Some Unconfirmed Third Jersey News

I got an email earlier in the week that I was unable to post until now. It was from a reader who wrote in that a Reebok representative has apparently confirmed which teams will be wearing third jerseys next season. I'll say right off that neither I nor this reader can completely vouch for the veracity of this information, but having said that, I see no reason not to put it out there anyway as mere speculation.

The list includes the Sabres, Oilers, Flyers and Blues, which we've already heard rumors about. However, it doesn't include the Penguins who are apparently looking to don the retro jerseys they wore at the Winter Classic.

The rest of the list shapes up like this, in alphabetical order:

• Atlanta Thrashers


• Boston Bruins


• Carolina Hurricanes


• Chicago Blackhawks


• Dallas Stars


• Los Angeles Kings


• Minnesota Wild


• New York Islanders


• Ottawa Senators


• Phoenix Coyotes


• San Jose Sharks


• Tampa Bay Lightning


• Toronto Maple Leafs


• Vancouver Canucks

From that list, all but four had third jerseys last season. One would assume most of them would stay the same.

Boston, Toronto and Vancouver wore retro threads. An obvious choice to keep. Vancouver switched back to their original colors this season. However, the introduction of a new Johnny Canuck logo leads me to wonder whether they might head in that direction for an eventual discontinuation of the whale altogether. But that may just be wishful thinking.

Chicago, San Jose and Ottawa simply wore black versions of their standard jerseys. Seems to me they'd probably do something similar with new thirds. Also, Carolina has never had a third but black seems like a smart option. And since introducing their new colors and logo, the Coyotes have yet to try out a third. But if they do, you might see it in black as well.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Kings and Islanders stick with last year's thirds. They utilized different colors, and a different logo in Los Angeles' case. Minnesota made their red third into their regular home sweater this year but the green may well make a comeback if they go with an alternate.

Dallas' most recent attempt at a third left a lot to be desired so we might see something completely different for them. Or we might just see a green jersey with "STARS" written across it in white. Also, Atlanta recently converted its original third to the current home jersey, so I'm not sure what to expect from them. Perhaps something in dark blue reminiscent of their early days?

And finally, there's my Lightning. Very few people liked Tampa Bay's blue third with rain drops, waves and lightning bolts on the arms from the late '90s. I was one of them. But I wouldn't expect to see anything like that if we do end up with an alternate next year. I would expect to see a nice blue sweater though.

Enjoy the speculation. As hard facts become available, you can count on me to have them posted right here at NHLToL.

So if you guys want to start coming up with concepts of what you think next year's crop of third jerseys might look like, go for it! Email them to me and they may well find their way onto the blog.

Finally, Some Concept Art

I really feel bad for having gone so long without a concept art post. It's not as if I didn't have anything on deck, either. A friend of mine would say if I really felt bad, I'd stop doing it. I just wish I had more time to dedicate to the blog the way I did over the summer when most of you started visiting.

But it's a tough job, finding the time to add new content daily and I just want you guys to know I'm giving it my best. I'm lucky to get polls up every day so I just wanted to say I appreciate your understanding. And eventually I know I skipped the Freak Out Friday last week (we should have one this week) and I will update the bracket as soon as I have a chance. (By the way, keep the emails coming. It's the only way I know whether anyone is still interested in the site.)

Anyway, I have some fan made logo and jersey designs to share from my inbox. Allow me to take you on a trip to California in what will be one of the longest concept posts in a very long time.

I wanted to start with something really well-designed. As part of what I understand to be a school project, this designer painstakingly created an entire identity for the Anaheim Ducks — whose current logo was, to my surprise, eliminated from competition in the first round of the Quest for the Worst.

At least tell me you guys would vote this one down.

But while I mock the current logo, it does have its redeeming qualities. For instance, a simple improvement would simple call for a dropping of the "UCKS." As such.

My favorite logo still has to be this one, though.

One of a kind, I tell you. Obviously, they would've looked so much better raising the Cup in that sweater.

Now let's head to L.A. where we've got a couple of options. The first one keeps the colors while simplifying the uniforms.

The second suggests switching the silver to gold and toying with past logo designs.

I know you guys tend to mock it, but I love that king logo. I love everything about that logo! Especially it's subtle asymmetry. But for what it's worth I hated the jerseys it was worn on. Yes, they were different and interesting, but at some point you have to realize you've got a gray gradient wrapped around your jersey. And then it just get weird.

Speaking of weird, I could never understand why the San Jose Sharks unveiled a "full shark" logo and consigned it to the shoulders. My feeling is you put it front and center.

Then you take the new fin logo and put that on the shoulders, which this artists did not do. And staying on the weird tack, check out this blue jersey.

Yeah, it didn't work for the Bruins. It certainly doesn't work for the Sharks. Consider the effort applauded, but really, no.

However, this brings up a good point. In the digital age, the hue is often mistranslated and sometimes the Sharks look like they're we're a greenish teal and sometimes they don't. What about a complete switch to blue?

Now for a little something out of left field. A lot of folks bemoaned the introduction of orange but few have even considered letting go of the teal. Until now.

Notice too how the diamond-shaped fin logo appears on the shoulders of these sweaters. I like it but it's very lackluster in the color department. Maybe some teal accents or something to go along with that orange. I don't know.

Anyway, I thought we had a nice Californian crop of artwork tonight. As always, I welcome your thoughts below in the comments.

Just To Freak You Out XXIV

Can you believe yet another Friday is already upon us? I've had a long day (which began with me waking up at 1 AM) so forgive me if I make this a quick one. Just trying to freak you out a little.

Last week's theme was crazy logos. This week's theme is crazy jerseys. For instance, what if when the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver, they opted not to change their name or logo — just their colors?

Yep, that would've happened. Good guess.

I think this next one was submitted as a Dallas Stars concept, but I don't really get it.

Are all Texans also banditos? On second thought, don't answer that.

This next one is a little disturbing.

Blood in the water.

I posted a concept Lightning logo a couple weeks ago. Here are the jerseys that go with it.

I'm still not a fan.

Giant hockey player... smash!

And what sort of person would I be if I didn't work in some Vancouver Canucks art? (Yes, arguably the most well-represented club on this blog much to the dismay of a handful of you.)

The weird thing is I sort of like the whales. Here's what I really don't like.

And finally, I've got this logo that serves as a great followup to last week's insane logo fusions.

There's why the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings will never merge. The logo just wouldn't work as you can plainly see.

So it turns out this post was a little longer than I planned. I impress myself. By the way, at some point this weekend I hope to update the Concepts Gallery as I have over 100 images waiting to be added. I'll let you know when I get it done.

Hope you enjoyed the 24th Freak Out post. See you again right here next week!

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!

Poll: Capitals vs Sharks

	vs
Washington CAPITALS		San Jose SHARKS

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 Tue Dec 11

Poll closing date Sat Dec 15

07SCTRN | #1D | WSHvSJS

Just To Freak You Out XVIII

It's time for another belated edition of the Freak Out series. Hopefully I'll get over this cold soon. It's making me very unreliable here at NHLToL. And it's supposed to be Freak Out Friday, right? Anyway, let's dive in.

Wow, that was awfully violent. Who's hungry for buffalo tongue?!

I got a ton of submissions this week for the "If They Mated" category. And these are all about rivalries.

I don't even know what to say about this. Except that once again, don't send me hate mail as I am excessively illiterate and wouldn't understand it anyway. Also I didn't make these.

Perhaps slightly less inflammatory are these.

Everything's gone haywire. But wait it gets better. Sure anyone can mix two teams in a blender, but it takes a special kind of talent to do three.

Presenting the Anaheim King Sharks. Let me break it down for you. You've got the Sharks logo in Kings colors on a Ducks jersey. Can't get much more to the point than that.

While we're still on the topic of ridiculous jerseys, do you remember the crazy Red Wings design I posted a while back. (It's the second one down in that post.) Were you wondering what it might look like on Dominik Hasek? Wonder no more.

Don't know what he's so happy about. Hideous if I do say so.

Here's a scary merging of the current and original Canucks logos.

Whales that play hockey. I love it.

To finish up this morning's post, I've got a couple more whacked out logos. I'm pretty sure these come from a Quebecois looking to break away from Canada. It's like if Texas decided it wanted to be its own country. I laugh. But then I am a lousy Floridian who knows nothing of the politics of Canada. Look!

But wait, there's more!

So what do you guys think?

Oh and I'm just warning you now that any comments with discussion of politics will be promptly removed. Go elsewhere for that.

In the meantime, I hope I managed to freak you out a little. Until next time.

Talking Teal

Tonight's post is all about the San Jose Sharks. No reason in particular. We'll start out with one of my favorite new concept designs. Remember this? And remember how I said that black jersey was my favorite?

It looks even more spectacular on the ice. Seriously, who disagrees? Is that not what a hockey jersey is meant to look like?

I probably should've finished with that image because what could possibly follow it? These two are just designs I thought had interesting aspects to them — not the least of which being the crazy logo on the right which almost won it a spot in Friday's Freak Out post.

The white sweater is a recoloring of the Lightning's road jersey with an odd addition to the shoulders.

This set is really nice because of the striping. Yet for some reason, it makes me think of a spider more than a shark. Still, I do like it.

Lastly, there's this one which only warrants posting for its comical shark's-tooth zig zags around the waist.

Please don't eat me.

Rebranding The Sharks

Yesterday we got a look at some first class concept art. And afterward I promised some more from a designer we've all come to think very highly of. He's been on a mission to rebrand the NHL and teams he's already seen to include the Islanders, Thrashers, Senators and Bruins. Most recently, his work on the Panthers and Ducks has been stunning.

Now, he's taken on a new challenge. Witness the rebranding of the San Jose Sharks.

The logo set is unbelievable. It's different yet recognizable in that it's mainly an upgrade of the old logo — essentially what the Sharks did over the summer, anyway.

My personal favorite is the secondary mark. That by itself, should be the primary. The wordmark is notably nice as well, but it's the fin logo that I think is spot on. That's why the alternate jersey here is the one that gets my vote.

And that's not to say I don't love the other two jerseys. Even the lettering and numbering is pitch perfect if you ask me. This design shows that while it makes a nice accent, the orange isn't necessary at all. You can achieve an amazing look with just the teal, black and silver. We can only hope that one day any team looks as good as this.

Finally, there was a slight change the designer made before unveiling his design. Take a look.

The logo on the left is the one he ultimately went with but I certainly see the validity of the other one. It adds more color to the shark, yes, but it's not entirely necessary since the triangle behind the shark is teal (as opposed to white).

I'm very interested in seeing what you guys have to say about this latest design by GhettoFarmBoy, as he is known. He says his next rebrand will focus on the Washington Capitals. No word yet on when we should expect to see it. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

Just To Freak You Out XIII

It's lucky number 13 tonight on Freak Out Friday. Hope you guys get weirded out by what I have to share here.

I don't quite know where to begin.

Wow, I don't know what you did to deserve that, but it must've been pretty bad. Now if you're thinking that looks somewhat familiar, consult a post from last month.

And the hits just keep coming. Flames, take a clue from the Thrashers. This is how you do it up if you really want your provincial/state flag on your jersey. The scary part is that half of it is what seems to be the Confederate flag. Yeah, 'cause rednecks and hicks just dig hockey.

All right so let's head up north where they can really claim the sport. Scary thought alert. Imagine the Rangers and Flyers swapping colors.

On second thought, don't. It's too horrible. Speaking of horrible, check out this Rangers jersey concept.

That's what scary is. I know the new EDGE jerseys are supposed to have larger crests, but somewhere a line's been crossed.

Anyway, let's head west. Here's a color combination that doesn't work on a jersey.

The Nashville Predators are a hockey team, not a figure skating team.

Right?

Yikes! That logo. And while we're on the topic of bad logos, consider the following.

Oilers fans, you think you've got it bad now with your half-a-stripe elbows and practice-jersey looks. What if this happened? Don't even think about it too much. Your head will explode.

We'll wrap things up in California now, if you don't mind. And sometimes you have to reintroduce a winner — like the 1996 Mighty Ducks third jersey. Only the Ducks have new colors now.

That is something.

What we're finishing the night off with might be hard to look at. Remember the old Lightning third jerseys from the mid-90s? They had the rain pouring down, lightning bolts down the arms and — the selling point — the wild waves of the bay around the bottom. Well Sharks live in the water.

The waves have been stolen. And so has what little dignity might've been left in the new Florida Panthers uniforms when an attempt to create a San Jose concept went horribly awry. This is what happens when folks have too much time on their hands.

Well I hope you all got freaked out enough on this Freak Out Friday. If not, accept my apologies. Better luck next week. Until then, I'm waiting to see what you guys have in store for me next in terms of crazy artwork. Email it along.

Recolor This

Today's concept post will deal strictly with recoloring things. Yes, that's right. For instance, let's suppose the Florida Panthers had opted for the more traditional red home sweater over the blue one they actually went with.

Not bad, but despite the fact that I loath the Stinkin' Panthers, I prefer the blue. The old red sweaters were nice, but I don't care much for this one pictured here. But that's just me.

Speaking of me being a Lightning fan, someone remade the Sharks' and Habs' sweaters with Bolts colors.

I don't know. No. They'll always be a teal team. That's just who they are. Don't question it. As for the Habs, you can't have that jersey in anything but red. Even blue would be weird.

Here's something else that might make you question whether this is the Freak Out Friday post. Not quite yet. Just a misguided attempt at giving the Canucks new colors.

I'm all for the return of a green team to the NHL, but this is not how that is achieved. No, no, no. I know I'm sounding very negative right now, but just no.

Anyway, here's something I like. The Blue & Bronze Age of the Washington Capitals was my favorite. Even though it fits them perfectly, thematically speaking, the red/white/blue combo is so overused in this sport. Check out the current EDGE unis in the old colors.

It may not be the most brilliant thing you've ever seen, but come on. That's not too shabby. I like the white "capitals." Very sharp, right there, if you ask me. I'd just like to see the black jersey in blue instead. I was more a fan of the blue '90s jerseys for the Caps. I like the black one as a third jersey — not so much a primary home sweater.

And finally, we'll finish off with something a bit different. This is the Islanders uniforms recolored — but for a different team.

Wow, no. I'm sorry, but those sleeves don't look good on any team if you ask me. The more I see it, the less I like it. Granted it looks better in black and orange than blue and orange, but still, I'll pass on this one.

What do you guys think? Any winners here? Or should we go back to the paint bucket?