Islanders GM Talks Jerseys, Logo

How about a little news that's not about Dallas or Carolina? On Monday, New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow spoke with members of the Islanders Booster Club as part of a Q&A session. Jesse from IslesNation wrote up a piece detailing the discussion, which included some jersey and logo talk.

Special sweaters to be worn for all Stadium Series games

Snow confirmed that all teams participating in next winter's Stadium Series, including the Islanders, will all have specially designed jerseys for their outdoor games. (We've already seen the uniforms that will be worn by Detroit and Toronto for the actual Winter Classic.)

"Our focus regarding jerseys has been to come up with an outdoor jersey," Snow said, according to IslesNation. "It won’t be too much different than what we wear now but every team has a different jersey that they wear for it."

It even sounds like the design is done and a prototype has been produced. Snow went on to say he's seen it: "I can say from the pictures of it, it’s a sharp jersey. I think everybody will like it, but it won’t be drastically different from what we wear now."

Does that mean we'll get a standard Isles jersey with retro beige replacing white? I hope not. Or is it possible we'll get a "fauxback" style design instead?

For a recap, click here to see the six outdoor match-ups we're supposed to get in 2014. The NHL has confirmed all but the Senators-Canucks game in Vancouver.

Isles may get new third jersey in Brooklyn

Snow was also asked about whether the Islanders' regular uniforms would change when the club moves to Brooklyn to play at the Barclays Center in the next couple years.

"I'm not gonna get into the whole Brooklyn situation," Snow said. "To my knowledge, it'll be all the same jerseys and colors. Will there be a new third jersey? Probably."

That's a new one but not altogether surprising. The black jersey has not been received well by fans. I can only imagine that's translating to lousy sales. But I'm only guessing. If the Isles debut a new third when they move, that opens the door for a lot of possibilities. What would you like to see?

Snow ended the jersey/logo conversation by saying: "The information I have is that we’re going to keep the same logo, the same history."

True, you can't get rid of your history. But it's good to hear they're not planning to change the logo — though I wouldn't mind seeing a new crest on a Brooklyn third jersey.

Lots to discuss. Now that we know we're getting outdoor jerseys for everybody, what do you hope to see? And how can the Isles come up with a new third that everyone will like? Is that even possible?

Update on Friday · Jun 14 · 2013 | 1:56 AM PDT by Chris

Islanders CEO Brett Yormark on Prime Time Russia (via YouTube)

CEO also speaks on potential Brooklyn rebranding

A few readers pointed out an interested interview given by Islanders CEO Brett Yormark a couple weeks ago. Yormark was interviewed by Neil Harvey on an English-speaking Russian news program called Prime Time Russia on June 3.

You can watch the full 16-minute interview on YouTube or allow me to summarize the salient parts. Harvey asked Yormark asked about a possible rebranding of the Isles after the club moves to Brooklyn in 2015. Here's his response:

They don't have a lot to do with the Nets. Although in many respects, we will apply some of the same branding models. With the relocation of the Nets from Jersey to Brooklyn, to what we're gonna look to do with the Islanders when they come to Brooklyn. That will happen for the 2015-16 season.

So over the course of the next couple years we'll start that effort of transitioning the brand to Brooklyn. And to the extent that we can look to "Brooklyn-ize" them, which is certainly something that we will consider.

But that was rather general. What does "Brooklyn-ize" mean anyway?

Neil Harvey interviews Isles CEO Brett Yormark on Prime Time Russia

So Harvey got a little more specific.

Harvey: That's a lot for you to oversee. Is that definite that the branding will carry through to the hockey team? So you'll be looking to bring in the Brooklyn colors, the black and white?

Yormark: It's something that we're considering. We've engaged in some meaningful research. Focus groups, both in Brooklyn and Long Island to understand the desires of the hardcore fan that's been with the Islanders for many, many years. But we also need to understand what the new fan base for the Islanders would like to see in Brooklyn. And my job is to make sure that we can marry the hardcore fan base and the new fan base and to do appropriate branding that speaks to both.

We haven't made any decisions yet but I think it's fair to say that black and white are the colors of Brooklyn. So to the extent that we can weave those colors into the current color scheme of the Islanders, I think that might make some sense.

Harvey: To what extent will these be separate entities? Or is this basically going to be one sporting organization with a basketball team and a hockey team as well?

Yormark: We aspire to be a sports entertainment company so we will not look at the Islanders or the Barclays Center or the Nets as separate and apart from each other. The question is how to we create synergies? How do we create scale? How do we establish some influence in the marketplace that's different than today?

So we're gonna look at it from one big lens versus three different lenses and I think that's the best way to approach it.

He wasn't just implying a change to black and white, he practically said it outright. Naturally, that's the kind of notion that can create a lot of angst within the Islanders' existing fan base. Angst which manifested itself in the form of angry tweets.

To which Yormark replied:

@mselss @IslesFan_Ben @JKLUBER @islandermania I promise you we will do the right thing. Islanders fans will be happy. I am listening.

— Brett Yormark (@brettyormark) June 8, 2013

What he means by the "right thing" is unclear. But this is a point at which being vague makes sense. He's not going to come out and say they're not changing anything if they focus groups could end up recommending otherwise. But what Long Island-based focus group would suggest a change?

I'm curious to see where all this goes. I really hope they don't go the Kings' route.

Review: New Star Rising, Part 3

Photo from Dallas Stars (via Facebook)

First, my apologies for the delay. I know you were expecting this review Monday (probably because I told you to) but events conspired to keep me busy elsewhere. Not only did I have 11 pages worth of polls to post (IceHL logo voting!) but there's also that pesky day job of mine.

The Dallas Stars unveiled their new logos and uniforms at an event last Tuesday. Let's pick things up at the end of that event, when I got some close-up, hands-on time with the two new sweaters.

After the fans departed the Winspear Opera House, the media mob of which I was now a member crowded around three men up on the stage. Jamie Benn, Mike Modano and Stars owner Tom Gaglardi had a lot of microphones and cameras pointed at them, mine included.

But to be perfectly honest, I didn't care what Benn and Modano were saying. I wasn't there to cover hockey operations. I was there to cover the new branding. So while the "real" reporters were squeezing in for questions about offseason training habits and plans for next season, I was squeezing in for photos of the brand new threads.

Initial Reactions

The first thing I noticed when Benn and Modano stepped out onto the stage, this is a very striking green. Truthfully, I took a moment to consider whether I was even awake. Here I am sitting in Dallas watching the Stars unveil new logos and uniforms — and it turns out they're the greatest shade of green I could imagine — something I've been pushing hard for over the past six years. Was it really real?

But a dream it was not. Or if it was, it had come true in that moment. The Stars' new look feels like one of the better designs we might see on the Concepts page — where many readers would undoubtedly declare it would never come to fruition. But this one did.

As we get started, the one thing I have to tell you is that photos simply don't do this color justice. If you get an opportunity to go see the Stars next season, I highly recommend it if only to see this green I'm so nuts about.

The Home Uniform

Unfortunately, I haven't seen any great photos of the full uniform on a player like we got from the Hurricanes. While this graphic shows all the important details of the look, it's sterile and detached. You don't get the same impressions as when it's being worn over full gear.

The Stars have gone back to a classic, retro style, following the trend in hockey uniforms of late. The simple, traditional striping cleverly draws the eye straight to the sharp new crest. The one-color numbers and letters are subdued yet unique. And while back in Raleigh the Hurricanes opted for a less sparkly silver in their crest, the Stars have fully embraced it.

Up close, the detail is stunning. This is going to be a great hockey uniform and should be around for a lot of years. The Stars were part of the NHL's first expansion in 1967. And somehow this logos feels like it could've been introduced back then only to be updated now, 46 years later. Even the green feels like an update to what the North Stars originally wore.

I think what I might be happiest to see is that for the first time in two decades, the Stars aren't wearing a wordmark on their chest. That's been my biggest pet peeve with them over the years. It's the reason their uniforms have always been at the bottom of my list. Now suddenly they find themselves at the top.

One Reebok trend I actually like is the "Hanger Effect," as they're calling it, where some sort of design detail is incorporated into the inside of the collar. That means it's only visible on a hanger, so you have to own the jersey to be able to appreciate it. 

On the green jersey, it reads STARS in the collar. Meanwhile, as you'll see below, it reads DALLAS in the collar of the white jersey. It may not be as cool as Nashville's piano keys or Carolina's storm flags, but it's a nice detail to include in the design.

So what is there not to like about this jersey? A few things, actually. I mentioned that I liked the traditional striping style. But it runs into a problem similar to Carolina's in that it isn't strictly unique. I know positioning stripes on a sweater in a unique but traditional way is a difficult task, but the sleeves are straight off a Chicago Blackhawks jersey.

However, the matching waist stripe is where the jersey differs from Chicago's and helps the whole look stand on its own. Gaglardi said he wanted the colors of the team to be green, black and white. This accomplishes that and makes me wish the Lightning had considered keeping black two years ago.

There's another great story about Gaglardi and his stripes. After the event, I spoke with Jason Walsh, the Stars' VP of production and entertainment — the man who ushered the rebranding process. He explained how involved Gaglardi was. Multiple times a week they met to look at new designs. And when one of the final prototypes came in from Reebok, Gaglardi glanced at it for a moment and immediatley asked for a ruler.

The three sleeve stripes were supposed to each be the same width. But the the black one happened to be 1/8 inch too big. He spotted the problem that quickly. That's how dedicated this man was to the details. That's how much he wanted to get this right.

The other thing that bugged me was the placement of this alternate logo. The Stars came up with a new Texas-shaped mark only to bury it on the pants. I think I would've like to see it on the shoulders — as its predecessor had been in years past.

But in fairness, Walsh told me that idea was among the 236 variations the team looked at during the process. And he said it just didn't look right. I understand the state of Texas has an odd shape, but I'm just not thrilled about the outbreak of circular logos.

As circular logos go, this isn't a bad one, but I don't feel like it brings anything to the overall identity. It's a wordmark surrounded the D-star of the primary logo. That said, I think it serves its purpose, which is to have a shoulder patch. Carolina went without them and I do think that was a mistake.

I don't mean to keep bringing up the Hurricanes but they're fresh on my mind because both unveilings happened on the same day. And there are plenty of comparisons to draw anyway, with both teams going the traditional route with their new looks.

The Road Uniform

Moving on to the white jersey it's clear we're looking at a brand new template from Reebok. Every since the launch of the Edge jersey in 2007, fans have bemoaned the lack of variation in the uniform designs. But with the Stars' rebrand, a new one was certainly added to the mix.

The first thing that stuck out to me, in fact, was the shoulder yoke. It's not simply rounded as is typical with hockey sweaters. But it's not square either, like the new design we saw from Carolina. It's a neat touch that makes this jersey unique among not just NHL clubs but all Reebok-clad teams.

Mike Modano sure does wear it well. It's just a shame we'll never see him in action in it. But it is nice in the transition to get to see the new jersey with No. 9 on the back — since it will be the last time. As we learned Tuesday, it gets raised to the rafters next spring.

While we're looking at these photos, let's talk striping. It's still a three-stripe design like the green uniform, but it's not quite an inverse. And also like the green one, as some fans have noted, the striping isn't exactly novel. In fact, it's a lot like what the University of North Dakota has worn (both the green and white jerseys for that matter).

But despite that, both jerseys retain a feel that's uniquely Stars, and indeed unique in the NHL.

The crest varies slightly depending on the jersey. As we saw on the green sweater, the D-star is outlined in silver. Here on the white uniform it's green. It's the only green in the primary logo, in fact. But it's all you need. You don't want the logo be primarily green if that's the color you want for your sweaters.

As I mentioned before, both jerseys have Reebok's Hanger Effect. You can see the DALLAS wordmark inside the collar of the away jersey. And also noticeable here is the lace-up collar. It's featured on both sweaters and it's one of those things you add to a jersey when you're going for that traditional appeal.

Just from an aesthetic standpoint, I like it. And I probably wouldn't mind if every NHL team did it. Is it functional? No. But it is a treatment that is unique to hockey sweaters. You wouldn't find it a football or baseball jersey. For that reason alone, I like it. But I can't give you a good reason for why I think it works. It's just something that appeals to my design sense.

I have to squeeze in one more close-up of the shoulder yoke. I really like the idea of the Stars differentiating their look this way. Could any other team have tried this? Sure. But the Stars did it first so now they get to own it. It's one of those details taht makes me love this sweater.

And it's also why I'll have a difficult choice to make in the fall. Do I buy the green one or the white one? Maybe both.

If you'll permit me to compare/contrast the Stars and Hurricanes once more, the biggest point I have to make is how each franchise approached its identity. I wrote that I felt like Carolina lost what made it unique. On the other hand, the Stars have gone out of their way to create a look that is both unique and beautiful.

In a nutshell...

I'll wrap this up with a summary of my thoughts.

The Good:

• GREEN! (Again!)
• Unique shoulder yoke
• Wordmark gone from the crest

The Bad:

• Striping, while fitting, is somewhat unoriginal
• The circular logo on the shoulders is a bit tired

So you've heard my take. What's yours?

Review: New Star Rising, Part 2

Apparently I have a lot to say about the new look of the Dallas Stars. So I had to break my review out into multiple parts to keep it from running on too long. Tonight, you get Part 2 which focuses on the unveiling event itself. I had planned to include my uniform review here as well but as you'll see, it goes on quite a bit.

The uniform review will definitely go up Monday, which is better anyway since that's the day of the week when Icethetics readership is highest. Again, sorry for the delay but you will finally get that review tomorrow! For now, here's my take on the event.

The Invitation

I was thrilled to get the invitation from the Stars in early May. Icethetics, while graced with a decent following, isn't exactly a big deal as far as I'm concerned. What it is a big deal is an NHL team rebranding itself. So it was very exciting to get the opportunity to see the unveiling in person.

Icethetics in Dallas

It takes about four hours to fly from Seattle to Dallas. So I spent eight hours traveling for a one-hour event. That's how much I love this stuff. And apart from some reader donations, this trip was on my dime. The Stars invited me but they did not fund my trip. I'm grateful to them for letting me come, but I don't want you to think that's colored my judgment as far as this review goes.

The event, titled "A New Star is Rising," was held at the Winspear Opera House, part of the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas. It was a state of the franchise type of occasion with the unveiling of the new branding scheduled as the main event. Because of that it was saved until the end — which annoyed those following along with my coverage on Twitter. Nobody wants to wait for anything anymore.

As I got settled in to my seat on the far right side of the venue with the other media members, I briefly met a couple of people, including Mark Stepneski who writes for the Stars' website as well as the Stars Inside Edge blog. He mentioned that he'd already seen the new uniforms. Since he works for the team, he'd already received artwork so he could update his blog. His reaction was very positive.

The program opened with a video clip that began by telling us, "it's a new day for the Dallas Stars." It was basically a highlight reel of the club's history, including scenes from its 1999 Stanley Cup championship. It also included one last look at the Stars' existing logo treatment.

We also got treated to some clips of the old North Stars — wearing green (hint, hint). But the video was really just meant to get everyone psyched up for the night's festivities. It worked because even though I'm not a Stars fan I was still pretty thrilled to see what all was in store.

Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh take the stage

From there, the Stars broadcasting duo of Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh ("Razor") took the stage. They were energetic and fun all night. They began their presentation by talking about how great the fans are in Dallas. Attendance increase, high season ticket renewal rate and so forth.

Then came the big sell on why you should become or continue being a season ticket holder. It really sounded like this is an exciting time to be a Stars fan, honestly. But then I would be happy just to have an NHL team in my city. Speaking of which, the guys announced the Stars would be headed out of town for a couple of preseason games in Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Does anyone want to play an exhibition game in Seattle?

Ralph Strangis with Stars President & CEO Jim Lites and the NHL's new realignment map

Next, Ralph brought out Stars president and CEO Jim Lites. He explained a lot of the changes the franchise is going through, including the realignment of the NHL, which will put the Stars in a division with other Central Time Zone opponents for the first time since 1998. They moved to accommodate the four expansion franchises that entered over three seasons in Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus and Minneapolis. Lites pointed out that arrangement was supposed to be temporary. It lasted 15 years.

The "Borrowed" Realignment Map

Lites talked about how happy he was to see this map that "the guys" put together. At this point, I started tweeting feverishly because it looked like for the first time we had the official names of new divisions, rather than A, B, C and D as they're currently known. The graphic labeled them Pacific, Midwest, Central and Atlantic.

But in fact, it wasn't official at all. If this map doesn't look familiar to you, it sure looked familiar to one guy who goes by the name Tom Fulery and runs a website which focuses on finding the best realignment plan for the NHL. Turns out he made the very map the Stars "borrowed" for this presentation. (At least they kept his credit intact at the bottom.)

NHL Realignment map by TomFulery.com

In fairness, the map is accurate as far as how the teams will be arranged next season. The division names however, Tom just made up himself. Whether the NHL will use these or something similar is unknown as this point. But it was odd to see the Stars using someone else's map rather than their own or even the one released by the NHL itself.

Next topic: Mike Modano. Strangis and Lites spent a good deal of time talking about Modano and how much a part of this franchise he is. Then Lites announced to the crowd that the Stars will permanently retire No. 9 on March 8, 2014. Naturally, Dallas will be hosting Minnesota that night.

That led into a Mike Modano tribute video which seemed to show every goal the man has ever scored in a Stars uniform. It felt long to me but the fans in the Winspear Opera House were eating it up. I'm sure I'd feel the same way watching a Marty St. Louis highlight reel.

Modano came on stage and talked with Strangis a while before tossing things over to Razor, who brought up GM Jim Nill to talk about the product on the ice. This is where I took some time to get caught up on tweeting a couple of photos and other details from what I'd seen so far. Twitter was still reeling from the news that there was finally a date for retiring Modano's jersey.

Another "borrowed" graphic in the presentation

Then something else caught my eye while Razor and Nill were talking about the Stars' position in the upcoming draft. Check out the logo in the upper left corner of this slide. That was a logo designed as a concept before the NHL released the official logo. Of course it showed up in many places around the web last winter, but you'd think an actual NHL franchise wouldn't have to turn to Google to find a logo.

Stars owner Tom Gaglardi

And Now the Main Event...

It finally came time for the reason I made the journey to Dallas. Razor welcomed Stars owner Tom Gaglardi to the stage to talk at last about the new branding of his franchise. The pair chatted about Dallas' checkered uniform history, Gaglardi pondering the team had perhaps been a "victim of trends" in the past.

"There are some jerseys in our past that I think are really great," Gaglardi said, adding "some that maybe aren't quite as great."

"Can anybody think of one?" Razor joked, obviously referencing the "Mooterus" debacle of 2003.

While the guys talked, on screen we were reminded of what this franchise has looked like in years past — even back to the days when they were the Minnesota North Stars. Look at all that green. (Pay no attention to that human anatomy lesson with a splash of red in the corner.)

Black is Not a Color

Perhaps my favorite part of the conversation came next. Razor asked Gaglardi what was important to him in the rebranding process. His response was so great it requires a big blockquote.

I think you have to make a decision if you want to be a black and white team. I think black is a great color in a lot of ways. You look tough. I think you can look intimidating. 

But I come from school of thought that black isn't really a color. And no one really gets to own black. Even more than that, we had a logo that was never really a made-in-Dallas logo.

We wore the Dallas wordmark across the chest and in hockey it's important to have your identity and who you are on the front of your jersey. It's the great thing about hockey jerseys. And I think we missed a huge opportunity to say who we were on our front.

The Rangers are the other team that don't wear their primary logo on their chest. But as an Original Six team... I don't think that really counts. We're the only team in the league that doesn't wear our logo on our chest and I don't think that's right.

Those are the words every Icethetics reader has ever wanted to hear. Black is not a color and a hockey jersey needs a logo on the front. Finally an NHL owner that positively gets it!

Finally, before the big reveal video, the Gaglardi talked about what led up to this night. He said the Stars logo "doesn't really stand up with the best logos in the NHL" and that the process to rebrand was "exhaustive." In fact, the whole thing took a year and involved 236 different variations. That's an enormous number!

Gaglardi also added:

It was a big endeavor because I think that we weren't necessarily, at the beginning, committed to a new logo. But for my part, I strongly felt that it was something that needed to be part of the process.

We had some of our key guys that had been with the organization, our top executive staff. We had internal and external design people. Reebok, the National Hockey League and some really smart people. I know I learned a lot through the process about what was important.

I really had no idea where we were going at the beginning in terms of what we do with color and whether the logo would change. The one thing that I believed strongly from the start was that we wanted to have— I mean, we're a Second Six franchise. Our roots trace back for a long time and we're one of the older franchises in the NHL, so I thought it was important to show that we're not a fly by night group.

A real hockey jersey with a classic appeal to it was something that this franchise really needed. I think when [the franchise] came to Dallas, that jersey in 1993 was a pretty traditional [design]. I think [it] might be the best jersey that the franchise ever had, in my personal opinion. But it was a black and white jersey. We wore black and we wore white.

All this setup was exciting because it was telling me for certain that the new sweaters would not simply be black and white anymore. That was a huge step for this club's identity as far as I'm concerned.

Gaglardi then mentioned that he received letters and emails from Stars fans across the continent which convinced him that green as the prominent color was the only way to go for his team. So glad he listened. That doesn't seem to be a priority with guys in his job these days.

Next we got a short video that showed green overtaking the entire city of Dallas and ended with our first official look at the team's new primary logo. (See Part 1 of this review for my thoughts on the new marks.) In a nutshell, this is the ideal identity for this organization. But this logo leaked online two weeks before the event. What came next was something few in the building had ever seen before.

Jamie Benn and Mike Modano strutted onto the stage sporting the Stars' brand new green and white uniforms. Ralph rejoined the conversation and the five men chatted for a few moments about the new look as the crowd took it all in with cameras and camera phones pointed intently toward the front of the house. It was an exciting moment to be sure.

The conversation turned back to Razor and Gaglardi, who talked more on the process.

"Before we started anything," Gaglardi said, "we created a three-page brief which said all the things that we wanted out of the process." For what it's worth, Jason Walsh, the man who shepherded the rebranding effort, told me later that it was more like a 35-page brief.

Gaglardi continued: "I went back recently and read that brief and we nailed it. It's a logo that has classic and vintage aspects and yet it's modern and stands up to some of the best logos in sports. I've had several people looking at it — that I have a lot of trust and faith in — for months and really believed it's a real professional sports logo."

There's no question I have to agree with everything he said there. Gaglardi went on to discuss the new shade of green and how the Stars were now "owning" their own color for a change. This is the hallmark of some of the best sports franchises in the world, so you've got to admire Dallas for recognizing that.

The event wrapped up and the fans filed out of the auditorium. But up on stage, the Stars made Gaglardi, Benn and Modano available to talk to the media. I made my way up to grab some photos, which will be included in Part 3 — which you won't have to wait that long to read.

Afterward, the Stars set me up for a quick interview with Jason Walsh. I referenced some of that conversation in Part 1 of the review and will have more in Part 3. But it was really great to have the opportunity to speak with him about some of the design choices that were made.

There was no way I could go home without grabbing a memento from my trip. I picked up this T-shirt and wore it on my flight home Wednesday. No one asked me about it. Perhaps I didn't run into any hardcore hockey jersey geeks at DFW, John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif. or Sea-Tac. But I liked getting it out into the world. It's really a great new look. And the green is just fantastic.

As I wrap things up here, I have to thank the Dallas Stars once again for inviting me, and by extension you guys, to join them and their fans on Tuesday for what was a very fun night. Be sure to check back Monday for my complete review of the Stars' new uniforms. Then I think we'll have put this subject to bed for a while.

Review: New Star Rising, Part 1

The Dallas Stars were the second of two teams to unveil new uniforms on Tuesday. And they were generous enough to invite me to attend the big event. However, in this review, I'm just sticking to the details of the new logos. I'll do another review this weekend to talk about the event and the uniforms.

First, I have to express a little disappointment. Unlike the Hurricanes, the Stars have not released publicity photos or videos breaking down the details of their new designs. I hate to draw a comparison to a different team, but with the events happening so close together, it's difficult not to.

That said, I was told by Jason Walsh, the Stars exec who led the rebranding efforts, that his production team was putting together a making-of documentary video to be posted online at some point. By the way, keep that name in mind, I'll be referencing Walsh a lot during this review.

The New Primary Logo

We have to start with the new primary logo — the very symbol of the rebranded Dallas Stars franchise. On first glance, when we saw it a couple weeks ago, it felt like a major change. The lack of gold was shocking. But since then, the more I look at it, the more I feel like it's been around forever. This is THE identity of the Dallas Stars. How did they ever wear anything else?

Perfectly represented is the club's moniker, the Stars, and its city, colloquially known as "Big D." The logo is a star with a big D inside of it. Can't get much more literal than that. It accomplishes everything it needs to for this brand. The only question is whether it could have been done better. Let's see.

The logo has a color variation dependent upon its backdrop. On black or white, the mark is outlined in Victory Green, a new shade that's brighter and deeper and one that has never been used before in the NHL. Of course, as you saw above, when it sits on green, the logo is outlined in silver.

Either way it's eye-catching and a sharp-looking sports logo. But that doesn't mean it's not without flaws. Some fans have taken issue with the notches where the star connects to the D along with the beveled aesthetic. The two are intertwined and understanding it requires a graphic design lesson.

At the event on Tuesday, I talked with Jason Walsh about this. Walsh is the Stars' vice president of production and entertainment. He put on the night's presentation but he also led the development of the new branding. He told me about the choice to go with the 3D beveled look. In a nutshell, it's this...

This is the single-color version of the primary logo. Any complete logo package has single-color versions mostly used for print when full color printing is not an option. It gives you an idea of what the logo looked like before the beveling was added. Even now, the mark looks rather flat and unfinished. It doesn't look terrible, but the silver beveling adds that extra flair to complete the look.

So what about those notches? The beveling tells us the logo exists in three dimensions and that there is a light source, in this case, from the upper left. It stands to reason then that the D, which sticks out above the star, would cast a shadow on it. That accounts for the notches. And it just so happens that they make the D stand out better as well. Without the notches, the D isn't as easy to make out.

Now how about the star itself. Does it look familiar? It should.

Part of what prompted the Stars' rebrand was the desire for a "made-in-Texas" symbol, according to Stars owner Tom Gaglardi. When the franchise left Minnesota 20 years ago, it continued using the same logo in Dallas. So last year when the redesign process began, one problem the team kept running into, according to Walsh, was finding a star that didn't look like the Dallas Cowboys' logo.

Luckily, the Stars already had a unique star shape in their existing logo. So with that in mind and a desire for a little continuity from old to new, that shape found its way into the new mark. The D was then added to it to create the final version. In that way, this logo isn't a huge departure from what came before it. In fact, it's an excellent transition into a new era.

But as I said before, it's not without flaws. The overall shape bugs me, actually.

Take a look at how the corners of the star form a bounding box in which the logo doesn't quite feel centered — and, in fact, leaves a lot of empty space. Another oddity is in how the lower right point doesn't align with the lower left. But that's all in the outline. The points of the star itself (the white part), do align properly.

The whole thing is still left looking a bit unbalanced. Ideally, the crosshairs in the middle should land on the center of the D. But they're pushed to the right because of how far out the right point of the star extends. In theory, this problem could be fixed by skewing the star to the left so it's not slanted.

However, it then starts approaching the Cowboys' star shape — a problem Walsh mentioned earlier. Then of course, we also lose that carryover element from the original logo. But just for the heck of it, I decided to see what it might look like if we straightened it out.

Not bad. It helps with the center of gravity and balance issues. And it's more symmetrical. However, we lose a bit of what makes it a cool sports logo. Slant anything to the right and it looks "faster." When we straighten out the star, it actually starts to look a bit boring and, well, static.

Seeing this helps me reconcile the design choices, even if I'm still left feeling like the balance is off. But I don't mean to be second-guessing Walsh and his crew. This was a long process and I'm sure these are all things they considered. Ultimately what matters is how the crest looks on the sweater. We'll get to that.

The Secondary Logos

Part of the Stars' new identity is this secondary logo. It incorporates the new D-star in a roundel design. This logo will be used primarily on the shoulders of the new sweaters and wherever else a circular stamp might be useful. It's a classic style for brand that's quite modern.

By the way, I hate to beat a dead horse, but this logo further demonstrates the awkwardness of that D-star. The delicate balance of trying to center the logo by its center of gravity forces the right point of the star to just graze the edge of the circle. It looks fine, it's just tricky.

Regardless of that, I'm not a fan of this logo. I mentioned it's a classic style, but it's also overused. The Tampa Bay Lightning introduced a similar logo with their rebrand in 2011. Neither franchise had ever had a mark like it before and it just feels less creative than the rest of the package.

The third logo in this set includes another nod to past logo designs. The Stars carry over their Texas-shaped mark here but unlike in years past, it won't be used on the shoulders. Instead, it'll be found exclusively on the pants of the uniform. Walsh said they looked at putting it on the shoulders, but it just didn't work. I'll explain when we get to that part of the review.

I also asked Walsh whether it would be considered for a third jersey down the road. He dismissed that idea outright. One of the many uniform variations he looked at had this logo on the front, but it just didn't work there. He didn't talk much about what might be in store for a future third jersey. I think he was just happy to have this rebranding process complete.

The Wordmark

Finishing off the new logo package is the Stars' new wordmark. Simple and straightforward with that same nod to the past, this logo is more of an upgrade to the original wordmark than something altogether new. And as upgrades go, this is a sharp one.

There's also a version for dark backgrounds such as green or black.

I'm not sure the beveling is necessary here, but it does tie in well to the primary logo so I'll give it a pass. I do want to commend the design team on not beveling the green version of this logo, hence adding a second shade of green. That would've been an easy trap to fall into.

The Color Palette

Speaking of colors, I think the Stars hit the jackpot with their new palette. To make a pun, they're money. If you've read Icethetics any length of time, you know I preach the Gospel of Green when it comes to this NHL, which is sorely lacking in that department. It's a great color and only three of 30 teams use it. Meanwhile, we have 18 in some form of blue.

In fact, blue was part of the initial rebrand discussion in Dallas, according to Gaglardi, who was convinced by fans and even Mike Modano that green was the ONLY color for this franchise. Thank god he listened. Stars TV color man Daryl Reaugh was a proponent of using the red, white and blue in Texas' state flag. Yeah, because there aren't enough red and blue teams in the league already.

I was thrilled to see the Stars keep what makes them unique. And honestly, I was even happier to see that gold was no longer part of the equation. While the old gold might have looked fine on a jersey crest, it often looked yellow or brown on paper or on a computer screen. It just didn't translate.

Gaglardi said he would've been satisfied to stick to green and black alone until it became apparent that the beveling was needed for the logo. He pointed out that when you look up at the stars in the sky, they look more silver than gold. So silver ended up being the perfect addition to complete the palette.

I've heard a lot of fans complain about the lack of gold but I have yet to hear a good reason why. The Stars are the green team, as Gaglardi mentioned, not the gold team or the black team. Moreover, the there's now nothing in the palette to compete with green so it really stands out beautifully.

In a nutshell...

Well, the logo review went much longer than I expected. I don't want to feel like I need to keep the uniform review short, so I've decided to make that a separate post to go up tomorrow. I'll incorporate that into my review of the unveiling event. We'll call that Part 2.

Now the nutshell portion to wrap things up.

The Good:

• GREEN!
• Texas secondary logo upgraded beautifully
• Nods to team history in the new marks

The Bad:

• Primary logo feels off balance
• Roundel design lacks some originality

Overall, this is a great update to the brand. It's a better symbol for the organization. And best of all, it's Texas-made. There are some drawbacks, but no dealbreakers. A lot of NHL logos have eccentricities but few are as sharp as this one. When I saw it Tuesday night, it immediately became one of my favorites. I even bought a T-shirt right there on site. And this fall, that green jersey will be in my closet.

On that note, check back tomorrow for my review of the Stars' new uniforms.

Review: Hurricanes' New Uniforms

All images from Carolina Hurricanes videos

Trying something new today. This lengthy post is my review of the new uniforms unveiled Tuesday by the Carolina Hurricanes. It's not that I've never shared an opinion on the blog, but making time to do a proper analysis has often eluded me.

The Hurricanes released a handful of great videos documenting at the new design itself, the process of creating it and even the team's own 16-year jersey history. For this review, I'll be using the wealth of great content in the unveiling video, which breaks down every element of the uniform detail by detail.

So let's get started. There's a lot to cover.

At the time of the unveiling, I was sitting on an airplane with a weak wi-fi connection. Needless to say, the live steam of the event wasn't so much a stream as an occasional trickle. But I still ended up getting the gist through fleeting glances and frozen shots.

In my initial reaction to seeing the two uniforms side by side on the stage, what struck me was how red they were. The Hurricanes have always worn red, but somehow the seemed... redder.

And there's the reason why. The Canes describe the new design as "clean and unencumbered." A lot of the the secondary colors and striping are gone. To some, it came seem plain or boring. To others, an example of a classic hockey sweater with no clutter and a striking crest. To me, it's a little bit of the former. I'll get into why shortly.

Great hockey jerseys are anchored with bold stripes around the elbows and waist. Or at least that's what we've come to accept as an essential element. The Canes have always had that. Only now, the black and silver from their palette is missing. That alone isn't a problem. What is? The striking resemblance to one of the most well-known hockey uniforms on the international stage.

Two evenly-spaced white stripes on a red sweater? That's not Carolina. That's Canada. Many Icethetics readers and tweeters pointed this out with side-by-side comparison graphics making the rounds almost immediately after the unveiling. Canes captain Eric Staal was present for the unveiling and, modeling the sweater, he almost looked like he was wearing his national team threads.

So the Hurricanes have to a lose a few points for this and a few more for dropping what made their sweaters unique — those storm flags that used to line the waist. I will grant simplicity is king. But not at the expense of losing your identity. The Canes said this whole uniform redesign was prompted by the need to move the brand forward. It feels like a move backward to me.

The sign of a great "brand jersey" is one where you can still tell which team it belongs if you remove the crest. Take off the swirling storm and this could/should be Team Canada. With the old one, the storm flags around the waist made it clear this was the Canes. Why did that have to go? I would've strongly made the case to keep that and lose all the other stripes.

Right or wrong, the lace-up collar is one of those elements that instantly gives a hockey sweater that classic feel. Some consider it odd for young teams to sport old-style sweaters. What works for the older teams isn't necessarily the simplicity but the age of their look. It's been around so long we just accept it as a given. And love it for its staying power.

Perhaps that's the goal for Carolina. I know they want a jersey that can be around for years to come. But I can't help but feel they've sacrificed their identity a little to do it. They're not the "red team." They're not the "old classic team." They're the Hurricanes, and they were born in 1997. They should own that instead of trying to be something else.

That said, the lace-up collar is found only on the home uniform. The white road jersey uses Reebok's standard V-neck collar. In the making-of video, we saw that the original red prototype didn't have the laces, but basically, Kirk Muller convinced them it would make the jersey more interesting. It did.

One more observation on the collar. It's the only part of the jersey that's black. Sure, there's the crest and the trim on the letters and numbers, but it feels unbalanced to not have a black stripe somewhere as well — like they've done with the non-matching white jersey.

The crest introduces a new technology from Reebok that helps the giant patch weigh less. Hurricanes marketing VP Doug Warf talked a little about this in the documentary. It's not that it was necessarily binding players, but it was the biggest in the league. So along with the lightweight material came a change in size.

The size of the logo was reduced by 15% from the previous jersey. That paired with the minimal waist striping gives the illusion that the crest sits much higher on the jersey, leaving more of an open space between it and the stripes. This doesn't bother me. And the more I look at the full uniforms, the better I like the smaller crest. It doesn't overpower the sweater the way it used to.

The video also points out that the silver in the crest — now the only place you can find silver on the Canes' uniforms — has been changed to a matte finish. So it's less sparkly now. Your first instinct might make you say, "isn't a 'matte silver' just grey?" But actually it still has that metallic luster. The difference now is it doesn't look like it has glitter on it.

At this point, the video switches to the back of the road uniform — but that jersey is focused on more in the second half. We get to see the new letters and numbers. The Canes describe it as a "clean, sans-serif font" that can "remain for upcoming years." Sounds to me like an oxymoron. In sports uniforms, the longest-surviving font has been the classic block style. Many teams have their own unique spin on the concept, but rarely do you find sans-serif fonts that stand the test of time.

That said, there's nothing that stands out about this type, so it's probably a safe choice. The good news: It's visually more appealing than the oversized, rounded italic font they had been using. The bad news: It's blander. Bland isn't a dealbreaker, it just doesn't do much for your brand. Despite its ugliness, at least the old italic font made you think of the driving winds of a hurricane. (Or maybe that was just me.)

Speaking of bland choices, the shoulder patches weren't carried over to the new look. The Canes say it's about "siimplicity" and "timelessness" but I disagree. A jersey with shoulder patches can be timeless. But if they didn't like the torn storm flag, perhaps a redesign was in order. Instead, blander.

Here's a new term from Reebok. They call this the "Hanger Effect." It's a design detail on the inside of the collar that is only visible when the jersey is hanging up — not when it's being worn. That means it's meant for the fans who are going out to buy them. As we can see, it's that warning flag stripe I was talking about before.

It's clearly a nod to the team's own tradition. Which begs the question, why hide it? It's a solid, simple design that, as a brand, they can own. I still can't quite understand why they would dilute their identity this way. Not every team has this sort of built-in design aesthetic. Take advantage of it.

The pants and gloves are now a solid red, without any extraneous design features. This is a good look. When trying to simplify your uniform — and this is definitely a team that needed it — a clean look for these pieces of equipment is always a plus.

So now we move to the features of the road uniform.

Right off, I love the squared off shoulder yoke. It's a unique look you don't really see with any other NHL teams. Only the Devils come close, but theirs is black so it's not as visually striking. And speaking of black, it's great to see the Canes kept it with this uniform.

The biggest thing we notice is that the overall design is completely different from the red sweater. Typically, teams tend to design their white sweater as an inverse of their dark one. Here, the Canes have changed everything but the crest and font style.

Making the uniform unique on the league stage is the shoulder yoke — which is not only squared off but also extends down below the the nameplate. The Canes proudly draw attention to the fact that they are now the only NHL team with the nameplate inside the shoulder yoke.

They aren't the first — Buffalo did it back in their black-and-red days — but they are the only ones doing it currently. Could it be the start of a trend? I wouldn't mind. It's a nice look. (And it saves the equipment manager from having to keep track of two sets of lettering.)

Black numbering. I'm not sure why this is a plus. Or why it was even deemed necessary. The Canes have always worn red numbers, trimmed in black. Now they're black trimmed in that matted silver from the crest. Is this an overcompensation to keep black in the uniforms? Especially considering the red jersey barely features it.

I don't want to say this hurts the design. Overall, the black numbers look good on the sweater. But would red numbers have looked just as good? I'm going to call this a lateral move.

Finally, there's new striping on the road whites, which the Canes are calling "bold." If they mean that it's thick, solid colors, I can agree. But apart from that, in my mind, there's nothing bold about recoloring the Vancouver Canucks' striping pattern. Moreover, these stripe sizes would've provided the perfect opportunity to keep the warning flag stripe — around both the waist and sleeves.

They say it "further establishes [a] traditional look" but all it really does for me is move them away from their unique identity. The graphic also says the look is a "unique compliment" (think they meant "complement") to the new home threads. Again, it's different, but that doesn't mean unique.

I know reviews are supposed to end with a tallying of the score and a final grade. But I think trying to assign an objective number to a uniform design is a waste of time and in the end doesn't serve a purpose. You've seen the pictures and read the reasoning but you'll form your own opinion. and you've got my full review here in about 1,800 words.

Then again, I know everybody likes a good nutshell. I can do that.

The good:

• Cleaner, uncluttered design
• Simpler, straighter font style
• Unique shoulder yoke design on the white jersey
• Warning flag effect on the collar
• Going outside the box with non-matching jersey set

The bad:

• Losing the warning flag stripe from the waist
• Losing the shoulder patches
• Slightly too much red, not enough black
• Unoriginal striping patterns (Team Canada and the Canucks)
• Where is this team's unique identity?

Again, I don't feel right trying to assign a score. I'm both impressed and disappointed with different aspects of the Hurricanes' uniform redesign. I know we'll be stuck with it for some years to come now, but it's not about getting used to anything. The design is what it is and these are the things I think work and don't.

But there's an old foul-mouthed adage about opinions. I'm sure you know it. These opinions are mine. I'm curious to hear yours. The best comments below will be backed up with reasoning and explanations. The rest will probably be ignored by your fellow readers.