NHL 2018-19

[Bayne]

Just meh

[wildwing64]

I like it.

 

Easily the best Isles alternate yet, but that's not saying much.

[pepis21]

3 hours ago, wildwing64 said:

Easily the best Isles alternate yet, but that's not saying much. 

 

That's saying that Isles still don't figure out how alternate jerseys works.

[Popmart]

I’d rather see that Isles third in Orange.

[Sport]

On 9/28/2018 at 8:28 PM, Morgo said:

 

Neither did the adidas collar or those weird perforated shoulders.  I'd rather they make the uniform look as good as possible than 100% accurate.  The logo treatment on that jersey doesn't work as blue and green should never touch.

 

Bad take for multiple reasons. It's a throwback, wearing it with the same warts the original uniform had is the whole point. It's not a "Let's Fix the Problems with the Old Whalers Jerseys Night". The adidas collar and the dimple shoulders have to be used per the adidas contract and there's also a huge difference from a small uniform structure element like a collar versus changing the way the damn logo looks on the jersey just because Morgo thinks it would look better. If they'd gone with your preferred route you would've gotten 10,000 times more complaints that it's not period accurate. 

[Morgan33]

On 10/1/2018 at 12:35 PM, Ark said:

Would much rather have the Fisherman.

 

Or this

 

 

 

 

This is a great colour scheme.  I wish they'd make a new alternate around that but without the wavy stripes and numbers.

[Bayne]

17 hours ago, McCarthy said:

 

Bad take for multiple reasons. It's a throwback, wearing it with the same warts the original uniform had is the whole point. It's not a "Let's Fix the Problems with the Old Whalers Jerseys Night". The adidas collar and the dimple shoulders have to be used per the adidas contract and there's also a huge difference from a small uniform structure element like a collar versus changing the way the damn logo looks on the jersey just because Morgo thinks it would look better. If they'd gone with your preferred route you would've gotten 10,000 times more complaints that it's not period accurate. 

 

It's so refreshing to read someone using their brain rather than someone just declaring what they would want to see with no regard to the realities of jersey production in 2018.

[Thaumatrope]

On 10/1/2018 at 12:37 PM, WSU151 said:

Three jerseys in the league with a white yoke, right? Avs, Caps, NYI?

 

On 10/1/2018 at 5:10 PM, NYYNYR said:

And CBJ. All alts. so 4 total.

 

I wasn't a fan of white yokes prior to the Adidas jerseys, and I'm really not a fan now. The dimpling really stands out on the white and at a distance makes the white look dingy. 

 

Meanwhile, is anyone else disappointed with the crop of alternate/special jerseys that have been released so far? With the exception of Winnipeg and Carolina everything we've seen so far is either a re-release of pre-Adidas alternates (CBJ, Avs, Caps, Flames), a throwback/fauxback (Canes/Whalers, Kachina Coyote, Devils, Blues), or a retread/mashup of a previous design (Ducks, Flyers, Sharks, Islanders).

 

When you consider how the alternate jersey program started back in the heady days of 1995, the current crop seems downright conservative (read: boring). To be clear, I'm not advocating for the return of Burger King and Wild Wing (at least not in an official alternate jersey capacity), but I would have preferred a bit more experimentation than what we've been treated to so far. Even the two (truly) new jerseys feel unpolished in their execution. Back when Carolina released their alternate someone mentioned that it was designed in house. Is Adidas not providing design/branding support? That would certainly explain a lot. 

[IceCap]

59 minutes ago, Thaumatrope said:

When you consider how the alternate jersey program started back in the heady days of 1995, the current crop seems downright conservative (read: boring). To be clear, I'm not advocating for the return of Burger King and Wild Wing (at least not in an official alternate jersey capacity), but I would have preferred a bit more experimentation than what we've been treated to so far.

Well you mentioned 1995. I rather have 2018’s sensibilities rather than 1995’s sensibilities because, hot take alert, 1995 alternates were terrible. 

I know we’ve been in a period of 1990s nostalgia for a while now, but really. Very few designs from that era were “good.” None of the good ones came from the NHL’s ‘95 alternate program. 

 

Now is the ideal somewhere between 2018’s sensibilities and 1995’s? Probably, but it probably skews closer to 2018 anyway. And given a choice between the two? I’ll take 2018 any day of the week. 

[IceCap]

It’s also worth mentioning that a lot of these underwhelming reveals- previous alternates and throwbacks that were just recently in use- are only reveals because of the publicity stunt that was the switch from Reebok branding to Adidas branding. 

 

That forced teams to temporarily shelve alternates. So it’s no surprise that now that alts are ok to use again? Teams are just using their last options. The “break” was artificial to begin with. 

[charger77]

20 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

Well you mentioned 1995. I rather have 2018’s sensibilities rather than 1995’s sensibilities because, hot take alert, 1995 alternates were terrible. 

I know we’ve been in a period of 1990s nostalgia for a while now, but really. Very few designs from that era were “good.” None of the good ones came from the NHL’s ‘95 alternate program. 

 

Now is the ideal somewhere between 2018’s sensibilities and 1995’s? Probably, but it probably skews closer to 2018 anyway. And given a choice between the two? I’ll take 2018 any day of the week. 

 

The Canucks alt from the '95 rollout was awesome! Bought one at 15 when I was making $4.35 an hour and jerseys were $50, still own it today.

[Chromatic]

To me the entire point of an alternate jersey should be to showcase an aspect of your team’s identity that is downplayed by the main set. Whether that’s a colour change, logo change, throwback or whatever is to be determined, but it should be markedly different from the main uniform.  That’s why this new Isles third sucks. It’s the same colours as the home uniform, with way worse striping. It’s the same logo with a bunch of details stripped away. You look at it and go “What’s the point of this”?. I know the point is obviously cash and selling merch, but from an aesthetics perspectives it’s pointless, why would I want a third that’s nothing more than a downgraded version of the original.

[andrewharrington]

4 hours ago, Thaumatrope said:

 

 

I wasn't a fan of white yokes prior to the Adidas jerseys, and I'm really not a fan now. The dimpling really stands out on the white and at a distance makes the white look dingy. 

 

Meanwhile, is anyone else disappointed with the crop of alternate/special jerseys that have been released so far? With the exception of Winnipeg and Carolina everything we've seen so far is either a re-release of pre-Adidas alternates (CBJ, Avs, Caps, Flames), a throwback/fauxback (Canes/Whalers, Kachina Coyote, Devils, Blues), or a retread/mashup of a previous design (Ducks, Flyers, Sharks, Islanders).

 

When you consider how the alternate jersey program started back in the heady days of 1995, the current crop seems downright conservative (read: boring). To be clear, I'm not advocating for the return of Burger King and Wild Wing (at least not in an official alternate jersey capacity), but I would have preferred a bit more experimentation than what we've been treated to so far. Even the two (truly) new jerseys feel unpolished in their execution. Back when Carolina released their alternate someone mentioned that it was designed in house. Is Adidas not providing design/branding support? That would certainly explain a lot. 

 

Teams drive the process, so even if a team briefs a new design and is presented several options, they’re under no obligation to proceed with that work (they can revise, change direction, or even drop the plans altogether). Occasionally, a team will supplement their brief with work done in-house or by an agency they’ve contracted.

 

For example, of those you’ve mentioned that have been released thus far, Calgary, Arizona, New Jersey, and New York were all originally briefed as new designs, and those teams were each presented with several new options. The first three teams changed direction and went retro, while the Islanders came back with their own uniform design and suite of secondary marks, but with one of the NY monograms I did (part of their original brief challenged us to make the NY monogram from their black jersey into a better mark). San Jose came with their own uniform design (I helped to refine the circuit pattern, though). Carolina also came with their own design that was massaged over the course of a few versions.

[ldconcepts]

1 hour ago, andrewharrington said:

 

Teams drive the process, so even if a team briefs a new design and is presented several options, they’re under no obligation to proceed with that work (they can revise, change direction, or even drop the plans altogether). Occasionally, a team will supplement their brief with work done in-house or by an agency they’ve contracted.

 

For example, of those you’ve mentioned that have been released thus far, Calgary, Arizona, New Jersey, and New York were all originally briefed as new designs, and those teams were each presented with several new options. The first three teams changed direction and went retro, while the Islanders came back with their own uniform design and suite of secondary marks, but with one of the NY monograms I did (part of their original brief challenged us to make the NY monogram from their black jersey into a better mark). San Jose came with their own uniform design (I helped to refine the circuit pattern, though). Carolina also came with their own design that was massaged over the course of a few versions.

I love hearing tidbits like these, I think I speak for the whole board when I say any other behind the scenes info or designs would be greatly appreciated, like the Fanbranz prototype Oilers designs like last year.

[Thaumatrope]

 

 

4 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

Well you mentioned 1995. I rather have 2018’s sensibilities rather than 1995’s sensibilities because, hot take alert, 1995 alternates were terrible. 

I know we’ve been in a period of 1990s nostalgia for a while now, but really. Very few designs from that era were “good.” None of the good ones came from the NHL’s ‘95 alternate program. 

 

Now is the ideal somewhere between 2018’s sensibilities and 1995’s? Probably, but it probably skews closer to 2018 anyway. And given a choice between the two? I’ll take 2018 any day of the week. 

 

At the risk of being belligerent, I think you're misrepresenting my original statement (see my previous quote with emphasis added). 

 

5 hours ago, Thaumatrope said:

When you consider how the alternate jersey program started back in the heady days of 1995, the current crop seems downright conservative (read: boring). To be clear, I'm not advocating for the return of Burger King and Wild Wing (at least not in an official alternate jersey capacity), but I would have preferred a bit more experimentation than what we've been treated to so far. Even the two (truly) new jerseys feel unpolished in their execution. Back when Carolina released their alternate someone mentioned that it was designed in house. Is Adidas not providing design/branding support? That would certainly explain a lot. 

 

If memory serves, the 95 jerseys were in large part an experiment on the use of the sublimation process in jersey design, and the design brief actively sought to push the boundaries of what was possible. The fact that only two of the five jerseys saw use beyond that season is pretty telling. However, I would argue (and quite strongly) that the spirit of experimentation that was dominant in the 90s (but continued well into the 2000s), is painfully absent in the league today. 

 

There's no denying that experimentation can result in failure. The Buffaslug and Mooterus are both great examples of doomed designs that tried to push things too far...but I'd argue that the world is a richer place for those failures. CBJ's current primaries started off as an alternate jersey and I'd argue that was a fantastic improvement. The Ranger's Lady Liberty jerseys are a great example of how an alternate jersey can allow a historic franchise to expand their brand without risking decades of equity. The point being: the league seems to be so afraid of another Buffaslug that they're willing pass up on the opportunity for another Lady Liberty. Obviously, as a designer I'm biased, and tradition caries a lot less weight for me than it does for a lot of other folks. But experimentation is ultimately a pillar of design, and without it we drift into stagnation and decline. 

[IceCap]

1 hour ago, Thaumatrope said:

At the risk of being belligerent, I think you're misrepresenting my original statement (see my previous quote with emphasis added). 

Well I certainly didn't mean to belligerent myself.

 

As to your point, I admit I'm at a loss. You miss the sort of designs we got in 1995 but don't want the actual uniforms from 1995? If I'm misrepresenting your opinion it's not on purpose. Help me understand what it is you're saying.

 

1 hour ago, Thaumatrope said:

However, I would argue (and quite strongly) that the spirit of experimentation that was dominant in the 90s (but continued well into the 2000s), is painfully absent in the league today...There's no denying that experimentation can result in failure. The Buffaslug and Mooterus are both great examples of doomed designs that tried to push things too far...but I'd argue that the world is a richer place for those failures.

That's a fine line though, isn't it? Experimentation can, and often does, result in failure. And part of the process of failure is learning what not to do again. That's why we teach kids that failure isn't the end of a pursuit, because it teaches us what not to focus on with our next attempt.

 

What I'm getting at is that the failures of the 1990s though the mid 2000s got us where we are today. Be it the sublimated and over-designed stuff of the 1990s, or the designs that just didn't work out like the Buffaslug, Mooterus, or Oilers' robo-sperm, the NHL went through a lot of trendy, experimental looks. And they learnt that hey. A lot of that stuff lacked staying power. It lacked an ability to grow the brand beyond a short-term bump in sweater sales.

 

What I think you see today is the natural result of failed experimentation. You experiment with a bold look, maybe it's unique, but if it doesn't take? You avoid doing something like that again.

 

1 hour ago, Thaumatrope said:

Obviously, as a designer I'm biased, and tradition caries a lot less weight for me than it does for a lot of other folks.

Are you suggesting that professional designers are incapable of appreciating the aesthetic traditions of their clients? If that is the case stay away from my Maple Leafs please

 

1 hour ago, Thaumatrope said:

But experimentation is ultimately a pillar of design, and without it we drift into stagnation and decline. 

Well as I said, failure and the ability to learn from it is a natural part of experimentation. If something doesn't work you don't repeat it. If experimentation is so central to the process? You should understand that the ability to learn from mistakes and not repeat them is as well.

 

1 hour ago, Thaumatrope said:

the league seems to be so afraid of another Buffaslug that they're willing pass up on the opportunity for another Lady Liberty.

The Lady Liberty sweaters are generally held to be the best of their lot. I won't disagree with that.

That being said? If there was any currency left in them the team would wear them. The Rangers are, after all, a business before anything else. If wearing Lady Liberty sweaters would boost their bottom line? They'd do it. That they instead want to double down on faux-retro stuff (which I agree, is quite bland) tells me that's what the fanbase wants.

 

I mean yeah. Some teams like the Canucks, Brewers, and Padres are tone deaf when it comes to the desires of their paying customers, but not all teams are

 

 

[monkeypower]

The Blue Jackets alternates turned primaries were brought up as an improvement, but there is something I miss about the Jacket's original look with the neon stick and Stinger on the shoulders.

 

[Bayne]

5 hours ago, Chromatic said:

To me the entire point of an alternate jersey should be to showcase an aspect of your team’s identity that is downplayed by the main set. Whether that’s a colour change, logo change, throwback or whatever is to be determined, but it should be markedly different from the main uniform.  That’s why this new Isles third sucks. It’s the same colours as the home uniform, with way worse striping. It’s the same logo with a bunch of details stripped away. You look at it and go “What’s the point of this”?. I know the point is obviously cash and selling merch, but from an aesthetics perspectives it’s pointless, why would I want a third that’s nothing more than a downgraded version of the original.

 

I don't have a problem at all with teams who decide to make a third jersey that doesn't look completely different to their main set. In fact, I like it when teams make a third jersey that doesn't deviate that much from their main identity. A third jersey, to me, is a subtle way to introduce a different style of jersey that still fits in with the overall visual look of the primary jerseys. I like a strong consistent set that consolidates an identity. Seeing teams introduce and showcase multiple logos and different colours all in the same season, weakens the marketing for me. I know I'm probably in the minority. But that's why I liked last season. Not because I dislike third jerseys but because it was a nice reset and a chance to live with one main identity for each team rather than seeing 3 or 4 different looks for everyone. It all becomes a bit much. Give me Detroit's set of jerseys and logos any day. That's what works. 

[B-mer]

I just thought those original sets had better color balance, and the sock striping made sense because it matched the hem of the roads. 

 

I liked the original logo at the time, but wanted the stick to be silver. 

 

Theyre still a team that could do something really special with their brand if they wanted to 

[Chromatic]

1 minute ago, Bayne said:

 

I don't have a problem at all with teams who decide to make a third jersey that doesn't look completely different to their main set. In fact, I like it when teams make a third jersey that doesn't deviate that much from their main identity. A third jersey, to me, is a subtle way to introduce a different style of jersey that still fits in with the overall visual look of the primary jerseys. I like a strong consistent set that consolidates an identity. Seeing teams introduce and showcase multiple logos and different colours all in the same season, weakens the marketing for me. I know I'm probably in the minority. But that's why I liked last season. Not because I dislike third jerseys but because it was a nice reset and a chance to live with one main identity for each team rather than seeing 3 or 4 different looks for everyone. It all becomes a bit much. Give me Detroit's set of jerseys and logos any day. That's what works. 

It doesn’t have to be a complete departure, but it should be different enough from the main set to warrant being it’s own look. Otherwise it just ends up looking like a great value brand version of the original.