More New Sweaters & Logos

The summer is officially here and this is the time of year when Icethetics-related news really kicks into high gear. Yesterday we got our first look at the logos for the Winter and Heritage Classics. But there's still so much more going on this week.

New Islanders jersey seen in video

Islanders new road jerseyIt's not like it was a big secret anyway, but the New York Islanders have tipped their hand by posting a video online which clearly displays their new white road jersey.

In interviews with alumni and current team employees, the new sweater is part of a string of historic Isles threads in the backdrop. It's exactly what's been rumored. But I won't call it official until Friday when it's unveiled at the draft party.

The video, which in and of itself is worth a mention on this blog, delves into the history of Islanders jerseys and logos — including that all too hard to forget Fishsticks Phase from the '90s. I'd embed it, but some people have had problems loading Icethetics when I do that. Instead, a link.

New details on Kings throwback

Kings set to wear throwbacksThe Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks will open the 2010-11 season just as they did exactly 40 years before. And they'll do so in a purple throwback jersey from the 1970s!

LA Kings Insider blogger Rich Hammond has once again said that the Kings will contribute to the Canucks' 40th anniversary celebration by donning vintage threads from their early years. He believes it will look like one worn between 1972 and 1980 (right). He also says it could be worn another three or four times throughout the season, but doesn't specify whether it would be worn against only the Canucks or other opponents too.

Retail sources have also claimed that the Canucks will have a white throwback jersey next season. If so, expect to see it debut on Oct. 9 for the season opener against L.A.

Sharks unveil multiple 20th year logos

The San Jose Sharks, never one to short us on logo options, will have five different 20th anniversary logos for use next season. The new marks were posted on the team's Facebook page yesterday.

The sleeve patch version was first posted on Icethetics a few weeks ago. A description of how it will be used on the uniforms was included in the press release:

All season long, the team will wear a 20th Anniversary San Jose Sharks patch on their sweater that will be placed on the left sleeve underneath the player’s number and above the stripe. The patch, which is 5¼” x 1¾”, combines the modern Shark with a powerful “double-XX” design, using the Roman numeral for the number “20” celebrating the team’s anniversary. This patch will also be placed on each player’s helmet.

I'm assuming they mean a sticker will be placed on the helmet, and that they're not actually going to sew a patch onto it. And as for the sleeve, it's unusual placement. Typically, you'd find an anniversary patch on the chest, but the players' numbers are in the way. Not sure why they don't just swap it out with one of the shark logos on the shoulders. Hopefully this doesn't clutter up the jersey too terribly.

In any event, if you were wondering what the other four logos will be used for, the Sharks' Facebook album describes them as (left to right, image above) primary crest, anniversary shield, classic fin and leaping shark. They're all well-designed and fit within the brand.

Blue Jackets unveil 10th anniversary logo

Blue Jackets' 10th anniversary patchThe Columbus Blue Jackets officially unveiled their 10th anniversary logo yesterday. It was first featured here on the blog a few weeks back.

Now the logo can be seen in patch form (right). And the team even has a whole press release about it on their website. Here's how it's described:

The logo features a representation of the state flag of Ohio flying on a silver flag pole above the stylized number "10" with a red and blue ribbon at the bottom featuring the team's official logo between the years 2000 and 2010.

The mark utilizes the team's primary colors of Union Blue, representing the color worn by the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War; Goal Red, in reference to the most exciting moment in hockey; and Capital Silver, signifying Columbus as the state capital of Ohio.

The release also points out the patch won't be worn on the sweaters until after the NHL Premiere games against San Jose in Stockholm. They'll have a special patch for that too, of course.

The Jackets' social media crew wasn't shy about sharing some pictures and video either. Enjoy these links to an image gallery and a neat video that reveals the logo.

AHL celebrates 75 seasons

Obviously there's a lot going on in the NHL these days, but I didn't want to leave out the AHL. It's the league's 75th season and it also marks the first time that every team has had its own NHL affililate.

The AHL revealed its plans to celebrate the milestone along with a special logo (left) which will be used throughout the season. It was designed by Derek Abraham of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment.

2011 AHL All-Star Classic logoCelebration plans include all teams wearing a special jersey patch along with a handful of teams opening the 2010-11 season in throwback uniforms. The 2011 AHL All-Star Classic will be hosted by the Hershey Bears and will feature players in vintage uniforms as well.

I'm including the logo in this post because I somehow overlooked its unveiling back on April 3. The AHL All-Star Classic will take place January 30-31, 2011. The game itself returns to an East-West format.

With the recent addition of the Oklahoma City Barons, there are now 30 AHL teams all with individual affiliations. I know it has nothing to do with the blog, but this might make for an interesting logo tournament: NHL logos vs AHL logos.

NHL Unveils Classic Logos!

The NHL released its 2010-11 schedule today and, in a graphic posted to NHL.com (above), also unveiled some new event logos for the season. You can see the Ovechkin and Crosby staring deep into each other's eyes with only the 2011 Winter Classic logo between them on the top right. And bottom left, it's Mike Cammalleri facing off against Jarome Iginla on either side of the new 2011 Heritage Classic mark.

Also included in this graphic are the NHL Premiere logos for the games taking place in Helsinki, Prague and Stockholm to open the season. They're nothing more than carryovers from previous European Premiere events. You may also note that one block of the image features only a Carolina Hurricanes jersey, implying that the 2011 NHL All-Star Game logo isn't yet ready for public consumption.

But that's not the only thing I wanted to mention this afternoon. Friday is the NHL Entry Draft, but it's also a day for parties and jersey and logo unveilings.

Islanders to unveil new road jersey

Isles unveiling new sweaterThe New York Islanders will officially unveil their new road sweaters at a draft day party on Friday at 5:30 PM Eastern.

An ad appearing on their website (right) serves as a pre-order form for fans not wanting to wait for theirs. Season ticket holders get 15% off.

I don't think it's any secret that this new jersey will be a white version of their royal blue third jersey — which is expected to become the new home uniform this year.

All will be revealed Friday night. But wait, do you see that in the draft party ad? Is that a logo for the 2010 New York Islanders Draft Party? Join me in the next story...

Draft Party logos? Really?

Islanders 2010 draft party logoYes, it seems at least three teams have kept their graphic artists busy at season's end, designing official draft party logos.

As seen above, the Islanders are all about it. Maybe its intent is to carry over the excitement from last year's draft when they had the first overall pick and everyone went crazy over John Tavares. They're down to 5th this year. All I'm saying is I'm just not sure people are going to be buying their 2010 Draft Party t-shirts in droves or anything.

Rangers and Oilers draft party logosBut as I said, the Isles weren't alone in this. Both the New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers are also promoting their draft parties with special logos.

The Rangers came up with something very open and simple. The Oilers pretty much based theirs off of the NHL Entry Draft logo — at least the text part of it.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it and none of these teams made the playoffs, so it's not like the designers have had anything else to worry about since April, but I just found it a little strange.

Other teams hosting draft parties include the Blue Jackets, Predators, Thrashers, Sabres, Blues, Hurricanes, and Coyotes. And of course the Kings are hosting the biggest draft party of the year — the draft itself.

Anyway, that's not all that's going down on Friday...

Greenville to unveil newest ECHL team

The ECHL's newest member, based in Greenville, S.C. finally reveal all on Friday when they unveil the team's name, colors and logo!

The team accepted name submissions from fans but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. This team, formerly the Johnstown Chiefs, was relocated to South Carolina this summer and will begin play in the ECHL's 19-team 2010-11 season. They'll take on my Florida Everblades in their home opener on Oct. 21.

You can of course count on Icethetics for full coverage of the unveilings both on Long Island and in Greenville. So check back for all that late on Friday.

The Week in Unis and Logos

Good evening all! I appreciate your patience these past several days while I was away. Spent the week on the awe-inspiring Oasis of the Seas, on a cruise through the Eastern Caribbean. If you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend it.

In that time, I was completely out of the hockey loop, freeing myself entirely from the chains of my computer. I didn't even know the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup until we docked in Fort Lauderdale early this morning. Anyway, that being said, I'm relying mostly on your emails — and forgive me if I don't mention you by name if you sent in a tip as there were so many I lost track.

Leafs to reveal new captain, uniforms

Obviously the biggest news of the night is coming out of Toronto.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have set a press conference for Monday, in which they are expected to introduce Dion Phaneuf as the new team captain, but more importantly, unveil new home and road sweater designs.

Both TSN and The Hockey News corroborate this. For more on what the redesigned jerseys will look like, we turn to fellow jersey-hound Howard Berger — never at a loss to provide the early info we all desire. Turns out, the day before I left for my trip last week, he provided another detail-filled blog post.

Maple Leafs jerseys, 1992-97Here are some of the bullet-points of his story, alongside a sample from our friends at the Hockey Uniform Database:

• New home/road unis comparable to 1990s Gilmour-era sweaters
• Both feature current primary logo, 11-point maple leaf introduced in 1970
• Both incorporate new lace-up collar instead of V-neck
• Dual horizontal stripes return to sleeves/waist
• Outlined number font goes away in favor of solid color block numbers
• 90s-era shoulder patches (veined leaf) return
• Third jersey will remain unchanged for 2010-11

At last, the Leafs' Reebok Edge jerseys will have some character! Berger's write-up contains no new details on the rumored third jersey redesign said to happen for 2011-12.

And for what it's worth, LeafsHQ has combined all of this new information into a couple of handy bits of concept art.

Official: Ducks to get thirds in 2010-11

The Anaheim Ducks have officially confirmed plans to launch a brand new alternate jersey during the upcoming 2010-11 season, according to the Orange County Register.

The Register quotes Ducks senior VP and chief marketing officer Bob Wagner in an article published yesterday:

General manager Bob Murray, coach Randy Carlyle, president and CEO Tim Ryan and Wagner were involved in the new design. Ducks players were also consulted, which was a major source of input.

"They're the most excited about it, which makes me feel we’ve completed 'mission accomplished,'" Wagner said. "I’ve gotten a lot of positives."

Wagner could not reveal any details about the new look but he was confident it will be received well. Said Wagner, "I think the fans will really embrace it based on the fact that there is meaning to it."

The only clue as to the new jersey's design: Wagner says "there is meaning to it." Whatever that means. Anyway, it's official confirmation from the team on previous rumors and that's always a plus.

Devils move AHL affiliate, unveil new logo

In what should be the final major change going into the 2010-11 AHL season, the Lowell Devils have been relocated and renamed the Albany Devils as of Thursday.

The logo (left) was unveiled on the team's new website. It continues the tradition of the New Jersey Devils and Lowell Devils logos, by creating a subtle letterform out of an abstract devilish shape.

At least they didn't just arch the word "Albany" above the NJ logo like they did in Trenton (ECHL). But this makes me wonder if they could do it with any letter of the alphabet, or if they've just gotten lucky with NJ, L and A. Surely, they can do it with the T.

Oh, and don't forget about the U in the Utica Devils logo from back in the day.

New logo tourney starts Monday!

As promised, the next logo tournament will kick off on Monday morning. In a poll that ran in the sidebar for two weeks, 50% of you preferred an NHL secondary/shoulder logo competition so that is what we're doing. Sometime on Sunday I'll post the format. This one is going to be a little more complex than the previous tourneys we've done. For one thing, we'll be starting with 45 individual logos, the most yet!

Meantime, I'm going to get back to relaxing as my vacation doesn't end until Tuesday and I have a lot to clear off the TiVo. As always, feel free to email me with anything I've missed.

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.

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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.

Update on Friday · Jun 4 · 2010 | 8:48 PM PDT by 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!

Official: OKC Barons Unveiled!

After weeks of knowing but not really knowing, now we know. The Edmonton Oilers' AHL affiliate is named the Oklahoma City Barons. And the logo is exactly as leaked.

The unveiling took place this afternoon at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City where Prodigal Hockey officially unveiled the name, logo and uniforms for the AHL's newest member.

Barons uniforms unveiledIcethetics readers were not surprised by the logo, but likely disappointed by the uniforms. Instead of being bold and creative, the Barons will wear the same, poorly designed home and road uniforms their parent club debuted in 2007 with the introduction of the Age of Reebok (right).

Hockey logos and uniforms never seem to surprise me anymore. Everybody seems to go for the safe option, lest they leave anyone offended. But such is the nature of things, right?

You can check out more photos from today's press event via the Oilers' official website. If you want to become a Barons fan, here are some useful links.

• www.okcbarons.com (the official website)
• @OKCBaronsHockey (official Twitter account)
• @RealOKCBarons (Prodigal Hockey on Twitter)
• Barons Official Facebook page

That should cover all of your Barons needs. If you visit the official website, you can pre-order merchandise and throw in your two cents to help name the team mascot.

The next big name/logo unveiling will come by way of Greenville's new ECHL club, formerly known as the Johnstown Chiefs. That will take place on June 25. And unlike the Barons, they seem to be locked up pretty tight. Either that or no one really cares about that team.

I would also expect, at some point this summer, the announcement that the AHL's Lowell Devils are moving to Albany. That will likely bring with it a new logo as well. And in the meantime, it appears the Phoenix Coyotes may be safe in xenophobic Arizona. If anything changes there, I'll try to keep you apprised.