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!

Strauss NHL Rebrand VI

It's been about six weeks since the last edition of Elliott Strauss' NHL rebranding series. And just when you almost forgot about it, it's time to finish it up!

If this is new to you, catch up here. In a nutshell, Elliott set out with some specific goals in mind when he began this series back in November: lose the uglier elements of the Reebok Edge jerseys, create some new modern designs and make sure every team has a distinct identity, and keep in line with tradition when appropriate.

Having said that, let's kick off the second half of the Strauss NHL Rebrand series, as promised, with the Colorado Avalanche. Elliott's own descriptions appear in bold text.

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Elliott Strauss	I dropped a color, added a color, and darkened a color here, as the scheme moves from maroon/medium blue/black/silver to maroon/navy/light blue/silver. I simplified the primary logo and changed some colors, and while it's not too different when at first glance, compare it to the current logo. On the uniforms, I tried for a modern yet somewhat chaotic look with movement that the nickname implies. The alternate is a darker, less contrasting uniform with a new take on the familiar diagonal wordmark. One of the best things about these uniforms is the number style. And the striping isn't bad either. He's given the Avs an incredible look without really changing much.
Elliott Strauss	The logo is tweaked to modernize the classic Blue Note. I rearranged the colors a bit to make the yellow pop a lot more. The navy logo on blue and blue logo on white does not change, but the numbers now match this theme. The yellow slashes on the home/away and pants mimic the Gateway Arch, a motif which is featured on the shoulders and alternate crest. I brought back the music staff with accents of yellow on the sleeves. Another great set with a couple of minor flaws. I think the Blue Note under the Arch looks fantastic. Unfortunately, within the logo itself, that sharp point toward the bottom just sticks out in the worst way. Clean things up in there and you have a concept waiting for NHL approval.
Elliott Strauss	I put my own spin on the current primary, simplifying and making it more symmetrical. One thing that is bothersome about their identity is the lack of a double flag flying on the secondary to indicate a hurricane as opposed to tropical storm. Here we see that on the CH logo. These unis ended up being some of my least favorite in the series and I had another more classic jersey design but I scrapped it at the last second for this. The font is custom and the alternate is pretty simple. Gut reaction: Elliott knocked this one out of the park. He says he's unsure of the uniforms, but I'm impressed. They take some of the best elements from the Hurricanes' present look and improve upon the rest. And the new logos are just amazing.

Based on this, I'd say the second half of Elliott's NHL rebrand series looks quite promising. Next edition in about a week. In the meantime, we should have some concepts coming based on some of what's in my JerseyWatch post from the blog.

Strauss NHL Rebrand V

It's Sunday morning and that means I just officially tied the knot! Though nothing's really changed. My new wife and I have been together for a long time. This was just a formality, really. Anyway, I'm certain we'll be enjoying ourselves today.

This is the third of five auto-published concept posts — each with it's own theme. We've covered Freak Out Friday and Rebranding. Today our subject is rebranding once again but in the form of Part 5 of Elliott Strauss' NHL rebranding project, featuring the Ducks, Blackhawks and Flyers. Elliott's descriptions appear in bold text.

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Elliott Strauss	Anaheim Ducks This features a new color scheme with a dark shade of green and a brighter orange.  The logos are simplified, getting rid of white outlines around the D and the inner webbing. The jerseys have a modern, wavy feel. The Anaheim Ducks are probably one of the teams most in need of a rebrand. Unfortunately, aside from adding a welcome green to the palette, Elliott hasn't really fixed the main probably — the primary logo. While the D is a refreshing change of pace, I'd really like to see some kind of duck mascot. Logos aside, the jerseys are very distinctive — just what the doctor ordered when you're talking about a rebrand. Let's hope one day the Ducks do move in this direction — even if it's only on a third jersey.
Elliott Strauss	Chicago Blackhawks I tweaked the logos by dropping all the excess colors in the feathers.  The tertiary color is now an orange-yellow. The jerseys are really just an attempt at consistent striping. The simplicity in this design actually wins points in my book. While many of you would say the Chicago Blackhawks' logos and uniforms are perfect as is, I would disagree (as you well know). This simplification of the color palette is a welcome improvement. But while we're at it, I say the Hawks revert back to the old vintage logo found on the Winter Classic and alternate jerseys.
Elliott Strauss	Philadelphia Flyers Originally this had striping wrapping all the way around the chest, but I simplified things while making the design a little more modern. The logo is NOT the sharp-winged logo that Flyers fans insist on. I figured that since they use the curved wings on all merchandise, it might as well be on the jerseys too. The secondary is the old Zephyr X-line hat logo, I believe. As mentioned in yesterday's post, Elliott is correct about the F logo on the Zephyr hat. Other than that, he's kept things pretty straightforward and simple. The one element I really like is the orange numbers on the black third jersey. That is a Halloween jersey if ever I saw one. The striping on the front of the home and road sweaters is a nice change of pace too, yet doesn't lose the classic feel that goes along with the Flyers.

That's actually all I have from Elliott at the moment. I'm anticipating he will send along the other half of the league in the next few weeks. Until then, we have two more auto-posts left before I get back from Las Vegas!