Possible New Stars Uniform?

At last I have non-Canucks-related news to post. It seems there's a chance the Dallas Stars new Rbk EDGE uniforms may have leaked. I found the following image posted at HFBoards.com.



What we've been hearing is that the Stars will be going with a jersey that doesn't have a crest on the front but rather the word "DALLAS" and this jives with that. However, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me that a team would put their city on their home jerseys. And we've been hearing the NHL is keeping the dark jerseys for home ice.

This sweater also lacks the current Stars logo which has been rumored to be changing. In fact, there's a whole new logo on the shoulder of a "D" with a gold star in the bottom corner. Frankly, I like it. The horizontal green and white stripes are a classic throwback to the teams early days in the Big D and I think it would be a definite upgrade — assuming this is the real deal.

As far as debunking it — a task which has become necessary as we've seen more than our share of bad to half-decent Photoshop efforts — I can't say the overall feel looks familiar. I could be completely wrong, but I'm checking the real-deal box on this one. What do you guys think? Will Dallas be wearing these in the fall? Or have we been duped?

As official announcements go, a Stars official team message board administrator recommended we mark our calendars for Septmeber 14.

UPDATE (6:29 PM): ...And we've been duped! Just came across this photo of the Bruins new home jersey. Examine the creases and laces and you'll see what I'm talking about. Click the photo to enlarge it.

Stars fans, this will not be your team's new home jersey. Rest easy. Gotta say though, these Photoshop endeavors are getting better and better if you ask me. Sad to see we don't have anything that could possibly be the real thing, but we'll live.

Last Of The Canucks Surmising (Hopefully)

We're anticipating the unveiling of the new Vancouver Canucks uniform tomorrow despite having no official word on that from the team itself. So having said that, there's a little more fan-created artwork I wanted to post prior to that because Canucks fans seem to be the most interested in what's going to happen to their club's uniforms this year.



This design is based off of what appears to be "Fin's Friends" promotional material posted yesterday. The only thing is we've been hearing that the bottom part of the "C" will be white, not blue like it has been in the past. You gotta figure this is at least worth a look anyway and may even possibly be close to what gets unveiled by the team.

Another fan came up with these designs.



Personally, I'm not a fan of "Vancouver" being written above the logo but I guess it's not for me to say. You Canucks fans have any opinion on that? Tacky? Cool? Doesn't matter?

If I come across anything else, I'll try to get it posted by the end of the day. Meantime, keep your fingers crossed for an official announcement tomorrow.

Red Wings vs Avalanche

	vs
RED WINGS		AVALANCHE
4-8		10-1

The Aesthetics
When these teams get together, it's usually the greatest playoff hockey you could hope for. But when comparing their logos head-to-head, there's really no question in my mind as to who takes the cake.
Avalanche

The Nickname
Red-Winged birds have no fearing falling snow as they can simply fly over an Avalanche. Not too close, though.
Red Wings

The Analysis
I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the longevity of the Red Wings logo. I'd also get an earful from ultra-traditionalists who fear change with regard to the Original Six like the very plague if I suggested an upgrade of any kind for it. But let me just remind you all of the new Boston Bruins logo. No limbs were lost when that was unveiled. So open your minds a little... and accept the fact that one day the Avalanche logo will be looked upon as a sports logo classic in the same way — except better because as of right now, it doesn't need an upgrade. Any changes would only hurt it. You see where I'm going now?
Avalanche

WINNER

2-1

 

Penguins vs Senators

	vs
PENGUINS		SENATORS
3-8		4-6

The Aesthetics
Both of these teams seem to like a little gold with their black but it's the Senators who add in the red to make the logo stand out a bit more. The Penguins logo just feels so flat. And there's the penguin wearing the hockey gear.
Senators

The Nickname
Since Senators make the laws, it seems to me that they have the upper hand on the Penguins as they could choose to protect them or not.
Senators

The Analysis
The better features of these two logos have recently been pointed out to me by readers. The golden triangle has significance to Pittsburgh. Also the gold circle in the Senators logo makes an "O" for Ottawa while you could say the red galea creates a "C" to symbolize Canada. If that's the case, it means the Maple Leafs and Oilers are the only Canadian teams not to work in a "C" of some sort. But I digress. The point is, the Penguins logo comes off like a '60s cartoon to me (go ahead, take your shots now). I'll go with the centurion.
Senators

WINNER

3-0

 

Kings vs Blues

	vs
KINGS		BLUES
5-5		5-7

The Aesthetics
Some logos just don't look very good next to each other. These two look very good. It's kind of a wonder they seem to be bathed in mediocrity in this competition (or not based on my bad judgment). One thing that always gets me is the two-tone blues of the Blues logo. That's unique and very cool in combination with the yellow trim. I hope they don't lose that anytime soon. Unfortunately for the Kings, all I keep seeing right now are all the little circles. There must be like a dozen of them on that crown.
Blues

The Nickname
All right, you can already tell this one is going to be a stretch. Do you suppose a King would simply be able to hire a person to play music for him, be it Blues or anything else?
Kings

The Analysis
I like the subtle hockey sticks at the top of the crown and the suns on either side of it in the Kings logo. But I also like the Blues logo as it has been recently pointed out to me that the logo is a 64th note and the city of St. Louis was founded in 1764. So what it comes down to is which one works better. Frankly, I think the Blues logo looks more like a wing than a 64th note but it was a good effort. Kings, please.
Kings

WINNER

2-1

 

Possible New Canucks Jersey?

All right, so I thought I wasn't going to have anymore news tonight, but it turns out I stumbled upon something very interesting on the Vancouver Canucks official message board. This.



I didn't have time to read the full details in those posts, but obviously, the skeptics abound. You can go here if you want to learn more. First reactions are that it's a Photoshopped job based on the Washington Capitals or Columbus Blue Jackets jerseys since they've already been unveiled.

Still, I thought it was worth a look. And I don't think it'd be the worst thing in the world if that was the actual Canucks home jersey. The colors are all right and I say that despite the fact that I really did like the two-tone blues, silver and maroon from before.

Any thoughts? Is it a fake-out? Is it the real thing? The Canucks will supposedly answer that question on Wednesday.

Get Ready To Be Horrified

Okay so I didn't want to go to bed before I got one more post in for today. (I go to bed by 7 PM because I have to be at work by 4 AM. I work on a TV morning show. Which should explain why I have so much time to do a blog like this. I get off work at noon. And that's enough parenthetical nonsense for one day.)

Anyway, this is what I have to offer. A joke.



If you don't get the reference, look below. For what served as the inspiration to this mockery, you have to get in your time machine and travel back to the 1995-96 season when the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim donned this monstrosity on a couple of rare occasions.



Probably the worst third jersey ever. And you want to know the worst part? I have one of them in my closet! And if you were thinking that part was the joke... no, sir. I actually bought one back in the day because I was 11 and thought it was so cool. Let the ridicule begin.

Anyway, how much do Sabres fans hate the Buffaslug?

As far as actual news for your Monday night, I'm afraid I'm at a loss. Maybe Wednesday we'll get to see the Vancouver Canucks' new uniforms. Maybe. That reminds me. I found a bunch of mock-ups and fan art, I believe, at Canucks Central. So we can all look forward to that tomorrow on the day before August 1.

If you know or hear of anything else, I'd be happy to hear about it. Leave me a comment. Thanks.

Avs, Blues Jersey Concepts

Just when you thought I'd posted enough fake jersey designs for one day, oh no, just you wait. First we'll have a look at something that was put together for the Colorado Avalanche.



If you can look past the poor design quality, well, there's not much to this that rings of goodness. It's certainly interesting to look at, but Avs fans shouldn't worry about this. From what we've heard, there won't be any changes to the logo or uniforms — just an adaptation to the new Rbk EDGE style.

Now here's a look at a St. Louis Blues concept design.



I'm not real keen on the color scheme, but hey, it's not my team. As far as design, it's simple and rather close to what they currently wear. Although we haven't heard anything specific from the team regarding an unveiling of the new uniforms, I wouldn't expect to see anything much different from what they currently wear.

New Sharks, Canadiens Jersey Design Concepts

I was pointed the way of another fan-made jersey design concept for the San Jose Sharks. The designer doesn't seem to be a big fan of the orange being added to the color scheme as its used very sparingly here.




It's neat and I think it could probably work. Though I'd expect to see something rather different when the Sharks actually unveil their new jerseys in September.

And while we're looking at fan-designed jersey concepts, I've got one for Montreal Canadiens fans. Like many others, it's based off of this year's all-star jerseys so the real deal probably won't look anything like this. The one thing I wouldn't be surprised to see is the giant logo on the front. That seems to be a theme among all the jerseys that have already been officially unveiled.

Anyway, I haven't heard anything official from the Canadiens regarding an announcement or unveiling date, so we'll keep our ears and eyes peeled until we do.

Yes, More Canucks Stuff

I saw this graphic on the Canucks Central message board. Aren't you guys impressed I remembered? I even snatched a link just to prove it. It's apparently artwork on some new kid-oriented promotional material from the Vancouver Canucks. It's called "Fin's Friends" as I understand it.

You see Canucks mascot Fin wearing a rather unique jersey. I can't speak to its veracity, but so far I haven't determined a real reason to doubt it. It has a lot of what we've heard including: dropping the maroon from the logo, the word "VANCOUVER" appearing over the crest on the road white sweaters, and the return to vintage colors blue and green.

Also, on the shoulder of Fin's jersey is this logo. It's kind of an edgier version of the vintage stick-in-rink logo. I think it works.



So... Canucks fans? What do you think of all this? You think this could be the real deal for your uniforms come the fall? Or is it just more annoying speculation?

Though the Canucks have made nothing publicly official, we've been hearing that a new logo/jersey unveiling is set for Wednesday. Whether or not it will actually happen remains to be seen.

Capitals vs Rangers

	vs
CAPITALS		RANGERS
4-7		2-9

The Aesthetics
Man, the red, white and blue abound. Though, personally, I'm one of the few that believe a darker blue would better serve the Rangers. But then I also like the Lady Liberty logo better than the shield. For one thing, they don't even use a logo anywhere on their regular jerseys. Still, the Capitals logo is a wordmark and that doesn't earn it points in my book. I'm going with the shield.
Rangers

The Nickname
The Capital is the center of the goverment and Rangers are mere governmental peripheries.
Capitals

The Analysis
The Rangers logo is a classic. The Capitals thought their '70s logo was a classic which is why they used it for the inspiration for the new logo. It's inexcusable, really. Even the eagle on the shoulder is better than the wordmark as far as crests go. The Rangers deserve this point to right along with the win.
Rangers

WINNER

2-1

 

Flames vs Canucks

	vs
FLAMES		CANUCKS
9-1		5-6

The Aesthetics
Both of these logos are made from the letter "C." One forms a Haida-style whale while other emits fire. I like the simplicity of the Flames logo but also the color scheme of the Canucks logo. Since word on the street is that these colors aren't long for this earth, I'm going to give them this point.
Canucks

The Nickname
Flames burn everything, Canucks included.
Flames

The Analysis
Looking at the Canucks logo, I'm continually confused by the whale. This isn't to say that I believe the orca has no connection to the Canucks as a team (as opposed to the organization), but I really like the design John Slabyk came up with. You know the one. Anyway, they can't win for the "C" (symbolizing "Canucks" and "Canada") because the Flames have one of those too. Plus, how can you improve on a logo for a team called the Calgary Flames, anyway?
Flames

WINNER

2-1

 

Bruins vs Penguins

	vs
BRUINS		PENGUINS
6-3		3-7

The Aesthetics
Looking at these two logos side-by-side, it's fairly obvious why the Penguins shouldn't have switched to the Vegas gold. Which one of these stands out more? But like all you Pens fans know by now, the hockey gear the penguin is wearing bothers me. I can't explain it.
Bruins

The Nickname
Giant carnivore versus tiny, flightless bird. Is there any question the Bruin eats the Penguin?
Bruins

The Analysis
Unfortunately for the Bruins, this won't be a sweep. The reason is that I see a penguin in the Penguins logo but a bruin is nowhere in sight. (I take that back. Check the shoulder of the jersey.) If only they'd make that bear in the secondary mark the primary logo. But the truth is, the B's logo is one of the most recognizable in sports so to change it would probably be silly. Still, I stand by my rules for this tournament, despite the bullshit they produce.
Penguins

WINNER

2-1

 

Stars vs Coyotes

	vs
STARS		COYOTES
5-5		5-5

The Aesthetics
Talk about an ocean of mediocrity (based on my ridiculous criteria). Both teams are 5-5 after their first 10 matches. Let's see how they fare versus each other. I like both color schemes but as you know by now, I'm tempted to go with the logo that doesn't so much symbolize the name as spell it out. And that's what's going to happen.
Coyotes

The Nickname
I don't think the Stars have lost this point yet. But come on, unimaginable celestial ball of fire. Little desert dog. The Coyote never had a chance.
Stars

The Analysis
It seems like the Stars logo goes farther in symbolizing the region as much as the team name. While there's a coyote in the Coyotes logo and it features desert colors, it doesn't scream Arizona to me. The big "lone star," on the other hand, says nothing other than Texas.
Stars

WINNER

2-1

 

New Blackhawks Jersey Design Concept

We haven't been hearing much about the Chicago Blackhawks lately, but I came across this design on the 'Hawks official message board. Have a look.



Now, have a real good look. I mean get out your fine-tooth comb and really go over that puppy because I have my doubts as to the veracity of this image. It sure does look like a Blackhawks Rbk EDGE jersey, but the first thing that caught my eye was that familiar horizontal striping pattern on the sleeves and bottom of the sweater. Remember this?

Now compare it to the Bruins jersey to the left. Dead on. So I'm sorry if I got anybody's hopes up. It is just a very good Photshop job based on the B's road Reebok sweaters. Wondering what tipped me off? The stripes on the Blackhawks' white jerseys go black-red-black whereas the ones in this image go red-black-red.

Anyway, I'm continually impressed by the work people put into these jersey designs. You gotta think I'm pretty interested in the subject on account of writing this blog but I'm not sure I'd really go to the extent of coming up with my own design concept. Kudos to the folks that do, though. They give me something to write about.

The Blackhawks have yet to give word of plans for any sort of formal or official announcement, so until we hear something, it's a cool idea to muse on. Any Chicago fans reading? What do you think?

We're Going Interactive!

Big shock there, right? I've been talking about it for quite some time. But today I'm here to announce that it's actually going to happen and for those of you who are interested, I've got the full details all worked out.

How The Blog Began
So if you've been reading any of my head-to-head logo matches, you know my judgment isn't exactly... sound when it comes to these things. My intent was never to spout off my opinions of all the logos, but to get the opinions of others, I needed visitors. Which I didn't have.

When I started this blog, I'd be lucky to have 40 or 50 hits a day. Well, in just the past week or so, so many people have stumbled upon this site that our numbers are now averaging 3,000 to 4,000 hits per day. That's astronomical in comparison. We're also averaging about 2,000 individual visitors. Those numbers are stunning to me. As it stands now, for a site that's been up just about two months, we've already got over 50,000 total hits. You guys are awesome! Thanks for visiting!

You Can Vote Starting August 12!
Since that's now the case, I feel like it's time to make the switch to interactive. Beginning Sunday, August 12, YOU will decide which team is the logo champion. The part of the tournament that's going on now — we're going to call that Phase I — or rather more like a qualifying round. All 30 logos will be eligible for Phase 2 — or the Championship Tournament — and the current qualifying round will merely determine the placement of each team in a bracket-style setup.

Here's how it will work. The teams that finish No. 1 in the standings in each conference (as determined by my ridiculous judgment) will get an automatic bye in the first round since there are an odd number of teams. From there, the teams will be placed based on their seeding in the standings at the close of the qualifying tournament on August 10. No. 2 will face No. 15. No. 3 will face No. 14. No. 4 will face No. 13... and so on.

However, that is the last time my input will make any difference in the tournament as the logos will not be re-seeded after each round like the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs. If you don't quite follow, that's okay, you will.

How The Voting Will Work
As far as voting, it will start on August 12 like I said. The first poll will be posted and then there will be a new one every day until the end of the Championship Tournament. Each poll will stay active for one week. So if don't vote on the day it's posted, don't worry, you'll have plenty of time. This format means that readers who visit this site every day or every other day will have a new poll each time they visit. By the same token, those who visit only once or twice a week will still get to have their voices heard.

The poll format will be very simple. You'll be presented with both logos facing off in that day's match and you simply select the one you think is better (or your favorite). Click vote and consider your opinion heard. When the poll closes a week later, the post will be updated and the logo with more votes will be considered the winner and move on to the next round. (By the way, I haven't yet figured out what to do in the event of a tie so if you have any ideas, please send them in.)

Then once you've voted, you can talk about why you chose one logo over the other in the comments section and perhaps even try to persuade other readers to vote your way so your logo wins.

Other Notes
On August 10 or 11, I'll post the full schedule of the first round of the Championship Tournament. That can only be done when the qualifying round is over. At that point, I'll be placing a bracket at the top of the page so you can see where all the teams stand. Also, there will be a sidebar box that will let you know what polls are open so you know what you can vote on.

Anyway, I think it should be an exciting way to determine which team really has the best logo while keeping my opinion completely out of it. I hope you guys like the idea and will participate in the voting to make this tournament worthwhile. And I'd also recommend that you let all your hockey friends know so that they can come by and vote as well.

The Future Of The Tournament
One final subject I wanted to touch on. Depending on how popular the Championship Tournament ends up being, I'd like to keep this blog going for a long time to come. So once you guys determine a champion, it won't be over. We can continue it by holding a tournament with uniforms or vintage logos. There's all sorts of things we can still do so if you're interested, definitely drop me a line and let me know — or just vote starting two weeks from today!

For the record, I had a poll up for two weeks to gauge interest in voting on logos. When asked if you'd like to participate, out of 352 votes, only 10 (2%) said they wouldn't vote; 17 (4%) said maybe and 325 (92%) said yes in a rather lopsided finish. Huge thanks to everyone who voted!

New Stars Uniforms Coming September 14

According to an administrator on the Dallas Stars' official message board, we can expect to see their new Rbk EDGE jerseys on September 14. So I've added that date to the countdowns in the sidebar. Thanks to Josh for the tip!

While we're on the subject though, I ran across a fan design on that same message board that I thought was kind of funny.



It's a play on the Minnesota North Stars logo with a "D" for, you guessed it, Dallas. For those of you who don't know your hockey history, the Dallas Stars moved from Minnesota in 1993.

Anyway, thought it was a funny design and felt like sharing it along with the news of the unveiling date.

Some Flames, Flyers Jersey Design Concepts

One fan designed this Calgary Flames concept based off of the infamous all-star jerseys. It has the horse shoulder logo though we've heard that's no more, but I thought we'd all might like to have a look anyway.

If not, I've still got more. We got a little sneak peek of the new Philadelphia Flyers Rbk EDGE jersey last week and a few fans have taken it upon themselves to make designs based on that.

So here's one.



I think it's more wishful thinking than anything from a fan who doesn't want to see the jerseys change very much if at all.

One other thing I've noticed. If the jerseys that have already been unveiled are any indication, the crests are growing on all these new jerseys. So expect to see a much bigger Flyers logo on the front of that bad boy when it finally gets unveiled.

And for what it's worth, I like the logos on the chest being bigger. Let's make sure we can all see it from the nosebleed seats.

Islanders New Uniform Update

Remember those frightening mock-ups we first saw a while back for the New York Islanders? The image on the left should jog your memory. It's scary.

Then somebody put that into a jersey template which turned out like this. And it didn't leave any of us feeling any better about it.

Well anyway, I was surfing around yesterday and came across something that appears to substantiate that blurry photo. But again, we don't know anything for sure as the Isles have yet to make any sort of official announcement.



It looks to me like one of those moon bounce things kids play on at church carnivals and the like. Inside it is a painting of a giant New York Islanders player (#79, Yashin?) wearing a jersey with a new style — one that looks an awful lot like the jerseys in that photo.

So take that photo for what it's worth. The person who posted it said he saw it at Stony Brook University. For more on that, go here.

By the way, I found another template designed based on that infamous photo above over at Islanders Castaway.



That's all I've got for the Isles today. Thoughts, comments?

Blue Jackets vs Red Wings

	vs
BLUE JACKETS		RED WINGS
8-1		4-7

The Aesthetics
The Red Wings logo is very flat. There is one color and its traditional as with any Original Six team. I think it's okay but also that there's still room for improvement. But I'll leave it there. As for the Blue Jackets logos, it's a huge improvement over the previous logo (anybody remember the electric green bee?). At the very least, it makes better use of color than the Wings logo does.
Blue Jackets

The Nickname
A Blue Jacket may carry a bayonet, but chances of him shooting a bird with Red Wings are slim.
Red Wings

The Analysis
Both teams have colors in their names and yes, those colors are prominent in each logo. In fact, red is the only color in the Red Wings logo. The Blue Jackets logo prominently features the Ohio flag wrapped around a silver star in the form of a "C" as has been mentioned. A reader also pointed out that the star signifies Columbus as the capital city. And, yes, it's that cool.
Blue Jackets

WINNER

2-1

 

Sabres vs Bruins

	vs
SABRES		BRUINS
5-4		6-2

The Aesthetics
It's a bit of a toss-up here. I think both logos are pretty aesthetically strong. But these are both logos that have been changed in the last couple years. As far as improvements, I think both are better than what they had, but that the Bruins logo is more of an improvement than the Sabres. The return to traditional colors was nice but for a way to make it better, just ask John Slabyk.
Bruins

The Nickname
This would have been a good showdown if it was bruin and buffalo. But instead, it's Bruin versus Sabre, and with the latter in the hands of an experience swordsman, I have my doubts for the big bear.
Sabres

The Analysis
Neither logo portrays its name it's meant to very well — although the case has been made that there's a blue sabre along the back of the buffalo with the horn also serving as the handle. I'd still like to see the secondary logo on the crest sans the word marks, but that may have to wait until the day third jerseys make their glorious return.
Sabres

WINNER

2-1