Thursday: Czech These Jerseys Out

Apologies, that pun was terrible.

But I'm sure if you follow this blog, or my blog, or anything related to hockey jerseys, I'm sure you've seen the Czech and Canadian Olympic jerseys.  I won't do a full review for them, as my opinion seems to be the general opinion so far: the Canadian jerseys are actually decent, and the Czech jerseys are interesting but not good for hockey.

Here is my biggest issue with the Czech jersey, mainly the "dark" jersey.  Its not really dark, its ~33% white.  What is going to happen if they play Russia, who should wear their "white" jerseys?

My eyes hurt looking at this already.  It may be because I picked a really pixelated Czech jersey image, but its probably because there is too much red and white.  Two of these players fighting on the boards could get lost in their own jerseys with these on.  A nice shiny white ice surface is going to make this even worse.  But that's just my opinion, obviously not Nike's.  

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Edit by Ryan

Greg, from Colgate University, got back to me and they have selected a winner for the Colgate Autism Awareness Jersey Competition. The winner is S2dio (Fernando)!

S2dio will now get a copy of the jersey he created and the team will wear it for their upcoming Autism Awareness game. Congrats and thanks to everyone that entered. This was one of the best competitions we have had here on HJC.

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COTY-September vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern time)

COTW Sept 30 - Oct 6 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern time)

Anyways, here are the concepts for today:

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Vancouver Canucks Alternates Concept - Colin M.

This is a very cool concept.  Plaid couldn't work on any other jersey in the league besides Vancouver, but only when they use the Jonny Canuck mascot like shown here. The colour scheme isn't changed, but green becomes the primary colour with the Canucks, and I'm okay with that.  The striping and numbers all look good and in place.  I'm not sure if blue is the best colour for the pants or equipment, as it will take a bit away from the jersey, but I understand that the Canucks need a little bit more blue than just a few stripes.  I wouldn't want Vancouver to use this full time, as it is still pretty gimmicky looking. But this is at very least a really cool 3rd jersey for the Canucks.  I'd buy. 9/10 and COTW



Los Angeles Kings Concept - Dylan W.

Dylan gives us this redesign for the Los Angeles Kings.  It looks like a bit of a modern take to LA's early black and white jerseys, keeping their old look and making the font and striping look modern.  It's pretty cool.  The striping seems a little imbalanced, but it still stays clean and looks modern without being quirky, so it's still good.  What I'm not sure of is the gradient shading on the arms, armpit, and hem.  I get that you might be doing a 3D look, but on the hem and arms it looks to be too much.  But if the gradient is part of the design itself, it feels like its not noticeable enough to add anything to the jersey's style.  Maybe I'm just not seeing it like I should, feel free to clarify it for me.  Either way, solid redesign. 8/10



Team Canada Olympic Concept - Eric W.

Eric gives us this concept that is smothered in traditional Canadian looks.  As a bit of a hockey traditionalist and patriot, I like this a lot.  The main set looks mostly like the '72 jerseys; staying clean and simple but showing enough national pride to belong to Canada. The gold leaves on the sleeves are a very nice touch, making Canada's expectations and history a part of the jersey.  The text is cool, but I wonder if it would be cooler as a "hanger effect" instead, being displayed under the collar.  Just a thought, it's nice either way.  The 3rd jersey looks like an Olympic jersey from the pre-50's, which is the point I guess, being based from the RCAF Flyers.  I really liked those jerseys, and while I feel this doesn't quite capture the unique look of those jerseys, it's still a great tribute to Canadian Olympic history.  A few nitpicks: the numbers and name seem a little cramped at the top of the jersey, and the main socks could be a little less plain.  Minor details, still a great concept.  8.3/10



Team Sweden Olympic Concept - Eric W.

Designing a Sweden jersey is like designing a Detroit, Toronto, or Montreal jersey: Easy to replicate, easy to over-do it, hard to make unique but true to the team.  Eric's 2nd concept today attempts to do just that.  The set here is very clean, and true to Swedish form, but I feel like there's nothing here that really stands out from other Sweden jerseys.  The 3rd jersey has a unique striping and it just has that look of a retro jersey.  I really like the 3rd jersey, and the execution of the whole set is fantastic, but nothing really excites me from the main set. 7.8/10



Washington Capitals Concept - Justin S.

Justin here gives us his concept for the Washington Capitals.  I've always liked the blue and bronze look for the Capitals, and wouldn't be upset if they used a jersey similar to this for their Winter Classic sets.  The jersey layout is pretty solid, and the colours look about right.  However, there are a few issues in play here.  There seems to be pixelation issues throughout the jerseys, mainly with the arm striping, captain patch, name and number.  Everything is in the right place, but pixelation is often the difference between good concepts and better ones.  The logo crest in the front is a little large, and there should be TV numbers on the arms of the jerseys.  The font choice looks interesting, but I think it could work if it's cleaned up a bit.  The concept needs work, but it's on its way there. 6.2/10

Georgia Tech NCAA Concept - Mike S.

Every week I seem to get a piece from Mike, and all of them have a shared theme: a traditional looking jersey with subtle unique elements that make the jersey great.  This set is executed very well, and looks like a traditional college jersey.  I don't really get the hem striping, but it's a perfect balance of fresh and tame that it still looks good.  The problem for me is that nothing on this screams "Yellow Jackets" to me.  This jersey makes me think of honey with it's cool colour more than it makes me think of bees.  The execution is done well, and nothing seems out of place, it just seems a little bare and I don't get the feeling of team identity here.  7.6/10



Binghamton Senators Concept - Phil B.

Phil gives us this redesign for the Baby Sens. Their current designs are plain do-overs of the Ottawa Senators jerseys. These are colourful and noticeable, so already a nice improvement.  Their alternate logo is nicely implemented here, and, unlike Mike's Georgia Tech concept above, I totally get the feeling of team identity here.  The stripe design is matching, which is a plus, but also pretty basic.  The only thing that really stands out here as unique are the yokes and the helmet designs, which are really cool.  The colour scheme works really well for these jerseys, my only other suggestion is to maybe give the letters and numbers on the white jersey a black outline, similar to the dark jersey.  Well done otherwise. 8/10



Calgary Hitmen "Bret Hart" Concept - Ryan (HJC)

Some bias here: I've always been both a Bret Hart and Calgary Hitmen fan.  As seen in one of my previous concepts, I also like the pink and black look for the Hitmen.  I don't know if this jersey would be a good replacement for the main set, but I'd love to see this as a 3rd jersey.  The arms are really cool, the logo pays good tribute to Bret Hart, and the font choice is spot on.  I would like to see some TV numbers on here, and maybe something on the bottom of the jersey to give it some balance. Those elements would turn this from a cool tribute to a legitimate concept, and I think the Hitmen could pull this look off.  This Sharpshooter of a concept gets 8/10.



Carolina Hurricanes Concept - Scott D.

We end today's post with a Carolina concept from Scott.  This set is a bit of a combination of their new number set, their original warning-flag striping pattern, and a fix up of their arm striping.  Before, their arm striping didn't match the hem stripes.  Now they do, and it works well.  The only problem is now the socks look of of place, because it's one of the only solid patches of black on the whole uniform.  The new numbers look less gimmicky than the old Carolina set, and fit well with this jersey.  I'd rather this set than their current design, since this set shows off its identity rather than their new Team Canada rip-offs.  Like I said, the socks look out of place, but everything else makes this a cool, believable Hurricanes jersey. 8/10

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I mentioned showing off a team's identity a few times throughout this post, and it's a huge part of designing a great jersey concept.  But it isn't everything.  Nike's jerseys are full of showing off the nation's identity, which is nice, but it's over-done and doesn't translate well on a hockey jersey.  You need to find a balance, young grasshoppers.

Thanks for reading, and have a good weekend!