Monday: Patching up for the Cup

Welcome to another Monday post!

Pittsburgh is on the ropes thanks to some clutch play from Tampa, and a Tampa win would be good for my pointless playoff pool attempt. None the less, my pick for St. Louis still stands, even with the goalie change and possible injury problems. If San Jose is to win though, I hope they win the cup, good for all the Sharks greats and James Reimer getting a cup after being misused by the Leafs. It'd also be great to get a Stanley Cup Finals patch on a modern jersey (Blues white with Elliott on the back) but I'm a lot of you are saying the same thing about your Pens/Lightning/Sharks jerseys with your respective favourite player on it....

Best example I can thing of where this becomes and issue is when a team loses. Sure, getting a 2003 Ducks jersey, 2011 Canucks jersey or a 2006 Oilers jersey is one thing, those series were close and memorable, but what if you're a Rangers fan? Would you get a 2014 Cup Finals patch on a jersey? I would since it seems to be the closest (So far, might happen but it's not likely) Lundqvist will be to winning a Cup. But if I had an Ottawa Sens jersey from 2007, I likely wouldn't get an 07 Cup finals patch since the series was very lopsided and was really the last time the team was a Championship threat, followed by years of mediocrity.

So you tell me! Who are you hoping makes it to the cup final so you can get a Cup finals patch on one of your jerseys? Would you get a Cup Finals patch on a jersey even with the risk the team gets swept? When would you get a Cup Finals patch on a jersey for a losing team? You tell me!

Look over on the right of the blog....no the OTHER right...there's a nice fresh COTW vote for you to vote in this week! I'd recommend you take full advantage of that and do your civil duty for this blog!

Let's check out the most recent entries for the Thrashers Redesign Competition, currently in it's entry phase, which runs until Friday!

Ryan C.

Zeke G.

Connor L.

Fernando N!.

Jared L.

Great stuff, keep working on your entries and look forward to seeing more!

COTW May 13-19 vote (ends Friday @ noon Eastern)

Thrashers entries due (Friday @ noon Eastern)

On with today's 10 concepts!

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Detroit Red Wings Concepts (By: Josiah B.)

+ While I wasn't sold on the SS jerseys themselves, the swooping D logo really works as a primary, or at least a secondary 

+ While the layout of the jersey is the same as the regular Red Wings jersey, The more detailed Cougars-esque striping works with the D really well 

+ Good execution, as expected form Josaih

- While it might just be the template, the name looks a little small and I would prefer the arched name to the pre-season horizontal nameplate 

- Don't forget the helmet logo

Rating: 8/10

Tucson Falcons AHL Concepts (By: Taylor R.)

+ Very nice colour choices. With Phoenix adding more black, it'd make sense for their AHL team to use even more black to keep themselves unique 

+ Excellent kachina pattern, it's similar to Phoenix's throwback pattern, but not the exact same pattern, I prefer this patter due to its relative simplicity 

+ Custom font looks good

+ Good execution, but with one error;  you might have noticed it already

- While I do like Taylor bringing back the claw shoulder patch, the Falcon logo itself should be freed from its shield; that'll add more brick that's needed on the front of both jerseys 

- If you didn't see the error, Taylor left a CHL logo from a previous concept or another concept. Taylor usually has perfect execution, and we all make stupid mistakes sometimes 

Rating: 8.75/10

Team Wales Concept (By: Justin F.)

+ While Wales doesn't have a IIHF team itself, it's nice to think what they'd wear if they did, and I'd hope they'd go against the grain of lower level IIHF teams and go for something classic like this

+ I do like the colour layout of this jersey, it's not perfect but it shows off lots of green & red 

+ Decent execution

- The shades of green and red used are not the shades of green and red used on the actual Welsh flag, they're too bright, which even if they were the colours is true. The red & green conflict with each other, and even the wight specially on the pants 

- NOB is much too small and squished up against the yoke 

- TV numbers are much to small and far down the arm

- It's more preferences, but I think the only really problem with the layout of the jersey is the white yoke, scrap that 

- Helmet logo?

Rating: 6.75/10

Washington Capitals Concepts (By Jordan R.)

+ The first 3 jerseys are a solid miss of the originals Caps jerseys, but also the modern, it isn't just a throwback, and things like the current font and colours being used with the upper half of the classic Caps jerseys with a striping pattern looks fantastic 

+ The third, while something we've seen before from many artists, is well done and just because it's predictable don't mean it's not worth noting done well, especially since I've been reading this blog for 5 years and the Caps STILL haven't made a blue jersey

+ I don't need to give the '97 Blue jersey any introduction, but it'd one of my favourite of all time and great to see it, especially with the recoloured Weagle shoulder patch

+ Great execution

- The stars & striping colours on the first 3 jerseys are inverted, and while I'm undecided as to whether they'd look better if they matched, it'd at least be neutral and bring some subtle colour symmetry to the arms/hem

- Don't forget the front facing helmet numbers 

Rating: 9.75/10 

Vancouver Canucks Concepts (By: Josiah B.)

+ This is one of two concepts to use the Jonny Canuck logo as a primary and I am certainly in favour of it. It'd a solid logo that'd be a new, fresh era that isn't a throwback of trying to save a whale that'd been washed up since 2011 imo

+ I like the subtle Vs on the arms, that's a nice touch

+ Decent execution 

- The Vs on the sides and socks are a few too many, it makes the jersey look like its caught in an X-wing's crosshairs instead of a subtle nod to the city

- The striping on the white jersey is too thing, and I wish Josiah had gone with something different for the home to make the jerseys match more

- I would have used the unused VC logo as a shoulder patch to add colour to the yoke 

- Helmet logo?

Rating: 7/10

Boston Bruins Concepts (By Jordan R.)

+ While the home and road don't EXACTLY match, I like how the 70s/80s style black jersey and 50s/60s style white jersey work together really nicely 

+ The yellow jersey is almost identical to the '40-'44 yellow jersey with some need changes and a black name bar that works

+ The brown jersey is the best of the bunch imo. It's very simple, but it contrasts with the original Bruins jersey. It's very similar to the Winter Classic jersey, but I like the colours more 

+ Near perfect execution 

- I know it's Bruins tradition, but I think it's time to ditch the Bruins yellow socks on the black jersey 

- Don't forget the numbers on the front of helmet template

Rating: 9.75/10

Pittsburgh Penguins Concepts (By: Lucas D.)

+ I like the idea of mixing the '91 cup jerseys and the jerseys that came after into one jersey, they were both similar but still very different in their approach
+Black jersey works really well, minus a few changes it'd be ready to go, and would be a nice change from a direct throwback (which is likely what we'll get)
+ Good execution

- The concept misses the mark in that Lucas makes the mistake of keeping the striping identical on both jerseys. It works for some looks, but as is, the white jerseys has way too much yellow on it, and without the space between the stripes the black jersey has, it makes the arms and hem look bare and have less colour. Swapping the black and yellow in the striping and having matching striping rather than using one pattern would improve the jersey and help to make the white jersey look more full.
- The jerseys, especially the white jersey really need shoulder patches
- Tv numbers would work much better in black rather than white, especially at a distance

Rating: 6.5/10

Minnesota Wild Concept (By: Tyler M.)

+ While the current Minnesota alternate is clearly based on the 2004 ASG jerseys, we've never seen a red jersey of it, which I think some expected the Wild would do at some point, it looks decent honestly, not better than the green jersey, but good enough if the Wild had done something like this I wouldn't be disappointed
+ Good execution

- While the green jersey pulls off its look with minimal red (if any outside the logo), for this jersey too work, it needs very little green in the striping and script, and green greed, that'll help tie the jersey with the rest of the Wild's look
- Socks striping is much too high up on the socks
- The pants need some sort of logo or striping pattern to keep them from being just plain ol' pants

Rating: 7/10

Vancouver Canucks Concepts (By: Jordan R.)

+ Good choice using the Johnny Canuck V logo, it looks really good recoloured in the black, red, yellow scheme, as does the Millionaires look
+ The jerseys are a good version of the early 90s jerseys, but keeping the current numbers (and adding an outline to the numbers) make the jerseys look less like rehashes and more current
+ Yellow Flying V looks good, nice touch with the logo on the arms and modern numbers again
+ Millionaires alternate is beautiful, and is both a '67 throwback as well as Millionaires throwback imo
+ Perfect execution

- The only flaw with any of the jerseys is the thickness of the hem striping, just a tad too thick for my liking

Rating: 9.75/10 COTW nom from me

Muskegon Lumberjacks USHL Concepts (By: Ryan C.)

+ Right away, I notice every colour this team has to offer. 4 colour schemes are hard to work with without leaving one out of cluttering the jersey, but this really works
+ Striping is a version of New York's 2013 WC jerseys, but it works really well with the detailed logo and simple numbers
+ Great execution

- One change I would make to the jerseys themselves to give them the same feel as Pittsburgh's first edge alternate would be to swap the black and red on the white jersey and them add red cuffs to the black jersey

Rating: 9/10

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That's the post!

Don't forget to vote for COTW & send in your Atlanta Thrashers contest entries!

Have a great week

Go Jets, Moose, Mooseheads & playoff picks!