I've opted to be lazy today. I have concept art but it's all in one graphic. One reader has redesigned the uniforms and logos of every single team in the NHL. Some of them are great... but some of them are terrible. I'll leave it up to you to decide what's what.
Comment away! Another edition of Wallpaper Wednesday comes tomorrow.
Yeah and I have about that many concepts for the Minnesota Wild tonight. After I posted the news about what their new third jersey will look like, my inbox was inundated with fan created designs. So naturally I have a bunch to share.
The one on the left is an odd combination of Wild and North Stars that doesn't completely suck. Sure, it's weird and you'll never see it on a jersey, but look at that thing. Crazy. Of course on the right is a simple green sweater from Jacob at We're Revolting!
Here's an interesting one.
I think MINN is just weird but then I'm not from there so I don't get to have a say. What do you think of a wheat-colored design?
Here's an odd set, taking a page out of the Dallas Stars' book. Funny how that works.
Still got a few more to share. The one on the left could work as a couple of options for a third jersey or a completely new home and away set.
On the right is a wheat-colored version of the current red home sweater. And we'll finish things off on the same tack, only going the green route instead.
The last one just has a different striping pattern.
My thanks go out to everyone who's been submitting artwork. You guys are the reason I continue to have content for this blog on a daily basis. Keep them coming. I tend to post the best stuff sooner rather than later so really put your heart into it!
Two weeks have elapsed since the last Freak Out Friday, so right on time it's here again. And oddly enough, we're starting where we started last time — with the clubs from New York.
I think that needs no explanation. And sticking with NY for a moment, check out this Buffalo Sabres logo concept.
Yeah it takes a minute to really realize what you're seeing. At first you're thinking, "yeah, that classic '70s logo... but wait, something is a little off about it — aside from the buffalo being yellow, that is." Oh that's it! It has a slug head.
And just when you thought the Sabres hadn't been through enough for one Freak Out post, just wait for this.
Perhaps if the Bills played hockey... No, just no. And while we're on the topic of odd jerseys, we have another.
I believe we've seen something of this nature before, but it's still funny to me.
Now we're heading out west for the rest of the post — starting with a very strange Vancouver Canucks concept logo.
The whale is diving into the "C" ... get it? (Say it out loud if you haven't gotten it yet.)
And with the QMJHL logo tournament in full swing over at ToHL, a reader sent me this logo crossing the Rimouski Oceanic with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Finally, on a completely different tack, someone has not only created a brand for a team, they've created a brand new team. I'm told the Florida Panthers should move to Seattle to become the Totems.
Now I'm no fan of the stinkin' Panthers but if this is the only option, I can't say I'd wholeheartedly support it. The design comes complete with jerseys and everything.
So keep your freaky artwork coming so I can keep this series going. Check back in two weeks for the next Freak Out Friday.
Oh, and to anyone out there who doesn't believe in the evil powers of Friday the 13th, consider this: Tim Russert dropped dead in the NBC newsroom today, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake rattled Japan, Iowa is under water and a tornado just tore off a bunch of roofs and wiped out a Wal-Mart down here in my part of Florida.
Yeah, but that Wal-Mart had it coming.
Just when you thought things couldn't get better, what with the Wallpaper Wednesdays kicking off today, I have concept logos. And some really great ones too. And since we did the West yesterday, today we're sticking to the East. Dare I say it, some of them even rise to level of Matt's work.
We're starting with the New York Rangers. And before you balk at the notion of rebranding a member of the Original Six, just give it a chance.
If you've been reading this blog a while, you know how much I love the Lady Liberty logo for the Rangers. Here are the uniforms to go with that logo set.
These work exceptionally well and I think that's hard to deny. Now I could go on and on about the quality of this artwork, but I'm more interested in reading what you guys have to say, so comment below.
But first, let's move on to the Ottawa Senators.
It's like a Hulked up version of the new alternate logo. Scary. Very scary.
Got a couple more neat designs before I call it a night, including a secondary logo for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Or who knows, maybe it would even work as a primary. But I'm smart enough to know you guys don't like messing with tradition.
Then this here is just a Philadelphia Flyers logo incorporating the Liberty Bell.
So we begin and end with "liberty" today, apparently. Weird. Totally unintentional. Seriously though, drop us a line. I really want to read what you guys think of these logos, especially the Rangers. (Take a close look at that secondary mark.)
I hope to have more for you tomorrow.
As I've mentioned, today I'm launching a new series called Wallpaper Wednesday. In the middle of each week, I'll be showcasing some of the best desktop background artwork that's made its way to my inbox. I've already posted a few wallpapers over the last few days and one of the first was a great Bruins design.
It was created by a reader named Patrick, who is continuing a series based on the original. I've already posted the Oilers and today we have a couple of new ones. First, the Sabres.
I'm sure you Sabres fans love that he used your classic emblem. Also, the Flyers.
Now based on the recent poll, we know that the team with the largest percentage fan base visiting NHLToL is the Vancouver Canucks. So naturally, they've got to be included here. And I really like this wallpaper.
It's designed for a widescreen display yet at the same time compatible with standard screens. To those of you submitting wallpapers, I (and many others) would be forever grateful if you could work with this in mind.
This Thrashers wallpaper is also designed for widescreen, except in this case it's not completely compatible with standard monitors because of where the NHL logo is placed in the corner.
Finally, this one is absolutely stellar and while the focus isn't a logo, I can't pass up the chance to post it.
That's all for this week. If you sent something and I haven't posted it yet, don't worry, I'll get to it eventually. Thanks to everyone who has submitted!
Concept art! We're sticking to the western conference for this one.
The same designer who created this logo for the New Jersey Devils has a few ideas for the Nashville Predators.
That's just cool.
And I have nothing bad to say about this one either. I love getting work from talented artists. Just makes the mind wander.
Next up is an idea for a hybrid Phoenix Coyotes logo.
Hadn't considered that before. Also a Los Angeles Kings concept.
Resist the urge to start in with the comments about Sacramento of the NBA. We know.
Lastly, I thought we'd finish up with another wallpaper. Tomorrow will be the big day though — the official start of Wallpaper Wednesdays. You guys liked the Boston Bruins wallpaper so much, the designer's made one for the Oilers as well.
This might also be a good time to drop a hint that the new Icethetics name will be taking over very soon.
I always like getting interesting emails from readers and I got yet another one today. This guy created an NHL "fan base map" to, I suppose, indicate where the followers of each club are geographically located.
It's different and I thought it was kind of cool.
The map doesn't indicate percentage comparisons in numbers of fans or anything like that, but rather it suggests that the majority of NHL fans in the colored areas might be fans of those teams. I just thought it was something funny and worth sharing.
Don't forget to vote on the final poll of the NHL Tournament of Goalie Masks this week! Luongo vs. Turco!
If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you're more than well aware of my aversion to the logo and uniforms of the Chicago Blackhawks. Now it's not that I just dislike them, it's that they're consistently billed as being the best logo/uniform combination in the NHL.
Yet no one has ever supplied a good reason!
I like their uniform design just find but I think their logo is old-fashioned — and not in the good way like the Canadiens. Even the Bruins had the sense to keep their look updated without kissing tradition goodbye.
To that end, I got an email this past week with a great logo set I can't help but feel is an improvement.
There are also jerseys — same design, just with the new logos.
Feel free to tell me I'm wrong and that the 'Hawks should change nothing, but know that I've heard it all before. And if you're among those who believe Chicago has the best look in the league, allow me to challenge you to explain. My position is that they are solid. They're not horrible, but how are they the best?
By the way, when redesigning the look of one of the league's oldest and most storied franchises, here's something to avoid.
Get ready. Monday's coming.
All right, this is new for me but I'm going themeless today. There's no underlying theme that ties all of these designs together. They're simply the ones I chose to post today.
First up are the Carolina Hurricanes.
Here we have a couple of different designs. They have their similarities but overall are nothing like each other. I like the one with the red shoulders better.
Also a pretty sharp Phoenix Coyotes concept was recently submitted.
Consider me a fan. I've been starting to see that is it possible to use the PHX logo on the front of the jersey. Didn't think it would look good at first.
That looks cool too. I especially like the non-traditional sand color for the sweater.
Finally, we're going all retro on you with these Los Angeles Kings jersey designs.
The yellow one makes me laugh and laugh. But shockingly, none of them suck. Maybe even the Kings have a potentially good alternate in their future.
Time will tell. Hope you enjoyed today's crop. Keep sending in your work and I'll keep posting it.
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.)
Tuesday · Jun 17 · 2008 | 2:55 PM PDT