The Next Winter Classic(s)

It's hard to believe 2010 is a mere four days away. That means the third annual Winter Classic is coming up at the end of the week.

And on the eve of the big event, a bunch of eager artists have started thinking about the next one. Or should I make that plural? A couple weeks ago, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said he'd like to see a second outdoor game on New Year's Day 2011 — this one in Canada.

No decisions have been made at this point and any discussion on the topic is pure speculation. But that's what the Icethetics Concepts page is for. So as we prepare for the Philadelphia Flyers to face the Boston Bruins at Fenway Park, let's think about what we might like to see in 2011.

Rumors suggest Yankee Stadium will play host to at least one of the 2011 outdoor games. That puts the Rangers at home to face who? Islanders? Maple Leafs? Capitals? And regarding the Canada game, Bettman mentioned Calgary by name. Would the Flames face their province rivals, the Oilers? Perhaps the Canucks or even Avalanche?

Let's see what some talented people have come up with as suggestions for 2011.

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Brendan Droppo	Yankee Stadium Rangers vs Islanders This may be the most well-designed Winter Classic 2011 concept I've received. Brendan Droppo is sticking with the New York City rumors and pairing the Rangers and Islanders at Yankee Stadium. Probably a safe bet. He's got a great logo that evokes the locale (as the past logos have done) and a pair of classic sweaters. Though I'm not sure you can call anything but their current jersey a classic. But then I thought that about the Red Wings too. And theirs worked out just fine last year. This is an awesome concept and I'm completely on board with it only if western Canada also gets their own Winter Classic. If they don't, I say out with the Isles. Canada deserves to get back into the outdoor games. Pit the Rangers against the Maple Leafs. If there is a Canadian game, I'd vote to leave it the way it is. Not sure the Rangers have another rival as big as the Isles. Plus we need to share the wealth. Everyone should get a shot at a Winter Classic game.
Cole Jones	Target Field Wild vs Stars Cole Jones of The Other 6 Seconds hockey blog emailed in to tell me about his idea. You can read the full proposal on his blog, but here are the bullet points. While I'm over here trying to get a Canadian team back into their own game, Cole, a Stars fan, is attempting to get a southern U.S. team into the mix — his own. He'd like to pit the Dallas Stars against the Minnesota Wild at Target Field, which is currently under construction in Minneapolis. It will serve as the home of the Minnesota Twins beginning in April 2010 — more than enough time to prepare it for a hockey match. It would be a huge day for Minnesota hockey fans, that's for sure. To see their current team after 10 years on the ice, facing a blast from the past in the form of North Stars jerseys would probably send some people into a tailspin. The only problem I see is this: Aside from Minnesotans, who cares? Part of the idea behind the Winter Classic is to appeal to new fans. To put the game in front of people who normally wouldn't watch. The past few seasons the NHL has been going for teams in big markets or with long histories. Yes, Dallas and Minneapolis are two huge markets, but the point is to go beyond them. A Rangers-Isles game would certainly do the trick. Everybody knows the Rangers, even if their not hockey fans. But this idea of getting the Stars back to Minnesota for a big event is a pretty popular one in hockey circles...
Ryan Haslett	Target Field Wild vs Stars Another regular Icethetics artist, Ryan Haslett, independently came up with the same idea. Wild and Stars at Target Field. But Ryan's idea for an event logo and game jerseys is a little different. They definitely feel like classic hockey, but both designs borrow from current sweaters. The "M" on the Wild jersey comes from the new green third while the Stars sweater is based off their current third, but infused with a little more gold. Either Cole's or Ryan's designs could work well if, indeed, one of the 2011 Winter Classics were to take place in Minnesota.
Ryan Haslett	Rogers Centre Maple Leafs vs Canadiens Speaking of Canada, Ryan did have a second Canadian option — going with one of the oldest rivalries in professional sports. He's got the Habs and Leafs at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Formerly called the SkyDome, the stadium plays home to the Toronto Blue Jays and Toronto Argonauts. As expected, he's got the teams in vintage sweaters, and surprisingly enough, one that the Canadiens have NOT worn in the past two seasons. The logo is a little weak but it plays off the simplicity of the Rogers Centre logo. Now to be fair, the Canadiens just took part in an outdoor game in 2003. Maybe they should sit on the bench a little while longer, you know? If you're going to put the game in Toronto, maybe have the Leafs face their province rival Ottawa Senators. As I said, spread the wealth.

One thing I've noticed with these concepts is they're all set at baseball stadiums. Let's not forget the first two NHL outdoor games took place in football stadiums and were quite successful.

In wrapping things up, the one concept I don't have to share that I would really like to see is Calgary. I'm not familiar enough with the city to know where it should be played, but the Flames should host it and their opponent should NOT be the Oilers. (The Oilers faced the Habs in 2003 in Edmonton.) I think it comes down to the Maple Leafs, who play in a huge market and have a long history, or the Canucks, who are geographically closer and a more common foe during the regular season. But it's not up to me.

So what are your thoughts on the 2011 Winter Classic(s)? If you have have concept art to share, I'd be happy to add it to this post. If you just have another thought about a good match-up, drop a line in the comments.

By the way, happy new year!

Strauss NHL Rebrand III

The new concept series in which designer Elliott Strauss takes on the immense task of creating the ideal look of the NHL now continues. All 30 teams will receive his rebranding treatment — some with big changes, others small changes — all, hopefully, for the better.

In Part I, Elliott took on the Capitals, Coyotes and Panthers. Part II, saw updates for the Oilers, Red Wings and Thrashers. This time it's the Penguins, Maple Leafs and Stars.

The bold text below are Elliott's own descriptions.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The logos are all new. I tried to create a dramatic-looking penguin on Pittsburgh's signature triangle. Vegas gold is gone and yellow is back.

An igloo is featured as a patch logo and the jerseys pay tribute to the sweaters from the early '90s. The alternate brings in elements from the mid-00s triangles and also the new triangle featured in my logos.

Certainly a menacing penguin and the classic design is hard to beat. However, it does leave a little to wonder about in terms of logistics.

I like the idea of a yellow third, but is it dark enough that the opposing team could wear white? And while the two-tone jersey numbers may look cool, they don't quite meet their practical responsibility which is legibility — not to mention the nightmare for the person in charge of customizing each sweater.

Despite that critique, though, I am a fan of this look for the most part. By switching to Vegas gold, the Penguins weren't giving themselves the shinier look you'd imagine but rather desaturating their color scheme. It looks horrible and needs a change.

One thing I do like about the Penguins' current design is how they've stepped out of the box with the third jersey in using an entirely new color scheme. Even the Panthers only changed one color. The Pens went all the way.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The jerseys aren't much to speak of in terms of changes but I did come up with a new logo package. The leaf is spiky and help forms a T. The shoulder patch is a portion of the iconic CN tower behind a blue version of the Canadian flag.

This will probably end up being one of Elliott's most controversial designs if for no other reason than the sweeping logo changes.

However, the simplicity is hard to argue with and while it breaks from tradition in a big way, I don't think it's for the worse.

The one change I'd make is to dull the corners of the leaf — make them not so sharp. Then when you squint at it, it kind of looks like the Toronto Arenas shield.

Maybe it's just me.

Finishing up in the south with some not-so-sweeping changes in Dallas.

Dallas Stars

Since they seem to be more inclined toward black these days, I left black as the primary jersey color and switched up the logo a little bit. The chest mark is simply a star on top of Texas.

For the striping, I tried to make it in such a way that the gold looks best with the two colors — I'm not sure about a specific thought process.

The alternate eliminates the black and has stripes similar to their current uniforms.

I think Elliott was definitely going for a look that evokes the Stars' early days in Dallas. Apart from the sleeve stripes, it's almost a dead ringer.

I like the green third. It's something Dallas has struggled with in the Age of Reebok. I still think their best jersey was the green one with a giant star that was once an alternate.

Unfortunately, the Edge stifles that sort of creativity. Am I bitter? Never.

I'm aiming to get Part 4 posted within the next week. It will feature my Tampa Bay Lightning among others.

Concept Collection VIII

You've been patient (most of you). My inbox has seen a lot of concept art over the past few weeks and I'm thrilled to finally be posting it! (Seriously, if someone can help me figure out a way to make Icethetics my only job, we'll all be a lot happier. A lot.)

All right, I've got 14 items to get to tonight, so let's not waste time. We'll begin with the Colorado Avalanche, whose brand new third jersey has recently been leaked (see the blog for more info on that).

A lot of readers have bemoaned a lack of creativity, I believe having to do with the fact that it's simply a revision of the Avs' previous third. This first concept certainly avoids drawing on past designs while simultaneously reminding us the Nordique spirit will never die.

BD

The other team soon releasing a brand new third will be the Florida Panthers. Rumor would have us believe it may look a little something like this.

Ryan Haslett

It's a return to red, which I'm sure longtime Cats fans will appreciate, and it borrows very heavily from the Wild's home uni — easily one of the best in the NHL.

Seeing all these new third jerseys the last couple of years makes me wonder who got it right and who didn't. Some teams don't have one and could really use it. Obviously, the Penguins, Wild, Sabres and Blues got it right.

I've been hoping the Rangers would one day return to the Lady Liberty jersey which at one point was my favorite in the league. Here's a re-envisioning of that.

nyr1583

The Capitals would do well to add a blue jersey. Many have suggested the Weagle take center stage, but why not a red version of the primary logo? How would it all look on a Lethbridge Hurricanes sweater?

Ryan Haslett

The Canucks dropped the ball with their third last year. It was what we all expected, but that should be their home sweater, and not an alternate. Here's one idea for an alternate with yet another brand new logo.

Matt Marczel

Now that Whalers merchandise is making its way back onto store shelves, maybe the Hurricanes could pay tribute on one St. Patrick's Day sometime.

Matt Marczel

Maybe even the Red Wings could get in on the third jersey action — even though they've never been one to follow that crowd.

Matt Marczel

The Dallas Stars dropped the ball worse than anyone two years in a row — bad home and road sweaters followed by a shockingly worse third. Since we're talking nostalgia and vintage these days, why not a trip down memory lane the heart of Texas?

Matthew Duke

Lastly, the Ducks. It seems like every concept post at some point feels the need to help out those poor Anaheim Ducks. Nobody was sad to see the "Mighty" go away, but nor were they glad to see the artistic carnage that would ensue on the sweaters to follow.

mcskilz

I'm not saying gold is the way to go necessarily, but maybe stepping outside the box isn't a bad thing. Anyway, the colors are great, but the logo could use a lift.

Jake Niehl

Hey, an actual duck. Go figure.

I enjoy ending a concept post with a little something to freak you out, if at all possible. Tonight is no exception. The Sabres and Canucks have their 40th anniversaries coming up next season. Let's get started by putting an actual saber on the Sabres' jersey.

J.B.

And hell, why not just run the gamut of past logos and colors for the Canucks? You know they never did have a red jersey.

J.B.

A little something to frighten Panthers fans. As we near Halloween, perhaps this could be a costume.

Jules

And lastly, one of the most ridiculous Atlanta Thrashers concepts ever to grace these pages.

mcskilz

Show your mcskilz! To the first person who can legitimately make the rest of the numerals out of that simple Thrash logo — bragging rights for life!

Hope the wait was worth it. I'm really trying to keep this updated. And since I know it's what you guys want, I'll make a special effort to have something new hear at least once a week — though it likely won't be in the quantity you see tonight.

Keep those concepts coming! Email them to icethetics@gmail.com.