Saturday: The Wild North

Hello everyone and welcome to another HJC post! We've got several great concepts today. There is a good mix of traditional designs, to wild colors, and creative concepts. 

If you haven't checked out the Pairs Competition entries on the Design Blog, do it now! I really loved seeing what our artists came up with. The detail and skill involved was awesome. The collaboration really turned out well, and I cannot stress enough how much you need to check these out.

I'm a little pressed for time this week, so I'll spare you my usual weekly ramblings. Let's get to the good part!

Minnesota Wild Concept - Caleb F.

What I like: Oddly enough, I think I like the striping above the sleeve numbers. It different enough that it feels fresh and new.

What I dislike:  There's just not a lot going on here. Making the jersey monochromatic really makes that sun stick out like a sore thumb.

Overall: Incorporate some yellow in the jersey to liven things up, and so the yellow used for the sun in the logo doesn't seem arbitrary. (7/10)

Boston Bruins Concept - Stephen T.

What I like: It's easy to love the striping pattern on the jerseys here. Very classic design.

What I dislike: Everything on the jersey is so straight and linear, that it makes the curved 'B' monogram look like an aberration by comparison. I know the Bruins wore socks like this back in the day, but because this is a "fauxback" and not a direct Reebok Edge-ification of a particular jersey, you have the creative freedom to correct what is, in my opinion, an error. The socks would look better if they matched the striping on the jersey. No logos on the helmets.

Overall: There are some good elements here, but some need to be left to the past. (7.5/10)

Montreal Canadiens Concept - Stephen T.

What I like: My favorite Habs set is the 1944-1947 jerseys, so I always enjoy when an artist revives them, however there are enough changes here to make them more than a direct copy. Putting the logo on one arm is a little unusual today, but I like it.

What I dislike: I've never liked contrasting-colored sleeve cuffs. All NHL teams put logos on helmets. It's not hard to do.

Overall: I really like the set, especially the white jersey. (8.5/10)

Detroit Lions - Tyler F.

What I like: I'm sure some Red Wings fans would like a red version of their old Winter Classic jersey.

What I dislike: That was my least favorite Winter Classic jersey. It's very boring. That 'D' monogram could be a logo for anything, and actually makes me think more of the Detroit Tigers than the Lions. There are two different shades of red used here. Sleeve numbers need to be added to the jersey. There are several loose pixels, and pixels that have been colored over.

Overall: Not a very interesting design, and execution is lacking here. (5/10)

Calgary Flames Concept - Aiden C.

What I like: The striping pattern is interesting, especially on the pants.

What I dislike: The 3 is backwards on the right arms. I don't care for the pointed aspects of the striping. The red lines on the helmets are unnecessary, as is the yellow outline on the top of the template for the shoulder yokes. There is some dead white space left around the helmet chin straps. You really need to add some form of identification to your concepts.

Overall: Not lacking for ambition, but execution takes this one down. (6/10)

Philadephia Flyers - Aiden C.

What I like: The 3 is facing the correct way on the right arm. Extended shoulder yokes lend themselves well to Flyers concepts.

What I dislike: I'm not feeling the horizontal stripes here, or the colored side panels on the white jersey. This is a step back over what the Flyers currently wear. You need to add ID to your concepts.

Overall: This Flyers redesign doesn't bring much new to the table. (6/10)

Northland "Create-A-Country" Concept - Eric W.

What I like: The "Create-A-Country" Competition we did a last month back was one of my favorites. We saw a lot of creativity, and this entry from Eric was one of my favorites. I love that he took inspiration from the Northern Lights for the color scheme, even if it is a bit wild. The name/number font is great. I normally hate gradient, but it works really well as an outline for the primary crest and numbers. There's even some subliminated pin stripes here. The detail is wonderful for this concept. Execution and presentation is great.

What I dislike: You will either love or hate this color scheme. Putting your own personal ID on the jersey isn't really necessary.

Overall: I love this concept even more now than I did when we first saw it as a competition entry. (8.8/10)

Arizona Cardinals Concept - David P.

What I like: Using the Arizona flag is an interesting way to emphasize that the Coyotes are Arizona's hockey team, not just Phoenix.

What I dislike: Some flags make great jerseys, as evidenced by the many IIHF and Olympic concepts seen on this site, but Arizona's...not so much. It's not the design as much as the colors. These colors clash violently. It's not aesthetically pleasing. I'm not a big fan of the star behind Coyote. I know Arizona's flag has a star, but so many states do (Tennessee has 3) that it's not a unique feature. The sun rays are the unique element of Arizona's flag. I would love to see someone devise a way to incorporate that into a Coyotes jersey...just with different colors.

Overall: Try a design incorporating more of the sun burst element into the jersey. That would be something we don't often see. (6/10)

MLB National League West Hockey Crossover Concept - David P.

What I like: We've been seeing a lot of MLB/hockey crossover concepts lately, which makes sense being that the start of the MLB season is just around the corner. There are a lot of concepts here. I like how David uses the designs of the hockey teams, with the colors of the MLB teams.

What I dislike: Doing several concepts at once, details are bound to be glossed over, which is the case here. No sleeve numbers. Using San Jose with San Francisco is a bit of a stretch.

Overall: A lot of work went into doing this many concepts, but I tend to prefer quality over quantity. (6.5/10)

Ottawa Senators Concept - Dylan W.

What I like: Senators concepts, like the Canucks, can feel like they are a dime-a-dozen. I almost felt like I had seen everything with Senators concepts, but Dylan brings some nice new elements here that feel very fresh. I really appreciate that. Execution is outstanding. I really love the sublimated pattern on the striping.

What I dislike: I'm not sure about that logo. It's growing on me, though.

Overall: This would be a great alternate for the Senators. (8.8) COTW nomination from me!