Ice Cap's NHL Concepts: San Jose Sharks

[mee]

FISHERMAN!! I love that logo..

[DTConcepts]

The Isles need to promote the 'NY' and lighthouse logos. Teal would also look good as highlights in and around the uniforms.

 

So far this whole series has been really nice.

[KCScout76]

Great Series you have going IceCap - I am looking forward to more.

[OnWis97]

Lightning: I think it's hard to have a good lightning concept because the Lightning (in my opinion, of course) give you so little to work with.  I like the "TB" better than the Rays' "TB"...maybe the Rays should steal it for their cap. I think the logo you use would also make a good shoulder logo...I kinda like Rollins's example.  (I also like your blue alt best; showing my thoughts on Tampa's colors).

 

Leafs: I like the two stripes, particularly on the hem...I think I'd like it better if the sleeve did not change colors at the bottom.

 

Dallas: I cannot buy Dallas Stars merchandise, even if my fellow Minnesotans are to blame...but man would those primaries both tempt me.  Two nitpicks. First, I think the Texas logo would be better if the entire state were green.  Second, I really love the colors of the logo as applied on the black jersey (a jersey I will forever be grateful did not exist, thank you 1981 Cup run).  I think it would look great on the white jersey.  Of course, not the green jersey.  I'd add that the shorts in the early 1990s had three stars on each side; they looked pretty nice.

 

[Rollins Man]

On 2017-04-12 at 3:40 PM, Ice_Cap said:

The Dallas Stars

 

So I want to start off by saying that if the Dallas Stars never changed their uniforms again I would be happy. They have a great look as-is. That being said? I consider the Minnesota North Stars' 1988-1991 look to be one of, if not the, best looks in hockey history. I wanted to design a Dallas Stars uniform that would lean heavily into that.

The primary look is obviously heavily inspired by that look. I shamelessly reproduced that striping on the Edge template. The one change I made is that the North Stars' kelly green was switched out for the Dallas Stars' current victory green. Which, while very similar, is just different enough for me to notice. I really like the victory green colour (it may be my favourite shade of green period), and it was too unique to ditch. So the base is the late 80s/early 90s North Stars look using Dallas' victory green.

I kept the current logos, but I simplified them. I got rid of the silver metallic bevel in favour of bold colour. The star is gold, as it was from 1967-1991. I carried over the replacement of bevelling/metallic with flat, bold colours to the Texas alternate mark. The Dallas Stars' original Texas alternate logo was one of my favourite alternate marks in the league, and I was a bit bummed when the Stars kept the updated Texas logo off of the sweaters. Well it's my concept, so it's back The repetition of the D/Star isn't the best situation, but look at the uniforms I based these off of. It's on topic!

The pants are drawn from another North Stars uniform, their last set from 1991-1993. I considered adding the "DALLAS" wordmark down the sides that the team added upon moving, but it seemed like just a bit much. So I scaled it back to just the two stripes.

 

The alternate is based off of a concept for a black sweater the team considered in the late 80s. I'm not sure if it was meant to replace the green or just be used as an alternate, but I think this may be one of the first cases of a team considering BFBS. Either way I resurrected the design as the alternate here. I couldn't fit the lighter green into the logo without it looking kind of bad, but I was able to work it into the outline of the Texas alternate mark. 

 

 

 

 

my only complaint is the star. I think on the green jersey there should be a white outline going around it, and on the white jersey there should be a green outline going around it like how they had it on the actual north star jerseys.

[henburg]

I agree with what the poster above me said, that was the only thing that really bothered my about the concept. Outside of that it's a solid set and that alt is seriously gorgeous. 

[DTConcepts]

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post: The green 'D' on Dallas' away jersey just doesn't look good. I'd keep it white like on the other two.

[IceCap]

First up...I took everyone's Dallas suggestions re: the logo outlines and colourisation to heart. Here's what I came up with...

 

 

 

 

I have to say I like that a lot better. Thanks for the suggestions!

[IceCap]

The Ottawa Senators

 

I admit, there are a lot of ways I feel like I could have taken this one. In the end I took what I thought were the best elements of both Senators teams' visual identities. The result is a bit of a hodgepodge, but I think it all works. The three main influences are the original Senators' barberpoles, the team's primary home/road set from 1995-1999, and the current "heritage" alternates. I made good use of the Peace Tower/maple leaf logo from the 2000-2007 alternate, but otherwise ditched the Roman theme. It was always tenuous at best, and I felt it was appropriate to emphasise logos that reflected Ottawa's hockey history and the team name.

I chose black as the primary home colour as a way to set the Sens apart from the Habs. The Senators have always had a bit of a hard time escaping the long shadows of the Canadiens and Maple Leafs. So I felt like the Senators wearing a primary home sweater that's the same colour as the home sweater of one of those two teams was a mistake. Black allows them to carve out their own visual niche as far as Eastern Conference Canadian teams go. I did keep the red sweater as the alternate, however. I also switched the logos around, using the Peace Tower/leaf as the primary and the =O= as the alternate. My reasoning was two-fold. The first was that it avoided a red chest-striped sweater. Again, keeping the Senators visually distinct from the Habs. It also seemed like a good marketing ploy. Ottawa is Canada's capital, Canada's primary colour is red, and the Peace Tower logo has a maple leaf. Canada's national symbol. So they could market the alternates as the "capital red" look or something.

 

 

 

[SFGiants58]

Lightning: You've done a good job updating the original uniforms while incorporating some of the better traits of the current identity (i.e. logos). My only critique would be to drop the "hockey club" text from the logo. Other than that, good work.

 

Maple Leafs: It's a fantastic tweak of their current look, and the third sweater fits well with their visual identity. I would have preferred the '67 sweater (or something based off of it) as an alternate, but that's personal preference.

 

Islanders: You've made a wise choice in dumping the roundel for the excellent "NY," and it's always nice to see the lighthouse logo again. The third is an effective modernization of the Fisherman set, preserving its uniqueness while keeping it tasteful.

 

Stars: Your latest update handles the color scheme and logos well, with proper outlines and logo coloration. However, I don't like it. I contend that the North Stars ruined their uniforms when they added black (it always felt like an afterthought, and kelly/yellow work fine on their own). If I was more inclined towards the kelly/yellow/black, I'd probably like it more. I still enjoy your third sweater, as I'm a sucker for faux-gradient striping. My only criticism would be that the numbers should be outlined to match the crest. 

 

Senators: This is pretty much my ideal look for the Sens, should they go all-in on the heritage theme. Stripes with a consistent width, one-color numbers, and the Peace Tower logos are all excellent modifications to the set. I don't really have any criticisms for the set. Good work!

[IceCap]

The Minnesota Wild

 

The Wild are a team of many identities. They started with a fairly contemporary for the late 90s/early 2000s look before introducing a retro-inspired alternate. That alternate eventually supplanted the green home sweater and the Wild have had mismatched looks ever since. The original look was picked apart piece by piece until nothing but the colour scheme and logos remained. These days the Wild have three sweaters, and none of them match.

So my first goal was a bit of consistency. I wanted to pick a Minnesota WIld look and commit to it for the home and road identities. That was a bit tough though. The Wild look like idiots with three mismatched uniforms, but the truth is I've loved nearly every sweater they've had. A standard home-road-alternate set that committed to one identity for at least the home and road would mean that at there would be Wild looks left on the cutting room floor that I still really, really like. 

Ultimately I chose to go with the general look of the current green alternate as the primary look for the concept. I went with it for a few reasons. The first is that the North Stars/Wild debate isn't going to end soon. I committed the Dallas Stars to a pretty North Stars-esque look. So a retro-inspired green sweater that was none-the-less distinct from what I did with Dallas would allows the team to harken back to the general look of the North Stars while not being the North Stars. In broader terms? The Wild may be a new team, but they embrace Minnesota's rich hockey history. So a green fauxback just seemed the most fitting for them. Finally, the Wild name has always been weak. So I jacked the idea from @the admiral and emphasised the locale-heavy wordmark. The team is still the Minnesota Wild, but the Minnesota portion of the identity is where the focus is.

Now that aside, I didn't just replicate the current alternate. I took the wordmark logo and the general concept of forest green on wheat/vintage white and put it on a template reminiscent of the 2004 All-Star Game uniforms. I also used the Wild's current bear head primary as the alternate. It's too good not to use in some form. For the road I decided to simply flip the vintage white/wheat colour with the green, meaning this concept omits a white sweater all together. That presented a problem with the helmets though, as vintage white helmets aren't really used. And would probably look terrible. So I looked to the Ottawa Senators for inspiration. Their Heritage Classic set was primarily vintage white, and they opted to pair their black helmets with it. So that's what I did with the Wild. Sure, it's against NHL uni rules, but hey. My concept.

I referenced the team's original alternate. It was a really sharp sweater at the time, and proved the Wild's chosen aesthetic could work in a retro direction. I always thought it got butchered in the Edge switchover though. The phantom yoke looked terrible, and it lost the hem stripes. So I tweaked a few things to bring it more in line with the original design.

So without further adieu...

 

 

 

[DTConcepts]

On the away, the "WILD" and the stars in the "M" should be cream. They sort of disappear when they're red.

 

I'd also get rid of the bottom stripe on the arms, if that makes sense. Make it match the hem a little bit.
 

[OnWis97]

After writing most of the below, I realize I've treated this more like a Wild topic in the main forum.  So, good execution and given your choices, good stuff overall.  Most of what I say is just about my personal preferences for what the team should do.

 

1 hour ago, Ice_Cap said:

The Minnesota Wild

 

The Wild are a team of many identities. They started with a fairly contemporary for the late 90s/early 2000s look before introducing a retro-inspired alternate. That alternate eventually supplanted the green home sweater and the Wild have had mismatched looks ever since. The original look was picked apart piece by piece until nothing but the colour scheme and logos remained. These days the Wild have three sweaters, and none of them match. 

So my first goal was a bit of consistency. I wanted to pick a Minnesota WIld look and commit to it for the home and road identities. That was a bit tough though. The Wild look like idiots with three mismatched uniforms, but the truth is I've loved nearly every sweater they've had. A standard home-road-alternate set that committed to one identity for at least the home and road would mean that at there would be Wild looks left on the cutting room floor that I still really, really like. 

Very true.  With the upcoming Nike change, maybe the team will unify itself a bit better.  I agree with your philosophy here...not that anyone should not.

 

So I guess your choices were to go modern (like the inaugural set) or a bit more old-timey.  As nice as the original set was, i am warming up to the idea of old-timey, so I am with you there.  But then you still have choices.  Inspiration from the current green alt?  The red primary?  The road white?

 

 

Quote

Ultimately I chose to go with the general look of the current green alternate as the primary look for the concept. I went with it for a few reasons. The first is that the North Stars/Wild debate isn't going to end soon. I committed the Dallas Stars to a pretty North Stars-esque look. So a retro-inspired green sweater that was none-the-less distinct from what I did with Dallas would allows the team to harken back to the general look of the North Stars while not being the North Stars. In broader terms? The Wild may be a new team, but they embrace Minnesota's rich hockey history. So a green fauxback just seemed the most fitting for them. Finally, the Wild name has always been weak. So I jacked the idea from the admiral and emphasised the locale-heavy wordmark. The team is still the Minnesota Wild, but the Minnesota portion of the identity is where the focus is.

I recall that idea from the admiral and I have two beefs with it.  First, the team is called the Wild.  I hate it, but they should not and cannot run away from it.  Second, the primary logo, while it's an unbelievable rendition of "Wild" does not actually say "Wild."  In fact all three jerseys you're using actually display the word "Wild."  Thanks to the brilliance of the primary logo, I'd prefer (and would have guessed you'd have chosen) the current (now most likely former) white jersey as your basis. 

 

So I'd like to see the white as the basis, but with more red worked into the green trim...a green version of that and then something like your red alternate.

 

But given your choice...

 

Quote

Now that aside, I didn't just replicate the current alternate. I took the wordmark logo and the general concept of forest green on wheat/vintage white and put it on a template reminiscent of the 2004 All-Star Game uniforms. I also used the Wild's current bear head primary as the alternate. It's too good not to use in some form. For the road I decided to simply flip the vintage white/wheat colour with the green, meaning this concept omits a white sweater all together. That presented a problem with the helmets though, as vintage white helmets aren't really used. And would probably look terrible. So I looked to the Ottawa Senators for inspiration. Their Heritage Classic set was primarily vintage white, and they opted to pair their black helmets with it. So that's what I did with the Wild. Sure, it's against NHL uni rules, but hey. My concept.

I referenced the team's original alternate. It was a really sharp sweater at the time, and proved the Wild's chosen aesthetic could work in a retro direction. I always thought it got butchered in the Edge switchover though. The phantom yoke looked terrible, and it lost the hem stripes. So I tweaked a few things to bring it more in line with the original design.

(As an aside, I tend to like the current red jersey better than the original...it needs the hem stripes, but otherwise, it's better.  I can live with the faux yoke and I really, really hated the sleeves on the original. The green seemed out of place and I think the bite that the phantom yoke takes out of it makes it work better.)

 

You've definitely upgraded the green jersey.  I like the Northwestern stripes and it's amazing what the primary logo on the shoulder does for the jersey.  My personal taste, since red is a team color would be too see more red on the primaries (outlined numbers, maybe in the two "in-between" NW stripes?).

 

The cream version is nice too.  Honestly, I think a team could go with just the green and cream and be OK.  But given the elaborate Wild logo, they may not be that team.  Ultimately, though, I just don't like that wordmark.  I don't think they use it to shy away from the name, but they may use it to promote the whole "State of Hockey" thing. Or maybe it's just an alt that became popular.  Fans seem to like whatever that team puts out.

 

Your red jersey is probably better than either of its predecessors because you've improved the sleeves over the first, and corrected the hem issue on the second.  If the team released this as their set of jerseys and I wanted to buy one, I'd probably get the red.  I like the color balance...it's the only one that highlights the red, along with the green.

 

 

[SFGiants58]

Like your Dallas Stars concept, I like how you executed it and can appreciate your reasoning behind your choices. However, I despise the premise of basing the whole set around the green sweater. 

 

The Wild should always have Scenery Bear as the crest, and the script is a terrible logo. They've got one of the worst names in Big 4 sports, but embracing its silliness is better than hiding it on the shoulders. Also, the demotion of red to the logos really maligns the excellent dark green/red/wheat color scheme that made their inaugural uniforms so good. I agree with @OnWis97 that finding a way to incorporate more red onto the white sweater's template would be a better direction for the team, should they chose to stay with the "old-tyme" identity. If anything, the Wild should take the "M" from the script and turn that into an alternate logo.

 

Ignoring my gripes with the current green sweater, you've done a good job cleaning it up with the new striping pattern and better number font. The wheat road sweater is an inspired choice, and the third sweater has never looked better. Well done.

[IceCap]

Some Wild tweaks...nothing major. I just changed the red stars and "WILD" lettering on the road logo from red to wheat to better stand out, like @Zeus89725 suggested. I also increased the size of the logos just a bit. They were looking a tad undersized. I didn't change anything on the alternate, but I'm posting it again for the sake of completeness.

 

 

 

[IceCap]

Re: the c&c from @SFGiants58 and @OnWis97...

 

Like I said...I actually like nearly every sweater the Wild have put out. The only one I don't like is the current home. The red roundel sweater really got downgraded with the Edge changeover, I think. Outside of that though? I love everything the team has done. It's just that they've done too much of it. I wanted to focus on a single primary look form the home/road set, and that meant that a lot of very good looks were going to get left behind. The inaugural look, the current white look...all fantastic identities.

 

I also love the scenery bear. It's probably the best new logo to come out since the start of the 90s. At least. I also really like the Minnesota script though. It's not a matter of liking one over the other for me. I think each excels at two completely different aesthetics. And ultimately I thought the script/Olde Tymed Iced Hockey route was the route to take.

 

This one was tough though. I agree with both of you in nearly everything you've said. The Wild just have so many fantastic tools to work with. Some just had to be set aside.

[IceCap]

The Winnipeg Jets

 

I admit I went in planning on not changing much. The Jets 2.0 may not have hit a home run with their uniforms, but they certainly hit a triple. So the team's current look more or less stays intact. There are a few changed though. The arm stripes on the home sweater have switched from white outlines in light blue to light blue outlined in white. This was done to bring it more in line with the road sweater's arm striping. The yokes have also been straightened. The current yokes follow an Edge cut. Recent uniforms have proven you can do straight seams with the Edge system, so I simply straightened them out. It just looks better, in my opinion. Finally, the pants. I opted for pants striping reminiscent of the original Jets' inaugural look from 1972-23 in the WHA.

The alternate is where I played around a bit. Now I love the current heritage look that pays homage to the original Jets. It's very sharp, and I wouldn't have a problem with the team adopting it as a full-time alternate. That being said? I've had an idea for a Jets alternate since the current look was unveiled. And this concept series was the perfect time to put it together.

Its primary influence is that inaugural 1972-73 look. The colours have been changed to reflect the Jets' current scheme. The sweater is primarily the Jets' lighter blue, with silver, white, and navy stripes. The shoulder yoke, cuffs, and collar are navy. I used the team's current RCAF-inspired primary as the alternate. The team's wordmark was used as the sweater's primary logo, to reflect the 1972-73 influence.

 

 

 

[DTConcepts]

Gorgeous.

 

I agree that the Jets have some near-perfect uniforms as it is, and don't get enough credit for it.

[Walter Sobchak]

I like the fixes you've made for the Jets. The pants stripes are a great addition, but I suggest using the ones from the heritage classic uniform. Just replace the throwback jet with the modern one between the stripes.

[MCM0313]

On 2017-04-30 at 0:06 AM, Ice_Cap said:

The Winnipeg Jets

 

I admit I went in planning on not changing much. The Jets 2.0 may not have hit a home run out of the gate, but they certainly hit a triple. So the team's current look more or less stays intact. There are a few changed though. The arm stripes on the home sweater have switched from white outlines in light blue to light blue outlined in white. This was done to bring it more in line with the road sweater's arm striping. The yokes have also been straightened. The current yokes follow an Edge cut. Recent uniforms have proven you can do straight seams with the Edge system, so I simply straightened them out. It just looks better, in my opinion. Finally, the pants. I opted for pants striping reminiscent of the original Jets' inaugural look from 1972-23 in the WHA.

The alternate is where I played around a bit. Now I love the current heritage look that pays homage to the original Jets. It's very sharp, and I wouldn't have a problem with the team adopting it as a full-time alternate. That being said? I've had an idea for a Jets alternate since the current look was unveiled. And this concept series was the perfect time to put it together.

Its primary influence is that inaugural 1972-73 look. The colours have been changed to reflect the Jets' current scheme. The sweater is primarily the Jets' lighter blue, with silver, white, and navy stripes. The shoulder yoke, cuffs, and collar are navy. I used the team's current RCAF-inspired primary as the alternate. The team's wordmark was used as the sweater's primary logo, to reflect the 1972-73 influence.

 

 

Like the royal blue sweater there - I like that shade a lot better than the navy that they currently overemphasize. Was the royal blue supposed to be the primary? Your description makes it seem that way.

 

Anyway, could you repost the original Stars and Wild designs? I never got to see them and they aren't showing up now. Did you delete them?