Saturday: Double Trouble

Welcome to another Saturday edition of HJC! We have several great concepts today, and many artists who are featured twice. It's a good mix of daring, modern designs, and the tried-and-true traditional treatment. 

When evaluating jersey concepts, there are always a few pet peeves that we have in aesthetics. My top three are: striping that runs outside of the jersey, lack of TV numbers, and bad color choices (colors that would not look good on the ice, or do not match together well). What are your pet design peeves, and what do you look for in a good concept? 

In jersey news, the Senators are supposed to be unveiling their Heritage Classic jersey soon. The teasers released for the jersey reveal that it will be "vintage white." I know that events like the Heritage Classic lend themselves to that aesthetic, but I'm getting a little burned out on "vintage white." How do all of you feel about it?

Nothing major in NHL news this week, other than a 22-year-old kid, who is still playing with his minor league gear, has beaten the Blackhawks, Leafs, and shut out the Red Wings. Sorry, I had to brag on my Preds a bit. Mazanec is just the latest result of Nashville's goalie coach Mitch Korn's dark goaltender magic. I hope he can keep it up against the Rangers tonight as the "Preds vs. the Original Six Tour" continues.

Also, I'm trying out a new format for this week's post. Let me know what you think. On to the concepts!

Boston Bruins 4th jersey concept - Steve M.

What I like: Gold. More gold please. The Bruins old Winter classic jersey in near the top of my jersey wish list. The un-spoked B logo is different, but I think it could work well for a throwback jersey. I like the striping. The TV numbers are done well.

What I don't like: There are two different shades of black used here. I prefer the more charcoal black, especially for a "throwback" style look. There are some loose and uncolored pixels throughout the jersey. Cleaning up those details goes a long way. Is the number on back too big, or is that just me?

Overall: It's a strong look, it just needs more detailing. (7/10)

Tampa Bay Lightning concept - Steve M.

What I like: This has more personality that the Lightning's current look. Bring back the black. Combining the old Lightning jersey with the new logo actually works fairly well. I'm not altogether against the wordmark above the logo. I once told a friend of mine that the log looks like it could be for anything, then we passed a semi-truck for a shipping company that had a very similar logo, proving my point (at least in my opinion).

What I don't like: Take the gray out. I would decrease the amount of white in the jersey. I never cared for this jersey design very much. The white version of this set is alright, but the black one had too much white. I always thought it looked like a cut-off T-shirt. Maybe that's just me. I would make the blue on the hem more prominent, and decrease the size of the white stripe by about half. What was said about execution in the previous concept applies here as well.

Overall: Tampa needs more personality, but this look still needs some balance. (6.5/10)

Calgary Flames concept - Matt R.

What I like: A lot. This a great concept. The striping is very interesting, and complements the logo well. That alternate logo should have been the primary on the Flames new third. The color treatment is very good. Execution and presentation are great. I like bringing back the horse head as a shoulder patch.

What I don't like: It's a preferential thing, but I'm not big on the victory stripes. I always thought of that being more of Tampa Bay's thing. I would prefer the unique, almost western-shirt style yoke from the new third on this one.

Overall: Very strong concept. (8.8/10) 

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Stadium Series concept - David P.

What I like: The picture provided is a great way to show where the inspiration came from. The concept is well thought out. That Pittsburgh Pirates/Penguins mash-up is very interesting.

What I don't like:  Some jerseys from this era went a little crazy with the horizontal stripes, and that should be pared down a bit. The jerseys are very pixelated in some areas. I think I would like that Pittsburgh jersey better if it the striping continued on the back, perhaps?

Overall: Some looks should be left in the past (see Canadiens 1912-1913 Heritage jersey). (6.5/10)

Boston Bruins Nike redesign concept - Stephen T.

What I like: The striping choice is interesting. With the exception of one lone area in the logo that was not recolored properly, execution is good. 

What I don't like: I miss the spoked B logo. It's my favorite in the NHL. I find myself wanting to see more gold here. I wish the sock striping matched the jersey. Striping behind numbers can create design problems that are hard to get around. I'm not sure the numbers on the white jersey would be easily read. The helmet could use a logo.

Overall: Execution is strong, there are just some design choices I don't agree with. (7/10)

Team USA concept - Stephen T.

What I like: The striping is better than what Team USA will be wearing this year.

What I don't like: The shoulder logos are too big and overlap the stitching. I've never been a fan of that eagle logo. The 8 on the front of blue jersey on the right arm is overlapping the striping. The helmet could use a logo. Putting some white in between the red/blue on the numbers of the white jersey would help bring them out more. 

Overall: A strong effort, but some execution errors need to be corrected. (6/10)

Boston College concept - Mike S.

What I like: The striping and color usage is good. Those thin black stripes add more to the concept than, in theory, you would think. I like it. The BC eagle looks good on a hockey jersey. Using slanted numbers make sense for BC, considering the logo. They complement each other well.

What I don't like: I think some striping on the pants would look good. It wouldn't have to be very fancy, but it would help make the set not look as dark. The helmet could use a logo.

Overall: Good concept, solid execution. (8.3/10)

Vancouver Canucks Heritage Classic concept - Anthony C.

What I like: Gold and red do not touch in many areas here, covering one of my pet peeves. This would be interesting for a heritage classic jersey. I would be intrigued to see how the Canucks fans would respond to it.

What I don't like: Considering the jersey below, the striping is really similar. I would like to see some V striping somewhere. The jersey needs TV numbers. Also, you should use the newer Reebok wordmark instead of the older logo that is no longer on jerseys. Is it just me, or is one side of the yoke longer than the other?

Overall: Interesting concept, just needs a few details added/changed and  bit more flair for me (6.8/10)

Vancouver Canucks Heritage Classic concept - Anthony C.

What I like: The yoke treatment here is preferable to the previous concept.

What I don't like: That old Millionaires logo doesn't look good to me in these colors. There's no need for a patch on the yoke. With the striping, it just crowds up the shoulders. Everything I said about the previous concept applies here, as they are very similar

Overall: Same song, second verse. (6.8/10)

Colorado Avalanche concept - Ryan (HJC)

What I like: This is miles ahead of the current set. The Avs current look is among the worst in the NHL. Using the mountain from the Clif Bar packaging is interesting. I love those bars. I always take some when I go hiking. Execution and presentation are flawless, which is par for the course with our Fearless Leader.

What I don't like: Would I prefer the subliminated mountain to hem striping that match the sleeves? I'm not sure. I think either of these jerseys would make a great alternate, but the mountain makes me hesitant to commit to full time home/road. 

Overall: Great execution, interesting concept. (8.8/10)

Tampa Bay Lightning Concept - Dylan W.

What I like: The name and number font is cool. I support bringing back the black. This is a good take on Lightning. It brings back the color style of the old look, while incorporating more personality and uniqueness. The victory stripes are back. Execution and creativity are top-notch.

What I don't like: The striping almost makes me think more of chainsaw blades than lightning bolts. Coupled with the name and number font, it almost gives it an industrial heaviness to the look. That could be good or bad depending on your viewpoint. I'm still not sure. The outlines on the yokes are a bit odd. I would prefer one color or none, rather than two.

Overall: This would be a polarizing look, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. (8.5/10)

Florida Panthers concept - Dylan W.

What I like: Bringing back some of the old aesthetic works very well here. The Panthers are Reebok template ghost of what they used to look like. I have one of the old Panthers home jerseys, and like it a lot. Execution and presentation are very good. That yoke needs to make a comeback. It goes back the old look, but doesn't come off as a re-hash.

What I don't like: Nothing

Overall: Great work here. I want to see this on the ice. (9/10) COTW nomination from me

Hopefully some more concepts here will get nominated, as there is more than one concept that deserves it. To my fellow Americans, enjoy Thanksgiving next week. Don't let that be an excuse to forget to vote concepts, though! Be thankful for good concepts to vote for. See you all next week.