Just To Freak You Out XXXV

I know you've all been waiting for two whole weeks, but I'm all set just to freak you out now. And some of these should really get the job done.

We'll begin in none other than the Windy City with a couple of logos that almost had tears coming out of my eyes I was laughing so hard.

Yeah, it's a Blackhawk and two tomahawks. I'm not saying the idea was over-the-top clever, but the execution had me on the floor.

Then there's this.

Which looks a bit more like a goose than a penguin. I guess that's what they were going for.

Not entirely sure what's going on there but the guy with the stick and... the eyes... that guys creeps me out.

We'll transition now from logo designs to jersey artwork. First, a completely new concept for the New York Rangers.

Yeah, they're the Broadway Blueshirts all right, I suppose. Which is a good reason why this should never happen.

Also, a not entirely unexpected result of naming your team the Ducks could be the nickname "mallards" — a completely harmless and ridiculous looking bird, let's all just be glad they didn't go with uniform colors to match.

Because as you can see, it could have been way worse.

Or you could just put a bug on your sweater.

I don't recommend it. However, if you're a Pens fan, I do recommend a trip to The Pensblog for some of the most entertaining coverage of Pittsburgh hockey. Their series of site logos during this playoff season has cracked me up. Enjoy this one (unless you're a Sens fan).

Unfortunately for them, there'll be no broom-clad penguin sweeping away wings of some sort.

Hoped you enjoyed this edition of the Freak Out Friday. Keep sending in the craziest artwork you can find/make and join me again in two weeks for another riveting episode.

Capital Conceptualizing

I've got some third jersey concepts for the Washington Capitals to share tonight.

The first one is based off the current uniform with colors and logos swapped.

Not bad at all but I'm partial to this next design.

The striping and style fit in with the current sweaters while also being different in their own right. Really, they could do a lot worse.

And I know a lot of people like the eagle secondary logo, so much so that they've asked to see it as the primary. Well here you go.

I think it could be smaller on that jersey, but I certainly like it better than the wordmark. The Ducks could learn a thing or two from this but we'll save them for another day.

And don't take this last item too seriously.

I was going to save it for tomorrow's Freak Out post but it fit with the Washington theme today. Anyway, check back tomorrow for the 35th installment of the Freak Out Friday.

Speaking Of The Sabres...

First thing: don't forget to vote to help Matt choose the color scheme for the Sabres rebranding. Second: I have Buffalo concept art to go along!

I know you guys have been eagerly awaiting the new batch of concept art and I apologize for the delay. I've been focusing my attention on the launch of Icethetics. I'm anticipating having it ready at some point in the next few weeks. At some point I should probably explain how that's going to work but that's not what this post is about.

We've got a very nicely designed blue sweater there with the old "goathead" logo on the chest. Nice color/logo mix there but probably not something we're apt to see at any point the future.

We've also got a nice shield which accents the "sabres" part of the design a little better.

And this would be a great throwback concept if Buffalo didn't already have the perfect vintage jerseys with the 1970s look.

Then, going totally off the beaten path is one of the coolest looking jersey concepts I've seen in a long time.

I know it's out there and it's contrast makes it difficult to place as a home or road sweater, but I love this idea. It's done so well. The design is based off of a logo created by John Slabyk.

All of these make for great artwork but will likely never see the light of day. However, that hasn't stopped a few fans from making their dreams come true. Recently, if you did an ebay search, you might have come across this gem.

You could even find it in white.

I'm not sure that what you see here is available anymore or even legal under copyright laws. But it's a beautiful design and I'd be willing to bet there are countless Sabres fans who would die for that logo to don that jersey on NHL ice.

So I hope you guys enjoyed the return of the concept art. I plan to have more up this week. You guys have been submitting some really great work! And stay tuned for a Freak Out Friday at the end of the week!

Just To Freak You Out XXXIV

Time again for me to try to freak you out with some of the crazy stuff people send to me. We've got a theme for this one, though.

As you know, we're currently in the midst of the Tournament of Goalie Masks. It's pretty cool and it's made a lot of people look at goalie masks in a different way. I'm not really sure how to describe these next couple of graphics. They're not so much concept art as... freaky.

Yeah, that's an astronaut's mask on Cam Ward.

Right, a welder's mask on Marty Turco.

Ah, and a diver's mask on Jean-Sebastien Giguere. That's just trippy. Wait it gets worse.

Stare at this a little while.

I'm pretty sure a bunch of Leafs and Sens fans just swore off this blog. It's just so... freaky.

Speaking of which, ever wondered if Luongo can pull off purple?

Yeah, he can't. I've got an "If They Mated" concept for the Canucks, though.

I like the Rangers' jerseys with the red in them. But now let's get really nuts. If you want First Nations art, why don't you just go all or nothing?

And the answer comes back plainly enough.

We'll stay in Canada as we finish things off this week.

It's an actual maple leaf. Inventive.

That's all. As I mentioned before, I'm probably going to be making the Freak Out Fridays into an every-other-week feature simply because I'm not getting enough stuff sent to me to do it every Friday. But I enjoy these posts when I can write them and I know you guys do too.

Enjoy your weekend and stick around for more news about the changes going down here at NHLToL. Our birthday is just a week away!

Stars And Sharks Fan Creations

I've got a little bit of concept art for you today. We're doing the Sharks and Stars in honor of their current playoff series. (Though it may not last too much longer if the Stars have their way.)

This first Dallas jersey is a green third that would fit in seamlessly with their current set.

Then we have a full set with a green home sweater and a black alternate.

The alternate looks great with the green shoulder yoke.

And lastly, we've got a San Jose fan design attempting to emulate the pre-Rbk EDGE design scheme.

By the way, I know a number of you have been asking about the Freak Out Friday series. It's not over, I think it's just going to be less frequent. I'm not getting as much crazy artwork as I used to so we're probably just going to have it every other week. Not to worry though, you'll be able to get your fix this Friday. Lots of great stuff on the way!

Oh and be sure to drop in tomorrow to check out the big announcement.

Big Update To Gallery

Not sure how many of you still check out the Concepts Gallery. It's been getting ignored a little lately by me, but you'll be glad to know I just added nearly 300 graphics to the gallery. Almost every album has at least one new image.

Most of the images in the Concepts Gallery have been featured at some point on the blog. Others are exclusive to the gallery. Enjoy!

Primarily Pennsylvania

Did you see what I did there? I'm a day late on the joke, but still. To thank all you Pennsylvanians for going out in record numbers to perform your civic duty, I have concept art tailored especially to you.

We'll begin with a cool new logo redesign for the Penguins.

It's a really sharp logo that pays tribute to the past in a big way while also bringing something new to the table. There are also jerseys to go with it.

The black one doesn't do much for me, but oddly enough, the white one blows me away. I think it's the shoulder striping.

A likely third jersey candidate for the Pens going into next season is a version of the powder blue sweater they wore for the Winter Classic.

But stepping outside of that for a moment brings us some interesting designs. This dark blue strikes me as slightly strange, however.

And remember the days when gold was actually yellow (though no one wanted to admit it)? Well there's a little more where that came from.

We'll wrap up our Pennsylvania trip in Philly. Not much to speak of with this.

But one designer came up with a notion of what might well be a good candidate as an alternate for the Flyers next season.

They could do worse.

Just To Freak You Out XXXIII

Hell has frozen over!

Indeed, the Freak Out Friday has returned. After two weeks off, it's been resurrected. All the talk last month about the league returning to the third jersey program next season has died down, but folks are still trying to come up with the best solution to this alternate sweater issue. The ones that fail tend to end up here.

See what I mean? What happened with the D there? And don't get me wrong, I like that blue for my Bolts, but I can't imagine having that written on the front of the jersey. There's more.

Same goes for the other team that joined the league the same year as Tampa Bay.

I know these are designs based on previously discussed rumors, but I always thought they were too horrible to actually see.

I've got some other stuff too — like a new alternate logo for the Blue Jackets.

And a sweater to boot.

But my favorite pair of sweaters for this week's Freak Out are based on the Minnesota Wild and the previous NHL club that occupied the state.

And finally, I know you guys hated the guitar thing, but someone else made this one and I thought it was kind of interesting.

So keep the crazy artwork coming in each week if you want me to be able to continue this series. I'm counting on you! Yes, you! And that's that for this week. Hopefully I'll return next Friday with a brand new batch of insanity.

Desert Art

The last time I posted any good Phoenix Coyotes artwork was... well, it was never. I've never posted any good Phoenix Coyotes artwork and for that I am ashamed. That streak ends this afternoon.

If there was ever a reason for the 'Yotes to don a black third jersey, this would be it.

I never would've thought that PHX logo would look good as a crest. Proved me wrong, right there. Here's what made me think that in the first place.

Yeah. Don't worry, though, I'm not wasting it. We've got some decent Freak Out stuff for Friday too.

Below is a simple redesign concept with the old moon logo I liked a lot.

This does make me miss the PHX logo, though. However, the Coyotes still wear that moon logo on their pants. But what if we combine it with the current primary?

And then slap it on a jersey?

Lastly, we get a look at the reason why text needs to stay off the front of jerseys.

That's all I've got for you today. Tune in next time for more fan made concept art. You know you love it. In the meantime, keep voting on the NHL's best goalie masks! Despite being just over halfway through the first round, we're actually making some headway. We'll have a winner before you know it.

Something BIG is coming... May 1, 2008!

Pre-Playoff Concept Art

The Stanley Cup playoffs kick off on Wednesday night. Tomorrow I figure I'll post my predictions and so forth for anyone who might be interested. In the meantime, I've got concept art for you tonight. Not a lot but just a few things I thought were especially interesting.

First, a big set of third jerseys. Pretty much every team with rumors floating about. And then a special treat.

I told you it was a lot.

Then, with the recent surfacing of the 2009 All-Star Game logo, one reader came up with a concept for a Habs-based jersey design.

In French, no less.

And finally, a Canucks concept I thought was interesting given the current logo tournament going on at ToHL.

Obviously a take on the WHL's Giants.

Enjoy your night and let's get set for some playoff hockey! My favorite time of year!