Rbk EDGE Review: Stars

Part 27 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

Dallas Stars

New Uniforms

Old Uniforms

The Unveiling
Friday, September 14. The Stars unveiled their jerseys at a fan event in Dallas.

Home vs. Road
Home: Black. Road: White. The two sweaters are similar in striping pattern only, but are otherwise very different.

The black home jerseys feature two thin white-gold stripes with a wide gap between them around the elbows. The word "DALLAS" is white letters with gold trim is arched above the player's sweater number on the chest. The primary logo is featured as a shoulder patch. The collar is white with black trim on the inside.

The white road jerseys feature two thin green-gold stripes with a wide gap between them around the elbows. Gold-green trim wraps around the waist at the very bottom of the sweater. The secondary logo is featured as a shoulder patch. The collar is green with gold trim on the inside and the primary logo serves as the crest.

In The Details
The Stars are one of a handful of teams with crests differing between the home and road sweaters. They also join the Rangers as the only teams to have a jersey without a logo on the front. The same numbering and lettering style has been retained.

New & Old
The new uniforms have been designed completely different from the old ones. The star shape that spanned the entire sweater is now gone and there isn't even a logo on the dark jersey — which is now almost completely black instead of green.

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

NHLToL Editorial by Chris
First off, kudos to the Stars for trying something unique. The black jerseys look simply amazing. While I wouldn't want it to become a league-wide trend, the large number on the front gives the sweaters a great classic feel. However, I'm not as much a fan of the white jerseys. One thing this team missed the boat on was the striping. The stripes are way too thin and do not stand out like they should. To sum up, the minimalist design, I feel, works well on the black jerseys, but not so much on the whites. Still, I feel like it's overall a very nice uniform. 4/5

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Just To Freak You Out XI

Finally! I know I failed you guys yesterday in that Freak Out Friday never came to pass. But perhaps you'll allow me to get away with a Freak Out Saturday. The Everblades game aside, yesterday was a very busy day for me. Not to mention Blogger has been having issues with image uploading, an important piece of this puzzle. Anyway, here goes.

We'll kick things off with the team whose logo was named the champion here at NHLToL — the Montreal Canadiens. Some very strange artwork has made its way to my inbox — and now to your computer screen.

The concept on the left makes use of a little-known logo that the Habs wore back in 1910, prior to the formation of the NHL. As you can see it's on a Thrashers home jersey, which is weird, for more reasons than the light blue. The one on on the right is just as intriguing if not more so. It's a half maple leaf, half fleur-de-lis. And check out the Flames-influenced shoulder patches. The 100-year logo at the bottom is what puts it over the top. Well, then there's that logo of course. And the team name above it.

There just aren't any words for that. Nightmares.

Speaking of nightmares, the Nashville Predators have been trying to get more folks in the building this season so as to avoid something like this from happening.

Somebody really wants a hockey team in Hamilton? Raise your hand if you think that's going to happen. Now keep your hand up if you think they'd wear a jersey like this. Put your hand down. You're looking at a computer screen.

Before I leave Canada, I just got this one emailed to me today. It may be a little harsh that I'm sticking it in the Freak Out post, but it scares me just a little.

I realize I suggested attempting to work Alberta into the logo, but I'm not sure this is the winner. I do like the wordmark part (not as a primary!), but the province is weighing the whole thing down on the left side.

Wow I just had a weird visual. Imagine going on one of those insane diet pills. Maybe they get the formula wrong and you only lose weight on your right side. Sorry, just freaked myself out there. What's going on with me tonight?

Anyway, I know the new Washington Capitals secondary logo has been a big hit, but here's exactly how not to use it.

That's so bad I almost want to see what it would look like on a player. Damn.

Since we're on the subject of really bad, we'll top things off tonight with my team.

I was seriously considering posting this and trying to make you guys guess what team this logo concept was designed for, but I'm not sure you'd ever figure it out. I think the secondary logo is meant to resemble the state flag of Florida. Hmm. But as for the primary, I have no clue what's going on there. However, I have woken up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat with this as the last visual in my brain.

As we inch ever closer to Halloween, the freak-outs seem to be getting more freaky. Thanks to everyone who's sent in work!

And if you have any of your own or have spotted anything crazy out there on the web, feel free to email it to me at nhllogos@gmail.com and I may make it part of next week's Freak Out Friday. (And I plan to actually post it on Friday this time.)

Rbk EDGE Review: Flyers

Part 26 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

Philadelphia Flyers

New Uniforms

Old Uniforms

The Unveiling
Friday, September 14. The Flyers unveiled their jerseys to fans at Virtua Health Flyers Skate Zone in Philadelphia in a joint event with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL.

Home vs. Road
Home: Black. Road: White. The two sweaters are essentially mirror images of each other.

The black home jerseys feature white a white shoulder yoke with orange trim that extends almost to the elbow. The elbow is wrapped in a panel of orange which tapers to a point above the elbow. Orange piping wraps around the wrists. The collar is black and the primary logo serves as the crest.

The white road jerseys feature white an orange shoulder yoke with black trim that extends almost to the elbow. The elbow is wrapped in a panel of white which tapers to a point above the elbow. Below the elbow, the sleeve is black down to the wrists, which are wrapped in orange piping. The collar is black and the primary logo serves as the crest.

In The Details
The same numbering and lettering style has been retained.

New & Old
The sleeve pattern differs greatly on the new uniforms. The likelihood is that the cut of the Rbk EDGE sweaters isn't conducive to the style the Flyers have worn for 40 years.

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

NHLToL Editorial by Chris
The Flyers have always had a solid sweater. There really isn't much to complain about. It's one of those classics. Even though the old sleeve pattern didn't seem to work on the EDGE jerseys, I'm not bothered at all by the new style. I will say I like the old one better, but nothing is really taken away here. I'm not entirely sure what they were thinking when it comes to the elbow panel, however. That has me thrown a bit. One thing I have noticed with the lack of horizontal striping, especially on teams wearing black, the jersey and pants tend to run together. I don't know, I guess I'm just used to the contrast. I don't love it. I don't hate it. It just falls somewhere in the middle for me. 3/5

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Rbk EDGE Review: Canucks

Part 25 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

Vancouver Canucks

New Uniforms

Old Uniforms

The Unveiling
Wednesday, August 29. The Canucks unveiled their jerseys to fans at GM Place in Vancouver.

Home vs. Road
Home: Blue. Road: White. The two sweaters are essentially mirror images of each other and both feature a secondary logo patches on both shoulders.

The blue home jerseys feature white-green-white stripes around the elbows and waist. The collar is white with blue trim on the inside. White text spelling out "VANCOUVER" is arched above the primary logo which serves as the crest.

The white road jerseys feature spaced blue-green-blue stripes around the elbows and waist. The blue on the sleeve beneath the green stripe extends all the way down the cuff. The collar is white with blue trim on the inside. Blue text spelling out "VANCOUVER" is arched above the primary logo which serves as the crest.

In The Details
The primary logo's coloring is slightly altered between the two jerseys. On the blue, the ice beneath the whale is white, while it's blue on the white jersey. The dark blue seen in the logo is featured nowhere else on the jersey itself. The stick-in-rink secondary logo featured on the shoulders is a modernized version of the classic crest worn in the 1970s. A new numbering and lettering style has been introduced.

New & Old
The most significant difference is the return to the team's traditional colors of green and blue along with the addition of the city name to the front of the sweater. The striping pattern is also completely different. The Canucks were going for a revamped look for this season and they achieved their goal.

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

NHLToL Editorial by Chris
All right, I'll come right out and say it. The Canucks hit it right on the mark with these sweaters. I hardly have a single complaint to lodge against them — realizing I'm in the minority by saying so. The colors are brilliant! The logos are improved. And they look great on the ice. While it's not my favorite element of the jersey, I'm not totally opposed to the wordmark above the crest, either. So it's not perfect, but it certainly has its redeeming qualities. I cannot get over the colors. Best color combination in the NHL if you ask me. (Well, second-best to the Lightning, really.) Color me impressed. 5/5

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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!

Some Simple Fixes

Here's the post I was trying unsuccessfully to bring you yesterday. In going through all the concept art you folks have sent, I've found some interesting stuff. These are some simple ways of fixing the Canucks' and Maple Leafs' jerseys — both of which have been met with distaste from fans.

For the Vancouver Canucks, the biggest complaint seems to be the city name above the crest. This concept suggests removing that and simply reverting to the striping pattern of the old days — just with the new logos. I can't say I hate it. Though I figure myself as an oddball in all of this as I really like Vancouver's new sweaters.

One new sweater set that struck me as a little too plain is that of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The lack of striping leaves us wanting more, I think.

This simple concept suggest striping at the waist and piping around the shoulders. While the shoulder piping has not impressed me much, I think it can work a jersey where not much is going on — perfect example.

I'd be curious to see what it would look like on the ice, but that curiosity will never be satisfied. In the meantime, we can only ponder what might have been and keep shouting our suggestions into the wind. Anyway, concepts are fun. What do you guys think of these?

Rbk EDGE Review: Penguins

Part 24 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

Pittsburgh Penguins

New Uniforms

Old Uniforms

The Unveiling
Wednesday, September 5. The Penguins unveiled their jerseys to fans at the Galleria at Pittsbrugh Mills. Several players, including Maxime Talbot, were on hand to model the new uniforms.

Home vs. Road
Home: Black. Road: White. The two sweaters are essentially mirror images of each other and both feature a specialty patch on the right shoulder.

The black home jerseys have a gold panel on the elbows. The underside of the sleeves are white extending the length. There is gold side paneling toward the back of the sweater. The collar is black and primary logo serves as the crest.

The white road jerseys have a gold panel on the elbows. The underside of the sleeves are black extending the length. There is gold side paneling toward the back of the sweater. The collar is black and primary logo serves as the crest.

In The Details
The patch on the right shoulder reads "Pittsburgh 250" in honor of the city's 250th anniversary. It will only be worn this season. The numbering and lettering style has been retained.

New & Old
The striping on the new jerseys has been altered significantly. The slanted stripes at the corners of the sweater are gone as well as the stripes on the sleeves. They've been replaced with unique sleeve paneling which meshes with fabric paneling of the sweater itself. Most notably, however, is the elimination of the secondary logo from the shoulders.

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

NHLToL Editorial by Chris
These are very plain jerseys. I think the Penguins had it right on the money before, but it would seem this is a case where Reebok missed the mark. I'm not saying there was a lot going on with the old jerseys but the design was very appropriate, especially to the logo. That's not really the case anymore. In fact, the striping pattern is almost identical to what the Senators are wearing (more on that later). That being said, it's still a very nice jersey. It doesn't knock my socks off, but it's a solid effort that shouldn't be tossed aside. 3/5

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Buy your new Penguins jersey!

Rbk EDGE Review: Islanders

Part 23 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 York Islanders

New Uniforms

Old Uniforms

The Unveiling
Thursday, August 16. The Islanders unveiled their jerseys via their official web site.

Home vs. Road
Home: Blue. Road: White. The two sweaters are essentially mirror images of each other and both feature a specialty patch on the right shoulder.

The blue home jerseys feature orange sleeves with a thick blue stripe around the elbows and a thinner white stripe beneath it. White piping wraps around the shoulders and a white-orange stripe wraps around the waist. The collar and laces are orange and the primary logo serves as the crest.

The white road jerseys feature orange sleeves with a thick blue stripe around the elbows and a thinner white stripe beneath it. Blue piping wraps around the shoulders and a blue-orange stripe wraps around the waist. The collar and laces are blue and the primary logo serves as the crest.

In The Details
The patch on the right shoulder features four stripes signify each of the Stanley Cup championship the Islanders have won. The numbering and lettering style have been slightly altered.

New & Old
The biggest difference between the new and old jerseys is the sleeve design as well as the numbers on the front.

Standard FAQ
Numbers on the front? Yes.
Laces at the collar? Yes.

NHLToL Editorial by Chris
It's interesting to me the number of teams whose new jerseys have been improvements as much as not. For me, the Islanders are running on the negative side. The shoulder piping, by and large, is not a big plus on this uniform, as was the case with the Hurricanes. It seems like if teams are going to do that, they need to recolor the shoulder yoke at the same time. Furthermore, the redesigned sleeves are are also not working and the addition of the number on the front only adds to the busy look of the jersey. It's not horrible, as it has managed to retain some of the elements of the great old jerseys, but it could certainly use some more work. 2/5

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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.

Rbk EDGE Review: Sharks

Part 22 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

San Jose Sharks

New Uniforms

Old Uniforms

The Unveiling
Monday, September 17. The Sharks unveiled their jerseys almost two months after unveiling their new logo. Pictures were released via their official web site.

Home vs. Road
Home: Teal. Road: White. The two sweaters are essentially mirror images of each other and both feature secondary logo patches on the shoulders.

The teal home jerseys feature a black shoulder yoke with white trim. White-orange-black-orange-white stripes wrap around the elbows and waist. The collar is white, with orange-black trim inside and the primary logo serves as the crest.

The white road jerseys feature a teal shoulder yoke with black trim. Black-orange-teal-orange-black stripes wrap around the elbows and waist. The collar is black, with orange-teal trim inside and the primary logo serves as the crest.

In The Details
The shoulder patches feature a full-bodied version of the shark featured in the primary logo sans the triangle. A new, more traditional numbering and lettering style has been introduced.

New & Old
Not only was a new logo introduced, but sweeping changes were made to the uniforms. They are almost completely different from the old sweaters.

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

NHLToL Editorial by Chris
In a shocking twist, the Sharks ended up with one of the most traditional-looking sweaters of the new crop. I say that in reference to the striping and not the new-fangled sweater numbers on the front of the jersey — which I happen to like. I know, hang me now. Anyway, this isn't to say I wasn't a fan of the old jerseys. The Sharks have definitely been among the best-looking teams on the ice over the last decade, but numbers and especially names were often illegible on those sweaters. That's been rectified here. And the rust-flavored orange is a welcome splash of color to the jerseys. Quite possibly my favorite element is the use of the new shield logo on the pants. Overall, I'm impressed by the direction San Jose has gone. 4/5

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Buy your new Sharks jersey!