Flyers Change Alternate Numbers

First, let me apologize for the lack of updates this past week or so. I've been enjoying a little bit of a break. Third jersey coverage nearly killed me last month. Rest assured I'm not abandoning Icethetics, merely trying to regain my sanity — like I ever had it.

Now onto the news of the day. Evidently, the Philadelphia Flyers weren't happy with the retro-style numbers in use on their new third jersey. Why do I assume that? Because they've changed them. The following graphic provides an excellent representation of what I'm talking about.

Notice specifically the 1s and 2s — even the alternate captain's A has been changed to the style used on the home and road sweaters. The pictures at the top are from the Flyers-Lightning game and on the bottom are from the Flyers-Devils game, two nights later.

So did they not like style or was there some other reason that forced the change? It's nothing major but it is interesting. The original numbers had a very distinct vintage look. And the 1 was just weird-looking — cool, in its own special way.

If you've got any answers or speculation, feel free to provide it in the comments.

Thanks to Glenn for pointing out this change and making the above graphic.

By the way, look for a new Concept Collage this week as well some other updates and a cool new project I'm working on. Well, "cool" is subjective. Stay tuned. I'm looking forward to providing more frequent updates this week.

Team Canada's Third Jersey?

I've been getting a lot of emails these days specifically about the jersey seen to the right. It's obviously a Team Canada jersey and since the Hockey Canada sweaters have been banned from the 2010 Olympics, it's been asked whether this retro-style jersey will replace it.

I honestly have no idea. I've been told by several people that it's being used as a third jersey and is a possible candidate for Olympic action in two years. Beyond that, I really can't speak on the subject with any certainty.

If there's any official information out there from Hockey Canada or the Olympic committee, I'd love to hear about it and share it with the rest of you.

For whatever it's worth, I think it's a really sharp sweater. Not like anything I've seen any other team wear. So kudos on that. And it's retro, but in a good way. Not sure what it'll be used for but it's available for sale wherever you buy hockey jerseys.

Feel free to add your comments and conspiracy theories below!

SI Ranks Third Jerseys

Coming on the heels of Icethetics' third jersey rankings, Sports Illustrated has released a ranking of their own. I respect it but for the most part I find it simply makes a lot of excuses for putting "classic" jerseys at the top of the list and becomes very whiny when talking about the more unique designs.

Just like me, SI puts the Penguins at the top of the list and the Stars at the very bottom. To see their complete rankings and read their mostly snide and cynical reviews, click here. Below is the list of their picks.

1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. St. Louis Blues
3. Philadelphia Flyers
4. Montreal Canadiens (Centennial, not third)
5. Chicago Blackhawks
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Toronto Maple Leafs
9. San Jose Sharks
10. Boston Bruins
11. Phoenix Coyotes
12. Carolina Hurricanes
13. Vancouver Canucks
14. Tampa Bay Lightning
15. New York Islanders
16. Los Angeles Kings
17. Ottawa Senators
18. Atlanta Thrashers
19. Dallas Stars

Thanks to Spencer for pointing this out.

By the way, I plan to set up a rating system this weekend so you guys can weigh in on the new sweaters.

Coyotes Show Off Concepts

A day after Icethetics launched its Concepts page, the Phoenix Coyotes are showing off some jersey concepts of their own. In an article on the team's web site discussing the development of their new third jersey, a photo gallery is featured displaying some of the options they considered before settling on the final version.

The Coyotes are the only teams in the league to release developmental jersey concepts. And I, for one, am mighty impressed. You can see the full gallery by clicking here. I also found a few worth mentioning. Of the seven posted, these two I liked most.

Adding the desert scene behind the leaping coyote adds a new dimension to the front of the jersey without recalling the previous desert-scene third jersey. The concept on the right is a little dull perhaps, but I think would've fit perfectly with the classic feel of the Coyotes' home/road jersey set.

Now for a couple I didn't like so much.

On the left, great logo but terrible for the front of a jersey! We learned that from the Ducks. And the seated coyote on the right does absolutely nothing. At least the version they went with shows the coyote actually doing something — even if he is just skipping.

Huge thanks to Jeff for pointing out this article and concept gallery!

By the way, the Coyotes were one of three teams to debut their third jersey last Friday. I didn't get a chance to mention it but I'll go ahead and post some pictures now.

I'm still not a huge fan though the brick helmet and black jersey is certainly a unique combination.

Probably not a wise choice to go with the overlapping numbers on the sleeves of the Flyers jersey, but I do like the return to orange. I saw them wear it tonight against the Lightning. As for the Bruins, there's barely a difference between this and their home sweater. I'll say it again — missed opportunity.

This might explain why I failed to mention the debut of these jerseys on Friday night. I guess they left me a little underwhelmed — which is strange for me. Anyway, there it is. All 18 jerseys have been unveiled and all 18 have debuted.

Concepts Section Launched!

It came a little later than I had hoped, but concept art is back!

Tonight I launched the Icethetics Concepts page. You can access it from the tab at the top of the page. Right now it features the site's very first concept post in a brand new format I hope everyone will enjoy. It's called the Concept Collage!

Thanks to Vuvox, you'll now be able to enjoy user-submitted concept art in a cool and different way. Head on over to the Concepts page to check it out first hand, but here's a quick rundown. The new collage format works like an interactive slideshow in a panoramic view.

You can manually slide back and forth through the collage checking out all the fantastic artwork or press the play button and let it go automatically. And if it's too small, click on the button in the bottom corner to go full screen!

When you want to weigh in on the designs you've seen, simply add a comment. It works the same as commenting on the blog. You must be an Icethetics member to add a comment. To get a free member account, click here.

I hope you guys enjoy the new Concepts section and the new Concept Collage format. My goal as we get this started is to post new Concept Collages at least once a week then graduate to two to three times. Also, over the next few weeks I'll be rolling out the Featured Artists section as well as revisiting past concept art with new galleries.