Monday: "Phil-ing" In

You're likely expecting our normal Monday writer Phil today. Phil is fishing, or skiing, or washing his hair. He's doing something that's keeping him away from writing this post. So your friendly blog admin Ryan is here to take you through this one.

I suspect that there are people who don't read the introductions and thus will view this post assuming that Phil wrote it. Maybe I should just do all negative reviews and then let him deal with it.

Have you ever left your house and then had a nagging feeling that you forgot to do something? That something that you forgot to do was vote for COTW. Luckily we live in a fantastic era where communicating with the world is portable and at our fingertips 24/7. So really there is no excuse to stop what you are doing right now and email in your vote.

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

HJC Open Semi-Finals entries (due Wednesday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

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New York Rangers (by Mike M.)

How is this a concept, it just looks like a regular...oh sweet Jesus! There are Twitter handles everywhere. Okay, this is a fun idea, but does anyone remember the XFL? There's a good chance most of you don't because they only lasted one season. The XFL was the type of league that would have allowed Twitter handles everywhere. This is a really fun idea, but if this kind of thing ever happens in the NHL hopefully I'll be old and bitter about everything by that time anyways. I like that even the NHL shield gets in on the act here. This is a fun concept with nice detail and execution, but please never let this happen...ever!
Rating: 7/10

TSN (by Ryan G.)

Sure TSN didn't have their NHL national broadcast rights renewed, but it appears that they are going to present all of their regional broadcasts in the same style as their national ones. Anyways, the striping pattern used here is my favourite. I'm not too hot on the piping, but it is a jersey for a TV network and there aren't really any expectations with that. The numbers aren't legible enough. For the concept to be properly executed, the stitching (grey lines of the template) needs to end when it reaches the hem stripes.
Rating: 6/10

Montreal Shamrocks (by Alan H.)

If I remember correctly this was submitted for our NHA ReDesign Competition a while back. I like the "M" added to the main logo and the font used for "SHAMROCKS" running down the arm. The rest just doesn't work for me. We have a logo that is nearly 100 years old being used on very modern jersey designs. Those jersey designs are also mostly Reebok Edge cookie cutter templates, which in my opinion have been very unsuccessful. I would liked to have seen the fonts used for the player number and NOB be the same, or related to the font used on the sleeve of the green jersey.
Rating: 6/10

Montreal Shamrocks (by Michael G.)

Another concept returning from out NHA ReDesign! I think the assembly of the logo here is really smart and carries this concept quite far. I think that the primary logo is so strong that shoulder patches aren't needed on either jersey. I like the sash design on the white jersey, but I would have personally stopped it on the back at the edge of the yoke. Also I think that there are enough stripes on the jerseys and socks that the pants could have been left plain. Perhaps that would be a good location for the secondary logos?
Rating: 8/10

Alabama Crimson Tide (by David P.)

Looking at the current sweaters of Alabama's hockey team it appears that the may not be on the same level as the football program there. Ok, that was a pretty obvious statement, but there isn't enough money in that system to not use Reebok Gamewear blank Coyotes jerseys? So David switches them to Nike and gives them their own classic look. I think this would work well for the team. I like the curvy arm stripes as they work well with the "Tide" in the name. In a previous review I said that the jersey stitching should end at the hem stripes, but that's not the way Nike displays their digital images of jerseys. They do it the way David has done it here.
Rating: 8/10

Winnipeg Jets (by Scott B.)

This is a nice use of the Jets' colour palette and a small but nice adjustment to the old logo. And then the gradients show up. I don't know if this is meant to be seen as silver, but it's screaming right in all of our faces. I'm sorry, but I don't like this concept and it's all the gradients' fault. Very well executed except for the stitching/hem stripe issue that has been mentioned previously in this post.
Rating: 6/10

Adirondack Flames (by Gerard M.)

Hem stripes and template stitching, blah-blah-blah. See the above reviews. I like the idea of the flaming yokes or half arm stripes. I would shorten them up to clearly use them as yokes though. I'd also like to see thicker gold and black stripes used on the arms and yokes. Similar, maybe even thicker, to what is used on the hem and socks. I would also stop those stripes on the yokes at the outer stitching (the stitching closest to the wrists). Overall this is a nice looking jersey that's unique, but still ties into the parent NHL club.
Rating: 7.5/10

Winter Classic MIN vs PHI (by Alex O.)

Wednesday's HJC writer gives us this great Winter Classic concept. I'm a sucker for classic jerseys so these work for me. Some slight tweaks can make them great, in my opinion. For the Flyers jersey I would make the numbers black with an orange outline. I also would not have re-coloured the shoulder patches. For the Wild jersey I would have gone with no shoulder patches. Otherwise what Alex has done with his Wild concept fits in with what the team has done traditionally with their jersey designs.
Rating: 8/10

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That's the post today. My COTW nomination will go to Alex's Winter Classic concept! I know you readers will have something to say about that. I suspect there will be some love for Gerard's concept and Michael's concept did decently in the NHA competition. Leave some comments and some nominations, but also try to let these artists know why you did not like their concept. It will really help them improve.

Once Phil is done doing whatever it is he's doing, he will return to his normal spot next Monday.