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Entries in news (170)

Friday
Aug082008

New Logos For 'Yotes, Bruins, Sabres

I saw a reader posted links to images of new logos for the Coyotes, Bruins and Sabres and figured I'd post them for everyone to see. (Also, it will serve as a backup in case the original images disappear at some point.)

I'm not worried so much about crediting the original person who got these graphics considering they probably shouldn't have had them in the first place. But this is the internet. What can you do?

We can start with Phoenix. First, we've got a better shot of the alleged third jersey logo I first posted last week.

It's an amazing looking logo. Let's hope the sweater design can live up to it. There's also what may be a secondary logo for the alternate jersey along with a brand new wordmark.

Nothing bad to say about either of those.

The Bruins have a new wordmark as well.

Very cool. And we've got a bit of a better look at the vintage logo the Sabres will wear on their thirds.

Thanks to Resist The Machine for finding all of those. If you guys come across anything else, email me and we'll let the world know.

Tuesday
Aug052008

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!

Monday
Aug042008

Ducks Confirm No Third

You know, with all the talk about which teams are getting third jerseys this season, I guess it makes sense to mention confirmation of those that aren't.

According to Curtis Zupke from the OC Register, Ducks management says they will be one of handful without one. It's funny because, 1) they could use one, and 2) history shows Anaheim has been one of the most prolific clubs in terms of thirds. A quick look back at the last 12 years turns up four different alternate sweaters for the Ducks alone.





credit: Andrew @ NHL Uniforms.com

It's worth noting the gradual increase in quality here over the years from something that should never have been worn in an NHL game to something that I wish was still around.

Saturday
Aug022008

Kings Official; Who Else Is?

This isn't earth-shattering news or anything but I just thought I'd point out that the Kings have officially confirmed that they'll have a third jersey this season on their web site.

Season ticket holders will receive a free one — wonder if that means they think they'll have a hard time selling them.

Anyway, like I said it's not like we didn't know the Kings would have a third jersey this year, but amidst all the rumors I think we sometimes forget that very few of these alternate sweaters are officially confirmed yet and the carpet could be ripped out from under us at any time. So I still plan to keep a close eye on what the teams are saying — along with Howard Berger and other rumor-mongers.

Here's a rundown of teams that have confirmed a third jersey is some official capacity:

Sabres
Prior to the Winter Classic, Buffalo alluded to the use of a third jersey without setting a specific timetable when managing partner Larry Quinn said, "Our future retro jersey will be the dark blue sweater, so this maybe one of the last times our team wears this [white] jersey."

Kings
As stated above, Los Angeles has made their alternate sweater official by offering a "Kings Free Alternate Jersey (with mystery photo)" to season ticket holders.

Flyers
Philly was the first to confirm a third jersey last year, doing so within the online form to buy a new Rbk EDGE sweater. It read, "Black and white jerseys are available this year. A third orange jersey will be released next year."

Sharks
In May at San Jose's "State of the Sharks" event, CEO Greg Jamison confirmed a third jersey's existence by saying, "There is a good chance it will be black. It is still being decided on. I can tell you we get input from the fans, staff and the players. The players were very involved in the jerseys for this year. I think the third jersey will be very neat."

Those were the only teams for which I could find quotes on official web sites. I don't consider a media interview with a team executive to be an official confirmation, because that's not coming through team channels — if that makes any sense.

If you come across anything I haven't found, shoot me an email and I'll add it to the list.

Friday
Aug012008

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.

Wednesday
Jul302008

NEW Third Jersey Logos!

We're one step closer to getting to see what this season's crop of new third jersey's actually has to offer. I've gotten a hold of a handful of logos/crests to be featured on the new sweaters. I'm not naming my source for that person's privacy so don't bother asking. Let's dive in.


Thrashers We know Atlanta's jersey will be maroon with the team name arched above the player's jersey number on the front. What you see above is supposedly how the text will look.


Bruins Boston will wear the shoulder logo from their home sweaters on the crest of their new black third jerseys. Nothing really new there but I'm displaying all the graphics I got anyway.


Sabres Buffalo will be wearing a vintage style sweater with the logo they donned for their first quarter century. This version of the logo appears to incorporate a lot of silver around the edges.


Coyotes One of the clubs that will be wearing an entirely new logo on their third jersey is Phoenix. Above is the leaping coyote we've been hearing rumors about.


Penguins This is another example of a logo we've seen before. Pittsburgh will be promoting last year's Winter Classic sweater design to third jersey this season. And that logo will stay on the front.


Sharks One of my wishes came true. I like the sound of a black jersey for San Jose but I was really hoping they'd go with the full-body shark logo and it turns out they will. This is one of the sweaters I'm looking forward to most.


Lightning Now for my team. I always call them the Bolts but I'm not sure how I feel about Tampa Bay wearing that nickname across the front of their sweaters. However, I am psyched about the blue sweaters! Above is what the text will supposedly look like on the uniforms.


Maple Leafs Toronto is nothing new. They're going with the 35-point vintage leaf logo. It'll be on a white jersey just like the ones they wore prior to the Rbk EDGE era.

As with anything, keep in mind that while I trust this source, I'm always wary about passing rumor off as fact. I believe these to be legitimate images but anything is possible. Take it for what it is and enjoy it!

The Kings, Senators and Blues are the teams with new logos/crests that we have yet to see. I'm told there was a note with these other logos that read "TBD" for them.

That leaves seven of the 18 new third jerseys unaccounted for in this post. Three will be wearing their regular primary logos (Hurricanes, Blackhawks and Flyers). Three will wear vintage logos (Oilers, Islanders and Canucks). And Dallas will have an inverted version of their black home sweaters — white with the word DALLAS in green text above the player's sweater number.

And that's that. Hope you guys are as excited about this news as I am!

(By the way, I apologize for the watermarking but I'm pretty sure I'm the only one with these graphics and I want to try to track who, if anyone, picks them up for posting elsewhere. By the way, I have no problem with anyone doing that. Just link back and keep the graphic intact.)

Tuesday
Jul292008

Project: IHA Northeast

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

I wanted to have the new division posted yesterday, but my computer issues prevented that. So now that you've seen the Atlantic and West Divisions, today we're heading back east for the Northeast Division. Remember, your job is to take the name and colors and create an identity for a hockey team from scratch. I believe in you!

The response from artists has been phenomenal. You guys have come up with some great logos. The response from many readers who aren't submitting work has been odd. I don't understand the complaints but you can never please everyone. Just have fun with this project!

As I've said, I'll be unveiling a new division every week until we've got all the team names and colors out there. This week we've begun voting on the Atlantic logos. Next week will be the West. The week after will be today's division. This gives you guys two weeks to come up with and submit designs.

Now for the IHA Northeast...

IHA: NORTHEAST DIVISION


BOSTON ROYALS / Boston, Massachusetts
yellow (F8BF24), purple (660099) and grey (BFCFD1)


HARTFORD BEARS / Hartford, Connecticut
green (03753B), blue (09549A) and white (F0F0F0)


MONTRÉAL ROUGE / Montreal, Quebec
maroon (6D0707), red (A90707) and white (F0F0F0)


OTTAWA CAPITALS / Ottawa, Ontario
grey (D0D5AB), navy (0C0A72) and black (202020)


QUEBEC GLACIER / Quebec City, Quebec
red (C20A2D), blue (013463) and sky (AED5FA)

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:

  • DO NOT STEAL ARTWORK. I'm surprised I have to say this but a number of people submitted logos from professional teams. This is 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!

Monday
Jul282008

Post Delays

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that with my computer currently out of commission, I wasn't able to get to the next IHA division just yet. I should have that along with a ton of third jersey rumor-based concept art posted Tuesday afternoon. At that point I'll also be able to start getting back to your emails. Thanks for your patience!

Monday
Jul282008

Monday Morning Variety

I have a bunch of things to mention this morning so I figured I'd condense it all into one post this morning.

The Atlanta Thrashers never unveiled their new third jersey or anything of that nature at their event over the weekend. An email that went out to fans said they'd get to see "a new look" but I guess that could mean anything. There are new players, new coaches and the new Blue Crew. Take your pick.

Greg at Puck Daddy came across a fascinating uniform-related bit of information regarding a women's team that played in 1916.

They were called the Edmonton Swastikas. The post is definitely worth a read.

I've added some new features to the blog over the last few days. Our Rebranding The NHL series now has its own sidebar element. Currently you can vote on the secondary color Matt will use for his Blues logos.

There's a Shoutouts section where I thank the folks who've been kind enough to mention Icethetics elsewhere. There's a new Tag Cloud, with my thanks to Frivmo. And by now you've noticed the Design Opportunities section has yet to be filled in. I'm still working on that one.

That does it for now. Later in the day I've got polls coming plus lots of concept art based off of yesterday's third jersey rumors. 1:13 PM: Check that. I had to take my computer in for repairs today so we'll have to hold off on the jersey art until tomorrow. The polls will be up, no problem.)

Sunday
Jul272008

All 18 Third Jerseys Described!

I know! Described! Woo-hoo! Nothing like words instead of pictures. Seriously though, Howard Berger of Hockey Buzz is about to become our best friend here at Icethetics. He's claimed to have obtained photos of "most NHL third jerseys for the up-coming season."

He's described them in great detail on his blog which is where you should read all about them. But for the purposes of keeping all the third jersey news in one place, see the giant block quote below.

Atlanta Thrashers
The club will introduce a dark red jersey with the word “THRASHERS” on the front, just above the player’s uniform number, which will appear on both sides of the design. A broad white stripe will adorn each arm of the jersey with a dark red number in the stripe. A broad white-and-dark blue stripe will run down the sides of the jersey.

Boston Bruins
The Bruins will unveil an all black jersey with the club’s alternate logo on the front – a black bear with the word "BRUINS" above it in a semi-circle. Two gold stripes will appear on the arms, with gold numbering above the stripes and on the back.

Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres will bring back their original road jersey — the blue design with the round "cross-sword" logo on the front, and the three gold stripes on the arms and the bottom of the jersey. It’s the uniform the Sabres’ first GM/coach, George (Punch) Imlach, requested; a design similar to that which Imlach's Maple Leafs had from the 1967 playoffs through 1969-70. And, it’s the jersey Buffalo wore during road games from the beginning of the franchise in 1970-71 to the end of the 1995-96 season. Beginning in 1996-97, the Sabres switched to a black, red and white uniform, and completely redesigned their logo. Another redesign occurred prior to the 2006-07 campaign, with the team returning to its blue and gold color scheme.

Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes will introduce a black third jersey, with red and white trim – different than their customary red home uniform with the black and white trim. Each arm will sport red and white angular stripes. The bottom of the jersey will feature a narrow white stripe and a thicker red one. In between, will be 10 white stars. The club’s red logo on the uniform front is placed within a white triangle, presumably to honor the famed Research Triangle that dominates the Raleigh-Durham area.

Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks will return to the predominantly black third jersey they have worn in recent years. A white stripe flanked by two red stripes will appear on each arm, and at the bottom of the jersey. A wide red stripe is featured at the tip of each arm. The traditional Blackhawks Indian-head logo appears, as usual, on the front.

Dallas Stars
The Stars' third jersey is simple… a white uniform with the word "DALLAS" crowned on the front, atop the jersey number, which appears on both sides. Parallel dark-green and black stripes appear on each arm. There are no stripes at the bottom of the jersey.

Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are going back to their glory days with the predominantly blue jersey Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier et al wore on the road while winning five Stanley Cup titles between 1984 and 1990. Orange shoulder piping will re-appear, along with a broad orange stripe at the tip of each arm. Two white stripes flanking an orange stripe are on the arms and near the bottom of the jersey. The original round Oilers logo, with the orange oil drip and blue team name, is on the front.

Los Angeles Kings
The Kings will unveil a predominantly black jersey with the letters "LA" inside a pencil-point logo on the front. Broad white stripes will adorn each arm. A thin white stripe will run horizontally on each side of the jersey, just beneath the shoulder. There are no stripes at the bottom of the uniform. The color purple — widely evident in the Kings' primary jersey — will likely be featured in the number outlines of the alternate, though the photo copy I have doesn’t clearly show it. A better idea would have been a reprise of the Kings’ original purple and gold uniforms from 1967, but the club marketers are apparently not bent on tradition.

New York Islanders
The Isles are going back to their original road jersey from 1972-73, when they joined the NHL along with the Atlanta Flames. It is a royal-blue base, with broad orange and white stripes on the arms and at the bottom of the jersey. The uniform numbers — as they appeared during the club’s inaugural season — are orange with white trim. Player names will also be orange. The Islanders switched to white jersey numbers after their dreadful first year in the league; when they compiled a 12-60-6 record… worst, to that point, in NHL history.

Ottawa Senators
A dramatic change in the Senators' third jersey will see a predominantly black uniform with the word “SENS” angled upward on the front. A fashionable red stripe will run from the arm pits, down the side of the jersey, to its base, where the stripe turns inward. A pair of narrow red and white stripes will adorn each arm, and the very bottom of the jersey. It's quite a sharp design.

Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are also going for tradition, bringing back the predominantly orange jersey the club wore at home when it joined the NHL in 1967-68. White shoulder piping will again run the length of each arm, with orange numbers trimmed in black. A large black stripe is affixed to the tip of each arm. A broad white stripe adorns the bottom of the uniform. The Flyers’ stylized "P" black logo with the orange dot is on the front.

Phoenix Coyotes
The Coyotes will unveil an all-new design… a predominantly black jersey with a leaping desert-red coyote as the front logo. A large, dark-red stripe will run down the side of the jersey, broadening at the base. A similar dark-red stripe, only smaller, is affixed to the latter half of the arm, beyond the white numbers.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Kudos to the Penguins for staying with the jersey the club wore during the Outdoor Classic in Buffalo last Jan. 1st. It’s a replica of the home jersey the Penguins wore starting in 1968-69, their second year in the NHL: Predominantly light-blue in color, with broad white stripes trimmed in dark blue on the sleeves and uniform base. A large, dark-blue stripe is at the tip of each arm. The neckline is dark-blue with the lace-up feature. The dark-blue, circular Penguins' logo is on the front.

San Jose Sharks
Though the photo I have is a bit grainy, the Sharks will wear a predominantly black third jersey with aqua and white stripes on each sleeve. The back number is white. The traditional Sharks' "biting-stick" logo is on the front.

St. Louis Blues
Another significant change. The Blues will introduce a dark-blue alternate jersey with a white stripe trimmed in black on the sleeves and uniform base. The club’s traditional "blue-note" logo appears within a circle on the front of the jersey, with the city’s famous Gateway Arch in the background. It will also have the lace-up feature.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Also completely different. The Lightning will introduce a predominantly dark-blue alternate with the word "BOLTS" angling downward in white on the jersey front. A narrow white stripe is featured above a broad black stripe at the uniform base. Grey and white stripes are on each arm, and the latter half of the sleeve, to the tip, is black.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Rather than producing an entirely new design – as many NHL clubs have done — the Leafs' alternate jersey will be identical to the one the players have worn, on and off, since 1998: A replica of the club’s white road uniform from the mid-1960s, with the 35-point, blue maple leaf logo on the front; blue shoulder piping, and two blue lines on the arms and near the bottom of the jersey. A thick blue stripe encircles the tip of the sleeve. The neck has the lace-up feature prominent in the 1960s and early-'70s.

Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are going back to their inception in 1970-71 by bringing back the predominantly blue road jersey the club wore. At the bottom of the jersey – and on each arm – is a broad green stripe flanked by a pair of white stripes. The club’s original “hockey-stick-in-a-rink” logo is outlined in green and white on the front.


I can't wait to start seeing these sweaters in photographs!