From The Ground Up: Central Names

The five markets with the most votes, to be included in the Central Division of our fantasy hockey league are final. Almost 10,000 individual votes were cast in the poll.

In this post, I'm outlining those markets (alphabetically) along with the acceptable locators (listed below) for your team name nominations — which I'll begin accepting today by comment only.

• CHICAGO, Illinois
  Illinois | Chicago | Joliet | Rockford


• DETROIT, Michigan
  Michigan | Detroit | Troy | Dearborn


• MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin
  Wisconsin | Milwaukee


• MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota
  Minnesota | Minneapolis | St. Paul | Bloomington


• ST. LOUIS, Missouri
  Missouri | St. Louis

DO NOT SUBMIT NAME NOMINATIONS VIA EMAIL. THEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Submit your team name nominations by leaving a comment below. Email submissions will be discarded. I will accept nominations for one week at which point new comments on this post will be closed. All name submissions that fit within the following parameters will be included in the name selection process which will begin next weekend.

If you want your submission included, DO NOT:
• use the name of any current or past NHL or WHA team.
• use the name of any current AHL or ECHL team.
• use the name or close variation of any current or past professional sports team within the same market or geographical area.
• use the name of any team from Project: IHA.
• use any name that would be considered vulgar, obscene or in any way inappropriate. (Sorry, this is my call.)

If you decide to use a locator not already on the list above, be prepared to have it discarded. I'm not setting that in stone as a restriction, but I'm also not guaranteeing I'll include anything not on the list. Sorry for all the restrictions but sometimes you have to "guide" originality.

Late addition: I'll also probably be weaning out some of the more ridiculous and absurd names. I don't mind fun ones, but I think you guys know what I mean.

It was suggested that when submitting names you also submit a short reasoning for that name. I won't require that but I will recommend it since it might help your submission get votes later on if folks know where you got your idea.

Don't forget to make your submissions for the Pacific Division. You have until September 13.

Start submitting!

From The Ground Up: Pacific Names

The five markets with the most votes, to be included in the Pacific Division of our fantasy hockey league are final. Over 11,000 individual votes were cast in the poll.

In this post, I'm outlining those markets (alphabetically) along with the acceptable locators (listed below) for your team name nominations — which I'll begin accepting today by comment only.

• ANCHORAGE, Alaska
  Alaska | Anchorage


• LOS ANGELES, California
  California | Los Angeles | Anaheim | Long Beach


• PORTLAND, Oregon
  Oregon | Portland | Salem


• SEATTLE, Washington
  Washington | Seattle | Tacoma | Olympia


• VANCOUVER, British Columbia
  B.C. | Vancouver | Burnaby | Victoria

DO NOT SUBMIT NAME NOMINATIONS VIA EMAIL. THEY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Submit your team name nominations by leaving a comment below. Email submissions will be discarded. I will accept nominations for one week at which point new comments on this post will be closed. All name submissions that fit within the following parameters will be included in the name selection process which will begin next weekend.

If you want your submission included, DO NOT:
• use the name of any current or past NHL or WHA team.
• use the name of any current AHL or ECHL team.
• use the name or close variation of any current or past professional sports team within the same market or geographical area.
• use the name of any team from Project: IHA.
• use any name that would be considered vulgar, obscene or in any way inappropriate. (Sorry, this is my call.)

If you decide to use a locator not already on the list above, be prepared to have it discarded. I'm not setting that in stone as a restriction, but I'm also not guaranteeing I'll include anything not on the list. Sorry for all the restrictions but sometimes you have to "guide" originality.

Late addition: I'll also probably be weaning out some of the more ridiculous and absurd names. I don't mind fun ones, but I think you guys know what I mean.

It was suggested by a reader (ogre39666) that when submitting names you also submit a short reasoning for that name. I won't require that but I will recommend it since it might help your submission get votes later on if folks know where you got your idea.

Don't forget to make your submissions for the Central Division. You have until September 13.

Start submitting!

Toronto's New Ice Logo

I've got a quick follow up on a story form Tuesday talking about how the Toronto Maple Leafs are redesigning center ice at the Air Canada Centre this season. It's now been revealed in a video on the team's official web site.

You can see a screen grab from the video currently appearing on their home page or see it below.

I'd call it a huge improvement. What do you call it?

Hurricanes Tease Alternate Sweater

There's a new image on the front page of the Carolina Hurricanes' official web site teasing the unveiling event for their new third jersey next week.

The image and story link to the same article I wrote about yesterday. The only thing I found interesting was this new image.

What I'm interested in is whether they're actually going to use a black and white version of their primary logo as a shoulder patch on the new sweater or this is just a stylized/greyscaled photo. The white circle in the center of the logo makes me think the logo will be black and white.

Personally, I'd be a big fan of a clean, black and white logo. I'm not sure any other team has actually changed the colors of their logo for a third jersey. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

For reference, the Hurricanes will unveil their new third jersey to media and fans at a news conference on Wednesday, September 10. I'll post photos here as soon as they're available.

IHA Final Art: Great Lakes

This week we're unveiling of the winning logo sets for each team in the IHA Project. This week we've looked at the final artwork for the Atlantic, West, Northeast and Pacific Divisions. Today we're on to the Great Lakes to finish out the week.

Below are the logos you selected for the IHA. On the left is the team's primary logo. To the right is the secondary and the wordmark is beneath it. Under the graphic is the designer's credit.

Sigma Kappa

Roccot

Emilis Acus

Emilis Acus

Marc

Couple of changes to this division. As I mentioned before, at the request of the league operator, the Capitals and Knights have swapped colors. The Knights are now blue. Also, based on the logo that won for the Brigade, the orange was changed to red.

To all the winning designers: If you would like your credit changed or a link added, please don't hesitate to let me know. Since you aren't being compensated in any other way for all your work, the least I can do is offer a link to your web site, blog or online portfolio — just in case certain eyes are looking. You never know. However, if you would like to remain anonymous, that's fine too.

Next week you'll vote on the Central Division logos and the following week I'll post the final designs and this project will be over. I look forward to seeing artwork from the same talented designers for the next project!

Housekeeping

I wanted to briefly mention a few things this morning. Nothing big. First, you can consider my "break" over. It's not like I ever really took one anyway but I just finished up a big project I was working on — what a relief. Anyway, all that means is I'm going to try and get back to doing more concept posts on a regular basis. News and project coverage will remain the same.

I'm ending a short-lived series. Wallpaper Wednesday is now over. I wasn't getting the sort of submissions I was hoping for. More than anything, this is a hockey logo/jersey blog. Instead of getting wallpaper designs that did cool things with logos and sweaters, I was getting wallpapers with random pictures of players. Don't get me wrong, I thought a lot of them were well done but just not in the spirit of Icethetics.

Freak Out Friday will continue. In fact, I'll have a new one posted late tonight next week. Need more submissions!

You guys can stop emailing me asking about Matt's rebranding of the St. Louis Blues. He should have it ready soon. I'll post it when he sends and he'll send it when he's finished. This is his hobby which comes after life/school/job. He does great work because he doesn't rush through it.

On now to comments. I haven't really had a whole lot of issues with them lately but I still wanted to go over some rules which I don't think I've ever really gone into before. I try to avoid deleting comments, but there are a few occasions where I will. Vulgarity — even with * in it. Attacking another person. Being mean or needlessly rude (think of what your mother taught you). Posting a link to your own website or one irrelevant to the topic being discussed. Posting an email address. Just a few things.

I mean there are a few other things but I figure if I mention those it should at least cut down on what I have to delete. Because worst case scenario is that I start moderating all comments. That's just no fun for me or anybody else. I like keeping this open so everybody can express their opinion. But keep it clean and nice. What possible reason could there be not to?

That's all. Any questions? Feel free to ask.

'Canes To Unveil Third Next Week

According to their official web site, the Carolina Hurricanes will become the first team to unveil their new third jersey for the upcoming season.

We previously believed the new sweaters would be shown first at the Caniac Carnival on September 21. Turns out that date is still significant since it's when the jerseys will initially go on sale. Here's the story from the team's web site.

Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team will reveal its new alternate uniform at a news conference on Sept. 10, at the RBC Center at 12:30 p.m. Media and fans are invited to attend the event and be the first to see the Hurricanes’ new look, which the team will wear for 15 home games this season.

Hurricanes center Eric Staal, defenseman Tim Gleason and goaltender Cam Ward will model the uniform at the press conference, skating out onto their home ice in the jerseys for the first time. Television and still cameras will be permitted to shoot the event from ice level. In addition, Rutherford will be available to comment on the sweaters and the process of developing the new look.

The alternate jerseys will go on sale to the general public for the first time on Sunday, Sept. 21 at the Caniac Carnival, the team’s annual season kick-off event. The Hurricanes will debut the sweaters in a game on Oct. 13, when they host the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings at the RBC Center.

So the excitement begins. We'll have photos of the new Hurricanes' third jerseys in less than a week!

I'll post photos here on the blog as soon as they are available. If any of you attend and want to send me pictures to post, I'd be more than happy to oblige.

Center Ice Champion

Congrats to the Penguins!
With 58% of the nearly 4,000 votes, the center ice design of the Pittsburgh Penguins has been declared the best in the NHL. My thanks to all who voted and all the folks who linked people here! The visitor count for the blog skyrocketed this last week for this final poll.

I'm working on championship banner ideas. I think I'll include all the logo champions from both NHLToL and ToHL in the new banners. Hope to have them posted at the bottom of the pollbar in the next few weeks.

I'm also thinking about the next logo tournament. I'm considering an IHA Tournament of Logos. Maybe a Rbk EDGE jersey tournament. Third jerseys for sure once they've all been unveiled officially. If you've got any other ideas, let me know by email or comment.

IHA Final Art: Pacific

This week we're unveiling of the winning logo sets for each team in the IHA Project. This week we've looked at the final artwork for the Atlantic, West and Northeast Divisions. Today we're doing the Pacific.

Below are the logos you selected for the IHA. On the left is the team's primary logo. To the right is the secondary and the wordmark is beneath it. Under the graphic is the designer's credit.

Roccot

Bleetch

Emilis Acus

Emilis Acus

Roccot

To all the winning designers: If you would like your credit changed or a link added, please don't hesitate to let me know. Since you aren't being compensated in any other way for all your work, the least I can do is offer a link to your web site, blog or online portfolio — just in case certain eyes are looking. You never know. However, if you would like to remain anonymous, that's fine too.

Tomorrow I'll unveil the final logo designs for the Great Lakes Division. Then next week you'll vote on the Central Division logos and the following week I'll post the final designs and this project will officially come to an end. I look forward to seeing artwork from the same talented designers for the next project!

Sabres Tease Third

The splash page for the Buffalo Sabres' official web site has what appears to be a new third jersey teaser on an ad promoting the sale of preseason tickets.

It's a close-up of a blue jersey with a yellow collar. There are laces and a silver section at the neck with the NHL shield. Here's the image appearing on the web site.

Remember, they will officially unveil the new third jersey two weeks from Saturday.

Thanks to everybody who sent in this info. And seriously, there were a lot of you. I appreciate that.