Northeast Roadtrip

This is shaping up to be quite a week. New posts on the blog and jersey galleries, and now brand new concept art. Today, I'm grouping up a handful of artwork for the Northeast Division — namely, the Sabres and Maple Leafs.

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Jeff Wozniak	We start with a slew of Buffalo concept jerseys by Jeff Wozniak. The first graphic shows what he thinks the Sabres should wear on a regular basis as road/home/third. I like them all but I always liked that crossed-sword logo better on the red jersey several years ago. His next attempt is a gold Sabres jersey. I don't believe they've ever worn gold so that would be quite a step out of the ordinary. (And not a pleasant one either.) The other two are all about early 20th century sweater styles. Lots of stripes and simplistic crests. I think I could get behind the first one for some kind of special event. However, the "BS" jersey should stay right here on this page where it is and go no further. We learned from the Montreal Canadiens' 100th anniversary that this type of striping does not work. You have to be able to read names and numbers and not be concerned with epileptic fits. Then there's the white pants. Very few uniforms can make that look good. This is not one of them. Look back toward the top of this group and you'll see Jeff has some great design ideas for the Sabres. But clearly he should avoid fourth, fifth and sixth alternate uniforms in the future.
Ryan Haslett	Another Icethetics regular, Ryan Haslett, came up with a grey-infused Sabres concept. It's based on the vintage three-stripe sweater from the '70s with several contemporary elements, including the grey/silver accents and numbering and lettering style. As for my thoughts, white would probably be a better highlight than grey. Simply swapping white in would probably be an improvement. But I think I'd have to see it in a game to know for sure.
Ryan Haslett	This post has been pretty focused on the Sabres, so let's switch to another Northeast team. This Maple Leafs concept calls for two alternate sweaters — one for home games and another for the road. Also designed by Ryan, it features the two waist stripes that will be returning to Toronto's regular home and road sweaters next season. He's also come up with two new alts. The home design is a dark version of the Leafs' current third jersey. The road whites are a new design borrowed from the team's rich past.

There will be one more new post before I leave for Vegas on Friday. Then beginning Friday, check back for new concepts to be auto-published daily.

Update on Wednesday · Jan 6 · 2010 | 9:08 AM PST by Chris

Just received some more Sabres and Leafs concept art so I'm adding it on to this post.

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Mike Ivall

First, longtime Icethetics artist Mike Ivall sent in an update to the Maple Leafs' uniforms. Howard Berger recently said that the two stripes at the bottom of the Leafs' jerseys would be returning in 2010 after an Age of Reebok hiatus. Mike is just putting his spin on that new information. Maybe they can bring back a shoulder patch while they're at it. But in all fairness to Mike, he did say... There are no shoulder patches because I like the leafs without them. Some teams look good with a shoulder patch. The Leafs just aren't one of them. So, to each his own.

Jesse Dupuis

And lastly, Jesse sent in this Sabres concept which harkens back to the old red third jersey — one of my personal favorites. All he really did was make black and white versions but I'm still a fan. Anything beats the slug.

Next Winter Classic: Revisited

The Winter Classic at Fenway Park was nothing short of classic. It's such an awesome tradition and there's no shortage of opinions on who should play in future outdoor games. Since the last concept post, a few other artists have submitted some interesting ideas. I have a pair here I thought worth sharing before we move on to a new concept topic.

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Brad McPelican

Brad writes in with an idea for a New Year's Day game not in 2011 but in 2014. He calls it the Canadian Classic. It would feature the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks (playing as the Millionaires) at Frank Clair Stadium in Ontario. It may seem a bit unusual, so I'll let him explain. He wrote a very long proposal which I have actually edited way down for your convenience. All the key details are intact. There was a time when the Stanley Cup was a challenge cup exclusively for Canadian clubs and in the Canadian Classic, I would like to relive that era. The contest I find would be the best is one between Ottawa and Vancouver. Both cities currently are home to NHL franchises who have never won the Stanley Cup but, in hockey's early days, had taken home the prize as two of the nation's finest teams. What makes this game even more special is that — 100 years earlier, in 1914-15 — the Vancouver Millionaires played in a best-of-five series in Vancouver and won the Cup. It was the last time the Stanley Cup would be exclusive to the best Canadian team — with the Portland Rosebuds joining the PCHA. This series was the last truly Canadian challenge for the Stanley Cup, which I think is pretty special. As for the jerseys and event logo, I tried to make them as classic and as true to their time as possible. The logo was designed to look like the old team championship pictures and features vintage colors. The jerseys, on the other hand, are almost exactly what they wore — refitted for Reebok Edge jerseys of course — with Ottawa wearing brown pants and Vancouver wearing white ones. You might notice as well that their are no names on the back of the jerseys. This is to be true to the times, not a mistake. If that game doesn't satisfy traditionalists, nothing could. By the way, just wanted to point out (because I know someone will) that the nameplates on NHL jerseys are currently part of NHL regulations and would probably require an Act of Bettman to sidestep. And he hates Canada.

John B

Obviously this one is just meant to be for fun. You could call it Winter Classic Freak Out. While my little corner of Florida has been atypically cold the last couple of days, there's clearly no way it could sustain a sheet of ice outdoors. But as a Lightning fan, this was a fun concept to look at and muse on. As long as the Winter Classic is around, I don't ever imagine the Bolts or Panthers getting a shot at it. It will forever be reserved for teams who play where outdoor ice is a viable option. John does have some interesting artwork here but I'm just not sure these "classic" jersey designs really work. Tampa hockey club? An F with cat ears and a tail? I'll pass. The icing on the cake probably has to be the Winter Classic-themed surfboard design. Thanks to John for giving us a laugh.

Thanks to all the artists who sent in their ideas for future Winter Classics.

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!