IceHL Yearbook Coming Soon!

Third edition to be released Tuesday, Sept. 24

Thought I'd take a quick break from the NHL beat today to talk about Icethetics. After months of work, the IceHL 2013 Yearbook is nearing release. The digital version will be available to download on Tues., Sept. 24. Normally, I'd keep news like this to the IceHL Blog, but the yearbook is big enough that I think it warrants a brief mention up front.

For those unfamiliar with the project, the IceHL is a fantasy hockey league created here at Icethetics by the community. Back in 2008, we selected cities, team names and designed logos — all by popular vote — creating our ideal league from the ground up. In the last five years it has continued to grow. And for the last two, I've encapsulated all things IceHL in a digital yearbook.

If you want to learn more about the project and can't wait until Tuesday, you can download the IceHL 2012 Yearbook now. (That page also has a link to the 2011 yearbook — the inaugural edition.)

There are also plans to make the 2013 yearbook available in print — so you can own a piece of Icethetics history! The price will probably be about $25. That's not set by me but rather the printing company. I'll have more details on Tuesday. However, the PDF version will always remain a free download.

While we're talking IceHL, if you play fantasy hockey on ESPN, you may have noticed an update in the way the game is branded.

ESPN Fantasy Hockey implemented a new logo over the summer. You can see it on the IceHL EAST League Office page. Same with the IceHL WEST League Office. Of course you can see it anywhere on ESPN's fantasy website, but I just wanted to squeeze in a plug for the IceHL fantasy leagues.

There's also this simplified version of the logo that appears in the banner of the Fantasy Hockey site. It brings a new aesthetic to ESPN's fantasy sports, which makes me think the other fantasy games are in for branding overhauls as well. For now, though, it appears hockey is the only sport with the new logo treatment.

In case you can't remember what the old Fantasy Hockey logo looked like, here you go.

I'd say the new look is certainly an upgrade. What do you think of it? Let's be honest, it's fantasy hockey on ESPN, so do you really care?

Capitals Hosting 2015 Winter Classic

Opponent, location and uniform designs still unknown

The Washington Capitals officially announced this morning that the American capital will play host to the NHL Winter Classic on Thu., Jan. 1, 2015. But that's about all they revealed.

Still unknown are the opponent, location and uniform designs for the game. But in the press release on their website, the Caps said that all of this will be announced "in the coming months."

Until then, there's only speculation. I know we started this a little yesterday, but now that it's official, who would you prefer to see the Capitals face and what jerseys should the teams be wearing?

Isles Ready for First Game in Brooklyn

Photo by Joe DeLessio / New York Magazine

Special Brooklyn patch seen on jerseys in team store

For the second time, the New York Islanders will attempt to play an exhibition game at Barclays Center — their future Brooklyn home — tomorrow night.

The inaugural Brooklyn game was scheduled to take place last year during the preseason on Oct. 2. But we all remember the lockout, right? So they're trying again this weekend. Above you can see the variations of the Brooklyn logo the Isles have been using to promote the event.

Interestingly, the newer one can be seen as a jersey patch in the team merchandise store at Barclays Center. The photo was included in a New York Magazine piece by Joe DeLessio. Does this mean the players will be wearing them tomorrow?

A lot of readers have been emailing and tweeting that photo to me so I wanted to get it on the record in comparison to last year's which went unused. The biggest question: Will this be the new Brooklyn shoulder patch when the team moves? I highly doubt it.

This is a marketing logo designed for a specific event. It's essentially the same design we've seen from the Islanders art department for every special event logo over the last few years. When a new shoulder patch is designed, I'm sure it'll be something a little more creative and timeless in style.

Unrelated: Caps to host 2015 NHL Winter Classic?

I don't think it warrants an additional blog post just yet, but the Washington Post and USA Today are reporting that the Washington Capitals will host the 2015 NHL Winter Classic. According to the Post, the announcement will be made tomorrow morning. If that's the case, I'll have a blog post then with all the pertinent facts.

In the meantime, feel free to speculate. What should the Caps wear for their second outdoor game? And who should their opponent be?

NHL 2013-14 Third Jersey Schedules

The Carolina Hurricanes have new home and road sweaters this season, but that doesn't mean they're losing the popular black third jersey. In fact, they recently released a schedule that outlines the 12 games in which they'll be wearing it. 

The Canes will wear black 11 times at home and once on the road toward the end of the season. It'll make its season debut on Sun., Oct. 13 for an afternoon game against Phoenix.

Additionally, the Hurricanes point out that fans will get to see the new road jersey at home a couple times this year.

They'll sport white at PNC Arena when they host Tampa Bay on Fri., Nov. 1 and against Columbus on Sat., March 29.

I plan to add more third jersey schedules to this blog post as I come across them. Let me know if you spot any — specifically the Sabres' as I'd love to know when that one debuts!

Update on Thursday · Sep 19 · 2013 | 1:27 PM PDT by Chris

The San Jose Sharks will wear their black third jersey 11 times this season for Thursday and Sunday home games (excluding opening night).

Here's a look at how the schedule shakes out.

• Thurs., Nov. 7 — vs. Vancouver Canucks
• Thurs., Nov. 21 — vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
• Thurs., Dec. 12 — vs. Minnesota Wild
• Sun., Dec. 29 — vs. Anaheim Ducks
• Thurs., Jan. 2 — vs. Edmonton Oilers
• Thurs., Jan. 9 — vs. Detroit Red Wings
• Thurs., Jan. 23 — vs. Winnipeg Jets
• Thurs., March 6 — vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
• Thurs., March 20 — vs. Anaheim Ducks
• Thurs., March 27 — vs. Winnipeg Jets
• Thurs., April 3 — vs. Los Angeles Kings

Only one Sunday date on the list and three Eastern Conference foes in Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay and Detroit will face the Sharks in black.

By the way, now that the San Jose has new home and road jerseys to match their minimalist thirds, perhaps teal will make a return to the playoffs — should the team qualify this season.

The Sharks first introduced this uniform in 2008.

For a dozen games this season, the Colorado Avalanche will sport blue. The club plans to wear their alternate sweater 12 times, all at home.

Here is a list of those dates.

• Tues., Oct. 15 — vs. Dallas Stars
• Sun., Nov. 10 — vs. Washington Capitals
• Sat., Nov. 30 — vs. Minnesota Wild
• Sat., Dec. 14 — vs. Minnesota Wild
• Sun., Dec. 29 — vs. Winnipeg Jets
• Mon., Jan. 6 — vs. Calgary Flames
• Thurs., Jan. 16 — vs. New Jersey Devils
• Sat., Feb. 1 — vs. Buffalo Sabres
• Sun., March 2 — vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
• Fri., March 14 — vs. Anaheim Ducks
• Thurs., March 27 — vs. Vancouver Canucks
• Thurs., April 3 — vs. New York Rangers

These dates are all over the map. The only night of the week you won't find the Avs in blue is Wednesday. Every other night is covered at some point during the season.

By the way, maybe I'm only noticing this because I'm a Lightning fan, but so far all three teams we have a schedule for plans to wear their third against Tampa Bay at some point this season. I'm looking forward to the variety!

Islanders Make Plans for Brooklyn

New third jersey will "speak to Brooklyn"

Everyone here wants to know what will happen to the New York Islanders when they move to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Will they keep their name? Keep their colors? Their jerseys? Or will they follow the NBA's Nets who moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn last year?

We may have finally gotten a definitive answer last week. It's an answer which balances the organization's internal desire to give the club a new feel for a new market with the desire among long time fans to avoid another Gorton's fisherman debacle.

Islanders Point Blank and other outlets reported on a press conference held by the team last Thursday as Isles training camp got underway in their future home. CEO Brett Yormark was quoted as saying, "[Owner] Charles [Wang] and I have decided that the Islander colors as they are today will be the same when they get here. The name will be the same."

That's two down. Same colors. Same name. A relief to many fans, for sure. Presumably, the logo will also be the same, but it sounds like the uniforms will undergo changes. This is from Islanders Point Blank:

Fans of the team would most likely agree that he came to the right decision, but the Barclays Center CEO does intend to add a patch to the home and away jerseys that identifies in Brooklyn. The patch would be placed around the shoulder area of the jersey. “We’re working with Charles and the league on that,” he said.

Yormark also intends to revamp the third jersey to appeal Brooklyn.

“What we will do is introduce a third jersey,” he said. “A second home jersey, and that is where we are going to get a little creative. That is where we will speak to Brooklyn in an authentic way.”

He did not, however, go into specific details as to what the new third jersey would look like.

Probably a safe bet it's black, given the rebranding of the Brooklyn Nets. And there has certainly been no shortage of black Islanders jersey ideas on the Icethetics Concepts page. To be fair, their current third jersey is black, but it hasn't really been a hit among fans.

Also, the Islanders' website was recently redesigned with an aesthetic that's more in line with Nets' look — same font and lots of black and white. 

By the way, if anyone wants to mock up a Brooklyn shoulder patch for the Isles, I'd be happy to add it to the Concepts page. Meantime, do you think the Islanders are doing the right thing here?