Just To Freak You Out XXXII

Can you believe this is already the 32nd installment of the Freak Out series? Who knew it would go this long? What's interesting about this week's post is what comes at the end and the fact that it's real and not concocted in the freakish mind of one of the many readers of NHLToL. No, it's quite real and that's what freaks me out the most.

But first, let's talk third jerseys. We know they're making their big comeback next season after having taken a year off. We'll begin in Vancouver.

But wait, there's more!

And I'm sure this was just a case of colors lost in translation.

Doesn't make me feel any better. I'm all right with the purple on the Kings' uniforms because it's partnered with black and silver.

Here's a Lightning jersey even I wouldn't consider buying.

And a Sens sweater absolutely no one would.

But hold on, why one team at a time? Let's go for all 30 all at once.

A good try to be sure, but I'm afraid a few too many of these missed the mark in terms of what one might consider, you know, aesthetically pleasing. (What the hell kind of sentence was that?)

It's worse when you make it look real by painting it onto a player.

And now for the little thing I was teasing at the beginning of this post. I know it's not NHL, but I'm making an exception. The AHL's Lake Erie Monsters, this season, actually wore jerseys that... I'm sorry, there's no other way of putting this. They were tie-dyed. Behold the horror.

Because one photo wasn't enough...

Peace. Love. And hockey.

And now I'm just going to go put forks in my eyes. Until tomorrow, friends.

ECHL Logo Voting!

The ECHL Tournament of Logos has begun. We've got 25 new logos to begin voting on. Head over to Tournament of Hockey Logos to cast your votes and before you know it, we'll have an ECHL logo champion. First up are the Columbia Inferno and Cincinnati Cyclones as part of the preliminary round.

GO VOTE!

By the way, if you haven't been following the ToHL blog, the AHL champion was recently named. The Manitoba Moose ran away with the title. Congrats to them!

Decide On The AHL's Best Logo!

If you haven't been following the AHL Tournament of Logos over at ToHL, now is the time to get involved! We're down to the final two. In the championship round it's the Manitoba Moose against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. But only one will walk away with the victory and bragging rights as the AHL's best logo.

And as I've mentioned, the third round of the Third Jersey Logo Tournament here at NHLToL will begin tomorrow. At the moment, it's looking like we'll have a Battle of New York on our hands for that first poll. Should be interesting.

Kids, Design An AHL Jersey!

I know this site is meant to be about the NHL, but this is really cool for any kids interested in jersey designs. It's a cross-post from ToHL.

Here's a cool contest that a reader pointed out to me. The Worcester Sharks are now accepting submissions from kids ages 14 and under to design a St. Patrick's Day-themed jersey that will actually be worn in a game! It sounds like a fun little gimmick.

Here's a direct link to the Sharks' official site where you can get the full scoop on what's going on. Now's your chance to design a jersey that could actually be worn on AHL ice!

So basically, if you or someone you know is of the proper age group, get a design put together and submit it to the Sharks. And, being a reader of this blog, you might also want to send a copy to me as well as I can post it right here for everyone to see. I'm really interested in seeing what the kids come up with. Email me at nhllogos@gmail.com.

Here's the template the team is offering.

If you win, your design will be worn by the Sharks on March 16, 2008 in their game against the Hartford Wolf Pack. You also get free tickets for your entire class for that game. And you'll take part in a ceremonial puck drop at the beginning of the game. All of the jerseys will be auctioned off after the game to benefit Sharks Charities.

The deadline is December 21!

Good luck!

AHL Logo Tournament Starts!

For those of you interested, the AHL Tournament of Logos has begun. You can vote starting today in the preliminary round bout between the Iowa Stars and the Lake Erie Monsters.

Other polls will be posted on a daily basis over there at the Tournament of Hockey Logos blog. Hope you enjoy it!

The AHL logo champion will be determined on November 23. At that point, the ECHL Tournament of Logos will start.

Concepts For Logo Upgrades

All right, if you've been reading for a long time (or even a short time), you probably know about my distaste for the logo many consider to be among the best in sports. That of the Chicago Blackhawks. I just don't see the allure.

You might find it surprising that I don't stand alone. In fact, in the past I've even posted changes folks have made to the logo. Well, I have another one. I still don't love it, but with a little work, I'd call it a big step in the right direction.

Then I thought this one was kind of funny. Not crazy enough to freak anybody out, but definitely different. Imagine the Phoenix Coyotes using both logos together with their current color scheme.

Okay so maybe it is a bit scary. What's not scary is this New York Islanders concept. I don't know. It just feels like such a special thing when you run into a concept this well-designed. Dump the text out of that logo and you've got yourself pure gold.

I like these jerseys so much. Even using the current logo on the shoulder is a great touch. Hell, I could even live with this lighthouse logo as a secondary. But I really do think the Isles should reintroduce something of this nature. I just feel like a lighthouse would make such a great logo for the Isles.

And finally, we go completely off topic here. This is a fan made logo redesign for the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals.

Thought it was pretty decent. It feels a little familiar to me, like I've seen it somewhere before. But that could just be my brain playing tricks.

What do you guys think? Feel free to drop a line in the comments.

AHL Announces Rbk EDGE Switch!

I know this isn't NHL news, but it deals with the new Rbk EDGE jerseys, so I felt it was relevant. The American Hockey League announced today that they will be switching to Reebok's new style of uniforms.

The wonderful folks at TheAHL.com are even keeping their own gallery of all the new sweaters as they're unveiled — just like what I'm doing for the NHL. You can see their gallery here.

My only attachment to the AHL would be the Norfolk Admirals who are affiliated with my Tampa Bay Lightning. But look at this...

... these jerseys were unveiled today but they have the old Lightning logo on the shoulders! What's with that?

Also, I thought I'd send shout-outs to Admiral fans Jonathan and Charlie who have been keeping me up to date on AHL jersey news. Thanks guys!