.5/10.
Melville Millionaires (by Eric)
Eric sent in two SJHL concepts and I like this one even more than the first one. I really like the striping pattern. It's out there but in this case it really works. The logo is definitely an improvement over their real logo, as is the color scheme. These two concepts really work and so do the rest of Eric's SJHL concepts, which I would really recommend checking out in some of the earlier posts this week.
I have only one issue with this one: the pants. You could easily adapt that striping pattern to the pants in some way so they won't be so plain.
Overall, I'll give it an 8.5/10.
Dallas Stars (by Felix)
AAAAAAH! MOOTERUS! I admire Felix's audacity in using what is near-universally recognized as one of the worst logos in NHL history. It takes courage to use such a terrible logo. You don't see many Burger King, Mooterus or Gorton's concepts. Pontification on logos aside, I like the muted version of the Stars' color scheme that Felix used to accompany the logo. If the Stars use something along these lines when they rebrand, I'd like it.
This one has a few issues, apart from the pixelation, that are easily solvable. It could use a hem stripe matching the sleeve stripe, just for consistency's sake. The sleeve numbers are too small and would look better if they were moved above the sleeve stripes and made larger. The back number suffers from the same problem. Finally, the captain's C and NOB are too big.
Overall, I'll give it an 8/10.
Deutschland Hilltoppers (by Griffin)
Griffin's concept is for an entirely fictional fantasy team. He's taken Germany's national colors and run with them and the end result is a jersey that would look good IRL. These jerseys just plain look good. It makes me wonder how Germany's national team would look wearing red, since their current uniforms don't feature a red jersey. Including the rink design is a nice touch as well. Nothing wrong with a little bit extra.
All of the above applies really only to the home and away jerseys. I understand the point of the alt design as it fits into the name but it just doesn't scream 'hockey' to me. I'm not totally opposed to non-traditional striping designs but I don't feel that this one works. Also, I don't care for the number font. Finally, and this is the most important one, please remember to credit everyone whose work you used. The uniform template you used was created by Tim O'Brien, as indicated by the "O'B" on the inside of the collar, and you didn't credit him for using his template.
Overall, I'll give it a 7/10.
Columbus Blue Jackets (by Justin)
Most of you will be familiar with Justin because he is the reigning Concept of the Year winner and this concept demonstrates that he certainly hasn't been slacking since his win. He's taken the Blue Jackets in an entirely new direction using a logo that was (IIRC) supposed to be used as part of Columbus' hosting of the All-Star Game but never saw the true light of day, what with the ASG being canceled. The color scheme is very similar to the Panthers' former third jersey and with the addition of gold, it looks great.
The only problem I have with this one is the plain pants. Also, this isn't a criticism, but are the sticks on the back of the sleeves supposed to be gray?
Overall, I'll give it a 9/10 and a COTW nomination.
Tampa Bay Lightning (by Patrik)
A common criticism of the Lightning's current look is that they look way too much like the Leafs (GM Steve Yzerman trying way too hard to make the team he GMs look like an Original Six team) and Patrik has done a good job trying to fix that. The striping pattern is certainly unique but for a team like the Lightning it would certainly work. I would love it if the Lightning did something along these lines to make themselves stand out from the crowd and stand out from their neighbors to the north.
On the other hand, Patrik has made the Bolts look even more like the Leafs, because the name and number font are the same font the Leafs used from 2000-2010. I don't like that. There are other issues. The striping pattern is pixelated in some places and it detracts from the quality of the design. The blue on the jersey doesn't seem to match the blue in the shoulder patches. Finally, the Reebok vector on the back should be the wordmark.
Overall, I'll give it a 6/10.
Don’t forget that two weeks from tonight at 9PM Eastern time, Ryan will be hosting the next HJC live chat. Mark your calendars!
--------
Now, onto the concepts.
Montreal Canadiens (by Charles)
For the Untouchables series, Charles went in a different direction and decided to use the rare Under Armour template, which was originally commissioned by my request since I was working on a college series that required it. The yoke stripes are certainly unique and are definitely a nice touch. It's a good way to approach the Habs from a completely different angle.
The only real critique I have is an execution issue: the pixelation of the name and number. It would help the design if they were cleaner.
Overall, I'll give it a 7/10.
Columbus Blue Jackets (by Drew)
The inclusion of the gray in this concept is a little strange considering the reasoning behind the Blue Jackets' name (for those of you unaware, in the American Civil War, Union soldiers wore blue jackets and Confederate soldiers wore gray jackets) but I like the look. If the NHL switched back to white jerseys at home, this would be a pretty good option for Columbus.
Just a few small issues, though. I just can't get behind the divided sleeves, the number font is a bit strange and the front logo is too small. Also, on the Edge jerseys the vertical seams on the front and back stop at the hem stripes.
Overall, I'll give it a 7/10.
Melfort Mustangs (by Eric)
I do believe this is my first Nike concept I've graded and it is so cool to see a template I made (the Nike socks) being used by other artists. That makes me a little proud. Anyway, enough yammering... the concept - for a team from the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League - itself is good. I absolutely love the color scheme. This would certainly be an interesting Whalers-esque look (and one that I may consider imitating since I intend to add the Whalers as part of my Nike NHL series) and here the colors really pop. I think it's mainly because of the bright green. Definitely an improvement over the Mustangs' real colors.
I don't really have any issues with this one. I can't really criticize the pixelation of it because that's the aesthetic of the entire concept, so it doesn't stand out like it does on other concepts.
Overall, I'll give it an 8.5/10.
Melville Millionaires (by Eric)
Eric sent in two SJHL concepts and I like this one even more than the first one. I really like the striping pattern. It's out there but in this case it really works. The logo is definitely an improvement over their real logo, as is the color scheme. These two concepts really work and so do the rest of Eric's SJHL concepts, which I would really recommend checking out in some of the earlier posts this week.
I have only one issue with this one: the pants. You could easily adapt that striping pattern to the pants in some way so they won't be so plain.
Overall, I'll give it an 8.5/10.
Dallas Stars (by Felix)
AAAAAAH! MOOTERUS! I admire Felix's audacity in using what is near-universally recognized as one of the worst logos in NHL history. It takes courage to use such a terrible logo. You don't see many Burger King, Mooterus or Gorton's concepts. Pontification on logos aside, I like the muted version of the Stars' color scheme that Felix used to accompany the logo. If the Stars use something along these lines when they rebrand, I'd like it.
This one has a few issues, apart from the pixelation, that are easily solvable. It could use a hem stripe matching the sleeve stripe, just for consistency's sake. The sleeve numbers are too small and would look better if they were moved above the sleeve stripes and made larger. The back number suffers from the same problem. Finally, the captain's C and NOB are too big.
Overall, I'll give it an 8/10.
Deutschland Hilltoppers (by Griffin)
Griffin's concept is for an entirely fictional fantasy team. He's taken Germany's national colors and run with them and the end result is a jersey that would look good IRL. These jerseys just plain look good. It makes me wonder how Germany's national team would look wearing red, since their current uniforms don't feature a red jersey. Including the rink design is a nice touch as well. Nothing wrong with a little bit extra.
All of the above applies really only to the home and away jerseys. I understand the point of the alt design as it fits into the name but it just doesn't scream 'hockey' to me. I'm not totally opposed to non-traditional striping designs but I don't feel that this one works. Also, I don't care for the number font. Finally, and this is the most important one, please remember to credit everyone whose work you used. The uniform template you used was created by Tim O'Brien, as indicated by the "O'B" on the inside of the collar, and you didn't credit him for using his template.
Overall, I'll give it a 7/10.
Columbus Blue Jackets (by Justin)
Most of you will be familiar with Justin because he is the reigning Concept of the Year winner and this concept demonstrates that he certainly hasn't been slacking since his win. He's taken the Blue Jackets in an entirely new direction using a logo that was (IIRC) supposed to be used as part of Columbus' hosting of the All-Star Game but never saw the true light of day, what with the ASG being canceled. The color scheme is very similar to the Panthers' former third jersey and with the addition of gold, it looks great.
The only problem I have with this one is the plain pants. Also, this isn't a criticism, but are the sticks on the back of the sleeves supposed to be gray?
Overall, I'll give it a 9/10 and a COTW nomination.
Tampa Bay Lightning (by Patrik)
A common criticism of the Lightning's current look is that they look way too much like the Leafs (GM Steve Yzerman trying way too hard to make the team he GMs look like an Original Six team) and Patrik has done a good job trying to fix that. The striping pattern is certainly unique but for a team like the Lightning it would certainly work. I would love it if the Lightning did something along these lines to make themselves stand out from the crowd and stand out from their neighbors to the north.
On the other hand, Patrik has made the Bolts look even more like the Leafs, because the name and number font are the same font the Leafs used from 2000-2010. I don't like that. There are other issues. The striping pattern is pixelated in some places and it detracts from the quality of the design. The blue on the jersey doesn't seem to match the blue in the shoulder patches. Finally, the Reebok vector on the back should be the wordmark.
Overall, I'll give it a 6/10.
Saturday: Some American, some Canadian and some German
Reviewed by Kevin W.
on
March 02, 2013
Rating:
Reviewed by Kevin W.
on
March 02, 2013
Rating:
3 comments:
Eric's Melfort Mustangs Concept got COTW Nom from Me!
I'll 2nd Eric's Mustangs Concepts for COTW!
Love love love the Melville jerseys. I actually like their current ones, but the striping on yours is fantastic.
As for the Melfort concept, I think the green on the M is way too bright. Other than that, it's pretty good.
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