More Than Just a Blog

I just wanted to take a moment and remind everyone that Icethetics is more than just this blog here. There's a lot more to check out when I have no new "news" posts.

The big news today is that I'm breathing life back into the stagnant Concepts section. It'll be slow to start, but I'm going to be posting more concept art. You guys asked for it, so I plan to deliver. I just posted some new Flames, Wild and Avs artwork today.

Plus, the IceHL is going stronger than ever. More and more votes keep coming in on the logo polls and I hope to begin accepting uniform concepts very soon. Designers will be required to work within a specific template as far as submissions but will be completely free to design their jerseys however they'd like.

And of course, don't forget about Twitter. If you don't have an account, it's no problem. Just keep an eye on the updates in the sidebar right here on the blog. I update it several times a day even when there's nothing new on the blog.

If you haven't heard, the USF Ice Bulls are unveiling their new logo tomorrow on their web site. I'll let you know when it gets posted. I would like to join them in thanking everyone who submitted work. There were some incredible entries making the decision extremely difficult. Congrats to all!

By the way, if you are still working on a concept and would like to share it with Icethetics readers, please send it along. I'll be posting all of the entries on the Concepts page following the Ice Bulls' official unveiling tomorrow.

Alleged Avalanche Leak

There's a story that's been making its way around the web today regarding an alleged leak of the Colorado Avalanche's third jersey.

It started with a post this morning at Mile High Hockey — an Avs blog — and continued on to Denver Post beat writer Adrian Dater's blog All Things Avs. Here at Icethetics, I see this sort of concept art all the time. Rarely have I seen it picked up by so many other blogs before my own (that should tell you something).

For reference, this is the design in question, which originated at the SportsLogos.net message boards.

Avalanche third jersey concept

It's a new take on the burgundy alternate sweaters from several years ago. David at Mile High Hockey is not taking a hard line on the legitimacy of this rumor, but he does sound confident in its source.

Being a bit of a jersey geek, I am familiar with the, uh, "fluorescent" poster who made the mock up from a camera phone pic he says he took of the jersey. I spoke to him a little yesterday and while I haven't seen firsthand evidence of the jerseys, I'm pretty confident this individual has seen the above jersey in person.

If it is the 3rd, I have to admit it's not that bad. I was fearful the fine folks at RBK would find a way to come up with something even more ridiculous than the horrible uniprons they've foisted on us. The above mock up may not be the best looking jersey in the world, but it's a vast improvement over what the team is wearing now. I assume that blue is Nordique blue, a nice nod that many have been suggesting.

I think the Quebec connection is a bit of a stretch, but he may be right in assuming that, if true, these would probably be nice-looking sweaters. The burgundy ones sure were sharp.

I've done some research and asked around among my usual sources and, basically, I can't confirm or deny it. That being said, my gut reaction, based on over two years of tracking this type of news, tells me something is fishy. But when isn't it, right?

Anyway, it all remains to be seen but I thought I'd at least mention it here because of the coverage its getting. Share your thoughts below on this latest rumor.

Team Canada Jerseys Unveiled!

Not that it should surprise anyone, but Team Canada's 2010 Olympics jerseys were officially unveiled today — confirming the leaked pictures first posted on Icethetics last week.

Hockey Canada has gone all out with an entire section of its web site dedicated to the new sweaters. Click here to see it. You can see a detailed version of the crest, download desktop wallpapers featuring the jerseys and the new crest, and even check out past Team Canada jerseys.

The official photos of the jerseys provided on HockeyCanada.ca give us a much better look at the overall design.

Personally, I think I favor the white one for its attention to contrast. Notice how you can clearly make out the leaf crest.

And, of course, for your viewing pleasure, the new crest in all its glory.

One more thing. At the risk of coming off as self-serving, I'd like to encourage Icethetics fans who plan to purchase either or both of these jerseys to show your support by clicking on the IceJerseys.com link and buying from them. They've got great prices and the small amount of money Icethetics makes from ads goes a long way to keeping the site running. And hey, just remember where you saw this jersey first, right?

Enough with that.

Team USA also unveiled their 2010 Olympic jerseys today but I have yet to come across any decent photos worth sharing on the blog. In the meantime, there are a couple of low-quality cell phone pictures I posted on Twitter. When better photos are available, I'll have them here.