Thursday: Happy Halloween

I know that NHL jerseys are the most common jerseys to design, and it's understandable.  But I have to say it's a little bit of a letdown seeing only 2 concepts for today's post for non-NHL teams, and one of them is from me.

I'm not trying to nag or anything, I just think it's way cooler when I get to review teams that aren't dead obvious to anyone who reads this.  Sometimes researching the teams I review is the fun part.

So that's my rant for today. I'd feel like beating a dead horse if I reviewed the Flames 3rd jerseys.  But for the record, it's a pretty cool Walmart knock-off, and I'd give it a 7/10.

I heard no objections to my "yay or nay" review style from last week, so I'll try it out again this week. We have tons of concepts to look at today, but first: VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!

COTW Oct 21-27 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

COTY logo entries (due Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

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Today's COTY Logo Entries:

S2DIO-

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Anaheim Ducks Concept - Caleb F.

Yay:  It seems to be a badly kept secret that the Ducks will go with an orange jersey for their Stadium Series game vs. Los Angeles. Assuming that were true, this wouldn't be a bad way to go.  I couldn't see this as a full-time jersey, without confusion from Flyers fans, but it would make an excellent special jersey or even a full-time 3rd (better than what they have currently IMO). Orange is a good look for the Ducks. The logo looks like a nice retro jersey, with a perfectly recoloured duck that we all know and love.

Nay: For a 3rd jersey, the design is somewhat simple, but maybe that's what gives this jersey a nice retro feel, without going overboard.  The yoke could be a little more interesting.  I'm also not sure about the white name on the bright orange jersey, I'd either stick to black or look more retro with a black name-bar and white text (or vice versa).

Overall: I like it. Execution was pretty good, and while it could be made a bit more interesting in parts, it's an awfully good fit for a retro-ish 3rd. 8/10

Ottawa Senators Heritage Classic Concept - Matt R.

Yay: For another jersey headed for the outdoors, here's Matt's Ottawa jersey. I love the barber-pole look, highly original for the NHL.  I really like the arm design, and the execution on the jersey and equipment is done pretty much perfectly.  

Nay: A few things. Might be just me, but the font doesn't look all too retro on these jerseys. It would work well for a typical NHL jersey, but I feel it's a bit of a miss here. I like the striping throughout the jersey, but I feel like the barber-poles on the yoke is a bit busy and unnecessary.  I like yokes on jerseys, but this might be one time I'd leave it out.  Not as much of a "nay", more like a suggestion, but I'd probably put their nice shield secondary logos on the shoulder patches.

Overall: I'm not getting the full retro vibes like I get from their current 3rd, but this is a good attempt of a white version of it. I'd buy it. 7.5/10

Team South Korea Concept - TG

Yay: The only non-NHL jersey I'll actually review today, TG gives us his take on Team South Korea. Their current jerseys, although cool for international jerseys, feels like a Pepsi rip-off. This on the other hand is a much more traditional jersey that suits Korea well. The striping pattern is unique, and while I have a couple slight problems with it (see below), it's nothing too crazy and it looks rather cool.

Nay: First, the aforementioned stripes: I don't get why you need the bottom stripe underneath the arms.  I think it would look better and less busy if the stripes just went all the way around. Also, I really don't see the need for black in the jersey. It looks decent on these jerseys as part of the striping and equipment, but black isn't really part of Korea's colour theme. If you wanted to use any colour other than red,white, and blue, then historically they tend to use a light blue. I don't really like how the numbers look, especially on the white jersey. The red and blue create so much contrast that it's not exactly nice to look at.

Overall: I really do like these jerseys. And with a bit of luck, and some decision making by the IIHF, you might see South Korea in the Olympics against the best in the world. I'd rather them wear this than their Pepsi counterparts. 7.8/10

 Vancouver Canucks Concept - Zack M.

Yay: Alright, I'll warn you ahead of time that there are more than a few "nays" to this jersey. But that doesn't mean this isn't a good concept. I would more than welcome a green Vancouver 3rd with this logo and design into their jersey set.

Nay: The biggest problem here for me is the colours. The green is right (I think), but if you're going to design a jersey, the colours of the jersey generally match that of the logo. The blue stripes and yoke should match the blue on the logo, and the middle stripes should probably be white instead of grey (or if you wanted, you can recolour the logo to match your jersey, but in this case I don't recommend it). The name is a little big, and should be closer to the yoke, the number should be closer to the center of the jersey, the TV numbers and captaincy letter should be a bit bigger, the logo should be smaller, and if you're going to include equipment, try to make it a little bigger so the details you work so hard to put in them are noticeable.

Overall: I hope all of those "nays" don't discourage you, this is a great idea and a good start to a concept.  It needs lots of work, but doing all of the little things right would make this a dandy of a concept.  5/10

Colorado Avalanche Concept - David P.

Yay:  The first of David's concepts for today, we get to see a full set of the Colorado Avalanche. The main stripes, although simple, are a nice look for Colorado, who I always thought would benefit from a more college/traditional look.  The font choice is accurate, and the colours/outlines of the numbers are done well, something which is surprisingly difficult when designing a jersey.

Nay: I can live with the main set of a jersey to have the same striping, I prefer that actually.  But the 3rd jersey should be a totally new look, not just a recolour of the main set. David makes a 3rd and 4th jersey, which are both just recoloured versions of the main set, which is pretty basic to begin with. The black jersey feels the most unnecessary, while the blue jersey's colours seem pretty cool for a 3rd. The striping is uneven in some spots, like the middle arm stripe not being quite centred in the main stripe. TV numbers are also essential for a concept wanting full marks. One more thing, I know you did this for your other concept, but always have your name or some ID on your image.

Overall: They look like believable Colorado jerseys, but there's nothing too exciting here, especially in the 3rd and 4th jerseys. 6/10

San Jose Sharks 3rd Jersey Concept - Matt R.

Yay: Matt gives us another concept today, this time giving us a 3rd jersey for the Sharks. I never understood why orange had to be introduced to the Sharks colour scheme, but it fits if the logo has an orange background like this concept does. Their current 3rd is a boring recolour of the Shark's current main set, which is clean enough, but pretty boring on it's own. This concept at least has some striping, some colour, some originality, and it uses a Sharks logo we don't see often. 

Nay: I'm not sure what the proper fix for this would be, but the white numbers and name look a little distracting on the jersey, since there is barely any white on the rest of the jersey or logo. The logo is an awkward shape to work with, but it does take up a lot of space on the front, so I would probably try to shrink it down just a little bit.

Overall: I didn't give Matt's Ottawa jersey a whole lot of love, but this concept is a different story. This jersey is exciting and different, but simple and clean enough to fit within the NHL's growing-conservative look. 8.5/10 and my COTW nom

Chicago Blackhawks Concept - Scott D.

Yay: Scott gives us his Chicago concept, which would probably go well as a 3rd or Stadium Series jersey. The crest of the jersey gives this the classic 30's Chicago look, while keeping the more-refined logo. The secondary logo on the shoulder patch has been recoloured, and looks spot on. The font choice is a standard, classic font, which a jersey like this needs.

Nay: I like the idea of the chest stripes, and the striping pattern in general, but it feels too busy and uneven. I think taking out the bottom black and red stripe, leaving a red-black-white-red pattern, would be a huge boost to the look of the jersey. It would also help the number stand out more, which the number itself is fine, but there is too much going on behind it to make it easily noticeable. I'm also not sure how much I like the pants design. The stripe down is probably okay, but the stripe at the bottom is probably unnecessary, unless you made it a little more subtle. Not sure on that one.

Overall: It's a good, classic look for the Blackhawks, and different from what they already have as a retro 3rd. I'd be more than okay with seeing this in the outdoors this spring in Chicago. 7.8/10

Ottawa Senators Concept - David P.

Yay: David gives us another go-round of concepts, this time giving us an Ottawa set. First off, bonus points for including a name on this set. The striping pattern is something that seems to suit Ottawa from their current look.  It's a little more busy, but not too busy so that it takes away from the jersey. Ottawa was always a flashy, modern looking team, and I'd love to see them keep that style with these jerseys. I like the use of the alternate logo as the main logo here. The black 3rd, although just a recolour of the main set, is busy and colourful enough that it can enjoy it's own style, unlike the Avalanche jerseys above.

Nay: Again, all of these jerseys are just recoloured versions of each other, which shows a bit of a lack in originality, especially when dealing with 3rd jerseys. But as I said, in this case that isn't much of an issue, as the black jersey looks like a good stand-alone jersey anyways.  The only major flaw I see in these jerseys is a lack of TV numbers.

Overall: This jersey set, although keeping the same formula as the Avalanche concept above, shows much more effort, design ability, and is overall just a better looking concept. I'd keep their current 3rd, but wouldn't be upset if this main set became official, with TV numbers of course. 7.5/10

Buffalo Sabres Concept - Dylan W.

Yay: Is Hodgson now the "A" with Vanek gone? Or was this just a random use of a name? No design implications, I'm just curious. I don't see Ott as Captain material, neither is Hodgson, but he is potentially their next franchise player, so I wouldn't be surprised. Anyways, Dylan gives us his Buffalo redesign, which takes Buffalo over that last "recolourizing" step to renewing their classic look. There's nothing here that a hockey-historian hasn't seen before between the 70's and the mid 90's, but the execution here looks fantastic. I'd really love to see Buffalo in these colours again.

Nay: There isn't anything I can nitpick about for execution errors. As usual Dylan is a detail perfectionist. However, I don't notice anything here that is a new design from their original set as mentioned earlier. Going retro is definitely the look Buffalo should go for; but from a design aspect, there isn't anything new here, besides the name.

Overall: It's a wonderful looking design, and Dylan really brings new life to this old jersey, but it's still an old jersey. 8.2/10

Minnesota Wild 3rd Jersey Concept - SG-94

Yay: Steven gives us a nice red 3rd jersey for the Wild. The Wild still have their red home jerseys, with this crest, but I would like to see them take a more green approach for their main set (as seen in their new away jersey), and stick with a red 3rd. This would be a good start to that. It keeps the red and green look we know and love from the wild, without looking too Christmas-y. It's a nice, traditional looking set, with a striping pattern that is basic, but not totally generic. 

Nay: While the jersey doesn't look as Christmas-y, the green pants would probably take it to that point. I'm also not sure how I feel about the stripes. Yes, I like how traditional and different they are, but I don't know if I totally like the stripe being uncentered, leaving more space on one side than the other, if that makes any sense.

Overall: This would be a great 3rd jersey if the Wild didn't have a red primary jersey already. But if they were to fix that, this would be a good look for them. 8/10

 Hawthorne Force Concept - William B. (me)

Alright, so now it's your turn. This of course is my entry to the Hawthorne PD Force Contest we had a little while ago here at HJC. I made this in a little bit of a rush, and probably spent more time on the logo and not enough on the jersey. I wanted to give them the Anaheim Ducks look, because of Hawthorne's proximity to Anaheim. I knew I had to use a deep "police" blue, so I used that as a good excuse to dish out some double-blue style (my personal favourite colour scheme). My favourite part is the logo, although I would make "Hawthorne" stand out more, and get rid of the curved lines running through "FORCE". This would probably never pass as a pro jersey, but I though this design would look pretty BA for any kid that got the opportunity to wear this. 

But that is just my look at it, I'd love to know how you feel about it. I rant and nitpick at all of your concepts, you all deserve a shot at mine. Looking back at this, I wish I gave it more time and love, but I'd give it an 8/10.

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So there goes another post. I'd love to see your comments related to my concept, any other concepts I reviewed, my "yay or nay" writing style, or anything that suits your fancy. Speaking of suits, I thought about being Don Cherry for Halloween, but didn't have the time to find a good* suit. I hope you all have a good, safe Halloween, and have a good weekend. Thanks for reading.