There's Something About Retro

They say fashion is cyclical. Trends come and go and come around again. In the NHL, we seem to be re-entering a retro phase. Throwback jerseys have always been popular with fans, but it seems only in the last few years have teams started to take advantage of that. Classic designs that bring history back to life have started making their way back into the mainstream, in the form of alternate jerseys and special events such as the Winter Classic.

So "retro" is the theme of today's post. Let's see what our artists have come up with.

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Jared LeBlanc	I'm a big fan of Jared's Winter Classic concept uniforms, especially what he's done for the Penguins. It's been suggested that the Pens might join the Bruins in borrowing elements from multiple past jerseys for a unique new look that still feels vintage. Jared's also submitted some ideas for the Heritage Classic, details of which will be announced later today. Regarding the design, he writes, "The Canadians jersey is really the only vintage jersey left that they haven't worn already. ... For the Flames, I took a look at the Cowboys jerseys, which looked like a pretty solid design. I considered doing a carbon copy but I thought they might still want the Flames logo on it." Both sets get a big thumbs up from me!
Connor Hanley	Another set of retros based in real life, come by way of Connor. Over the summer, it was announced that the Canucks would don a throwback jersey to celebrate their 40th anniversary. While this won't be the one, the Kings' vintage threads seen here are probably not far from what they'll be wearing on a few occasions this season. The Kings did give their first round draft pick a gold jersey from the 1960s after all. We're still waiting on an official announcement from the team, however.
Connor Hanley	Connor also sent in this set which calls back to the 1920s and the NHL clubs that arrived long before the Penguins and Flyers — that's the Pirates and Quakers. Of course the design is a little dated now with Gagne's name on the back. (He plays for my team now!) I suppose it might be a treat for centenarian hockey fans in Pennsylvania to see those two sweaters hit the ice again. But they shouldn't hold their breaths.
Jack Martineau	Canadian fans always like to see their teams don the retro duds. Jack digs back deep into Maple Leafs history with these St. Pats sweaters. The team actually wore that green jersey for a game or two back in the mid-90s. They should do it again!
Ryan Haslett	And while we're on the subject, here's another throwback for the Leafs from Ryan. Just like the St. Pats jersey, this one also saw life in the afterlife when it was dusted off for at least one game in the early '90s. Now that the Leafs seem to be taking an interest once again in looking like the storied hockey team they are, maybe more of these throwbacks are in the cards.
Matt Marczel	And to finish things off, one of our most prolific artists, Matt Marczel, offers up this throwback to the previous iteration of the Ottawa Senators club. He points out that it could be used if the Sens ever play in a Winter/Heritage Classic. Unfortunately, the first problem is legibility. The second is the Canadiens just wore a very similar stripe-y sweater last year.

By the way, I have lots of new concept art ready and waiting. Someone needs to stay on me about keeping this page updated. I'm very forgetful.

Numerous Northeast Concepts

Settle in, folks. This is one of the biggest sets of concept art I've ever posted. Because I haven't had a lot of time to write new posts, obviously the artwork has been piling up. The Northeast Division seems to be the most popular for Icethetics artists, so I thought it'd be the best way to unload a dozen new designs. Here we go.

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John Fusco	Had to start with this one. It's just phenomenal. You wouldn't think this type of design would make a good hockey sweater. Then you look at it. I'm waiting for an NHL team to jump onto an idea like this. Very sharp look. Well done, John!
Drew Krause	Another great Maple Leafs concept comes from Drew. He's made some updates to the traditional leaf logos, and they look great. Even the striping on the uniforms really works. Can't believe I haven't gotten around to posting some of these sooner.
Matt Marczel	By now we all know the Sabres will go back to their original uniforms next season — or at least something similar. Matt's put together a solid concept here with a nice modern flair.
Joni Oksanen	However, if you want more of a throwback feel, Joni's concept is the way to go. It's much simpler and features a royal blue just like the originals did in 1970. The only thing he's changed a bit is the striping on the dark jersey. But either way you go would be a win for the Sabres and their fans, desperate for a return to the vintage uniforms. Sometimes you get it right the first time, don't you?
Jake Slavik	And sometimes we mix things that probably shouldn't mix. Jake's concept plays off of every era in Sabres history. And it's not ideal. Stare into those yellow eyes. Stare deep. Frightening. Let's move onto another team.
Joshua Heckman Adam L'Italien	Joshua and Adam have both opted to experiment with brown jerseys for the Bruins — something I half expected to see at the Winter Classic earlier this year. Joshua's could even work as a third jersey this coming season if they were up for a change. Adam's isn't bad either but doesn't lend itself well to Reebok Edge or television, for that matter. It's a very drab-looking jersey with the dark brown and the slight striping. However, I really do like the crest.
Dallas Hicks Ryan Haslett	Got a couple of new Senators concepts here. Dallas tries his hand at a Winter Classic-insipired concept... you know, in the event the NHL decides Canada should play an outdoor version of its own sport. Ryan's isn't bad either — though without the stripes, the O just looks like a zero and nobody wants that associated with their team. Unless it's in the goals-against column, I guess. But if nothing else, this uniform has the best socks so far!
Ryan Haslett	That's right, it's all Ryan all the time for the rest of this post. This is his Canadiens throwback. Unfortunately, the numbers are rather illegible on the striped back of the jersey. Other than that, it's a nice-looking sweater with an old-time feel.
Ryan Haslett	Lastly, as a bonus, this concept is based off of a Quebec Nordiques logo that designed in 1995 but never implemented as the club was relocated Denver to become the Avalanche. And that is, in fact, where Ryan gets most of the elements of his design. I'll be honest. Makes more sense in the Rocky Mountains. Oh, what could have been.

And breathe. That was a lot to take in. Up next, it's Elliott Strauss' final rebranding set. That comes this weekend. After that, I'm implementing a new element into our concept posts. Details to come.

Strauss NHL Rebrand VII

This is the Strauss NHL Rebrand series, Part 7 of 10, in which graphic designer and hockey fan Elliott Strauss gives a makeover to the National Hockey League. If you're new to this series, I highly recommend catching up on the first 18 teams to which he's given new looks.

Now we move on to his latest updates, which include the Senators, Sharks and Islanders. Elliott has provides commentary on his work in bold text.

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Elliott Strauss	Not much change in the logos here, but the vegas gold returns in favor of yellow. This is one of my most modern uniforms designs. Number font is custom. The alternate keeps the same side/hem design as the home/away, but adds a new arm striping scheme to match, and the pants still match up on the sides. Definitely looking at a unique uniform design here. The striping is unlike anything we've seen ever — in real life or in concept. I'm rather liberal when it comes to concept designs. I like things you don't often see. But personally this strikes me as a tad disjointed, mixing what I'd consider a classic-looking logo with a very non-classic sweater design. That being said I'm a huge fan of this 2D Sens logo and I wish we could see it on a uniform one of these days. I'd even prefer it to the vintage "O" jersey that's been talked about. But that's just my opinion.
Elliott Strauss	The colors return to teal-black-silver, and orange is out. I modified both primary and secondary logos, simplifying in some places, dropping the fade on the patch logo.   The shark fin-based striping pattern on the sleeves is somewhat subtle. The uniforms are modern and busy, but I think they'd look decent on the ice. The alternate is based on the diagonal stripes they use on the black alternate currently. Burnt orange has always been part of the Sharks' color scheme but was introduced as a uniform accent in 2007. While I like that look, Elliott has certainly taken the Sharks' identity to the next level by losing it. And the only the critique I have is that the crest could probably use a white stroke on the home sweater so as to add some contrast. Otherwise, a great update to a team that's always had a distinctive identity.
Elliott Strauss	This might be my favorite of the series. I took the fisherman era wordmark and swooshy wave from the primary logo. The lighthouse is original and takes the perspective of the wordmark. The four-stripe motif stays on the patch logo and on the arms of the home and away. The numbers continue the drop-shadow from the wordmark. Finally, an orange alternate uses a more classic stripe scheme. In one of the biggest revamps of the series, Elliott digs into the Isles' past to find an incredible look hidden within one of the most despised designs in sports logo history. He calls this his favorite of the series and I'm inclined to agree. And it's about time for the Isles to ditch their '70s-era logo anyway.

Working on more concept posts for this week. Tons of great artwork coming in that I can't wait to share with you guys!