Logos Revealed In Public Docs

A rather industrious reporter for the Ottawa Citizen may have found some new third jersey logos. In his blog Hockey Capital, James Gordon writes, "Potential new logos and third jersey centrepieces are starting to trickle out of public document filings in the lead-up to the 2008/2009 NHL season and I've posted a few here for your perusal."

The new image we haven't seen before is this one, which appears to be the Los Angeles Kings logo described by Howard Berger last month.

He said, "The Kings will unveil a predominantly black jersey with the letters 'LA' inside a pencil-point logo on the front." If he's right, this appears to be our winner.

This concept jersey I posted a few days later is the closest yet.

It doesn't end there. A logo he found for the Coyotes all but confirms the logos I posted here and here.

Though this is the black and white version. I really love that logo, by the way.

And for whatever it's worth, Gordon also had this logo for the Edmonton Oilers' 30th anniversary celebration.

My unending appreciation goes to Greg at Puck Daddy for the tip as well as continuing to pimp Icethetics!

On-Ice Dates For Third Jerseys

This isn't official, but I felt it newsworthy considering it could be. A reader sent me an email he says he received — from where I do not know — regarding the release dates of this season's new third jerseys. And I know how you all just love third jersey news.

The email contained information regarding the date the jerseys will make their on-ice debut as well as when retailers will get delivery. The dates differ because the teams "get a certain time frame of exclusivity." The majority of the jerseys hit the ice in November so I'll imagine I'll be pretty busy here at that time.

Carolina Hurricanes
Releases Sunday, September 21 (at Caniac Carnival)
Retailers get it Friday, September 26

Edmonton Oilers
Hits the ice Sunday, October 12 (vs Colorado)
Retailers get it Thursday, November 20

New York Islanders
Hits the ice Saturday, November 1 (vs Montreal)
Retailers get it Thursday, November 6

Atlanta Thrashers
Hits the ice Friday, November 14 (vs Carolina)
Retailers get it Saturday, November 15

Vancouver Canucks
Hits the ice Saturday, November 15 (vs Toronto)
Retailers get it Thursday, November 20

Dallas Stars
Releases Tuesday, November 18 (no game)
Retailers get it Sunday, November 23

St. Louis Blues
Hits the ice Friday, November 21 (vs Anaheim)
Retail delivery TBD

Los Angeles Kings
Hits the ice Saturday, November 22 (vs Colorado)
Retailers get it Friday, November 28

Ottawa Senators
Hits the ice Saturday, November 22 (vs NY Rangers)
Retailers get it Friday, November 28

San Jose Sharks
Hits the ice Saturday, November 22 (vs Washington)
Retailers get it Thursday, November 27

Buffalo Sabres
Hits the ice Wednesday, November 26 (vs Boston)
Retailers get it Tuesday, December 2

Tampa Bay Lightning
Hits the ice Wednesday, November 26 (vs NY Rangers)
Retailers get it Friday, November 28

Philadelphia Flyers
Hits the ice Friday, November 28 (vs Carolina)
Retailers get it Wednesday, December 3

Phoenix Coyotes
Hits the ice Friday, November 28 (vs Colorado)
Retail delivery TBD

The following teams were listed in the email without any dates: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals. And that's where things get interesting because this is the first time we're hearing of a Capitals third jersey. But this is all the information I have on them.

I've got a couple of other notes. The dates above for the Oilers seem strange to me too but I'm just posting what I have. The Thrashers, Lightning and Sabres all had asterisks next to their names on the list but I assume the email was truncated because there were no explanations for them. So I'm not quite sure what that means.

Speaking of the Sabres, you'll note that on-ice date for their third jersey is said to be November 26 despite the fact that they've announced they will be unveiling them prior to the pre-season on September 20. We'll see if these dates continue to hold up.

That's all for now. Should I learn anything new, you can count on me to let you know.

IHA: Special Contribution

If you're a regular reader, I'm sure you've heard of John Slabyk and The New Blue & Gold Project. I consider his concept artwork to be of the highest caliber — considering he is a professional graphic designer.

I got an email from John today. He says he's been following along with the IHA project and despite the endless amount of work he's been doing as the Art Director for Obama for America, he managed to break away when he saw the Great Lakes Division team — the Buffalo Bison.

John's asked that his design not be included as part of the IHA Project but still wanted to share it with you guys. He says he missed working with the buffaloes and felt this was a good way to keep himself sane. He says he took some liberties with the colors and I think it's for the better.

Anyway, it's always nice to see such quality artwork turn up in my inbox to share with you guys. I hope you guys like it. Feel free to leave your comments below.

On a separate note, I wanted to point out that as part of my attempt to spend less time working on Icethetics, I won't be posting logo finalists for the Pacific Division this week. However, I will still do the polls for the finalists throughout the week. They'll just be unveiled one day at a time instead of all at once.

Official: Sabres To Unveil Thirds

This was posted on the Buffalo Sabres' official web site on Thursday but I figured it was worth mentioning. The Sabres have officially announced their intentions to unveil a vintage style third jersey at a team event on September 20. The following was pulled directly from their site.

When the Sabres hit the ice for their first full practice of the season, fans will get their first look at the team’s new third jersey that will make its debut during the 2008-09 NHL season. The jersey features a modernization of the team’s vintage design elements, while incorporating the latest in sports uniform technology. Fans will be able to pre-order the new jersey at a kiosk in the Sabres Store.

Nothing really new but it's another official statement from the team. We've already had that date in the countdown for a while. If any of you attend the event next month and take pictures, I'd be more than happy to post them for everyone here to see.

Arena Artists Confirm Pens Third?

This isn't what I'd call concrete evidence, but it's interesting. The Pittsburgh Penguins have launched a new web site with the groundbreaking of their new arena. It includes artist renderings of what the interiors and exteriors will look like.

A couple of those photos show the arena shop where jerseys are visible. The following image shows the exterior of the shop with a powder blue jersey (the alleged new third) visible on a mannequin in the window. Are the artists telling us something?

credit: penguins.nhl.com

However, one reader pointed out to me that in an image showing the interior of the store, you can see a white version of the Winter Classic sweater.

credit: penguins.nhl.com

My assumption is that it's a vintage jersey available for sale but not meant for use in games — like the pink one you see above it.

It's not like the Penguins have been hush-hush about the idea of a Winter Classic-style third jersey for this season. It'll almost certainly happen.

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!

Habs To Wear Shoulder Patches?

The guys over at Hockey Bums wrote up a bit about possible uniform alterations for the Canadiens to celebrate their 100th year. They included this image from NHL 09.

It shows two different 100th anniversary shoulder patches. No word on whether this was created for the game or is an official design for the Habs. It was noted that these screen shots were taken while the game was in a special mode that allows the user to choose the players' equipment.

It's also been reported that the Habs will have a number of the special vintage sweaters throughout the season to mark the centennial event. I'll keep you updated as I learn more.

UPDATE (8/14 12:40 AM): Here's a funny irony that just hit me. This post about the 100th anniversary of the Canadiens... is my 100th post at Icethetics! Things like that just crack me up.

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.