Just wanted to remind you guys the WHL Tournament of Logos is in full swing over at ToHL! Make sure you're casting your votes so we can determine the best logo in the Western Hockey League. Just posted a new poll today. It's the Moose Jaw Warriors and the Chilliwack Bruins.
GO VOTE!
Today's concept post theme is the great state of New York. Mostly we've got Buffalo Sabres artwork, but we'll kick things off with the New York Islanders.
That's a fan-designed logo I posted a while back. I like the orange jersey.
This Sabres design makes an attempt at a new logo.
Quite unique, I must say. Also got a pair of Sabres pieces, one of which involves John Slabyk's logos.
That's all for tonight. Get your votes in by tomorrow for the goalie mask tournament. It starts soon!
Last week I posted the first in a series of designs for guitars based on the shapes and designs of the various NHL team logos. We're going alphabetically and so began with Anaheim, Atlanta and Boston.
Today, we start with the Buffalo Sabres.
I think the primary would've worked better on the other end. You'll see what I mean in a minute.
The Calgary Flames is cool. But you've got a big hole under the strings and the logo on the other end is no longer used.
The Carolina Hurricanes is by far one of my favorites to this point.
And this is what I meant about the Sabres.
This design was submitted by a different reader but it's very effective. I like the hockey stick used in it. More guitars are on the way so keep an eye out for that.
This last thing is a quick note about the upcoming goalie mask tournament. I've got 66 mask graphics made so I'm thinking we'll do a two-poll preliminary round to decide which two goalies make the final cut for the 64-goalie competition. It's going to be the biggest thing we've done here yet. Can't wait to get it started!
Voting ends Friday. At that point we'll know which 32 goalies will be placed in the bracket first. I'll announce their opponents over the weekend and I'm anticipating posting the first poll on Monday.
Wade Dubielewicz donned a new mask last night for the New York Islanders. It may not have helped much, but I just thought I'd let you guys know I've got photos of it and the new mask will be included in the upcoming tournament.
It's still got the '90s fisherman on top but it no longer says "DUBIE" on the bottom anymore.
Anyway, the helmet graphics are coming along nicely. I've got about 55 or so complete. As soon as I figure out who all will be included, we should be about ready to get this thing going.
I obviously can't keep an eye personally on every single goalie, so if you see a goalie donning a new mask this week, please let me know so I can try to include it in the competition. Once we start however, I won't make any graphics changes. By the way, thanks to Lucas for tipping me off on Dubielewicz's new mask.
Quick update on the goalie photos. I've gotten tons of emails in the last 24 hours from folks responding to my last post about photos I'm looking for. First, thank you so much! Second, I think I've got enough for the moment. There are some goalie masks for which I'll need new pictures.
I'll be updating this post today with a list of what I still need. You guys have been unbelievably helpful. Hopefully you can continue that streak.
UPDATE (7:15 PM): All right, as it turns out I've got all the photos I need at this point. Someone pointed me to an excellent site for gathering photos. I'll be working on those tonight so you probably shouldn't expect a concept post. However, you should expect to see the NHL Tournament of Goalie Masks begin some time early next week. Get excited!
I've been really going back and forth on this for the last few days trying to figure out the best format for this Tournament of Goalie Masks. Harder than it sounds, actually.
In going through photos and things, I'm realizing this would be difficult to pull off with a bracket of only 32. I'm thinking we should probably expand to 64. It'll be a long one. That's for sure. Here's the thing. ESPN lists 65 active goaltenders currently playing in the NHL. NHL.com, however, lists 99. That's a big gap. Anyway, my feeling is with a bracket of 64 we get the opportunity to grab the starter and backup from all 30 clubs plus a few extras which would account for the handful of teams with three goalies.
As for the voting in the sidebar poll, the top 32 you guys choose will be automatically placed in the bracket so none of them face each other in the first round. That is, there's the possibility all 32 advance to the second. So now I'm down to trying to figure out how the other 32 get selected. Probably just an executive decision by me. I'll go into a little more detail but first, here are a couple more graphics from the 44 I have completed.
Finished Graphics
I have 44 graphics done with photos I have of masks I'm sure will be in the tournament. They are as follows, by last name only: Anderson, Backstron, Biron, Brodeur, Bryzgalov, Budaj, Conklin, DiPietro, Ellis, Emery, Fleury, Giguere, Grahame, Hasek, Hedberg, Huet, Khabibulin, Kiprusoff, Kolzig, LaBarbera, Lalime, Leclaire, Legace, Lehtonen, Lundqvist, Luongo, Mason, Miller, Nabokov, Niittymaki, Price, Ramo, Roloson, Sanford, Smith, Theodore, Thibault, Thomas, Toivonen, Toskala, Turco, Vokoun, Ward and Weekes.
Pictures Needed
The 44 above are done because those are all the pictures I have. In order to do anymore, I'll need photographs of a relatively high quality of the goalie and his mask in action or at least on the ice. Close-ups are best. This is where I could really use your help, if you're so inclined. Following are names of the some of the other active goalies we might want to consider for the tournament. I need their photos: Auld, Boucher, Cloutier, Dubielewicz, Garon, Gerber, Halak, Harding, Hiller, Holmqvist, Johnson, Joseph, Norrena, Osgood, Raycroft, Sabourin, Tellqvist and Valiquette.
Keep in mind that I'll need current photos. This is most important if a goalie was recently traded, like Holmqvist. Not to mention I could use better pictures of some of the ones I already have done — Mike Smith, for example. Anyway, if you guys can help, I'd be incredibly appreciative.
Also, if there are other names that I haven't listed here, please let me know. Remember, don't just send names, try to send high quality photos as well. And help me consider whether to include goalies like Marc Denis who's still a member of the Lightning but not currently playing in the NHL. Remember, we need 64 goalies or 32. I don't want anybody getting a bye in any round of this tournament.
Email anything you think might be helpful to nhllogos@gmail.com.
I've got some things to talk about with regard to the upcoming Tournament of Goalie Masks but I'll save that for the next post. For now, I've got concept logos, beginning with one I was sent this afternoon for the New Jersey Devils.
Looks a lot like a logo for a Japanese restaurant to me but I like it. Maybe not for a professional hockey team, but in general... I like it.
Another reader came up with a bunch of varying designs for a new Edmonton Oilers logo.
Lots of cool stuff in there. Not sure any of it is better than what the Oilers have now. Same artist simplified the look of the Florida Panthers.
They should try that on a third jersey. Sticking to the Sunshine State, I've got a couple of Tampa Bay Lightning logos to share.
If the bolt wasn't yellow and we tried a different font for the TBL, perhaps I would consider it as a secondary mark. Like that, I'm not a fan.
I've always thought about something like that. A lightning bolt between a TB. Still, it needs some beautification work or something.
That's all for now. Keep the concept work coming in. I'll have a bunch more jersey designs to post this week. Stay tuned!
UPDATE (6:53 PM): Somebody mentioned St. Patrick's Day in the comments. Somehow I'm completely forgot that was today. I actually did have one theme concept to share. All six Canadian teams puked on by the Irish.
That's some green right there. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
You thought I was going to go a whole weekend without a single post didn't you? Gotcha!
No but seriously I have been hard at work on things relevant to the blog, actually. I've been designing graphics for the upcoming NHL Tournament of Goalie Masks. Indeed, this isn't something I'm just throwing together. Just like I did with all the logo graphics, I'm putting my own spin on the helmets.
Check out some of what I have done so far.
Those guys are among the top vote-getters right now in the sidebar poll so obviously there's no need for me to explain who they are.
My goal was to make you look only at the mask and nothing else in the photo — that's why everything else has been grayed out. That said, all the photos I'm using are game action photos and I'm still looking for better pictures of some goalies. I'll post a list here when I get a chance if anyone wants to help out.
Apologies for the small images. You'll be able to click through to larger versions when the tournament actually begins.
Let me know what you guys think of these graphics. I encourage feedback!
Quick update for you on the upcoming goalie mask tournament. I went through all 30 teams and came up with 48 goalies I could see being eligible for this tournament. Obviously, that's insanity. We're not doing a tournament that big. The max I'm willing to do for this is 32. Therefore, I think what I'm going to do is place a huge poll in the sidebar and essentially let you guys decide which goalies will be included.
This poll will have all 48 names and be multiple choice. That is, you'll be able to select as many goalies as you want when casting your vote. You can vote for all 48; you can vote for just 1. Whatever you want is fine by me. But ultimately, the top 32 vote-getters will make up this tournament. So while I'll continue to gather pictures, you guys will have another poll to vote on for a while.
In the meantime, if you're bored, may I suggest casting a daily vote over at ToHL where we're conducting a WHL Tournament of Logos. It's the beginning of a larger CHL logo tournament. The WHL will be followed by the OHL, then QMJHL. The three winners from each league will face off for one final vote.
All right, that's all I got. Just be prepared for a ginormous poll to appear in the sidebar very soon. Then pick as many goalies as you like. The 32 with the most votes will be in the NHLToGM. (I like abbreviations.)
UPDATE (9:11 PM): Okay, I've added the goalie poll to the sidebar. Choose as many or as few as you like. Happy voting!
A reader of the blog here named Scott has started an interesting series of his own that I've decided to feature. It probably stems from a pretty good case of boredom, but nonetheless he's turning all 30 NHL logos into ... guitars. Yes, guitars. Here's what I mean.
Presenting them alphabetically, I'll be posting three at a time as he sends them.
Scott's finished nine of the 30 teams and as long as he sends them all to me, I'll share them all with you.
Should we call that one a banjo?
Up next: Sabres, Flames and Hurricanes — as guitars!
(By the way, happy Pi Day! I'm celebrating with a key lime pie. You?)
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