Sunday Short Shift

Hello Sunday readers! In today's post, We have two redesigns of the Los Angeles Kings that could make even Darryl Sutter smile, concepts for the ECHL, BCHL, and more!

I'm going to be real with you guys. I got nothing in the way of an article this week. This is the time of the year that is busiest for teachers. Right now we're about a month and a half from the end of the year, or in other words, We have a month left before our students mentally check out. Students are fresh off of Spring Break, and can handle a little extra workload, so we speed up the class to try to cram in the material and curriculum that we fear we have little time to finish.

Hopefully my post from last week was long enough to pacify what is most certainly an insatiable, burning desire to read something I wrote on a Sunday afternoon. I was on Spring Break last week, so I had plenty of time to write about (it was nearly 3,000 words) the design trends of each decade in the NHL. There's also some choice colorized old photographs of some pre-war NHL jerseys.

So I hope you're all having a good weekend, and if you're a student, just know your teacher is as busy as you are, but also really needs to do some yard work.

Now let's do the thing.

Los Angeles Kings Concept - Matt G.

Positives: I like the inclusion of gold. It's tastefully done. The number and name font is so clean and legible. I can take several steps back from my screen and still read it clearly, which is great. Colors are balanced very well. The Lion is a curious addition, but it fits with the royalty aesthetic. Execution and presentation are very good. I have no complaints with execution and presentation.

Negatives: The late 90s-to-early-00s version of the crown logo has a dated feel to it. If LA were to go back to using a crown for their main logo, I believe you'd have to redesign it; making it cleaner and more modern. I would like to see a small amount of gold trim on the equipment for the home/away to tie everything together.

Overall: This set is sure to make Kings fans in both the Silver/Black and "Forum Blue" factions fans happy. Impressive creativity. (8.5/10) 

West Kelowna Warriors Concept - Vaughn R.

Positives: Patches and league branding are accurately placed. Sleeve numbers are done well. Overall execution of the technical aspects are fine, but the aesthetic is problematic.

Negatives: The overall look is sloppy and patchwork. The black numbers aren't easily readable against red. There's no need for a contrasting nameplate on either the home or road, as neither increase legibility. Colors aren't balanced well, as both jerseys are too dark. Give your viewer some relief with white space. Not all areas of the jersey need be filled with something. It's just a very complicated jersey set for a BCHL team. More restraint is needed. Also, there's no reason to show a custom logo on a concept when that logo doesn't appear anywhere on the jerseys.

Overall: The biggest addition here would be by subtraction. (4.5/10)

West Kelowna Warriors Alternate Jersey Concept - Vaughn R.

Positives: Striping is much improved here. This looks so much more cohesive.

Negatives: The custom logo here isn't strong enough for a primary mark. It's very pixelated; there's nothing dynamic about it. When putting a color number against a color jersey, an outline is needed to make it legible. 

Overall: Better than the home/away, but the logo is a weak spot. (5.5/10)

Lake Superior State Lakers Concept - Taylor R.

Positives: I'm not a fan of arching a wordmark over a number on a hockey jersey. It can go very badly; think of the old Dallas Stars set. It works here, though. What else would you do for a team called the Lakers? It's not an easy thing to personify with a logo. Color balance is perfect. Presentation and execution are very good, as you expect with Taylor's typically stellar work.

Negatives: There's not much here you've never seen before. It's like a grilled cheese sandwich: very good, but also common.

Overall: It's very well done, but not the most creative work we've seen from Taylor. (8.5/10)

Tulsa Oilers Concept - Josiah B.

Positives: The striping is very classic, very clean, and looks great, even if it does make you think of the New York Rangers. The color scheme if the best part of the concept, though. The bright shade of orange was a bold choice, but it works very well here against the dark blue. Execution is really good, and I love the font that Josiah uses for his ID. 

Negatives: I am curious to see if a bright orange outline on the numbers for both jerseys would help them pop a little more. 

Overall: There's really not much to complain about with this set. The colors are interesting and work well, it's well-executed, the arched wordmark works, etc. Outlining the numbers could help bring a little more drama to a conservative set. (8.5/10)

Los Angeles Kings Concept - Ryan C.

Positives: Working within the confines of what seems to be Adidas' need to put their triple-stripe pattern on everything is difficult. Sometimes I wonder if you get the triple-stripe tattooed on you if you accept a job there. Adidas has no chill when it comes to brand saturation. Here it doesn't add to the look, but it doesn't break it either, which is about all you can hope for. 

Colors are balanced very well, and execution is top-notch. Ryan wisely decides to not use hem striping because of the force-fed Adidas branding. The silver numbers with black outline look great on the white jersey, especially when paired with black text in the nameplate.

Negatives: I'm not sold on the shoulder yoke design. My first thought when I saw it was "Bruins." The primary logo here isn't as good as the secondary. Personally, I just have a strong dislike of that crown logo for it's overwrought construction. I would like to see Ryan try something different and more dynamic with his presentation. I think that would help take his concepts to a new level.

Overall: Working against the constraints of Adidas' need to self-promote is difficult, but Ryan shows here it can be done. (8.25/10)

It's a very tough call, because there were several great concepts today, but my COTW nomination is going to go Matt G. for his creative LA Kings redesign!

Now let's wrap this post up.

Be sure to send your votes in, and be sure to tune in for Jets96's Monday post, when HJC will release our annual swimsuit issue! Don't forget to vote for a winner in our annual Pairs Competition! Please use our convenient voting polls to vote for COTW, and who you would like to see as HJC's "Mr. July!"

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