Reworking Logos

It's time once again for some concept art. Today we're looking at reworking various team logos. Some with good results, others not so much.

We'll start with an alternate logo concept for the New Jersey Devils. It bares some similarity to an idea created by Matt for his Rebranding the NHL series. Only this one is graphically simpler.

So that's pretty cool. We've also got an Edmonton Oilers logo here.

Nice, effective, but a complete disregard for the team's logo history and not modern enough to warrant it (like the gear logo on the old third jersey).

Got something new for the Blues as well.

Interesting turning the note into a hockey stick but the secondary is just to intricate to form a great logo. Nice idea, though.

That's a simple concept but one that need never see the light of day. I think to some extent, incorporating the state or provincial outline works but not in every instance.

We'll finish things off with some new looks for the two teams currently battling for Lord Stanley's Cup. By the way, is it just me, or does it seem like they're dragging this series out with all the days off in between games?

A simple flash to the past there. And with the Penguins celebrating 40 years in the NHL, one reader submitted a unique commemorative logo paying heed to the club's history.

Overall, a decent, if not above average, batch of concept art for you today. By the way, I've got a new series I'm kicking off on Wednesday. Tune in then to see what that's all about. (Just remember, I like alliteration.)

Third Jersey Ideas

I haven't written a concept art post since the weekend so I think we're due. But it's going to be a short one. One reader came up with 13 different jersey designs he'd like to see implemented for various teams at some point in the future.

I told you it'd be short, but we've got 13 different teams covered. Hope you enjoy it.

We've got a Freak Out Friday post coming tomorrow and hopefully some more concepts for the weekend. I've been keeping pretty busy with the Goalie Mask Tournament. Voter turnout is great so far. Keep 'em coming!

Logos And More Logos

I've got some things to talk about with regard to the upcoming Tournament of Goalie Masks but I'll save that for the next post. For now, I've got concept logos, beginning with one I was sent this afternoon for the New Jersey Devils.

Looks a lot like a logo for a Japanese restaurant to me but I like it. Maybe not for a professional hockey team, but in general... I like it.

Another reader came up with a bunch of varying designs for a new Edmonton Oilers logo.

Lots of cool stuff in there. Not sure any of it is better than what the Oilers have now. Same artist simplified the look of the Florida Panthers.

They should try that on a third jersey. Sticking to the Sunshine State, I've got a couple of Tampa Bay Lightning logos to share.

If the bolt wasn't yellow and we tried a different font for the TBL, perhaps I would consider it as a secondary mark. Like that, I'm not a fan.

I've always thought about something like that. A lightning bolt between a TB. Still, it needs some beautification work or something.

That's all for now. Keep the concept work coming in. I'll have a bunch more jersey designs to post this week. Stay tuned!

UPDATE (6:53 PM): Somebody mentioned St. Patrick's Day in the comments. Somehow I'm completely forgot that was today. I actually did have one theme concept to share. All six Canadian teams puked on by the Irish.

That's some green right there. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

LFV Day 6: Last Day In Canada

LIVE FROM VANCOUVER!

Well, today is a sad day for me. My flight back to Tampa is tonight. I have to leave this wonderful weather (yes, I know it's raining right now) and go back to work on Wednesday. And since I've been away, the Lightning just keep losing. So this concept post is meant to honor all those teams that defeated the Bolts in my absence.

The teams I'm talking about would be the New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, and of course, the Philadelphia Flyers. We'll start with them.

Also got a white version of that.

Not a bad design at all. There are also a couple of orange ones with the alternate Flyers logo.

This one is based on the old New York Islanders third jersey.

And speaking of alternate logos, here's something different.

Not really sure what to say about those. Not normal but not quite crazy enough to warrant a Friday post.

We've also got a very sharp jersey set for the Blue Jackets.

And a fan suggesting they switch from red pants to blue.

And either wishful thinking that one day a certain Sedin will find his way to Columbus or the idea that the Jackets would look better in a jersey with striping similar to the Canucks.

Moving on now to the New Jersey Devils. Here's a black concept without the circle in the logo.

My feeling is that if you're going to dump the circle, you need to make some upgrades to the rest of the logo. Something like this might work well.

Continuing on the tack of black jerseys, there's this one.

Very nice. Then there's this set.

Those jerseys look like hoodies to me, though. Maybe I'm just losing my mind. And finally, here's why it's a good thing that the Devils dumped green out of the logo and uniforms.

It looks bad!

And that's it for this afternoon. Gotta get things packed up and maybe take one last walk around the city before heading to the airport this evening. Bye Vancouver!

Just To Freak You Out XXI

The Freak Out series hits 21 this week — old enough to get hammered. And boy, I think some of the designers this week had to have been hammered. I mean, just look at this.

It might take a moment or two to notice that this is an "If They Mated" example. It's the new Sharks secondary logo merged with the Mighty Ducks third jersey of the mid-90s. But I love it!

This Flames jersey is on fire! Someone on eBay is really selling it. For real.

Sidney Crosby recently dropped the gloves in a rare on-ice event. This picture isn't real but it cracks me up nonetheless. There's just so much about it that's so wrong. I'm curious to see if the guys over at Pensblog have anything to say about this.

And finally, we have a plethora of "matings" here to share.

To sum things up, what you see above is the Flyers and Bruins, Rangers and Islanders, Devils and Sabres, Blue Jackets and Blackhawks, Avalanche and Wild, Blues and Red Wings, Canucks and Hurricanes (weird!), Bruins and Flyers (opposite of the first one) and Stars and Coyotes.

But wait, there's more.

This one is interesting because it's all opposites of the previous image. They are the Coyotes and Stars, Blackhawks and Blue Jackets, Hurricanes and Canucks, Islanders and Rangers, Sabres and Devils, Red Wings and Blues (what the—?), and Wild and Avalanche.

Hope you enjoyed being freaked out. Have a fantastic weekend!

Painted On

I think you guys know by now one thing I'm a fan of is concept designers putting the extra effort in and painting their designs onto player photos. It's the closest thing we'll get to seeing what these jerseys might look like on the ice without them actually being stitched together.

Tonight's post is all about that. I'm starting with my favorite of the bunch. Why don't the Canucks wear green? Why isn't there any green in their logo?

Here's a new idea for the Islanders. I like it better than their real jerseys, but that's just my opinion.

Imagine the Flames in a black jersey. (Not sure what's going on on the shoulder there.)

Frankly, anything with a flaming C on it disgusts me right now after the 9-6 stomping the Lightning received at the hands of the team they once defeated for a Stanley Cup championship. Or did we forget that part?

Sticking to Alberta, many Oilers fans have been praying for the day that their club returns to their original colors.

While I'm on the subject, apparently word has been floating around that the Oilers have designed a third jersey that's awaiting NHL approval and will be worn next fall. I'm sure everybody's looking forward to that. I'll be sure to post something when I have more information.

And finally, we have black for the Devils.

If you have comments, you know what to do.

Rebranding The Devils

Continuing his rebranding of the NHL, our friend Matt has taken a shot at the look of the New Jersey Devils. He emailed me these images to share with the rest of you.

If you want my opinion, the logos look fantastic, but I think the current primary works too well to throw out altogether. So my suggestion (which I feel like I've made before) would be to swap the primary and secondary marks. I think the secondary here is a great update of the classic Devils logo. I'm also a fan of the wordmark.

These jerseys are another great update, but I couldn't be more impressed by the alternate uniform. That one really grabbed me first. While overall not as impressive as some of his previous work, these are some very sharp designs.

By the way, Matt went ahead and painted his home jersey onto Martin Brodeur. And while I normally wouldn't post a photo of Brodeur on my blog without a puck in the goal net behind him, I'll make an exception here.

Like I said, great logo, but it seems like it belongs more to a minor league team on the front of the jersey. Those black jerseys are my favorite.

By the way, Matt wanted me to let everyone know that if you'd like to contact him directly about his work, feel free to email him at gfb_designs@yahoo.com. Otherwise, leave your comments below for all of us to read.

UPDATE (6:34 PM): Hey guys, due to popular demand, I'm introducing a small new feature. You can now access all of the rebranding concepts by Matt (aka GhettoFarmBoy) by clicking on the link under NHLToL Series in the sidebar. Or by clicking here. I'm considering creating an album solely for his work in the Concepts Gallery.

Devils Sneak Peek

I almost went all day without a new post, didn't I? My apologies for that. I was out of town all day and therefore away from my computer. I've been driving for most of the night so I don't have the wherewithal to write a lot right now. What I can offer is a sneak peek at Matt's rebranding of the New Jersey Devils. He emailed me a simple square to share with you all.

Apparently that's all we get for now. Expect to see his full designs some time soon.

Red & Black

We've got a color theme for this concept post. Check it out.

The most obvious place to start is the New Jersey Devils.

They both offer unique ideas for an alternate jersey. I don't think we'd really want to see the Devils in anything but red on a regular basis. Very interesting how these two different artists came up with something so similar yet so different.

But for something completely different, look no further.

That's a pretty scary logo. Looks like somebody's tattoo.

And here's a team you don't often associate with black.

The ironic part is the Ducks' template on a Red Wings jersey. Just so many things wrong with that. I know the Red Wings are sworn enemies of third jerseys, but I think they should try one out some day. Maybe not this design, though.

Another black and red team is the Ottawa Senators. Here's an example of what they shouldn't do with a third jersey. Ever. And here's another.

Now here's something that would work — even as a full-time road jersey. This 2D Senators logo is quite possibly better than the primary. It's unfortunate it's nowhere to be seen on their uniforms. Rumor was that it would be featured on various bits of team merchandise. If anybody owns anything with that logo, send me some photos.

And while we're on the topic of doctored photos of jerseys, more and more I'm in favor of the black/red/silver color scheme for the Buffalo Sabres — who are presently being conquered by my Lightning (that goes out to all my email hecklers).

Yeah, it's true. My Sabres-fan readers have taken to email trash talk. Well we'll just see how that goes, won't we? It's 2-0, not five minutes into the second period. Hope you're watching.

UPDATE (9:33 PM): Sadly, I may have spoken too soon with regard to the game. It's now tied.

UPDATE (10/28 8:17 AM): Stupid overtime.

Poll: Devils Franchise Logos

SCOUTS	ROCKIES	DEVILS

Place your vote and then feel free to leave a comment as to how you came to your decision. Tell all your friends to drop in and vote! The more voices heard, the more accurate the results!

Poll opening date Fri Oct 26

Poll closing date Tue Oct 30

07BONRF | RFNJD