Photographic Tinkering

Amidst all the artwork I get on a daily basis, I occasionally get digitally retouched photos that I would consider to be cool concept art. So that's what this post is about.

We all know the Vancouver Canucks made an odd move by not including the dark blue of the logo in the jersey. Just as the green from the jersey isn't included in the logo. Here's something I hadn't noticed.

Despite there being black in the Coyotes logo, there's no black in the jersey. This concept was designed, I'm guessing, to give us an idea of what Phoenix would look like with a little black in their sweaters.

If you ask me, there's a third jersey right there. The dark one, at least. It's weird on the sleeves, though. Doesn't really work with the striping. But I don't mind it at the bottom of the jersey. Same as how it looks pretty sharp on the shoulders as well.

Overall, a winner. Nice work by the artist.

Uh-oh. I'm about to talk about the Canucks. Somebody's gonna have something to say about that. Anyway, this one here simply suggests a higher contrast shoulder logo for the home sweaters. The original '70s logo did have a white rink on the dark jersey, but the new one seems to come in only one form.

A little unusual but it doesn't really bother me. I could live with it either way. Though it sure stands out more in white. Just an observation.

And this one isn't so much about redesigning jerseys or logos as much as somebody spent a lot of time on it and I can't see denying them.

Of course we know Vesa Toskala minds the net for the Toronto Maple Leafs. But what if he did so for the New Jersey Devils?

Thing is almost flawless. We can play that Sunday comics game with it. Can you spot the differences. Or more appropriately, can you spot the missed changes. I have to tell you, there aren't many. And I've been staring at it for a while.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed that. Kudos go out to the artists. It's one thing to draw elements on a blank jersey template. It's another to doctor up photographs like this.

Remember, if you've got anything you think might be worthy of posting, please email it to me. I'd love to take a look.

Fan Art For Sabres, Devils

Got some good stuff to share today. We'll start with some improvements on a Buffalo Sabres concept logo I posted over the weekend.

The logo has been altered slightly and overall looks much better. The response to this over the weekend, however, has me concerned for a number of Sabres fans who won't even attempt to accept this logo in any way. I think this is better because it hides the fact that the buffalo has no legs — the primary reason for its being dubbed the "slug."

So I pose this question. A lot of people around the league have responded negatively to the use of the giant text on the front of the Vancouver Canucks' sweater. Would you guys (Sabres fans) still want to go back to the '70s logo if it meant having the name of your city floating above it?

Which element is more important to you? I'm curious to read your responses so please comment!

Next is a concept I came across recently for the New Jersey Devils. It toys with the idea of an alternate logo — though we all know Lou Lamoriello would never have it.

I think it's really cool but I'm not sure a change like this is required. I do think that black jersey would be interesting though, perhaps has an alternate in the future?

The same designer also came up with another logo concept.

The current one is definitely better.

Leave your reactions to these concept designs below if the spirit compels you. I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Odd Art, Part I

Do you know how much I love my multi-part series? As much as I write them, how could you not?

Anyway, I'm looking at stuff that borders on being worthy of a Freak Out Friday. Unfortunately, it's not quite there but nor is it to the point where I'd want it to be taken seriously as far as that goes. Don't try and figure out what I just said. It's not worth it.

Let's move along. We'll start with the Atlanta Thrashers.

If anyone can work out what's going on here, I congratulate you. And fill the rest of us in, if you wouldn't mind.

Interesting choice going with the old unused Atlanta All-Star Game logo. I kind of like the head logo on its own. That way it doesn't look like the bird is stirring itself in a bowl. Yummy thrasher!

I wanted to let you look at this one before I explained it. It took me a minute, but if you stare at it for a very long time, you'll slowly begin to see the shape of the state of New Jersey appear in there somewhere. Oh yeah, it has horns and a tail. That's probably what's tripping you up. This was spawned along the lines of using state/province outlines in team logos.

Not sure how I feel about the placement of that number on the front, but I would someday like to see a black third jersey for the Devils. That would look pretty killer.

And finally, the Nashville Predators.

This is a very interesting color scheme. However, I think the only way you can really get away with limiting the colors is by first simplifying the logo itself. It's a very detailed mark and all of its colors do work in its favor. But then I've always like the Preds' logo the way it was. Crazy? Perhaps.

I'll have more where that came from tomorrow, if you're good. Eat your peas and don't stay up past your bedtime.

Reworking Some EDGE Jerseys

I've gotten some pretty decent artwork this week I feel like sharing today. We've got a handful of various Rbk EDGE jerseys that have been modified. I wouldn't necessarily categorize them as "fixes" but they're worth a look.

I actually like this one, but probably only because the elbow stripes go completely around the arm and don't stop inexplicably. But it could be anything.

It's a recolored Canucks jersey, obviously and the stripes aren't proportional to what the Oilers typically wear. Not that that's a bad thing entirely, but I'm not really a fan.

Otherwise, the Edmonton jersey's odd piping and lack of, well, anything visually appealing makes anything an improvement upon the present.

So it should be clear how I feel then.

Had to laugh at this one. Imagine the Devils reintroducing the green.

And then imagine them putting it on a Minnesota Wild jersey. It's definitely one of the more interesting concepts I've posted here. But it looks horrible if we're talking about the New Jersey Devils. That does not look like them at all.

I do like Christmas though. So maybe I can find a way to use this in my favor. It needs a Santa Claus logo on the front. I wonder what that would look like.

Then some minor league team could wear it as a specialty jersey for a holiday game.

This San Jose Sharks concept is only interesting because it does away entirely with the orange in the jersey. And I have to say, I don't really like it. I think the orange is all right. It really works.

I did like the old jerseys but I like that striping pattern better for those colors than this one. This one needs brighter colors.

This design also features dark cuffs that extend down from the elbow stripes vis-a-vis the Canucks' new duds.

Finally, it's the Dallas Stars we're going to take a look at. Their whole marketing thing was "black is the new green." But what if, as some of you believe, Reebok hadn't brainwashed team management into going all black with no logo?

Might it look like this?

It might. I actually like that a lot. But as one of you humorously stated — the NHL has banned jerseys that aren't white, black, red or blue this season. (And while you could argue the Sharks aren't blue, I'd argue that they're more on the blue side than the green side. Beside the point.)

I like the new Stars' uniforms the way they are and there's nothing wrong with that. But this isn't bad either. Perhaps something to consider for a future third jersey.

So now's your turn to tell me what you like and don't like. Leave me a comment.

We Like Concept Art

Yes, we do. And concept art loves us. First off I just want to thank everyone who sends in their cool and crazy work. I love opening my email everyday to see what surprises await me.

One such surprise was this New Jersey Devils uniform concept. If I'm to understand right, the logo seen here is one of the original designs that never made the final cut.

The Christmas colors don't work. If you want to see how to make green and red work together, see the Minnesota Wild.

Here's an interesting Nashville Predators design that was actually a little too good to be considered for the Friday Freak Outs.

I say "good," but not necessarily on the level of the NHL. If not as a Preds third jersey, I could totally see something like this passing in the AHL or ECHL. I like the white swipes across the sleeves. Need to find a different font for the wordmark, though. That one doesn't work.

And then I have this San Jose Sharks concept which I think I'm only posting because the orange seems to annoy Sharks fans to no end. And I like a little ribbing now and then.

I was going to try to say this isn't that bad of a design, but it really is. The teal works too well for the Sharks. No need to go playing up the orange when you already have the best color in hockey. I would like to see more silver come back though.

They need to bring that back. Moving right along now.

This Anaheim Ducks design is a bit of a mix between concepts I've posted here in the past. While this jersey looked great with the flying duck logo, I can't honestly say it looks horrible with this one. I know it's a Disney cartoon, but they do some of the best animation work in the world, so let's not knock them there. And despite the fact that they're similar to the Dallas Stars, I think these colors would serve the Ducks well. Maybe use the logo on a third jersey, though.

That's enough out of me. What do you guys thinks of these? Are they total duds or do they have some redeeming qualities?

Your Daily Dose Is Here

You know what this is. I've got today's concept art right here and there's a lot of it! And it's gonna be good. Mostly.

We'll start out with this Florida Panthers logo that caught my eye whilst I perused my inbox.

It's a sort of fusion between the primary and secondary logos that the designer said stemmed from an idea based off of the old Buffalo Sabres logo. But while that logo seemed to red "Buffalo Sabres" from top to bottom, this one seems to say "Panther Palm Trees."

No but seriously, it's very sharp. A little to detailed to ever see printed anywhere but here, but still nice.

What I'm concerned about is this logo. I'm certainly more a fan of the official VC logo introduced by the Vancouver Canucks last month. They introduced so many cool new logos, though. It's hard to like the orca on the crest anymore.

I got an email a while back, the source of which I cannot vouch for, that suggested the Canucks have planned to change their logo again in 2010 following the Olympics. This time they would feature Johnny Canuck as their primary symbol. I won't take a position on whether or not that has any validity, despite this logo just being introduced.

Anyway, perhaps a jersey may look something like this.

Although that V across the front of the jersey really scares me.

In other news, one of my things is that I feel like the New York Islander should make use of a lighthouse in their logo — if even just as a secondary. This concept borrows a recolored lighthouse logo from the mid-90s logo introduced as part of the "fish sticks" get up. That design wasn't all bad.

What I could live without is any changes to the New Jersey Devils' uniforms. I rated them a 5/5 in my review yesterday. Still, someone toyed with it a little.

That is something I feel would work for improving the Edmonton Oilers' sweaters, but not so much the Devils. Interesting as it is, I'd never want to see the Devils hit the ice in it.

Along those same lines is this item. The Hurricanes are just one of those teams that I cannot possibly envision in any colors but black, red and silver. I just can't do it.

So this whole Hartford Whalers thing has me thrown. It's just so unacceptable, you know? Or maybe it's just me. I often tend to go against the grain. You know this already if you're aware of my feelings regarding the Blackhawks' logo and uniforms.

And that about wraps things up. If you have any comments you'd like to share with the rest of the class, please do so by leaving a comment below. If you have any of your own artwork or have stumbled across someone else's that I haven't posted, feel free to email me.

Rbk EDGE Review: Devils

Part 4 of 30. All 30 NHL clubs have unveiled new jerseys under the new Rbk EDGE Uniform System for the 2007-08 season. Here at the NHLToL, we're going to review every one of them. Read up and then rate the new sweaters. We'll do a full ranking after completing all of the reviews.

Rbk EDGE Uniform System

New Jersey Devils

New Uniforms

Old Uniforms

The Unveiling
Thursday, September 13. Photos of various Devils players wearing the new sweaters began appearing on the team web site. No unveiling ceremony was held.

Home vs. Road
Home: Red. Road: White. The two sweaters essentially mirror each other in terms of overall design.

The red home jerseys feature white-black-white stripes around the elbows and waist with the black stripe being roughly twice the thickness of one white. The black shoulder yoke is squared and slightly curved at the ends. The black collar features a thin white stripe within. The primary mark is featured as the crest.

The white road jerseys feature red-black-red stripes around the elbows and waist with the black stripe being roughly twice the thickness of one red. The black shoulder yoke is squared and slightly curved at the ends. The black collar features a thin red stripe within. The primary mark is featured as the crest.

New & Old
There are no major differences. The design of the old sweater was merely adapted to the Rbk EDGE cut.

Standard FAQ
Numbers on the front? No.
Laces at the collar? No.

NHLToL Editorial by Chris
Given that the Devils have had one of the league's best uniforms since exchanging green for black 15 years ago, I'd say this would be among the last uniforms to need a change. I'm glad to see they didn't do any major alterations and that some of the more glaring EDGE elements (e.g.: piping) were left out of this design. The colors make the jersey simple and strong. A split-second look leaves you with no doubt that you are watching the New Jersey Devils. I can't think of a single thing that would improve it. 5/5

View the photo gallery

Buy your new Devils jersey!

Mailbag: Cats, Devils, Blues Concept Art

I have a bunch of concept designs to share with you all today. We'll start with the Florida Panthers.

This concept keeps the same uniform design while simplifying the primary logo to feature only the panther's head. I'm not a fan of the rounded elements, though. I think the sharp edges offered a fierceness that this logo lacks.

I was also emailed a couple of New Jersey Devils designs.

These concepts borrow from the AHL's Lowell Devils logo, relegating the current primary to the shoulder. Personally, I couldn't see the Devils converting to a minor league logo. That would just be strange.

And finally, someone emailed me some St. Louis Blues art. I've always wanted to see the Liberty Bell in a secondary logo for the Philadelphia Flyers. Along the same lines, I've also been curious to see the Gateway Arch as a secondary for the Blues. But not quite like this.

This design was suggested as a possible future third jersey. It needs a little yellow and some work on the logo, but it certainly has potential. Thoughts?

In Response

Sometimes when I post concept art, I'll make suggestions here or there that speak merely to my own personal preferences. It's cool that every once in a while, someone listens to my suggestions and gives them a shot.

Yesterday, I posted an Anaheim Ducks design I thought was pretty cool, suggesting that instead of gold, the alternate jersey in the set might be better suited for orange. Well today in my email I find that someone gave me what I asked for.

I guess it just proves that some of you out there are actually reading what I write. And I appreciate that.

Then, just last week I posted a neat logo concept somebody came up with for the New Jersey Devils. I suggested that it needed something behind it to tie it together better. Then I was emailed this shortly after.

Looks a lot better if you ask me.

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to thank you guys for reading and show you that I do in fact read all my email. By the way, if you've ever written to me and are still awaiting for a response, chances are my feeble memory has forgotten. Just keep bugging me. You can get a hold of me at nhllogos@gmail.com.

EDGE Hindering Players?

Interesting story from Tom Gulitti writing about a recent New Jersey Devils game where new Rbk EDGE jerseys torn in fights may have led to player injuries. I'll let you make your own judgments. You can find his post here.

September 17, 2007

Janssen injures shoulder

Enforcer Cam Janssen might have injured his shoulder tonight because of the league’s new Reebok Edge sweaters. His sweater ripped during his two first period fights with Philadelphia’s Jesse Boulerice. That might have helped Boulerice pull Janssen’s jersey over his head in both altercations and win both decisively. Arron Asham also had his sweater tear during his fight with Riley Cote.

"These new jerseys are supposed to make you faster, but what good are they if they tear that easily,” Mike Rupp said.

"The Devils did not say tonight which shoulder Janssen injured. He missed 12 games last season after dislocating his right shoulder in a fight with Anaheim’s George Parros.
David Clarkson (win over Jason Smith), Asham (loss to Cote) and Rupp (draw with Ben Eager) also fought for the Devils in the first period.

Odds and ends: No one wore the captain’s C or the alternates A’s for the Devils. Patrik Elias, who was captain last season, remained home with Dainius Zubrus, Brian Gionta, Paul Martin and Martin Brodeur…Although Vitaly Vishnevski had been practicing with Colin White, he was paired with Karel Rachunek tonight. White played with Johnny Oduya. The Devils’ AHL team lost, 3-2, to the Flyers’ AHLers Monday afternoon in Trenton.