0703: Centennial Celebrations I

Mike Ivall gets the week started for us with his new 100 Years of Hockey project. In 2017, the NHL and the Maple Leafs will be celebrating their centennials and Mike is looking ahead with a series of new concepts. He writes:

The Centennial Game. First game of the season at the ACC in Toronto. Toronto Arenas versus Club de Hockey Canadien. The Canadiens jerseys are from the 1912-13 season where they only used them to play the Sens who also had the original barber pole jerseys at the time. According to the Canadiens site, this was the idea behind the classic jersey you see today.

I'm looking forward to what else Mike has in store. Also eager to see what other designers can come up with. We're still a few years away, so no rush.

0680: Last Looks for the Big House

This Outdoor Saturday is our last chance to look at some alternate concepts for the Winter Classic before the first puck is dropped. Dylan Wonka designed a pair of Red Wings and Maple Leafs jerseys just for the occasion.

Do you like either one better than the actual jerseys the teams will suit up in on Wednesday?

0644: Turn Ahead the Freak Out

In the 2038-39 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs will take the ice wearing this jersey by Matthew Henderson. Or not. What do I know?

0608: It's All in the Logo

I wouldn't say I'm in favor of the Maple Leafs changing their logo, but if they were to do it, Johnny Woods has some neat conceptual ideas. Look closely at the outline of the leaf and you'll be able to make out the letters "TML." Pretty clever.

0511: The Tri-Winter Tournament

Here's an odd Classic Saturday idea to throw out there. Tex Fischer put together these Heritage Classic-type throwback designs for a trio of Canadian teams a couple years ago. They've been sitting in my inbox for a while. But I suddenly had a thought. With all the extra outdoor games we're getting next winter, the concept is bound to lose some of its novelty.

So to recapture it, imagine a three-team, two-day outdoor tournament. Three clubs could meet at a neutral site, say in Saskatchewan. Maybe Toronto and Vancouver play on Saturday night and the winner faces Montreal on Sunday. (The loser of the first game could have a make-up date set with Montreal later in the season to balance the schedule.)

Is that idea totally crazy? I think it would make for a very cool event over a long holiday weekend. And it would make the Heritage Classic unique again. Not only that, but from a marketing perspective, you get another huge fan base in the mix.

0500: A Century of Leafs

We mark a Concepts page milestone today with the marking of a Toronto Maple Leafs milestone by Trisan Mani. Our 500th post is a special uniform and logo for the Leafs' 100th anniversary — which is still a few years away. It's a sharp look. Worth the wait.

0469: A Star-Studded Classic

So this was my attempt at including the Stars in a Winter Classic Weekend post indirectly. It's a Minnesota North Stars jersey here from Nick Burton. But maybe the Stars could wear something North Stars-inspired if they ever got to play in an outdoor game. It can happen. Right?

What about an opponent for the North Stars? There's no really good rival that comes to mind for this franchise, so I just opted for a Leafs/Arenas jersey here, also created by Mr. Burton.