Postcards from the Void

This is post will be shorter than normal as I am currently very sick. This always happens at the end of the school year. I think my immune system decides to take a vacation when it feels the year ending. This is in no way influenced by the Nashville Predato...

*Stares into the distance for several uninterrupted minutes*

Can't wait to read the Puck Daddy eulogy. It'll probably be some trite jokes about us being a small team written by someone who probably thinks that, as a resident of Tennessee, I must be typing this from a dirt floor cabin and cannot possibly understand the nuances of hockey. It's always the same.

the thing. lets do thing

We've got a plethora of high-quality artwork today. Enjoy!

Toronto Furies Concept - Fernando M.

Positives: The presentation and use of this template is just wonderful. It makes everything feel unified, intentional, and professional. Moving the sleeve numbers to the shoulders is a good call in this instance, as it allows the arm stripes more room to breathe. It's not as cluttered as the Leafs' Winter Classic jerseys were. Colors are balanced really well. I have no complaints about execution.

Negatives: I have one minor criticism: with women's hockey concepts, I prefer the names to be placed under the numbers. This allows women athletes with longer hair to still have their names visible.

Overall: This is the kind of set you could use for decades. (9.5/10) COTW nomination from me!

Carolina Hurricanes Concept - Jimmy T.

Positives: I have a soft spot for the hurricane flag logo. I am an unabashed lover of Carolina's black third jersey. One day I'm going to have to add one to my collection. The striping pattern looks good. It's traditional, but different enough to not feel banal. Execution is clean. Using the Carolina Tar Heels' colors is an interesting idea.

Negatives: The blue jersey needs more black to balance it out, but if you did that, it could never work as a light jersey. Even as is, though, I'm not sure it would work. I feel like a blue jersey with better color balance paired with a white jersey would be better. The equipment is a slightly different shade of black from the jerseys. 

Overall: Add some black to the blue jersey, and then make a white version of that jersey. (8/10)

Team Canada Jersey - Taylor R.

Positives: Color balance is good.  The red helps balance out the black equipment. I really like the typeface used here. Execution is flawless, and presentation is very good as well.

Negatives: There would be 12 maple leafs on this set. That's just too many. The Adidas stripes really drag it down. I know that is nothing to do with Taylor, but concepts like this show the Adidas WCH template handcuffs your artistic creativity to a heavy anvil of corporate branding.

Overall: I don't think I have ever said this before, and I will probably never say this again: The jersey would be improved by taking off the logo in favor of a wordmark. (8/10)

Team USA Concept - 

Positives: The Adidas stripes aren't quite as ruinous here because the jersey has a more linear/geometric feel than the previous Canadian concept. Colors are balanced well. I think the away jersey is just as strong as the home jersey, which is rare. Execution and presentation are exceptional.

Negatives: Must the Adidas stripes also be on the pants? Is Adidas doing that as well? I just don't see why you'd choose to include them on the pants too. They wouldn't line up and it would drive me crazy. Choosing to include emphasize more of the Adidas striping is like choosing to enter a dunk competition in steel-toe boots.

Overall: It's a good set. Imagining what it could be on a different template makes me angry with Adidas. (8.5/10)

Avotomobilist Yekaterinburg Alternate Jersey Concept - Tyler M.

Positives: Although it feels a bit "Detroit Red Wings East" Yekaterinburg's alternate logo is better than their primary (the A with two wings). The striping, although busy, fits the logo. Execution is good. 

Negatives: Why Smid? That same name has been on Tyler's last three concepts I've reviewed. I'm confused. Like those other two, I still think the number on back is a little too large. This uses the same yoke design from the Milwaukee jersey last week. Mix it up. I would recommend using a different template for a KHL jersey. We have a KHL template available for download on the templates page. 

Overall: The KHL isn't known for it's jersey designs. This could be a good one, provided they didn't cover it with ads. (7/10)

Niagara Ice Dogs - Brooks F.

Positives: The organic pattern on the home/away is very appealing. It compliments the logo and typeface very well. The shoulder patches look good, too. The tri-color collar is very eye-catching. Execution is good.

Negatives: I'd go with a black helmet for the dark jersey. The alternate isn't as strong as the other two. The stitching lines around shoulders and side panels are confusing. You almost have to ignore them altogether for the jersey to make more sense. The 'F' looks oddly out of position on the logo as well.

Overall: The home/away are very strong jerseys. The alternate just falls flat for me. (8.5/10)

Oshawa Generals Concept - Brooks F.

Positives: Every jersey here is very committed to its striping pattern. Color balance on all three are very good. Execution is impeccable. I always love seeing artists go the extra mile to ensure that logo placement on equipment and league branding are realistic and correctly placed in the concept. 

Negatives: All three are over-striped in my opinion. There is something about the alternate that feels too match-y; like those shirt/tie combo packs they put in plastic bags in JCPenney. Everything is vintage white with a red inner stripe. It's not bad, but as Francis Bacon says, "There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion." This alternate almost too uniform. 

Overall: There is some great stuff here, but I think simplification would be for the best. (8.5/10)

Bridgeport Sound Tigers Alternate Concept - Hayden D.

Positives: The Islanders bought into the black/white Brooklyn aesthetic, and Hayden theorizes that Bridgeport should as well. Presentation is very clean and dynamic.

Negatives: I don't like anything about the Islanders latest in a long series of mistakes current alternate. Why would Bridgeport need to assimilate itself into the black/white Brooklyn aesthetic? The long-term viability of the Islanders in Brooklyn isn't even a guarantee. It's bland. The use of the darker grey is confusing. Why the hem, but not the arm stripes? The sock stripes aren't uniform. The logo just isn't good enough for a primary. There's no sense of action, motion, or emotion in it.

Overall: "...No colors anymore I want them to turn black..." (6/10)

Washington Capitals Concept - Lucas D.

Positives: Lucas continues to improve his concept presentation. His specialty is stand-alone jerseys, which I appreciate. It feels more like free-form creativity. This concept satisfies a lot of wants and wishes of Capitals and jersey fans. Weagle? Check. Blue? Check. More traditional striping pattern? Check. Colors are balanced well. The white hem looks great. 

Negatives: One thing I was harping on with Lucas' work was his tendency to send in concepts that don't have cuff stitching. I may not bring that up with a new artist, but I did with Lucas because I feel like he's got some real talent. Lucas used the cuff stitching here, which I appreciate, but he left one of the cuffs blank (right front). I don't know if this has odd charisma I want in an alternate. I feel like this is a really good home jersey in search of it's light pair.

 

Overall: Make an away version of this please. I love to see this as a full set. (8.25/10)

Greenville Swamp Rabbits Concept - Ryan C.

Positives: The yoke design is very creative. It's my favorite part of the jersey. The typeface is excellent and easy to read: a strength of Ryan's concepts. Ryan's presentation is also improving. Colors are balanced. Execution is flawless. 

Negatives: I wish the hem and arm striping was more organic, like the yoke. If I have one criticism of Ryan's overall body of work, it's that his striping patterns trend towards blandness.

Overall: If the arm/hem stripes reflected the organic feel of the yoke, you'd have a potential 10 from me. As is, I give it a (8.5/10)

The quality of the artwork on display today is better than any week since I returned to writing back in January. I only have one nomination, though, so it's up to you guys if you see something that you believe is worthy of our Concept of the Week distinction.

Those of you who were surprised to find Supreme Leader Ryan instead of me writing on Saturday (as was stated last week), read this. It should clear up any confusion. Basically, better ideas were had. Go read those better ideas.

Don't forget to vote! Voting for our Springfield Falcons to Tuscon competition has begun! And don't forget to use our convenient voting polls for our weekly Concept of the Week vote!

COTW May 8-12 vote (ends Friday @ 12pm Eastern)

Falcons to Tucson Top 5 vote (ends Friday @ 12pm Eastern)