Tuesday: (Preseason) Hockey!

With the NHL beginning to play regular exhibition games, and the ECHL/SPHL tryout camps beginning, where many of them have split squad scrimmages, it's really starting to feel like fall! The Evansville Icemen ECHL team held a Free Agent camp this past weekend, that I worked at as an Assistant Equipment Manager. Since the coaches were in the stands evaluating players, I also coached one of the teams, and the head equipment guy coached the other.

Photo credit Evansville Icemen Twitter

I'm on the black team bench, the guy with out the hood (I'm 5'10", the other guy is just really tall). It was a fun experience and a great "coaching debut" for me as Team Black beat Team White 3 games to 1 in a 4 game tournament. If the series was tied at 2, we would've done a shootout to decide the winner. 3 of the players from the camp have been invited to the Icemen main training camp in 2 weeks. 

COTW Sept 8-14 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

COTW Sept 15-21 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

Disney Competition Top 5 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

Let's get to concepts!

Taylor Roy: Arizona Coyotes Alternate

Good: The execution/presentation is amazing! The Coyotes' need to bring back the black, and this is a perfect way to do it! The "tribal pattern" is good on the pants and the jersey, and the colors are balanced well.

Bad: I don't like the logo, I think the original logo would fit better with the design. The # font doesn't compliment the striping well. A something more native yet blocky might look better. Make the helmet black or the pants green. preferably the former. There isn't a helmet logo.

Tips: I would change the logo to the original coyote, and change the font. But overall this is a great alternate for the Coyotes', and I hope they adopt something like this soon.

Design 8/10, Execution/Presentation 9.5/10, Total 8.25/10

Alan John Herbert: Toronto Blueshirts

Good: I'm a big fan of triple blue, and it works okay here. The clash design is different and modern, but kudos for making the equipment work with both sets. The classic home jersey works with the classic logo, and surprisingly, the clash compliments it as well. I like the shield piping on the back and arms of the clash kit. 

Bad: Though the font is classic, I don't think it works. It looks medieval, almost. The T's on the arms of the clash kit don't have outlines, I feel they would benefit from them. There aren't helmet logos. 

Tips: Put an outline on the T's, and change the font. That's it for this amazing set!

Design 9/10, Execution/Presentation 9/10, Total 9/10

Christian Legualt: Minnesota Wild

Good: PERFECT EXECUTION! Thanks for adding a helmet logo. The vintage white jersey. Almost everything about it is perfect! The logos and colors balance well together. I like the green hems and cuff, but the set isn't too green...

Bad: ...like the home jersey. With a green jersey, helmet, pants, and gloves, there is too much green. Vintage white cuffs and hem would remedy that. Vintage white helmets will never look good. The font is too 'wild.' 

Tips: Make the helmet green. That's huge. If you then make the cuffs and hem of the green jersey vintage white, You have a pretty good set. Maybe use the font from the Wild's new away jersey???

Design 8/10, Execution/Presentation 10/10, Total 8.5/10

Taylor Roy: Anaheim Ducks Alternate 

Good: The Ducks, since promoting their old alternate as the home jersey, are lacking a 3rd jersey. Though I would like them to promote a variation of their Stadium Series jersey as an alternate (minus the chrome logo and long numbers of course), this would also be a good option. The slanted stripes and Mighty Ducks logo look good in orange and black.

Bad: I don't think the D logo looks good in white. The hem/arm stripes would look better continuing down to the bottom of the jersey. There isn't a helmet logo.

Tips: I would continue with the orange/white stripes so the hems/cuffs are completely colored. To match, the sock stripes might also continue to the bottom of the socks.

Design 8.5/10, Execution/Presentation 9.5/10, Total 8.75/10

Connor Jarvis: Columbus Blue Jackets Alternate

Good: Though it's predominate in their color scheme, the "Jacks" have never worn a red jersey. I like the old logo, it looks even better on red. 

Bad: To start, execution. The numbers are noticeably off center, and so is the Reebok wordmark. The TV numbers are pixelized, and the hem stripe is too high. Creativity is key when designing for later era expansion teams, and I don't see it here. It's just a recolored template concept. 

Tips: Work on your execution. With better Execution/Presentation, you will be making COTW contending concepts in no time! 

Design 5/10, Execution/Presentation 4/10, Total 4.75/10

CPM: Calgary Flames

Good: As part of the "brights" series, this is definitely bright! It almost completely gets rid of the black, which the flames may or may not need to do. About half of the people I asked said they liked the black. We saw Dylan say yesterday, "Flames uniforms look better with very little to no black. At least they do to me." Send in your votes for BOTH HJC COTW votes, and put whether you like the Flames with black or without (The classic look) in your votes! I'l get the results from Ryan and let you guys know next week. But you have to vote for both COTWs for it to count! Go do it! concepts@hockeyjerseyconcepts.com

Bad: Presentation wise, make an outline for the jersey. The cuffs of the home jersey blend with the background and make my eyes hurt. We need more yellow. Yellow is a bright color and would easily fit with the theme. The yoke isn't working for me.

Tips: Make a jersey outline, add more yellow, and make a squared off yoke the the Wild away jersey. Quick fixes to improve this concept!

Design 7.5/10, Execution/Presentation 8.5/10, Total 7.75/10 

Taylor Roy: Boston Bruins Alternate

Good: The Bruins need a classic alternate. This is perfect for them. The classic logo, the classic striping... This jersey is more classic than MKTO! I dig the different sock striping. The jersey is busy, but it's somehow a good thing! 

Bad: Brown pants are life, but they look ugly. I personally like not having a name on the back (not sure if intentional or not), but the commentators wouldn't be happy. The logo is a bit big, and the TV numbers have "Yellow on White Syndrome. 

Tips: Just fix the TV numbers. Execution would be fixed with the logo.

Design 9/10, Execution/Presentation 8/10, Total 8.75/10

Guys. Enjoy Hockey! The season won't last long! On a shorter term basis, enjoy the rest of your week, VOTE, and keep sending in concepts!