New Logos and More...
Some of you have been concerned by my lack of updates lately. Sorry, I'm just one person. And while I have been enjoying all that Super Mario Galaxy 2 has to offer, it's actually vacation prep that's been keeping me away from Icethetics. I'm out of the country all next week so hopefully this extended post will tide you over until I get back.
Anniversary logos appearing
Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net is a resource I know many of you can't live without. Earlier this week, new NHL team anniversary logos started appearing on the message boards. Typically there are no big unveilings for these things, they just tend to come out in drips and drabs. So let's take a look.
The Vancouver Canucks celebrate their 40th NHL season in 2010-11. This mark will likely find its way onto the jersey somehow. It's a pretty standard birthday logo, although for some reason it reads as a tombstone to me, the festive ribbon notwithstanding. Maybe it's the dash between 1970 and 2010.
In any case, it's basically the stick-in-the-rink logo sans the stick, replaced by a big 40. Not the most creative thing they could've done, but creativity isn't that organization's strong suit these days. Just one opinion. It's plain.
The San Jose Sharks are turning 20 in 2011, but they're getting the festivities started a little early. You'll note that the 20 refers to how many years the team has existed not how many seasons it's played. Anyway, it's a solid logo, built on a pair of Xs with the shark in between.
It features a great use of color and type so I can't complain. It is rather wide, however. And just try to count all the triangles and partial triangles that cover the thing. Overall, thumbs up.
Lastly, the Columbus Blue Jackets will join the Wild in beginning their 10th NHL season this fall. Rumors of a cannon taking center stage on the forthcoming third jersey next season are not substantiated by this mark, which gives us an alternate perspective of the Ohio state flag instead.
For whatever reason, the waving flag just screams Civil War to me. I like it. Definitely furthers the brand of the club. So kudos to all these logo designers. Sharp work for logos that will only be in use for a single season.
Thanks to those of you who pointed them out to me.
Maple Leafs jersey changes
It should be news to no one that the Toronto Maple Leafs will don altered jerseys beginning with the 2010-11 season. And by "altered," I mean "fixed." The missing stripes will return as will a much-needed shoulder patch.
Will the Leafs wear these in 2010-11?Mike Burse of Bleacher Report offers up an in-depth look at how Leaf fashion directly correlates to Leaf success/failure. He also offers up this mock-up/concept (right, from LeafsHQ, see below) of what these new jerseys might look like.
As I've mentioned prior, no final decision has yet been made public. To this point, all we have is what team management has said. But for the record, Burse also says the Leafs have had these alterations in the pipeline since April 2009.
The article also says that a new third jersey is in the works to replace the current one, but that won't happen until the 2011-12 season at the earliest. There's a lot of history to choose from.
Whalers reincarnate
Howard Baldwin wants to bring hockey back to Hartford. NHL hockey. Whaler hockey. For those that have missed that iconic logo, he's trying to bring it all back.
Icethetics reader Gennaro Schiano writes in about the newly announced Whalers Hockey Fest which will consist of a series of outdoor hockey games to take place in February 2011. You can read more about it on Baldwin's website, WhalersSports.com.
Man, all this talk about changes to the league; will any of them happen? Will the Coyotes stay in Phoenix? Will Hartford get a team back? Will Winnipeg? Kansas City? What about new markets like Las Vegas? It's all kind of exciting.
Hopefully Whalers Hockey Fest is a big success. I'll be keeping an eye on it.
Tampa Bay Rays in hockey sweatersBy the way, if you're interested, over the weekend the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays sported NHL jerseys on a road trip to Toronto. They had Blackhawks, Penguins and of course Lightning jerseys. Even the Bruins and Predators made an appearance.
There's more to this story and TSN has it covered for you.
Chris
It was brought to my attention that the above Maple Leafs jerseys were actually created by Jeff of LeafsHQ. You can see more images and his take on the forthcoming sweaters over there. Plus, as the Leafs ponder a new historical third jersey for 2011-12, Jeff has put together some concepts based on past uniforms. All worth checking out. Enjoy!
Reader Comments (22)
Cool what the Rays are doing... but why throw a Preds jersey in there?
VAN: I'm still not a fan of the logo, but I really don't like the font for the number, either. It's bad enough seeing all those 33s all over the place in that ugly font as it was, let alone having to see them in the Olympics. Fortunately, there's no "3" anywhere in there. But I hope this is just the beginning we hear about this; remember, the Kings are also supposed to wear throwbacks against them to begin the season.
SJ: It's a bit too wide. I like it, but as far as a "patch", no. And besides, it's a year early. It's like the "Pittsburgh 250" thing all over again.
CBJ: My favorite. That screams "civil war", and altogether, the patch just looks awesome.
TOR: Why was this not their original Rbk-Edge jersey? (Same thing with Edmonton, really).
HAR: Hartford's not getting a team any time soon. If there's so much deliberation with the "Jets" returning to Winnipeg (at least one MORE season, as they agreed to a one-year deal with Glendale to play there this year), why would Pucky be making any sort of return. It's like last Thursday, outside Staples Center prior to Game 5 between the Lakers and Suns (and for the record, I was at that game!!!), some Clipper fans (all 20 of them) held a rally to try to get LeBron James to come to the Clippers..... (just let that sink in for a bit). Doesn't mean it's gonna happen..... LeBron ain't goin' to the Clippers. That would be completely idiotic. So why should I be any more convinced that the Whalers are gonna go back to Hartford? (especially considering the fact that the 'Canes are getting this upcoming All-Star game. They aren't gonna host the marquee event of the NHL season, and then get uprooted right after.)
That Columbus anniversary logo is the best I have ever seen. There is no mistaking what it is or who it represents. It is classy and elegant. Yes, it somehow makes me think of the Civil War, which is a good thing considering the team's name.
Now if only they could find a good primary logo and stick with it...
The Toronto pajama/practice sweater Leafs' uni debacle is perhaps the worst thing to come from the rbk uni gestapo. It's funny how nearly all uniform changes since the 07-08 season have been in effort to repair the unspeakable things reebok has done to the aesthetics of hockey.
The Canucks logo is just the number 40 inside the "rink" from the "stick-in-the-rink" logo. At least it's not ugly like the Thrashers 10th anniv logo. -5 out of 10
San Jose's logo is good. The shark perspective is off, though. It seems to be diving instead of jumping like in the real logo. -7 out of 10
The Jackets hit this one out of the park. -10 out of 10
I love to see the "Whale" back in the NHL BUT does it have to be Howard Baldwin. This man made a mockery of the Pens, he's the one responsible for changing the logo/uniform in '93 after the Pens had just won Back to Back Cups in '91/'92. He created that God-Awful PIGEON logo and then managed to run the team into the ground forcing a 2nd Bankruptcy. Thank God Mario Lemieux bought the team and changed the logo back to the Skating Penguin Logo (Mario wore the Skating Penguin logo from '84-'92, until Baldwin created that Pigeon thing). Hope the Pigeon logo never ever ever returns!
I really like the way the Leafs jerseys look, the only thing I would change is the stripes at the bottom they need to be a little closer together, and maybe I would make the arm stripes below the elbow like the Gilmour days. That's just my 2 cents
Columbus looks like an early sketch of a good logo. Way too many issues with the perspective on the numbers. curvature of the flag... needs to be polished
San Jose - can they put some more outlines on the X's?
Canucks certainly looks like 2010 is the death of the franchise.
lol at the one Predators jersey in that group.
i hope when the leafs change the jerseys they also change the numbers and fonts to what they are on the third jerseys and on the jerseys of the early 90s.
It's official -- the Canucks are moving to Las Vegas after the next season.
I hope no one takes this seriously.
The Canucks' 40th anniversary logo is decent. It's only the 40th, so I won't get on my soapbox about it not having more detail. I could have done without the dash as well. At least, the logo is consistant with the stick 'n rink and Johnny Canuck V design(blue, white, green, and silver) and not with the orca.
David Price is from Murfreesboro, TN so thats the reason why he wore the Predators jersey. That guy went to my high school, heck of a pitcher.
And why is it that the Oilers can't replicate with their uniforms what the Maple Leafs are doing with theirs? I believe Patrick Laforge is holding off until the new arena is built.
I'd like to see Winnipeg and Quebec get franchises as soon as possible. Glad to see Bettman's comments regarding "righting a wrong". Hartford has a long way to go, but hopefully Baldwin lays the groundwork.
Hearing Las Vegas being bandied about as a site of an potential NHL franchise is getting tiresome. The league knows where it needs to go - north.
I SEE A SABRES JERSEY CUT OFF! haha bottom right hand corner!
I thought I was the only one that didn't like the Agency numbers for the Canucks. I don't mind the font but the numbers look funny.
anything about the sabres 40th anniversary??
@ EL,
I am definitely with you regarding the Canucks' Agency numerals. They look very out of place and they are hard to read from far away. I think that once the Canucks officially settle on permanant home and away set along with a future third, we will see a return to the classic oxford block numerals. The Canucks have had classic numerals on every uniform they've had prior to the current transitionary jerseys.
@EL
Yeah, the font is alright I suppose, but for some of the numbers, it just looks absolutely ridiculous.
Whatever happened to the standard block numbers? Remember Tampa's old, crazy font? There's a reason they don't use those anymore...
Does this mean that the Sharks are getting rid of the numbers on the front of their jerseys? I don't see how else they're going to fit it on.
I don't care for the agency letters used on jerseys either. I wish they would just use a nice, simple, block font like most of the league.
Not great anniversary logos, but anything is better than that hideous Calgary Flames anniversary logo from this season.