Thursday, October 18, 2007

Rbk EDGE Review: Canucks

Part 25 of 30. All 30 NHL clubs have unveiled new jerseys under the new Rbk EDGE Uniform System for the 2007-08 season. Here at the NHLToL, we're going to review every one of them. Read up and then rate the new sweaters. We'll do a full ranking after completing all of the reviews.

Rbk EDGE Uniform System

Vancouver Canucks


New Uniforms

Old Uniforms

The Unveiling
Wednesday, August 29. The Canucks unveiled their jerseys to fans at GM Place in Vancouver.

Home vs. Road
Home: Blue. Road: White. The two sweaters are essentially mirror images of each other and both feature a secondary logo patches on both shoulders.

The blue home jerseys feature white-green-white stripes around the elbows and waist. The collar is white with blue trim on the inside. White text spelling out "VANCOUVER" is arched above the primary logo which serves as the crest.

The white road jerseys feature spaced blue-green-blue stripes around the elbows and waist. The blue on the sleeve beneath the green stripe extends all the way down the cuff. The collar is white with blue trim on the inside. Blue text spelling out "VANCOUVER" is arched above the primary logo which serves as the crest.

In The Details
The primary logo's coloring is slightly altered between the two jerseys. On the blue, the ice beneath the whale is white, while it's blue on the white jersey. The dark blue seen in the logo is featured nowhere else on the jersey itself. The stick-in-rink secondary logo featured on the shoulders is a modernized version of the classic crest worn in the 1970s. A new numbering and lettering style has been introduced.

New & Old
The most significant difference is the return to the team's traditional colors of green and blue along with the addition of the city name to the front of the sweater. The striping pattern is also completely different. The Canucks were going for a revamped look for this season and they achieved their goal.

Standard FAQ
Numbers on the front? No.
Laces at the collar? No.

NHLToL Editorial by Chris
All right, I'll come right out and say it. The Canucks hit it right on the mark with these sweaters. I hardly have a single complaint to lodge against them — realizing I'm in the minority by saying so. The colors are brilliant! The logos are improved. And they look great on the ice. While it's not my favorite element of the jersey, I'm not totally opposed to the wordmark above the crest, either. So it's not perfect, but it certainly has its redeeming qualities. I cannot get over the colors. Best color combination in the NHL if you ask me. (Well, second-best to the Lightning, really.) Color me impressed. 5/5



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38 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow, a 5? I hope you're aware that these colors are not new to the Canucks, they were their original colors and also last year's third jersey colors. This is not as hideous as that ridiculous "V" jerseys they had years ago, but the "VANCOUVER" on the front is pretty unnecessary. No need to have that on a hockey jersey.

Drew Celestino said...

I love the colors. I love the striping. I hate the orca. I hate the redundant VANCOUVER on the jersey.

I give it a 4, but they had so much potential for a 5 if they had just gone back to the 1970 logo on the front. Those third jerseys last year really were something.

Save the orca for the secondary, or ditch it entirely. It's never been a good design.

Just like my Sabres. 1 step forward, 3 steps back.

sjsharks112 said...

seconds worst jersey just above the Flames i have no clue in hell how this got a 5

Chris said...

Wow, a 5? I hope you're aware that these colors are not new to the Canucks, they were their original colors and also last year's third jersey colors. This is not as hideous as that ridiculous "V" jerseys they had years ago, but the "VANCOUVER" on the front is pretty unnecessary. No need to have that on a hockey jersey.

Well aware. It's nice to see them making their return. Saying that "VANCOUVER" on the chest is unnecessary would imply that there's something that could make it necessary. What would that be exactly?

I would counter with my hope that you're aware that wordmark isn't there to "remind folks the team is from Vancouver" — as way to many people have foolishly said that. Hopefully that's not why it's being called "redundant."

Anyway, thanks for commenting, all!

Chris H. said...

I am absolutley in love with their new sweaters. Though I am a Canucks fan, I do not feel I am being bias because I was not a fan of the sweaters used last year. The colour combinating in easily the best in the league (with a close second going to the bolts...blue and black look amazing together). Too many other teams are using red and black. Even though may teams also use some shade of blue, the vibrant shade the Canucks use, along with the green make it unlike any other team. I'm even digging the text on the front. When I first saw it I thought that it was unneccessary, and that if they were going to use it then it should be smaller font, like on the front of football jerseys. But after watching a few games and seeing the sweaters in action the text doesn't bother me at all anymore. And after seeing those mock-ups with the text taken out, the logo seems plain, and out of place. I think that most people don't appreciate the history behind it as well. Back when the Canucks were in the WHL the team name on the front of the sweater was the only design. An educated Canucks fan will see that this sweater has many hints to the past. A definate 5/5 from me.

Unknown said...

People complaning about the Vancouver wording on the jersey understand now that it was necessary.

Vancouver have the best color combinaison of the NHL. They are also the only team to have that kind of wording.

Everybody loves now that wording.

definately a 5/5, probably a must buy.

At the shop here, it is the best selling jersey of the new era, second being Washington (Alexander have it's rights), and third Pittsburgh, don't know why.

Large is now back order for a week.

Unknown said...

Well aware. It's nice to see them making their return. Saying that "VANCOUVER" on the chest is unnecessary would imply that there's something that could make it necessary. What would that be exactly?

I would counter with my hope that you're aware that wordmark isn't there to "remind folks the team is from Vancouver" — as way to many people have foolishly said that. Hopefully that's not why it's being called "redundant."

Anyway, thanks for commenting, all!

Of course I don't think VANCOUVER on the front is to remind people that they're from the place. However, I think a logo should speak for itself, and not have to have something to explain it, or at least accompany it on the jersey's front. I'm more of the philosophy that less is more in design. Look at the Habs logo, or simple ones like the Flyers. Great logos, with not much to them!

Dallas, on the other hand, is something completely different. But as far as hockey logos go, I view any text besides the actual logo as unnecessary.

sjsharks112 said...

how is this the best colour combo in the NHL

awildermode said...

how is this the best colour combo in the NHL

it is not red, white and blue...and black. like every other team in the league.

Unknown said...

Awful jerseys, an especial shame given that if they just got rid of that wordmark they'd just be fine. Frankensteining three jerseys together dosen't make it brilliant, especially when it somehow cost one million dollars. Could have been a 4 without the wordmark, with them it's little better than a 2.

"Saying that "VANCOUVER" on the chest is unnecessary would imply that there's something that could make it necessary. What would that be exactly?"

That's exactly the point. Nothing about a wordmark is necessary on a hockey jersey, so GET RID OF THEM.

Chris H. said...

Why must people continue to bring back the argument "that looks horrible considering they spend $1million on it"? It doesn't even make sense as an arugment. The money was spend on a lot more then just the design of the logo/jersey. It includes paying for the rights to the new designs. They undated the stick'n'rink and changed the colour of the orca. That means whole new trademarks. It costs money to do research and run tests, plus the salary of the people who do them. Developing prototypes of multiple desgins, even for those they didn't end up using. The whole process cost $1million! It's not like they just gave all the money to some 6th grade kid to draw the first thing that came into his head. I'm sure that most of the teams are in a very similar situation. The sad fact is that most other teams do not have such intense hockey markets,(ie. florida, nashville, carolina, phoenix, anahiem) so the people just don't care.

Q said...

I would counter with my hope that you're aware that wordmark isn't there to "remind folks the team is from Vancouver" — as way to many people have foolishly said that.

Why is it there, then? I can't see any rational purpose for it.

Jerm Deeks said...

All last season, from the moment they announced a change, I was hoping and hoping they'd go to blue-and-green, and the more they wore their alts last year, the more likely it seemed, and then, when they made the big reveal, my wish became a reality. That being said, I never really liked the Orca, and I could do without the "VANCOUVER", but whatever, definitely one of my favourites of the season, perhaps the best.

Q said...

Why must people continue to bring back the argument "that looks horrible considering they spend $1million on it"?

You just answered your own question... Anyways, people are well aware that $1 million was the cost of the entire process. What people don't understand is that how, after investing such a great amount of money, is it still possible to infuriate so many people. Do you know how much money that is? Millions of people in North America will probably not make so much money throughout their entire lifetimes...

Anonymous said...

And the fight continues... Just face it. Their just jerseys. It's about how good the hockey team, not fashion.

Kronis said...

The VANCOUVER letting is ridiculous, but past that, they aren't bad, except for maybe the fact they look like the Hartford Whalers now.

Unknown said...

Higgs - it gets brought up because when you invest that much money into the design, you'd expect them to put some EFFORT into it.

Darryl said...

and detroit gets a 4/5? Only one word can describe what i'm feeling. Shenanigans.

Nashcity said...

The VANCOUVER letting is ridiculous, but past that, they aren't bad, except for maybe the fact they look like the Hartford Whalers now.

But it was the Hartford Whalers that copied the original Vancouver Canucks jerseys of 1970. Sure, by the time Hartford went to the green and blue, the Canucks had changed to the yellow, red and black, but that's the same argument now - the Hartford Whalers are no more. I've heard this comment too many times. I think people need to be reminded that it was the Canucks who wore green and blue well before the Whalers did.

As for my take on the jerseys, I love the colours, don't mind the orca logo, don't like the wordmark very much. But my remedy isn't to get rid of it, it just needs to be smaller. The font is just too big and most of the time its hard to see the entire "VANCOUVER" across the chest.

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5/5. I'd say its the best jersey the Canucks have ever had, but that's obviously not saying much.

habs111 said...

awesome colours ! the good thing about them is that they are blue and diffrent 6/5

James said...

I love the colours, I like the old-school striping, I love the new number/letters, like the revamped shoulder patch, on the fence about the revamped orca, and undecided on the word mark.

I'd have preferred that green be in the Orca - it does seem rather odd that green is on jerseys, but no where on the logo. It wouldn't have been too hard, either - simply repalce what was red last year with green.

As for the wordmark, I hated it when it came out. It does make the jersey look a little crowded, especially for the A's and C. However, it's unique, and the jerseys would be pretty plain without it.

I have to say, I really like the white jerseys. That orca crest works really well, and the new numbering style looks perfect.

Either way, it's an improvement for the Canucks.

canucklehead said...

I always loved the retro jerseys and was happy to see them go back to those colours.

I was taken a little off guard by the wordmark; but it's grown on me and I have to admit that it looks better now when I see it on the ice. And I thought it was a nice touch when I heard it was nod to the PCHL team.

I still am not a fan of the orca. To me, it still says corporate logo and that just really bugs me, as well as the fact that they missed an opportunity to ditch it. I'd much rather have the stick-in-the-rink design, by a long shot.

That being said, it ain't bad and could have been much worse.

Anonymous said...

A 5? Wow - Not for me - The VANCOUVER AND the ORCA are too much - I would have liked to see a "V" possibly worked into the ORCA logo some how...like the Yankees overlapping "NY" - I like the original colors but that doesn't help bring that number up for me

Tyler said...

Let's have Luongo in the picture instead of Curtis Sanford.

Tyler said...

And another thing: I don't think these are the best jerseys in teh league. (Habs) Nor do I think they're the best redesign (Bruins) But they are a pretty great jersey when compared to the shit produced by the Oilers, Senators and Islanders to name just a few.

Drew said...

The wordmark is great. I think other teams need to adopt it. And I think it does serve some purpose... If a non-hockey fan happens to be watching a game and is wondering which team is which... well, it helps them figure it out pretty easily.

daudyy said...

good jersey for sure no doubt 4.5/5

Unknown said...

"The wordmark is great. I think other teams need to adopt it. And I think it does serve some purpose... If a non-hockey fan happens to be watching a game and is wondering which team is which... well, it helps them figure it out pretty easily."

Sorry to be so frank, but if you need to have the city the team plays in on the jersey to be able to tell which team is which, you really shouldn't be watching any sports.

Eric said...

I was disappointed with these jerseys when they were first unveiled. Like many, I was anticipating a more dramatic change (including the complete dropping of the orca), so maybe that's why the wordmark--surprising and a bit daring--was actually the piece I liked best about the new design.

Now, a month later, I can happily vote 5/5. They've not only grown on me, but more importantly look great on the ice.

And in decor. The Canucks ads, posters, even the banners all around and on GM Place look really sharp. I wouldn't shed a tear if they drop'd old orca eventually, but I hope we can stay with this design for a while.

ps. go Whalers!

Jerm Deeks said...

Sorry to be so frank, but if you need to have the city the team plays in on the jersey to be able to tell which team is which, you really shouldn't be watching any sports.

So in other words, no new hockey fans allowed, if you don't already watch hockey, you aren't allowed to start? For a sport struggling to stay ahead of bowling in the States, this seems like the wrong attitude. (That being said, I say we write off the States and just move most of the American franchises to Canada, every province'll have a team! Go Canada's game!)

Unknown said...

So in other words, no new hockey fans allowed, if you don't already watch hockey, you aren't allowed to start? For a sport struggling to stay ahead of bowling in the States, this seems like the wrong attitude. (That being said, I say we write off the States and just move most of the American franchises to Canada, every province'll have a team! Go Canada's game!)

No, my comment was more in the vein of if you are too stupid to not be able to tell which team is which unless they have the city's name on their uniform, then you shouldn't be watching ANY sports, not just hockey. It is rare in most sports to have the city's name of a team on the uniform unless it is actually part of the logo. Basketball might be an exception to this. And obviously the Dallas Stars are now, but I think their uniform is ugly as well.

But still, these are hockey jerseys. Vancouver on the jersey seems redundant to me. If the jersey looks plain without it, do something about the jersey, just don't add plain text to the thing!

SAM25 said...

The nucks have a great jersey, I think the writing looks kinda cool

Unknown said...

Jeremy - So the whole point is to pander to the newbies? No offense but I figured the NHL had more respect for its fans than that. Plus there's absolutely nothing a wordmark is going to do that the scoreboard on the top of your TV screen isn't going to say anyway - if you can't figure out that VAN = Vancouver, I pity you. Nor can I see someone who's never been to a hockey game in their lives somehow stumble into a seat at GM Place without any idea what's going on, let alone go temporarily deaf when they call out the Canucks. The wordmarks remain unnecessary and busy up the jersey.

zdaddy said...

My second review is for my second favorite team,the Canucks! Anyone else notice the Canucks have the most comments by far compared to any other team. I love these uniforms! The color scheme is terrific, and I love that they went back to the original colors. At first I was a bit taken back by the "Vancouver" wordmark, but now I must admit it has grown on me and I now love it! I cant think of a single thing wrong with this uniform, if I had to make one tiny nitpick about something it would simply be that instead of the 2 retro shoulder patches of the stick in the rink logo, it would have been cool if the other was a small logo of the one they used in the 90's the Canucks skate. 5 out of 5 stars and BEST JERSEY IN THE NHL!

Couto said...

to be completely honest i like it.A 4 from me and i love the logo.And for everyone out there the VANCOUVER is for 2010 advertisement basically.

ranndino said...

I guess the design really is subjective because I was honestly shocked to see that you loved these jerseys as did most visitors who voted. I think these are butt ugly. I was never a fan of the Whalers uniforms and that's exactly what these look like (yeah, yeah, I know the Nucks came up with this color scheme first). I also think that the current Nucks logo is the ugliest logo not just in the NHL, but possibly in all of sports. Was it drawn by the owner's 6-year old son? Puke.

You will probably think that I'm nuts, but I don't have any idea why the Nucks started changing their uniforms. I loved the ones they had in the Pavel Bure era. Not so much the black ones, but the white ones looked amazing to me and I loved the skate logo. I even bought their 3rd jersey which was half red.

I could deal with the color scheme I guess if they reverted to the old skate logo in colors that matched this uniform. That might be an idea for a concept.

ranndino said...

Forgot to add. The sooner someone decided to kill the butt ugly orca the better. They must've been on crack when they picked it.

ranndino said...

In my earlier post on Jan 8 I suggested a concept that would combine the new uniforms with the old skate logo, which I still love (while I hate the new Orca one). I finally sat down and did it myself. I think it came out great. Post it when you get a chance.