From The Ground Up, Part 2

We're moving forward with the fictional Icethetics-based hockey league I mentioned last Sunday. From those of you that voted, 69% are in favor of creating and branding a fake hockey league and 59% of you think it should be strictly set in North America.

Next, you're going to decide how many teams this North American-based league will have and how it will be divided up. I've created five scenarios that you can now vote on in the pollbar. They are as follows:

36 teams
2 conferences / 6 divisions
The 2 conferences will each be made up of 3 divisions. Each division will have 6 teams, meaning 18 in each conference.

32 teams
2 conferences / 4 divisions
The 2 conferences will each be made up of 2 divisions. Each division will have 8 teams, meaning 16 in each conference.

30 teams
2 conferences / 6 divisions
The 2 conferences will each be made up of 3 divisions. Each division will have 5 teams, meaning 15 in each conference.

27 teams
3 conferences / 6 divisions
The 3 conferences will each be made up of 2 divisions. Each conference will have 9 teams, meaning 4 or 5 in each division.

24 teams
2 conferences / 6 divisions
The 2 conferences will each be made up of 3 divisions. Each division will have 4 teams, meaning 12 in each conference.

I threw in the 27-team option just for something different — an odd number of teams, conferences and uneven divisions. I'm assuming most of you will just want as many teams as you can get and go for the 36 — and that's fine too.

None of it is set in stone. If you have a better idea, write it in the comments. The only thing I'd like to hold to is the maximum number of teams at 36 and minimum number at 24. I think 40 is too many and 20 is too few. Other than that, if you have a better idea of how they should be divided up, I'd love to hear it.

The poll will remain open until Saturday afternoon. Next week I imagine we'll move on to deciding which cities will get teams. Happy voting!

Storm Coming

I know most of you live up north so you aren't concerned with things like this but Tropical Storm Fay seems to be making a bee line for us here in Southwest Florida. The reason I mention it is that I obviously won't be making any updates to the blog if the power goes out.

I live toward the northern edge of that pink area — which is under a Hurricane Watch.

Plus, I work in news so we'll probably start 24-hour coverage tomorrow meaning I'll be living at the TV station for a couple of days. Just thought I'd let you guys know what's up.

By the way, anybody reading who also lives in Florida, make sure you're prepared. Things could get interesting.

Taking A Break

Hey guys. By now you may have noticed a couple of things. First, I closed down the comments on the Rouge poll. And second, I didn't post a Wallpaper Wednesday. Briefly, here's why. I've decided to take a break from Icethetics.

I know, it seems like things are going well here and while they are, I'm the sort of person who tends to have a dozen different projects up in the air all at once. Some of those other projects are starting to beg more of my time and I'm willing to give it. This blog has always been a hobby for me — something fun to fill the empty hours.

But that's not all. Lately, with everything that's been going on here it's started to feel more like work. All the logo tournaments, third jersey news and the IHA Project to name a few. Those of you following the IHA will probably assume some of this has to do with the never-ending complaints surrounding the project. You aren't entirely wrong there. When you guys fill the comments with whining and complaining, you just make it less fun — for me and everyone else. (If you don't like it, why do you feel you have to say so? Find another web site to visit.)

Anyway, when a hobby starts to become more of a hassle, it's time to get a new hobby, isn't it?

I'm not abandoning Icethetics. Don't worry. I'll still keep you up to date on any news that comes my way. I'm going to see the IHA Project through to the end — bitter or not. I'll keep comments open but I won't be reading or responding to them for obvious reasons. If anyone would like to address me directly, you have my email.

You should also expect less concept art posts and the days where I'd write three or four posts are probably behind us for a while. I'm sure this won't last long. I just need to get pumped about the site again. I'm not right now and that stinks.

Here's what you can expect. New polls will continue to get posted. The Rebranding the NHL series will not be interrupted. Any concept art I get that I really like will probably be posted quickly but not as much as usual.

As far as the Icethetics-based fantasy league that's been discussed, I'll wait to decide whether to move forward with that. The poll looks good. I've moved it below the Center Ice polls, by the way. About 70% of the almost 1,500 voters want to do it, but I'm going to see how things progress with the IHA before I make a decision. I don't want a rehash of this mess.

Sorry to be such a downer (and to have written such a long post about nothing) but I figure it's better to keep you guys in the loop than give the appearance that I'm ignoring the blog. Let's try to enjoy what's left of the summer!

Project: IHA Great Lakes

First, if you have no idea what the Icethetics IHA Project is then click here to get caught up.

You've seen the Atlantic, West, Northeast and Pacific Divisions. Now the one you've all been waiting for — the Great Lakes! Yes, that includes Buffalo, Toronto and even Detroit. Remember, your job is to take the name and colors and create an identity for a hockey team from scratch. Have fun with it!

You guys have been coming up with some great logos as you've seen with the first few divisions. This week we're voting on Northeast Division logos. The week after will be this division so that gives you about two weeks to work on your concept designs.

Now here are the new teams!

IHA: GREAT LAKES DIVISION

BUFFALO BISON / Buffalo, New York
white (F0F0F0), red (A70303) and black (202020)

COLUMBUS BRIGADE / Columbus, Ohio
orange (F26F03), blue (202272) and white (F0F0F0)

DETROIT LEGIONS / Detroit, Michigan
grey (B8C8C6), blue (1F83F3) and black (202020)

HAMILTON GENERALS / Hamilton, Ontario
tan (CDBE70), gold (907C20) and black (202020)

TORONTO KNIGHTS / Toronto, Ontario
red (D91313), grey (CECFB9) and black (202020)

I've supplied colors in hexadecimal format. Should you need RGB conversion, here's a decent resource. By the way, you aren't tied to the exact colors here. Feel free to alter them a little if need be. But please shy away from the standard colors like total black or total white or total red. Remember, be different! As similar as it might be to the NHL, it's not the NHL!

GUIDELINES
Once again, follow these guidelines when submitting your original IHA artwork:

• Don't steal artwork. I'm still surprised I have to say this but a number of people submitted logos from professional teams. This is supposed to be where you let your own creativity shine through. Send in something original!


• Submit three (3) logos: primary, secondary and wordmark. Use a white background. If your logo requires a white outline (think Lightning or Capitals), then use a gray background with the white outline included.


• Submit vector art if possible. I will accept .ai, .psd and .pdf files. If you cannot submit vector art, you must be able to provide high quality raster art in .jpg or .png files. No .bmp files, please.


• Try to stick to the assigned colors. Change them only if you deem it necessary and then explain why you made the change. Remember, the "fans" chose these colors and they're who you're working for in the end.


• Email them to nhllogos@gmail.com with IHA in the subject line. Please include your first and last name (it will not be posted). Please also submit your nickname which will be public if you don't want your real first name used.


• By submitting your own original artwork to the email address above, you agree to grant permission of its use for online or print publication by Icethetics. Do not watermark your logos or they will not be considered.


• And finally, be prepared to accept feedback and criticism of all kinds!

As always, you can email me questions directly or post them in the comments area. Start designing your logos! I look forward to seeing what you all come up with!

Design Curtis Sanford's Mask!

Since there are a lot of Vancouver Canucks fans out there, by now I'm sure many if not most of you have seen the new contest on the team's official web site.

That's right, even you can design Curtis Sanford's mask! As you know, his teammate Roberto Luongo won the Tournament of Goalie Masks at NHLToL. Sanford, however, didn't fare as well being eliminated in the second round by Mathieu Garon. Now you guys have the chance to make it the best!

But obviously this isn't just for Canucks fans. I encourage artists of every stripe to take a shot at this. And as a bonus, feel free to submit your mask design to me at the same time as you submit it to the team. If you do an awesome job, I'll post it for everyone at Icethetics to see.

Have fun with it!

From The Ground Up

The IHA Project is going superbly as evidenced by the logo designs we've seen coming in for the fictional hockey league. But despite that, I still read comments and emails almost daily asking why nobody got any input on team names, colors, locations, etc. As I've said more times than I can count, that's not what the project is about.

However, it's made me realize that you guys would like a project where you get to exercise your creativity more — or at least your own opinion. A project where you build an entire fantasy hockey league from the ground up. Despite the time it will take to do this, I'm on board.

I'm adding a new element to the pollbar. It's called Fantasy and for the next few weeks it will feature polls that will allow you to guide the direction of this new league. Here is the question: Would you like to participate in the creation and branding of a fictional hockey league at Icethetics? If the response is positive, we'll move forward. If it isn't, I'll drop it.

The other question is about the geography. Two answers. North America or the globe? That's it for now. We'll see where we are next weekend when both polls have closed.

I hope this project doesn't prove to be a bad idea. I think this is something most of you want and I'm willing to facilitate it. So have fun with it. And if anybody's asking "what's the point?" The point is it's a hobby for logo designers and marketing wannabes. It gives you a chance to express yourself creatively if you want. And if you don't, it's something fun to look at every now and then.

Let me explain a little more about how this will work if we do go forward. Everything will be voted on. We'll start by choosing the number of teams in the league. Then which cities get teams. Then what names those teams will get. Then what colors they'll have. Then we'll go into logo and uniform design. I won't lie. It'll be a long process but everybody's voice will be heard. And I'll try to keep it as simple as possible while still making your vote the determining factor in every aspect.

And if you've got any suggestions for this process, don't hesitate to email me. I've got a lot of this already figured out but I'm always open to better ideas.

By the way, here's my plan for the IHA. We still have two divisions left. I'm going to see this through to the end. We'll get logos for all 30 teams and then it will be finished with it. No jerseys or anything like that. This project was always about the logos only. They'll all be turned over to Nicolas for use with his fantasy league — the International Hockey Association.

The one exception may be an IHA Logo Tournament just like all the other logo tournaments we've done. I'll gauge interest after we have all 30 and move on from there. But for anyone who's interested in following up with him about this fantasy league when the project at Icethetics comes to an end, I will find a way to get you in touch with him — likely via email.

Project: IHA Pacific

First, if you have no idea what the Icethetics IHA Project is then click here to get caught up.

You've seen the Atlantic, West and Northeast Divisions. Now we're headed to the Pacific. Remember, your job is to take the name and colors and create an identity for a hockey team from scratch. You can do it!

As I said last week, the response from artists has been phenomenal. You guys have come up with some great logos as you've seen with the first two divisions. This week we're voting on West Division logos. The week after will be this division so that gives you about two weeks to work on your concept designs.

Now here are the new teams!

IHA: PACIFIC DIVISION

LOS ANGELES SAINTS / Los Angeles, California
gold (C3AD49), green (388C38) and black (202020)

PORTLAND REBELS / Portland, Oregon
green (066641), orange (EE780E) and white (F0F0F0)

SAN JOSE EXPRESS / San Jose, California
red (BE1B1B), yellow (E5CF17) and black (202020)

SEATTLE METROPOLITANS / Seattle, Washington
purple (65009A), blue (135791) and white (F0F0F0)

VANCOUVER DYNAMO / Vancouver, British Columbia
blue (7093DB), grey (999999) and black (202020)

I've supplied colors in hexadecimal format. Should you need RGB conversion, here's a decent resource. By the way, you aren't tied to the exact colors here. Feel free to alter them a little if need be. But please shy away from the standard colors like total black or total white or total red. Remember, be different! As similar as it might be to the NHL, it's not the NHL!

GUIDELINES
Once again, follow these guidelines when submitting your original IHA artwork:

• Don't steal artwork. I'm still surprised I have to say this but a number of people submitted logos from professional teams. This is supposed to be where you let your own creativity shine through. Send in something original!


• Submit three (3) logos: primary, secondary and wordmark. Use a white background. If your logo requires a white outline (think Lightning or Capitals), then use a gray background with the white outline included.


• Submit vector art if possible. I will accept .ai, .psd and .pdf files. If you cannot submit vector art, you must be able to provide high quality raster art in .jpg or .png files. No .bmp files, please.


• Try to stick to the assigned colors. Change them only if you deem it necessary and then explain why you made the change. Remember, the "fans" chose these colors and they're who you're working for in the end.


• Email them to nhllogos@gmail.com with IHA in the subject line. Please include your first and last name (it will not be posted). Please also submit your nickname which will be public if you don't want your real first name used.


• By submitting your own original artwork to the email address above, you agree to grant permission of its use for online or print publication by Icethetics. Do not watermark your logos or they will not be considered.


• And finally, be prepared to accept feedback and criticism of all kinds!

As always, you can email me questions directly or post them in the comments area. Start designing your logos! I look forward to seeing what you all come up with!

New Polls Now In Pollbar

Just wanted to point out that the next poll in the Center Ice Tournament is up! You can now find all the polls for this tournament in the pollbar to the left. It's Phoenix and Carolina. Go vote!

If you want to comment, you'll now find a Comments link in the poll box after you've voted.

For more about the changes being made to the blog, click here.

The Facelift Continues

By now you might have noticed some dust. Icethetics has officially been going for a full month so I got inspired to do a little sprucing up the design. As I've said, the design I've had all month was never meant to be permanent. I'm always looking for ways of improving the blog.

I'll go more in detail about the changes later on, but suffice to say I'm adding a new column for polls. It's one of the main features of the site so to have them buried in the posts just doesn't work. I've also got a new banner at the top of the page. Hope everyone likes it.

Back to work now.

UPDATE (10:24 PM): All right, it's getting late so I think I'm going to call it a night for all these upgrades. By the way, the feedback in the comments here has been awesome! Thank you guys for all the suggestions! Now let me explain a little about what's what.

Obviously I've made some changes. The banner at the top is new. Hope you like it. There's a new sidebar on the left side of the page. I'll refer to it henceforth as the pollbar so there's no confusion. At the top will be the bracket for the current tournament. Beneath that will be all of the polls for the current round of said tournament (including the closed ones).

Now that the polls are no longer part of posts, it makes commenting a little different. Instead of leaving a comment here on the blog, you'll leave it on the poll via the PollDaddy web site. After you cast your vote, a comments link will appear within the poll box. Click that to see what others have said and add your own two cents into the mix.

Unfortunately this means comments posted on those polls up to now are in between worlds. They're not gone, but they aren't currently accessible. I don't see it being a problem for now, but I'll try to find a way to get them back in the future.

You may be wondering about the IHA polls. For now, that's staying the way it is. I may change it at some point, but for right now those polls will stay within posts. You can get quick links from the sidebar.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll be making even more changes tomorrow. Just keep letting me know what you guys think and if you experience any problems.

THN Releases Logo Rankings

The Hockey News, as they've done every year since I can remember, has released their logo rankings. The Blackhawks are No. 1 on their list — far from that on mine.

Below are their Top 10.

Pretty much what you'd expect. Here are the Bottom 5.

I'm a little surprised to see the Hurricanes down there. Not at all surprised to see the Ducks last. Shame about my Lightning, but what THN says is true. They just can't find a font that works.

I highly recommend checking out their full ranking complete with rationale and everything. (You'll understand my joke once you've read that.)

Now that's not all THN has going. Yesterday they launched a new web feature that I can't decide whether I should be miffed or flattered by. They announced their Logo Rankings & Tournament. This is a lot like any one of our logo tournaments where we pit logo against logo and you vote for the best.

Theirs is on a larger scale. They're holding a tournament of the 40 best logos from 16 different leagues. A great idea, but not an original one. Still, I think you guys should all go vote in their logo competition and see how it all turns out. I'll still continue doing the same thing here.

I'm curious to know what you guys think of this. Read up on what The Hockey News has going and then drop me a line by email or comment.