Canucks, Here's How You Fix It

I'm starting another new series tonight — because you know I just love series. In "Here's How You Fix It," I'm going to post Rbk EDGE concept art designed by fans who feel their team's new uniforms are less than stellar. The reason I'm starting with the Vancouver Canucks is because of the sheer volume of work I've gotten for them.

So we'll start with the most conservative and work our way out.

The biggest complaint these jerseys have garnered since August 29 is about the text over the logo on the chest. Along with that is the fact that the logo and jersey colors don't match. The jersey has prominent green stripes yet there's not a hint of green in the logo. This design takes care of both of those problems, it's already so much improved.

Now I say that despite being among the less-vocal group that isn't bothered by the giant VANCOUVER across the chest. So, consider leaving that — we'll just add some green to it.

Either that or move the stick-in-the-rink logo to the crest. Also a good option because now it matches the design scheme of the jersey much better.

But back to the text. What say we dump the logo all together on one sweater and go the route of the mid-90s Pittsburgh Penguins.

But if that's a bit to liberal for your tastes, there's no reason we can't just leave the logo how it is and simply shrink the name of the city. Hell, even a couple of Vs around the elbow might be all right.

Now if you really want to go wild and crazy, among the new logos unveiled by the Canucks as part of their rebranding was the one you see featured on these sweaters.

To me, that is what a logo should be. I'd venture to say it's damn near perfect for this team. I recognize not everyone will agree but that's why you can never make everyone happy with these things. Half of everybody wants to relive the "good 'ol days" while the other half wants to unload a stale image. Personally, I think this makes for a pretty good mix but what do I know?

One thing to note is that the designs above have changed nearly everything but for the striping pattern on the jersey itself. So I'll share one more concept that toys with that.

It approaches the Montreal Canadiens a very small bit, but doesn't work because of the contrast between the top and bottom. You'd never be able to read the number on the back of the sweater. The nice thing this design makes use of is smaller text above the logo on the crest.

By the way, all of these designs and many more can be found in the Concepts Gallery.

What do you guys think? Would any of these be a good fix for the Canucks' Rbk EDGE jersey? Is it irreparably broken or is great just the way it is? Comment below.

Up next: Colorado Avalanche.

Design Help For Michigan Roller Hockey

Today I'm calling on all graphic designers. The roller hockey team at the University of Michigan is in need of some assistance. They're looking to redesign their uniforms and if you've got an eye for design, maybe you could help them out.

The VP of the club wrote this in his email to me.

I'm a student at the University of Michigan, and have become a fast fan of the Jersey Blog, and absolutely love the concept gallery.

I'm also the Vice President of the school's roller hockey club, and am in charge of the purchase of new jerseys. Unfortunately, the companies we are dealing with to get the jerseys haven't been great (One company presented us designs with an outrageous look that isn't traditional enough, another too boring, another wasn't even consistent with the school colors). Anyways, they don't want to re-pitch designs for free and are trying to charge us for any more development, which we can't justify.

This in mind, I was wondering if theres any way for me to get in contact with your concept community to try and work out some designs with me. I don't know how/if at all would be the best way to do that, and figured an e-mail to you couldn't hurt.

So basically, this is the perfect opportunity for those of you who like doing concept art to potentially see it realized. Here are the specifications of the design.

The most important images are the M, and the Seal. Also are Michigan's Ice Hockey jerseys. And the team colors are "Maize and Blue", with white being used as well.

The roller hockey uniforms, are slightly different than ice hockey, in that rather than a pant and socks, we have a pant that is a full pant (down to the skate).

We really like the tradition of having the seal on the shoulders, and either an M, or some sort of michigan text as the logo on the chest (Theres a few variations such as the script michigan, and the block text michigan). As for everything else, we are open.

We are looking for a traditional hockey look (Not a flashy roller hockey look or anything hideous like the RHI Jerseys), but really want something to differentiate our look from Michigan Ice Hockey. Its tough to define what we mean, which is why I guess its hard to get the design.

He sent along some images including logos for you all to work with.

These are the ice hockey team's jerseys.

Here are the school logos.

And finally, here's a sample template of the pants he was talking about.

You can email your design ideas to Ricky at michiganrollerhockey@gmail.com. If you send them along to me as well, they might even end up here on the blog. Good luck!

Just To Freak You Out VII

I've decided to make the Freak Out series into a weekly feature to be posted on Fridays from now on as long as crazy artwork keeps landing in my inbox. And man, do I have some stuff for you this week.

We'll begin with our friend Pfizer who's created mish-mash logos for the likes of the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders (check out the Freak Out series for those if you haven't yet). Now comes another shot at logo merging for the Los Angeles Kings.

For my money, it's not his best effort, but it makes me laugh no less. I'm a little disappointed he couldn't find a way to work in the current crown logo. But then it does feel a little thrown together. You have to admit, though, that king face is a great logo. Don't mess with that son of a bitch.

Meanwhile, I've got some completely new takes on a couple of team logos and uniforms. Imagine the Boston Bruins swapping out the yellow for red. Then imagine a cartoon bruin the likes of which might be owed money by Yogi Bear.

He's come to collect. Then imagine the Colorado Avalanche adopting a yeti for their primary mark. Might it frighteningly go a little something like this?

We should hope not. Lest ye bear the brunt of the abominable snowman's ever-clenched fist. And what's up with the upside-down feet on the shoulders?

Speaking of what-ifs, let's say the Kansas City Scouts were to make their glorious return to the NHL. Let's also say their return was marked by the uprooting of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yes, this design was made in the days when the Pens' future was uncertain. I point that out merely to explain its color usage.

If you enlarge the image, you can read the designer's explanations of the three logos, so I'll spare you the details here. What I will say is that I like Patch 2. I'm a big fan of city skylines in logos, though you don't see that a whole lot. What's cool about this one is the new Sprint Center being placed to look like a puck. Clever.

The horse's eyes are freaking me out, by the way.

This next image is probably best viewed while high. I don't condone drug use, but chances of one having an "experience" are rather great. See for yourself.

Someone with a good deal of free time and an inability (or not) to cure boredom came up with this. He basically recolored the Montreal Canadiens' logo in the colors of various teams around the league. Conspicuous is the absence of the Tampa Bay Lightning's colors. But I guess not everything is about the Lightning.

Now I want to show you some of the scariest things of all — because they're real! Okay zombies aren't real, but movies are real. A reader emailed me a production still from the new Resident Evil movie. One of the zombies appears to be wearing an old Nashville Predators sweater.

Talk about foreshadowing. That's not even right.

And finally, a reason for all those NHL fans out there bemoaning the arrival of the new Rbk EDGE jerseys to quiet themselves. It could have been so much worse. A fact proven by the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms.

AHL fans, continue your bemoaning. It's perfectly warranted.

Freak.

Out.

Updating The Wings

Yesterday I posted a great Florida Panthers rebranding concept and lots of you responded. I know one comment in particular asked about a Detroit Red Wings concept of similar quality. Well that reminded me of this logo I came across a while back. And I would contest that it's even of a higher quality than that Panthers' concept.

Before I talk about it any more, take a look at it.

It took me a second to even realize what I was looking at. It's just so different. One thing I've always thought about with regard to updating the Wings' logo was maybe using a more contemporary-looking wheel.

The current wheel is classic but dated — and as long as we keep making new cars, that will always be the case. But this thing just floors me.

First of all, the design itself is top-notch. I mean, don't get me wrong, I know nothing like this will ever don a Wings' sweater — not even a third jersey — but it's way cool to look at. Second, it definitely has a "now" sort of feel as opposed to something stuck in the 1950s.

My favorite thing about this logo is in the wings. At first glace, you may not have noticed, but hidden within them are an "R" and a "W" — standing for Red Wings, naturally.

Like I said, nothing like this would ever come to be accepted by hockey fans in Detroit, but it's fun to wonder.

If somebody wanted to create a concept uniform around this logo, I'd be open to posting it. In the meantime, what do you guys think of this? Worthy of a Detroit jersey? Or too crazy to ever make the cut?

40 Years Of Penguins

When the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they'd be unveiling their Rbk EDGE uniforms, they said the sweaters would feature a special shoulder patch. Many, myself included, speculated on a commemoration of the Pens' 40th year in Pittsburgh. In fact, what the team really had in mind was a much bigger number — a commemoration of Pittsburgh's 250th year as a city.

The patch has been "coined" the 250-cent piece in some circles. (Couldn't resist it.) But regarding that whole 40th anniversary thing, the Pens are celebrating this year their entry into the league along with the Kings, Stars, Flyers and Blues. So one fan came up with a concept logo.

It definitely feels like one of those old '90s commemorative patches, but hey, no one else seems to have come up with one. (Pens fans, correct me if I'm ignorant. Does the team have a 40th anniversary logo for marketing crap and such?)

Anyway, feel free to post your thoughts. We'd love to hear what you think. And if you have an idea for a 40th anniversary logo for the Pens or any of the other 1967 expansion clubs (hell, you could even do the Cleveland Barons/Oakland Seals if you wanted), feel free to send it along and I may even post it here on the blog.

Elusive Rangers Jersey Appears

Just so as to put the matter to rest, I thought I'd point out that the elusive New York Rangers Rbk EDGE jersey has now made its long-awaited appearance on the NHL.com Shop.

As a corollary to that, the Rangers have said on their web site that the new uniforms will be debuting in tonight's preseason game against the Devils.

I guess, technically that means today is the "official" unveiling of their new uniform. However, I'm still going to count July 26 as the date because they first released pictures on their web site that day — despite the fact that they were removed only hours later.

Anyway, all this nonsense is for nothing because they're exactly the same as they've always been, adapted to the Rbk EDGE style and cut. I say "exactly" but I should clarify before I get a horde of comments about how the letters create a narrower diagonal than before. I think it's hardly noticeable, but then I'm not a Rangers fan.

So it'll all be cleared up tonight and photos from the game will be available soon enough. And we're probably just about finished with Rbk EDGE news. It's kind of sad. I've gotten so used to it over the last few months.

Sizing Your New EDGE Jersey

Earlier, I posted photos of my new Lightning Rbk EDGE jersey that just got delivered to me today. Since then, I've been getting lots of questions about sizing. So here's what I know.

The Philadelphia Flyers have a great FAQ posted on their web site regarding the Rbk EDGE jerseys. Specifically, they have a sizing chart that seems like it would give you a decent idea of what size jersey to buy for yourself.

Basically, it suggests jersey size based on chest size. So wrap a tape measure around your chest or something and figure out which jersey is right for you.

Obviously, the numbers above are in inches. I didn't realize they had a sizing chart until after I'd purchased my jersey, but as it happens, my chest measures out to about 43 or 44 inches, meaning medium was the suggested size for me. And it worked out because, as I've said, my jersey fits me perfectly.

And might I add, if you do end up buying a jersey and feel like supporting NHLToL, click on one of my IceJerseys.com ads and place your order with them.

I'm going to add this information to my Rbk EDGE FAQ. Let me know if this works out for you guys. Good luck!

Rebranding The Panthers

We've seen some great work from this guy in the past. He's redesigned images for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins as well as the New York Islanders, Atlanta Thrashers, and Anaheim Ducks.

GhettoFarmBoy has now posted his Florida Panthers redesign. In this instance, however, his concept isn't so much a complete overhaul, as a rethinking of that which we already know.

He simply reworked the current primary logo a bit. Sharp work if not familiar. He basically simplified it in areas and added more curved lines to replace straight ones.

He kept the secondary logo, essentially, the way it was. Overall, though, the biggest issue I had with the logo was that the panther itself seemed a little cross-eyed compared with the old one. Others on the SportsLogos.net message board felt the same, so he reworked the eyes a bit.

A great improvement. The new eyes make the animal feel more cat-like.

The jersey designs are also pretty nice. Again, they still feel more familiar to me than anything else. Certainly an improvement, but not to the point that they're downright amazing the way his earlier Ducks redesign was.

I commend the work being done by this artist though. I think he has a real talent and it's a shame the NHL doesn't hire peole like him to handle uniform and logo designs. I think it would be a much better looking league if they did.

I should also point out that he's said his next "rebranding" will be the San Jose Sharks and that we should expect the New Jersey Devils soon as well.

Personally, I'm pulling for the Lightning, just to see what he comes up with.

Now the floor's open to you all. What do you guys think of this work?

Wash With Like Colors

Got an email today with some interesting photos. Now that all the Rbk EDGE jerseys have been unveiled, it seems like all we have left to do is nitpick. So here's something we didn't anticipate.

It looks a little like the red on Martin Gerber's Senators jersey running on the front?

It could just be the photo, but it sure looks strange to me. I hope it washes out or else he's going to go through a lot of sweaters this season. Just thought you all would enjoy that.

Thanks to Joel for the pictures!

My Jersey Has Arrived!

What kind of person would I be to spend months writing about the new Rbk EDGE jerseys and not purchase one myself? Well, in fact, I pre-ordered my new Tampa Bay Lightning jersey the very day they were unveiled. It was sitting in my mailbox when I got home this afternoon.

And here it is!

Let me just say that it is very nice.

It's just like all the pictures and things I've been recording all summer. Though to be fair, these pictures are my first real exclusive contribution to the blog. And here's a close-up of the new collar style.

It's so cool to finally own one. It's just a shame I probably won't make it to any games this season.

The only small thing that disappointed me a little about my replica is the shoulder logo. It's not embroidered, but is rather a faux leather-like piece that is stitched on. The good news is that nothing is ironed on.

Anyway, it's really cool and I'm wearing it to work tomorrow! Everyone should get a good laugh out of that.

UPDATE (2:25 PM): Some valid questions were asked in the comments regarding how my new jersey fits. So this picture to the left shows you.

I'm about 5'11" and pretty thin. I ordered a medium jersey and it fits perfectly, as you can see. I couldn't be more thrilled with that.

Like most people, I wasn't sure what size to order at first, but I figured I could exchange it if I absolutely had to. And medium seemed like a smart choice.

So there you go. Probably go with a large if you're taller or just like a jersey that's a little bigger.

Let me know if you guys have any other questions about it. Now that I own my own jersey, I can actually answer them.