Winnipeg Jets: Bridging the Gap
Wednesday · Nov 2 · 2011 | 9:01 AM PDTHis Heritage Jersey design for the Ottawa Senators inspired fans. So much, in fact, that in just a few short years it morphed from a simple concept into an NHL uniform that defines the hockey history of Canada's own capital city. That flowery language may sound like an exaggeration, but I challenge you to name another NHL fan who's managed to pull off what Jacob Barrette has.
Two nights from now, that fan-favorite Senators jersey will be worn by the Daniel Alfredsson & Co. for only the third time ever. Today, Jacob embarks on a new campaign to revive and rejuvenate a classic NHL uniform. In the last few days he declared, "We weren't gonna bring them back, without bringing it back."
His subtle teasers this week led many of you to accurately predict that Jacob was working on an alternate jersey design for the Winnipeg Jets. And it couldn't have come at a better time, as the Jets are more than likely already looking at future third jersey possibilities.
Now that you've seen his new project, I'll let Jacob tell you about it in his own words:
I want to clear this up right away: I'm a fan of the new Jets branding. This attempt wasn't created to overthrow their efforts, but rather to add to their arsenal.
As opposed to what I was able to accomplish with the Ottawa Senators Heritage uniform — a full out nod to the old Senators franchise — this Jets alternate concept borrows elements from the old and new era. While a refreshed old logo is used as the main mark, the current crest appears on the shoulders to create a link between old and new.
While the logo was given a makeover, the lines on the jersey fully respect those of the uniforms worn between 1990 and 1996. However, the base color used is the newly introduced polar night blue. Laces were added, cause, well, I won't pretend there's a reason for those, they just looked nice, but that is an element worth debating.
What was done:
- Created a new, modern typeface to refresh the Jets word mark.
- Added shading to the word mark. This was also a way to incorporate both shades of blue which comprise the new Jets brand.
- Added an inner blue ring to the logo and silver ring to the outside. The silver ring creates a link between the logo and the jet present on the shoulder patches.
- The jet was removed from the logo to create a more balanced look, but is still present on the jersey via the shoulder patches.
- The NHL shield area is silver, again to subtly bring back that shade.
- The typeface for the numbers would be the same as the newly introduced uniforms but with a red outline as the slanted numbers compliment the JETS word mark.
I felt it was important to incorporate all the colors of the new brand. It proved to be a little challenging as I didn't want the jersey to look cluttered, so I think the shading in the word mark was the perfect solution. It also adds a bit of dimension to the logo.
We've all witnessed a strong synergy between the Jets organization and their fans, with ownership finally landing a team, organizing the best jersey unveiling in recent memory and the fans responding by supporting the team and committing to multi-year season tickets. I think that if fans are vocal enough about wishing to see this concept or the Jets' own take on it, a similar design could see the light of day down the road.
I agree. If Senators fans could do it, it should be a piece of cake for Jets fans, who practically forced their ownership's hand in bringing back the Jets moniker. There's no question it can be done.
As for the design, I asked Jacob about the lack of a Jet in the crest on this jersey — an element featured in both of the Jets' original primary logos — and he was quick to point out the lack of balance it created, as explained above. But personally, that was the only flaw I could find here.
Tomorrow, we'll go into a bit more depth with Jacob in a brief interview. He'll also answer any questions you may have about his new Jets jersey, which bridges the gap between the original franchise and the current one. Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Do you envision the Jets wearing this sweater someday soon?
Reader Comments (109)
THIS HAS TO HAPPEN.
I can't see the Jets wearing that unfortunately. I'll imagine the Jets would go with a black third jersey as they're trying to create a more modern franchise. The only link to the past should be the name.
I could have done this with my eyes closed, he'll lose all credibility with this ''attempt'' IMO
All he did was slightly update the old mark and slap it on an Edge-ified old Jets jersey, wow...
Looks nice. Has all that was loved with the old mixed perfectly with what really works with the new. A perfect 3rd jersey for the Jets. I can see this on the ice very soon.
The crest has too much white space for me. Overall great use of the new colour schemes but I think a jet inside the crest would cover up a lot of the open space
HMm I dunno about that crest logo.. was thinking of a modernized jet streaking across for the crest logo area.. oh well..
Don't really like the way the end of the "J" sticks out of the logo and I don't really like the colour of the number font. But over all I think its a good design and I liked the shading of the letters in the jets logo but that "J" really should have more than a silver outline.
Looks great, but if you're going to go THAT close to the original Jets look, why not go full-out with the original logo instead of a slight modernization?
i would probably buy this jersey and im a sabres fan. this is beautiful. i REALLY hope that the jets bring this as their third. it would make a nice set for them. id love to see what he could do with my team.
Fantastic jersey mockup! Nice blend of the old and the new. The Jets should have hired this guy to do the new jerseys. I'm not a Jets fan but, if I were, I'd start a petition.
I'm a huge fan of the updated sens jersey (I would happily update it for home and away jerseys, might ditch the vintage white though) but this Jets jersey stinks. Like Jacob's original stab at a Senators jersey, it's far too simple. This jersey needs something. Let's start with the logo, the original Jets logo used a hockey stick to create the "J" and also added an actual "jet". Jacob has removed both and the result is a rather bland logo and jersey.
I absolutely love the design, but it's so close to the obvious derivation of a heritage jersey that an NHL team would choose. Is it possible to convince True North to adopt this as a third when chances are, something very similar might already be in the pipeline?
Ease up Kevin. That's a stretch you could do it with your eyes closed...
But I will agree with Chris in saying the missing Jet icon is a flaw. It needs a Jet icon. I understand the concerns about balance and maybe moving the "Winnipeg" word mark to under the "Jets" wordmark would free up space to add the Jet icon. Otherwise looks fantastic.
Cheveldayoff has already gone on record in saying that we'll see a third as of next season so I doubt this really has a chance to make it to the ice but great work none-the-less.
He should have quit while he was ahead. not a great attempt here.
All the fuss only for that? That «redesign» does not deserve teasers and whatnot. It is an okay design at best, just an Edge-ified 1990's Jets jersey with a darker shade of blue and some almost-invisible accent colors. Many Icethetics designers could have done this or better, and they don't get the «star spotlight» that Mr. Barrette gets. And worst of all, in my opinion, is the crest. It looks too simple, with just a wordmark in a circle, like it was done in 10 minutes. Taking out the jet in the original logo is not simplifying it, it is denaturing it.
This is awful. The logo doesn't even have a jet in it! Isn't that the entire point of a logo?
If anything, the Jets would just bring back one of their old jerseys, hopefully one of the 70's ones, rather than wear this thing.
I really like the new colours on the old jersey. The small details of the laces and collar insert are great. I think the logo is a little too plain, but that just may be me. IMO a recolored vintage logo would sell best.
I like the balance of old and new - just because it's simple doesn't mean Jacob didn't work hard. Subtlety can be tough. Not sure how I feel about the missing jet. I didn't like the text shading when I first saw it, but it's growing on me.
I'm curious as to why he went with a dark third and not white. Winnipeg was on of the few teams that prized the white over the dark jerseys.
All that hype for this? Disappointing.
Deleting the jet icon from the original logo is a big mistake. The horizontal line through the "ETS" text is supposed to represent a plane's vapour trail. If there's no jet, why is there a vapour trail?
Finally an update on one of my favorite blogs, a promising teaser post, and all amounting to a disappointingly unoriginal concept.
Brief word to the whiners: Knocking this jersey for its "lack of originality" is like knocking the Leafs for their third jersey. The point is for it to be a throwback design with modern updates. He's not reinventing the wheel here.
And to every person that feels the need to tell us all that you could've done this... here's my question: Why didn't you then?
No one's calling it perfect — least of all me — but at least appreciate it for what it is. An effort to start a movement. It worked once. Why not again?
And I'm sorry for the "whiners" crack, but that is kind of what some of you are doing.
Part of the problem with trying to come up with a new-but-iconic look for the Jets is that they don't have anything nearly as iconic as those old Senators barber poles in their history. On top of that, the Jets' original looks were more-or-less borrowed from the Rangers.
So there's a lot less to work with in the first place, but the fact that the logo doesn't include a jet seems like a miss. The longest-serving Jets logo, 1973-1990 I believe, included a jet in a circle. The new Jets' primary mark is a jet in a circle. There's your link between old and new right there.
With all the pains they've gone through to link the new Jets identity with the RCAF, I'm hoping a future 3rd jersey resembles the '48 RCAF Flyers to a degree. But those Senators 3rds are beautiful, I'll give you that.
I do like it, but I worry that if the Jets do go with a jersey that is similar to their old ones, they will just go that way and the new jerseys and everything they have done for a new franchise will be lost. I like that the old Jets are being remembered, but they are not this team. I want this team to continue to have its own identity and not go back to a franchise that they aren't. There are too many teams that come out with throw back jerseys that end up coming back and being their "new" identity. Since I don't see the Jets as the same franchise they were in the 90's, I really don't ever want to see this jersey on them. As much as I do like it. Great work once again, Jacob.
well not to be a 'whiner', but......the jersey design is pretty much just a reebok-ised version of the old one (fair enough), but that logo just looks wrong to me, the wordmark doesnt work for me at all, overall........very much meh. (sorry).
The numbering bothers me to a degree, but other than that, I would like this jersey if I saw it on the ice for when the Jets do go with a third jersey.
I think that what people are saying (not that I fully agree) is that the jersey design has been submitted here before, albeit with minor differences (width of the stripes, silver in the collar, etc).
I do like the subtleties that Jacob worked into the jersey and logo design, and I do like the 90s Jets layout he opted to use (I still prefer the older shoulder-to-wrist yoke version myself), but this design is more about the logo concept than a jersey.
The logo is solid, I like the use of the colors and the subtle hints of light blue and silver (that silver should really pop on a dark blue jersey), though I agree that a jet of some kind needs to be added. I think if you shrink the text size so that it fits inside the circle (like the original), you can fit a simplified version of the new jet from the primary (more of a profile of the plane instead of a "from the top" view) creating the vapor trail like in the old logo. You can even make the jet in light blue shaded by dark blue to add more color to it (or stick with the silver from the logo, or use red like the original).
I think the J still has that "hockey stick" look because of the font used (which is good), but the fact that it leaves the circle plays tricks on the eye into thinking that it doesn't (because the navy of the stick J blends with the navy circle outline).
Overall, I think it's a good starting point and something that could be used (if not as the alternate, then as a Heritage Classic jersey in a few years).
To be honest, this jersey design is pretty weak and not at all exciting. Given the promos and all the buzz, I was hoping for something really cool. And it also negates a blog that was posted defending the Islanders monstrosity since it was what a third jersey was designed to be, an alternate. This is a weak adaptation of an already great jersey. And I'm sure that is what everyone is clamoring for, a navy blue team to wear a navy blue fauxback that has nothing to do with the current teams history. Granted, the Senators one didn't either, but that team desperately needed a good jersey for an active fan base. The Jets jersey is doing fine, and while not the nicest it does the job. If anything, why not change the primary color to red and keep everything else. Then you can call it "a tribute to Canada", just like the primary crest is a tribute to the RCAF. And for the record, I didn't make a graphic because I am not a graphic designer and don't have time. And like a lot of people that read this site I am sure all they are looking for is a little info about their favorite sport and are casual readers.
Why exactly do you Chris think that this guy deserves all this attention? I love the Senators new Heritage jersey and the story behind it with a fan made concept is awesome and very iinspiring to a hobbie designer as myself. Still though this is neither a very good nor original concept. Yes, he managed to start a movement with his Senators concept but that doesn't mean you've got to shove this one down our throats.
I agree for all the hype... Disappointing.
I hear you guys on the hype we built up. Maybe it wasn't warranted, but we wanted to build a little excitement around this. I think it'll be nice for Jets fans to see a classic come back.
And Fredrik... seriously? I love this. What exactly has been "shoved down your throat" on a website? You like it, you read more about it. You don't like it, you click on something else and go away. I'm always perplexed at how readers accuse me or any blogger of "forcing" things on them. Writing a blog is about one of the most passive things one can do.
Anyway, I think all the feedback will be helpful if Jacob decides revisions are warranted. So I thank you all very much for taking the time to write — especially if you had constructive criticism to offer.
I really like the nod to the old jersey with the inclusion of the various colours (the shading was a great idea). I'd have to agree that my complaint is that there should be a jet in the logo, but at the same time I also agree that I can't see how to put it in without unbalancing the thing both physically or colour-wise.
There isn't much wrong with this jersey, yet it doesn't jump out at me. Still solid jersey though.
I have yet to see ANYTHING on here that rivals this jersey design. People saying "any icetethics designer" could've done this just doesn't understand (whatever an "icethetic designer" is). It just oozes quality. Perfect use of type, richer and more modern color scheme, great use of white space to give the wordmark enough "oomph" when seen from afar. The "J" descender just breaking the stiffness of it and creating a link to the old logo is great. Subtle highlights in the letters with simple "vintage style" striping.
I guess the majority on here where expecting a 3d rendition of a jet fighter plane with lazers shooting from everywhere... sigh
People saying its missing the Jet are clearly missing the point! Like saying Dallas' jersey is missing a star. This was an attempt to create a simple iconic modern wordmark jersey while picking up bits and pieces from the past.
Good job Jacob.
Why is everyone calling it a "throwback"? It's a completely different organization, so it's not a throwback. The Thrashers never wore this, so it isn't a throwback.
I do like this, but I feel there should be more of that jet sky blue (or whatever they call it) incorporated into it more than just the outline of the crest. I don't know, just my opinion.
Well ill say this I'm not that much a fan of the logo but the overall look is really good. I agree with the person that said the dark blue on the J blends with the dark blue of the jersey. The lack of a Jet is disappointing as well. But I honestly don't see the jets wearing this. They worked hard to create a whole new identity for the team. This is not the same team as the old Winnipeg jets and they are letting you know that. It was only 15 years ago when they were still a team. That's not long at all. The old Ottawa senators were from like 100 years ago (guessing). It makes perfect sense for the senators to do something like this but for the jets to do it when the old team is still a team in the NHL today (coyotes) is just dumb. The only relation of the teams is the name so I just don't see them in the near future using a jersey that has resemblances to the old team. I thought everybody felt the same when the logos and jerseys were unveiled. It's too soon to go back to that. But overall I love the look of he jersey and think it would look great on the ice but I just wouldn't get your hopes up that anything remotely similar to this would be on the ice next season.
Hmm. I'll have to chime in and say that I don't like the exclusion of the jet (or the hockey stick 'J' for that matter). But to each his own.
Excellent, excellent, excellent. I think they should make this their 3rd jersey, then pull a 1997 Anaheim Mighty Ducks move and introduce a FOURTH jersey, which should be an EXACT copy of the 1979 white jersey. I don't know if fourth jerseys are still allowed, but if they are, using a combination of modernized old and actual old would be the best way to please the fans.
For the people who are disappointed because of the hype - I think you are missing the point.
Jacob is essentially responsible for having the Senators ditch their awful "Sens" Thirds with a fantastic heritage jersey. So... his next goal is to keep the momentum going with my beloved Jets. I would throw up if the Jets came out with a black third! So why not try to convince them that a heritage jersey is the way to go? Sure, I'd make a few tweeks to Jacob's design but seriously, if you had a choice, would you go with this or some unoriginal black third (see - Phoenix, San Jose, the former "Sens", and the rumoured Isles)?? It's a no brainer!
Thanks Jacob for taking this on and best of luck!
Disappointing and uninspired.
Not bad. I'm sort of in the middle about the primary logo here, but I'm in favor of anything that brings back the old Jets jerseys, or at least something like it. The Sens jerseys he came up with are going to be very tough to beat, though. Those are phenomenal, but good to see him still making an effort to change other team's jerseys as well.
Do the Ducks next! I'd love to see my team get an update on the old Mighty Ducks jerseys. I'm pretty disappointed in our current set.
Very well designed jersey. I'd love to see the Jets go with this, I know the idea was to keep it simple & bridge past and present, but the Logo feels too simple to me, nevertheless I was hoping the Jets would have started off with something like this.
It looks nice and I actually prefer it to the current Jets jersey, but I would doubt the Jets would pick this up like the Sens did the Heritage Design. I would assume if the Jets wanted to look back they would base a design on the '72 or '73 logos, rather than the logo circa '96.
This is nothing special, in my opinion.. I would be more curious to see an older version of the original logo put on a variation of the new colors.
Overall, this is just a beautiful design. Agreed that it's not perfect, but I think the primary logo looks perhaps even better on the shoulders than on the front of the Jersey.
As to the recurring issues people seem to have with the white space in the logo, and the lack of the Jet symbol, I can imagine a nice two-tone shaded grey jet right at the bottom under the word Jets. Perhaps a front view of a CF-18 Hornet, almost like a silhouette.
Great merging of the old and new! As a Huge NHL fan, I often do buy jersey's that I love, just because the designs are wonderful. I have an original Jets Jersey (with the full sleeve stripes), and always liked the later version as well, but a modern iteration such as this one would likely be my favourite Jets look of all time.
Well done concept. I see minimal if any tweaks needed to make this jersey one of the best in the pro leagues!
It's an OK design but it's not going to have the same kind of impact that his Senators design had. I think Jacob was kind of lucky that his design came out when it did and got exposure. The Senators had a terrible third jersey and their regular uniforms weren't much better. It was obvious that the fans wanted a barber-pole design.
The Jets will probably do a throwback uniform but they have no reason to go with a fan concept. For starters they have several throwback uniforms to choose from and all of them will translate very well to a modern template - unlike the Senators original uniforms. The Jets are also currently on a mission to bury the old logos and build their current branding - which most people like very much and have no problem with.
It looks ok, certainly better than what the Jets wear today.
I think there were 2 mistakes made here:
1) because of the hype, the comments are more negative then they would have been.
2) when jacob says "I'm a fan of the new Jets branding. This attempt wasn't created to overthrow their efforts, but rather to add to their arsenal.", we know he is being friendly to the jets bosses, but the new jets branding is soooo weak, that any attempts to merge old and new was bound to fail. I'd like to see Jacob (and any interested designer) recreate the old brand without trying to include the current mess.
Does anyone know what "it" means in the trailer
Big fan of the Sens redesign, but this not so much. In my opinion, it all comes down to the symbolism of the jersey. That is why the Sens jersey worked and this doesn't. The Sens jersey connected the modern team with the success of the original Ottawa franchise and was perfect for their 20 year anniversary. (Frankly the "Trojan man" and the old "Sens" alternate looks awful and needs to go).
True North's Jets jerseys are amazing. As soon as they were released I wanted both versions and I've never stepped foot in Winnipeg. Not only does it look great, but its full of meaning. I don't think any NHL team has been classier - amazing choice to shape the Jets redesign as homage to the RCAF.
Frankly I think the retro phase in pro-sports is getting a little out of hand. Kinda like black jerseys in the 90s. Some teams make it work well, but often I think it just undercuts fresh ideas and innovation. Many may disagree, but I think the True North design so utterly surpasses previous Jets jersey that I will be crushed if they don't stay with it for years.
I would love to see this as a third jersey but switch out the logo's so that our new logo is with the old colour scheme. Put either the old logo patch on the shoulders or the one designed here. Walking around the MTS centre with all the people in their new sweaters, shirts and hats, it just looks so good to me when everyone is supporting the new team. I have put my old stuff away, as the new look is the way to go. Don't think we need them wearing the actual old logo anymore. The new logo has a monteal, detroit, philadelphia look, NO WORDS, but so reconizable by the symbol. That is what the new logo has created, you see it, and instantly you know it's the Winnipeg Jets. I would love to see the old colours as designed here, with the new logo for any 3rd jersey, in my opinion.