Super Skills & Super Shenanigans

This year's NHL SuperSkills Competition was not nearly as memorable as Montreal's in 2009, but it was still a fun part of the 2011 All-Star Weekend in Raleigh, N.C.

In case you missed it, I thought I'd recap some noteworthy Icethetics-related elements from the event — you know, logos and uniforms and such. There were errors and shenanigans of course, but what surprised me were the technical mistakes on both Versus and CBC coverage. I kept switching back and forth tonight.

As someone who used to direct live television, I know things can get out of hand and missteps are anything but few and far between when you barely know what's coming next. But I felt like both broadcasts had more than their share of issues, be it incorrect graphics or bad communication between the truck and the ice.

Misrepresentin' / Glen CuthbertBut it wasn't just the broadcast guys that had to battle some hiccups. The night began with your typical player introductions. The player's number, surname and team logo were projected onto a sheet of dry ice they could skate through as their names were called.

It was a cool effect. For everyone but Patrick Sharp. Ouch.

Glen Cuthbert nabbed this shot from his TV screen, clearly showing Sharp's name above a Columbus Blue Jackets logo. I'm sure that didn't panic any Blackhawks fans for no reason. Or maybe Stan Bowman has been busy this weekend.

Interestingly, Sharp is the only Hawks player on Team Staal, which is being coached tomorrow by Chicago bench boss Joel Quenneville. Kane, Toews and Keith are on Team Lidstrom under the direction of Peter Laviolette, the coach of they team they beat for the 2010 Stanley Cup championship.

Anyway, this is a pretty big mistake on a pretty big stage. Sadly, it tells us that whoever was designing the projection graphics is not a hockey fan. I'm sure it was just one of many All-Star elements farmed out by the folks in Raleigh. Shame about that.

Subban sports Skinner's sweater / NHLIThe shenanigans continued even after the competition got underway.

At the urging of Dan Boyle, a guy who knows a thing or two about how to please a home crowd, Jeff Skinner gave P.K. Subban the jersey right off his back to wear for the Breakaway Challenge.

Canadiens fans may not have liked it, but the crowd in North Carolina sure did. Subban was met with wild cheers and put on some pretty smooth moves.

The jovial stunt helped Subban win second place with 20% of the fan vote and three points for Team Staal — which obliterated Team Lidstrom, by the way. The final was 33-22, much to my dismay.

Jamie McBain's many patches / NHLIThis bit isn't really shenanigans, I just thought it was funny. Jamie McBain, the rookie selected to replace Jeff Skinner after he got bumped up to full-on All-Star, started turning into an emo kid's backpack with all the patches he had on his jersey.

All of the rookies at the SuperSkills Competition, save Skinner, wore a Rookie Face-Off patch on their sweaters so we could tell them apart from the real All-Stars. But because McBain was already wearing the All-Star Game patch like all Hurricanes players, it had to be shifted to the other shoulder.

Add to that, he's got the regular shoulder patches on his Canes sweater and there's no room for anything else. Good thing he wasn't a captain or anything.

SuperSkills event logos / NHL.comAs I watched the SuperSkills Competition tonight, I really noticed how much of a branding frenzy the All-Star Weekend can be.

Not only did the competition itself have a logo (top), but every one of the six events had its own logo (left). And I do understand the reason behind it all. It's just another opportunity to grab some all-important sponsorship dollars.

But I think we should really count up just how many logos were created specifically for this weekend — and that will never be used again. Doesn't the money spent on designers sort of cancel out all the sponsorship money?

Okay, maybe I'm just being ridiculous.

But seriously, just set aside all the team logos on the ice. Every SuperSkills event had its own logo. The rookies have one. The SuperSkills Competition and Fantasy Draft have logos, not to mention the game itself and all of the different variations along with Fan Fair and all that fun stuff.

Branding the NHL All-Star Weekend is no small task, obviously. But I am curious as to why the SuperSkills logo is blue while everything else is red. Seems odd, but perhaps it has to do with the sponsor, Honda, preferring blue over red?

As you know, the All-Star festivities actually kicked off Friday night with that highly anticipated All-Star Player Fantasy Draft.

Captains Eric Staal and Nicklas Lidstrom made their selections with the help of their alternate captains. Staal of course took teammate Cam Ward first and Lidstrom's first choice was Stamkos, assuring the deadly St. Louis-Stamkos combination for Sunday night.

If you watched, you noticed that players were handed jerseys with their name and numbers already stitched on as soon as they were picked. As confirmed by Bob McKenzie, both blue and white jerseys were prepared for all 36 players and the appropriate jersey was brought out when the player was selected.

The rookies, who came out and picked which team they wanted to join after the 15th round of the draft, stood on stage holding both white and blue jerseys with their names on them. Once the teams were selected, the gave up the other jersey. At the end of the day, it all boiled down to a lot of extra work for the equipment guys. But they get to stand behind the bench at the All-Star Game, so I'm sure they're not complaining.

I think that wraps it all up. Anyone else pick up on anything noteworthy from the last two nights?

Professional Concepts Revealed

It's a rare but always welcome treat when we get a peek at the hidden process of branding NHL teams. For whatever reason, we all have a unique interest in this aspect of marketing, and naturally, we usually only see what they want us to. Every once in a while, though, we do get a look behind the curtain.

Kings logo evolution / The Royal HalfThis morning, Los Angeles Kings fan blog The Royal Half posted some required reading for any Icethetics regular.

Chris Kontos interviewed Dan Simon, the creative director behind one of the most memorable third jerseys in NHL history. He had a lot of fascinating revelations about the process, including why he wanted to distance himself from the project.

Other cool tidbits: Why the beard was never meant to be purple. Why the sweater featured horrible gradients. Plus, see some video from the alternate jersey's debut, 15 years ago today — against the even more memorable Mighty Ducks third.

Anyway, it's a very fun read and I highly recommend it. It also provides the perfect opportunity to post some items I've been hanging on to for a little while.

Original Blue Jackets logo / Ken LohThe designer of the above Kings logo, Ken Loh, was also the mind behind the Columbus Blue Jackets original insect logo.

Mercifully, this logo was replaced by Loh's secondary mark in time for the uniforms to be designed. The little bug head, however, still took a place on the shoulders.

And for what it's worth, I always liked the electric green because it made the team stand out. Guess it was just too revolutionary to survive. But if you think you've seen it all, prepare yourself for this.

Blue Jackets mascot / Ken LohAccording to Loh's portfolio, this was going to be the full-body version of the bug — not that we ever needed to see that. And let me be clear here. Ken Loh is obviously a talented artist. I just don't think an electric green insect necessarily has a place in the National Hockey League.

His online portfolio also contains colorful concept logos and uniforms for the Carolina Hurricanes (rust/purple/gray) and Philadelphia Flyers (orange/teal). You might be surprised by what you see there.

And while we're on the subject of the Blue Jackets, the team took it upon themselves to show off some of the concepts considered for the new third jersey, launched in November.

Alternate logo concepts / Blue JacketsThis video on the club's website explains what was involved in designing the new sweater. But most notably, it gives us a glimpse at some of the initial logo designs that were shown to focus groups.

We're now familiar with the cannon logo they ultimately chose, but it's interesting to see some of the other options they thought about, including the crossed cannon, the simple CBJ mark, and — taken right out of the Wild/Penguins playbook — the primary mark encircled by the club's name.

It seems they had their minds made up about a circular logo pretty early on in the process. And notice that in each of this displays, there's an option without red — bringing back the steel blue from that original 2000 insect logo.

And there last thing I wanted to leave with is what terrible manner of thing could've happened to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim back in the early '90s. I think this image was originally posted at Uni Watch but later showed up in my email.

Update on Thursday · Jan 27 · 2011 | 5:23 PM PST by Chris

For those of you having trouble accessing Ken Loh's portfolio in the link I provided earlier, I'm adding a couple of images from his site to this post just so you can see his work.

First, here's what he has on display for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Flyers logo and uniform concept / Ken Loh

Whether you like it or not, there's no denying that it would not have been out of the realm of possibility in the mid-90s the way it would be today. Even with the non-traditional teal in the mix.

The other can't miss element of Loh's portfolio was designed with the Carolina Hurricanes in mind.

Hurricanes uniform concept / Ken LohAgain, he's a very talented artist but this certainly does not fit within the branding standards of the NHL. And those colors are definitely one of a kind. Instead, the Canes just look like the Devils.

It's not clear on Loh's site whether these are just concepts he toyed with or actual artwork submitted to and considered by the league and aforementioned teams.

I just have to ask Flyers fans... could you imagine your team wearing that half-teal/half-black jersey up there? Take yourself back to that era when you think about it. Remember the Kings and Ducks, and that the Lightning were wearing rain and lightning bolts down their sleeves.

What a time that was. I'm sure it'll all come back again some day.

Whale Tale Gets Even Worse

Original artwork / Scott JohnsonThis is one of those stories that, as a creative professional, I can only shake my head at.

Earlier this month I wrote a post called Timeline of a Connecticut Fail — referring to the AHL's Connecticut Whale. As has been made clear, I'm not a fan of the team's recent rebranding efforts. And I'm not alone.

We felt like we were sold a bill of goods, thinking the spirit of the Hartford Whalers was actually coming back. Because that's what we were told.

But we were lied to. First it was the name. Then it was the logo. And now we find out that very logo may have been outright stolen without even bothering to credit the original artist.

Graphic designer Scott Johnson outlined his treatment by Howard Baldwin & Co. on his personal blog. It's staggering, to be honest.

When the new group wanting to bring Whalers hockey back to Hartford was in town, that colleague connected them with me. What a chance for me — creating a uniform for the team in Hartford!

Things went pretty well in the process at first. Lots of back-and-forth of what they wanted, lots of sketching, designs, and artwork. I thought we were going great — I did what they asked and more, and they used almost all of the work I did. The thing is, they just didn't appreciate it enough to pay for it.

The worst part for me wasn't the lack of payment, it was that another artist was allowed to take credit for my work — with the Whale's blessing. ... It's disappointing and unfortunate.

That's putting it awful mildly.

This is a huge thing that he is accusing this team of doing. And rather horrible too.

Despite having expressed my disappointment with the final product, I must admit I actually like Scott's original artwork. The whale is still a bit goofy, but he was following instructions he was given. Still, some of those jerseys are outstanding.

The "C" with the whale tail protruding in from the side is spot on. I'm not a fan of the wavy stripes, but as a logo it's perfect if what you want is to recall the spirit of the Whalers.

Anyway, we all have our own opinions on what looks good and what doesn't. But I think we can all agree that logo theft is completely unacceptable in every way. This goes beyond disappointing and unfortunate.

The sad thing is, it's not a rare event. Just this week our friends at PuckDrawn reported on a USHL team that purchased a logo design it had no idea was stolen — from a PuckDrawn concept competition.

These are minor league and junior teams, yes, but they still sell merchandise to turn a profit just like the pros. To see them stealing from talented artists is just repulsive and illegal.

Short of putting an end to displaying much-loved concept art on Icethetics, I wish there was something we could do to stop it. Just have to keep an eye out for thieves, I guess, and make their transgressions as public as possible.

Preview: New Look for NHL All-Stars

2011 All-Star team logos / Icethetics renderingThe best players in the NHL will get together at the end of the month for what's arguably the most fun event of the hockey season. And Icethetics has a preview of what they'll be wearing.

Since the league changed the format of the 2011 NHL All-Star Game, there's no East vs. West. And no North America vs. the World. Instead, two captains will hand pick their teams in the coolest fantasy draft ever.

I recently got a sneak peek at the new uniforms and logos to come — though the official unveiling date must be imminent. Each team will wear a colorized version of the NHL shield with two stars placed inside.

I'm not sure what the teams will be named yet, but as you can see, one will wear blue and the other red — the NHL's two favorite colors. The logos above are the crests from the front of the sweaters. But there's more I can share so I'm breaking it down here, bullet style:

• Team Blue will don dark blue jerseys while Team Red sports white.
• On both uniforms, it looks like the jersey number will be placed on the front, centered just above the colorized NHL shield.
• The numbers on the back have a unique look, filled with unevenly spaced thin lines that angle upward. Hard to describe but you'll understand when you see it.
• The numbers and surname letters are set in italicized text, not your typical block font.
• It also looks like both jerseys have the 2011 All-Star Game logo sewn on the front, right shoulder.

At this time, I have no information about the striping or any other elements of the jerseys. We'll have to wait until the NHL is ready to show it to us. Have to ask, though: What's taking so long?

In the meantime, just know that the above logos are renderings I've made based on what I've seen and been told up to now. Things can change, but as of now I do believe them to be accurate.

Update on Wednesday · Jan 5 · 2011 | 7:43 PM PST by Chris

Some great questions and points made in the comments that deserve a mention in the post itself:

• Jason and Joe, yes, you read that right. The player's number will be situated on the front just above the crest. It's small and inconspicuous, but it's there.
• Glen, traditionally the player's team logo is sometimes placed on the shoulder. I'd imagine that will be the case here, however I don't think it would be on the front like the All-Star patch since that's where the captains' C or A goes.
• Stephen, interesting note about the naming of the teams. I don't know where you heard it but I could see the teams being named after the captain (i.e.: Team Crosby, Team Toews).
• Spyboy, good point about waiting until the weekend of to choose the teams. It could indeed hurt sales of customized jerseys as fans won't know in advance who will play on which team. We don't even know the captains yet. But I do agree with you that we need to let it all play out before deciding whether it's good or bad.

As always, thanks for all the great comments.

Update on Wednesday · Jan 5 · 2011 | 11:27 PM PST by Chris

I've got more responses to questions and comments:

• Jake asked if the italicized numbers are a carbon copy of what the host team, the Hurricanes, wear. No. Other than the fact that the characters lean, the numbers and letters bear no resemblance at all to what's on Carolina's uniforms. They're more rounded and narrower.
• JD says he's heard that all players will be allowed to wear their regular numbers regardless of whether there are other players with the same digits. I have not heard that so I can't speak to its validity but it's an interesting notion. Personally, I'm not a fan of the idea.
• Go down and read the comment by hstebbs at 9:50 PM for some thoughts on how the teams might be picked differently depending upon who's named captain.
• Colton, I have not yet seen the complete uniforms. I only got a little peek at the two jerseys and I've described all the elements I've seen as best I can. It's a bit outside the box, but definitely in a good way.

Keep the questions and thoughtful observations coming.

Update on Friday · Jan 7 · 2011 | 11:24 AM PST by Chris

Icethetics renderingSeveral have asked in comments or by email for a better idea of what the numbers will look like. This image to the right is the best that I can do. However, there are some differences.

The lines I have in this rendering are straight. On the jersey, they're slightly curved, more of an arc than a straight line. The font isn't quite right either. For one thing, the A's should be rounded at the top.

But you get the basic idea. It's the same thing for the red team — only in white with red numbers and names, of course. It's not a bad look and I think it'll blend in more if you're watching from the stands or on TV. Seems more of a close-up detail.

Now to a few other noteworthy items:

Apparently UniWatch was all over the subject of All-Star uniforms just as I was starting my cross-country move  in November, so I missed it. A reader wrote in with details from the Hurricanes' pro shop. It mostly jibes with what I've seen, but there's more.

• Sweaters will have the player's number on the sleeves as well as the back and front (above the crest). The uniforms used in 2002 and 2003, which also used the NHL shield, did not have sleeve numbers.
• And it seems this is where the rumor started that has players wearing their own number despite duplicates on the same team. The example cited was Staal and Iginla possibly being on the same team and both sporting No. 12. I'm not a fan of that, personally, as I like seeing what number players would choose if they ever ended up on the same team. I also like how Joe Thornton always wears No. 97. Just different.

Also, Stephen T. commented with a link to an NHL.com article which goes into a detail about the format. Here are the bullet points:

• The Fantasy Draft will be held on Friday, Jan. 28 and televised for all to see. Mark commented that he'd watch only to see who's picked last (which will be a funny moment, I'm sure) but that the game would be irrelevant. I'm guessing he means inconsequential as it's quite relevant to the fantasy draft. But yes, Mark, it's the All-Star Game. The only relevance is that it's fun to watch the best guys all on one sheet of ice.
• The first six All-Stars were chosen by "fans" to be Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Fleury, Toews and Keith. The other 36 will be named by the league. Then all 42 players will vote to determine the captains. The NHL confirms the two teams will then be named after the captains.
• A coin toss decides who gets the first pick. Not sure how they're determining which color each captain gets, but maybe the coin toss decides that too.
• There are some details about how the draft will work and which positions have to be picked by which round, but you can read more about that on your own.

And that should wrap things up on the subject of the 2011 All-Star Game — at least until the uniforms are officially unveiled.

Connecticut Whale Logo Unveiled

Connecticut Whale reveal logoThe AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack will be renamed the Connecticut Whale at midseason. Today, the marketing team unveiled the new logo that will take over when that happens.

Now I should preface this next part by saying regular readers know I'm never among the first to be critical of a new logo. I try to be neutral and let you guys make your minds up first...

...but this is just horrid. I mean it. This is an organization that's supposedly trying to recapture the excitement that once surrounded the Hartford Whalers. And this is the logo they plan to do it with?

Guys, what happened? Very disappointing.

There's a story on the AHL's website that contains a quote from Howard Baldwin that explains everything:

According to Howard Baldwin, chairman of the Whale franchise: “We have created a fun logo that not only captures the family-oriented approach of the Whale, but also represents the competitive nature of Coach (Ken) Gernander’s Whale team.”

There's your problem. Marketing to kids is important but that doesn't mean your professional hockey team's logo has to be a silly cartoon.

The logo was designed by Baldwin, the Whale marketing team and designer Erik Carlson. The Whale will introduce a secondary logo mark and official Connecticut Whale jersey designs at a later date.

After this, I'm not looking forward to the secondary logo, but my theory is that they can only improve from here.