BurdBranding Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Way back in 2016 I created my first concept for this site that involved tweaking the jerseys in the WSHL, which was an alright first go at a league, but too big to take on. (I won't link it because half of the concepts won't show up and it really isn't worth the time) Anyway, I found the thread recently and it made me perk up a little bit. The last comment on the thread was something regarding the overall identities being bland, which I agree. There is so much potential in lower level junior hockey, and it's a shame that some of these kids don't get excited about wearing their jerseys or logos while living the full junior hockey experience. I decided I would take another jab at juniors to compare my overall progression through the years of a hobby I don't share often but really enjoy. Since the WSHL is currently (most likely indefinitely) taking a nap, I'll shift over to the USPHL's Premier division this time around. I am not sure how many completely original logos I'll be producing, but I will at least try to tweak or clean up each identity because the whole point of this is to work on getting better with the pen tool. No telling how far this will go, but right now I have plenty of time. So, let's start on the west coast, where many of the former WSHL teams have found a new home. This includes the Northern Colorado Eagles, who I have decided to move to Denver and completely change. Northern Colorado Eagles That's right, the Denver Spurs are back! The original team had runs in a couple pro leagues from 1968 to 1976, but never stuck around past their half season in the WHA. This change came with no strategic thinking that would benefit the junior team, I just really liked the Spurs logo. They already look like another Colorado team, so what does it hurt, right? I didn't do anything drastic with the logo. It was in desperate need of a face lift, and that's what I treated it to. Other than that, I removed the athletic gold and decided to shift the black to brown because there is another team in the division that shares a similar scheme with the original team. Not much inspiration or meaning behind the jerseys. I just wanted them to have a semi traditional style that made them look like they could pick back up where the original team left off. I also will be the first to congratulate the league on striking a deal with their new manufacturer. Since it was the best template I had, Adidas won out the rights to the USPHL. I absolutely hate the collar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dragon Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Looks good what team is next Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Section30 Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 Off to a great start, the Spurs look great. I always love seeing concepts for juniors or low level minor league teams. Minnesota Amateur Hockey League MAHL Wiki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skycast Posted June 12, 2020 Share Posted June 12, 2020 The uniform looks good, but the Eagles play in a great spot in Northern Colorado and draw from Wyoming as well as the northern Denver metro area and beyond. Not sure how they'd actually do playing in Denver...just too much else to do for minor league hockey. Plus they use the Colorado state flag colors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 7 hours ago, Skycast said: The uniform looks good, but the Eagles play in a great spot in Northern Colorado and draw from Wyoming as well as the northern Denver metro area and beyond. Not sure how they'd actually do playing in Denver...just too much else to do for minor league hockey. Plus they use the Colorado state flag colors. I think it is possible we are talking about two separate Eagles teams, and that is why I changed the identity. The Colorado Eagles are a minor league team in the AHL, who play out of Loveland and average about 5,100 fans per game. The Northern Colorado Eagles are a junior team in the USPHL second tier, who play out of Greeley and average 130 fans per game. I doubt the junior team is pulling fans from Wyoming, because it looks like the closest southern city in Wyoming with a decent population is Cheyenne. This was the home of the Cheyenne Stampede up to the 2019-20 season, giving no reason to drive across the boarder to watch the lower level junior hockey. They would probably fail in Denver, but you never know. A team survived in Phoenix for a number of years because the high school players would ask their friends to come watch most of the time. As for the backing of their previous identity because it uses Colorado inspiration, I am on the fence about it. While it is state unique, I feel it can be overused at times. In this teams case, I don't think they even pull any inspiration from the flag, instead just mimicking the local minor league team to either: 1. Gain attention based on the successful Colorado Eagles or 2. They are affiliated through ownership or other means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 Thanks for some kind words everyone! Next, we will travel up to the city of chance, where this team gambled on the success of the Golden Knights in hopes of drawing some attention. Las Vegas Thunderbirds Much like the city they play in, the original has a lot of eye catching things going on, and not in a good way. The logo has so much detail, yet such little to show all at once. It was time for this terrifying, buff bird to take a hike. What I did was strip the detail and perfect abs/pecs to create something that I felt was less overwhelming on a jersey. You'll see a trend of having to do that in this league. Only creative input I had was determining what that feather under the original logo's stick might look like. I also changed the primary color in the logo from a gold/orange to a darker orange because their team was basically asking for permission to do that with their emphasis on the orange used in their current jerseys. The jerseys shared the same problems the logo struggled with. They had two shades of orange, black, gray and white. This was finished off with socks that did not match and some Philadelphia Flyers nameplates on the back. The goal I had was to make their shoulder and upper arm striping work because it is very unique, just executed poorly. Not much else to say besides that I promise there is no nameplate on the back. You'll just have to trust me! Here is some reference if interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 14, 2020 Author Share Posted June 14, 2020 Looks like everyone loved Vegas, so we will go on over to Fresno. Fresno Monsters Fresno holds a special place for me because way back in the day they had a NAHL team to go along with their WSHL team (quite smart when you think of progression through the system), and this NAHL team gave me the opportunity to experience my first higher level juniors main camp. Being one of the younger kids there at 15 among others that ranged up to 21 was terrifying, and it was extremely hard to make any type of impact based on the fact almost every player had at least 30 lbs on me. Anyway, I really like the rebrand the team had when it went from 2 to 1 team. They struggled at first, putting the claw "M" into the Florida Panthers shield, but corrected it by using just the roundel. I think the claw can stand alone by itself, so I removed the circle restricting it and let it shine. I also made the green a little more vibrant just so the jerseys aren't so drab when using the green as the primary. I was thinking about using their full monster logo as their new mark, but it seemed very busy for the front of a jersey. I started making an update that would only be the head of the monster, but it felt too similar to what I just did with Las Vegas. If you think I should still go that route chime in, if not, it is ok because I got my fill of the full monster logo by putting it on their pants. Right now, I believe the Monsters are using a home/away striping that matches the white jersey the Stars use. They are also primary black for their dark, which confuses me when they have such a unique scheme for their division. What I did was make the green their primary, like it should be. Then went ahead and gave them their own striping that was loosely inspired by San Jose's original look for the white jersey, and just carried that over to the green jersey for consistency sake. I also decided to add gold back into the mix because I think the prior use of it by the NAHL team looked so good. Have not decided if we will head South or back out to Utah for the next team. Also, just learned that the "Provo Riverblades" are a brand new expansion to the division for next season, and I absolutely hate their logo. So that will be a fun, clean slate to deal with. If only I knew what a Riverblade was. Could be thinking about moving the Anaheim Avalanche up to Bakersfield just because that whole Ontario/Anaheim Avalanche team has been a disaster and makes no sense. Was thinking about calling them the Bakersfield Sound (a sub genre of country music), or the Bakersfield Roughnecks (for obvious reasons). Help on that would also be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Section30 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Fresno looks great, taking the logo out of the roundel is a major improvement and the uniforms are sweet. These are exactly what I wish the Prince Albert Raiders would look like. Love the emphasis of green. Minnesota Amateur Hockey League MAHL Wiki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 15, 2020 Author Share Posted June 15, 2020 On 6/14/2020 at 10:06 PM, Section30 said: Fresno looks great, taking the logo out of the roundel is a major improvement and the uniforms are sweet. These are exactly what I wish the Prince Albert Raiders would look like. Love the emphasis of green. Being the monsters, I never understood why they caged up the actual logo like that. As for Prince Albert, they are getting there, but I feel their look is stuck at a transition point. I decided that we are going out to Utah so I can attempt a team that I have been unsure of the whole time I've thought about this project. Utah Outliers I have always had a love/hate relationship with this team. I think the colors are slick and the jerseys they use aren't terrible, but that is all washed away with the awful name and chrome logo. Just because you play junior hockey does not mean you have to add that extra touch to look amateur. I know what outlier means, but have no clue how to depict it, it feels similar to trying to create a logo with a name like the Wild. Since this was their case, I decided I'd play their games and just do something with the brand they already have. I took out the chrome and reworked their "stick in the rink" style to look cleaner, making the logo solid gray and encased by two outlines of highlighter and black. I had a little fun with the team's jerseys, only having the goals of not looking too traditional, and to showcase their highlighter yellow color in a way that makes it pop. Started with the dark and did my own version of the black/white Islanders alt, but with thicker stripes. The white jersey gets rid of extra stripes and sits the original striping on a black background so the highlighter doesn't get lost. Last thing I did was pull the "U" part out of the logo and put it on the pants, using it as a secondary. When looking at it alone. Love to hear some feedback! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Red Sox! Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 On 6/15/2020 at 7:13 PM, TheHealthiestScratch said: Being the monsters, I never understood why they caged up the actual logo like that. As for Prince Albert, they are getting there, but I feel their look is stuck at a transition point. I decided that we are going out to Utah so I can attempt a team that I have been unsure of the whole time I've thought about this project. Utah Outliers I have always had a love/hate relationship with this team. I think the colors are slick and the jerseys they use aren't terrible, but that is all washed away with the awful name and chrome logo. Just because you play junior hockey does not mean you have to add that extra touch to look amateur. I know what outlier means, but have no clue how to depict it, it feels similar to trying to create a logo with a name like the Wild. Since this was their case, I decided I'd play their games and just do something with the brand they already have. I took out the chrome and played with the "stick in the rink" design style they have so it would actually mean something, making a "U" for Utah with the negative space around the stick. It is hard to tell, but I did what I could. Other than that, you might notice that each logo (primary, home chest, and away chest) are all colored differently. This is because it is an absolute pain trying to balance these three colors on different backgrounds. I had a little fun with the team's jerseys, only having the goals of not looking too traditional, and to showcase their highlighter yellow color in a way that makes it pop. Started with the black and did my own version of the black/white Islanders alt, but with thicker stripes. The white jersey gets rid of extra stripes and sits the original striping on a black background so the highlighter doesn't get lost. Last thing I did was pull the "U" part out of the logo and put it on the pants, using it as a secondary. When looking at it alone, I think it kind of resembles a rock formation, which is a plus for an Utah based team. Love to hear some feedback! The original logo makes a lot of sense because the hockey stick creates a separation that makes the viewer read an "O" for "Outliers, and a "U" for "Utah", which is a pretty simple, clever gimmick. Your logo doesn't deliver that anymore. Right now, the hockey stick looks like a hasty afterthought. Therefore the entire logo doesn't look homogeneous. The hockey stick should at least be angular, so that its shape matches the black inner part of the "O" in terms of parallelism. “Never argue with an idiot! They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” ––George Carlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 37 minutes ago, Go Red Sox! said: The original logo makes a lot of sense because the hockey stick creates a separation that makes the viewer read an "O" for "Outliers, and a "U" for "Utah", which is a pretty simple, clever gimmick. Your logo doesn't deliver that anymore. Right now, the hockey stick looks like a hasty afterthought. Therefore the entire logo doesn't look homogeneous. The hockey stick should at least be angular, so that its shape matches the black inner part of the "O" in terms of parallelism. Would you suggest just a cleanup of the original then? I can’t really see how I’d angle the stick so it matches the black inner part considering the blade has its own curve to it. Maybe make the stick bigger and have the blade replace the black inner part, making it the center of the “O”? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Red Sox! Posted June 18, 2020 Share Posted June 18, 2020 22 hours ago, TheHealthiestScratch said: Would you suggest just a cleanup of the original then? I can’t really see how I’d angle the stick so it matches the black inner part considering the blade has its own curve to it. Maybe make the stick bigger and have the blade replace the black inner part, making it the center of the “O”? I personally would clean up their current logo – colors, outline, 3D-beveling – whatever we could talk about, in order to get rid of that bland and outdated chrome look. You could also try making the blade becoming the O's inner part. I just don't know whether the length of the stick might end up being too short in order to recognize it as a (hockey) stick in the end. I'd just try out and see what happens. “Never argue with an idiot! They will only bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.” ––George Carlin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 18, 2020 Author Share Posted June 18, 2020 Feels extremely minimal for a change, but does do a lot for the logo. What do we think, any better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PERRIN Posted June 18, 2020 Share Posted June 18, 2020 3 hours ago, TheHealthiestScratch said: Feels extremely minimal for a change, but does do a lot for the logo. What do we think, any better? I'd make the hockey stick black. The way the volt and black strokes suddenly stop is really harsh, and they would disappear on a volt, black, or grey background. Perrin Grubb | Aspiring Designer | NAFA Project ~ NFL Redesigns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 21 hours ago, Punchy_Gungus said: I'd make the hockey stick black. The way the volt and black strokes suddenly stop is really harsh, and they would disappear on a volt, black, or grey background. So Option A in the top left corner is the update I had presented. The logo on the black background is how Option A would be altered to look right on the home jersey. The bottom right is just an update with Option A on the chest. Option B in the top right is what @Punchy_Gungus suggested, if I read the comment correctly. I think this route makes the logo look more complete, or together, but I don't think the blade of the stick looks right when it is cut off by the black outline. The stick doesn't seem complete to me, but maybe this is just my eyes. Any thoughts before we move on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_grateful_ted Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Option A is definitely the best approach, keeps the OU split noticeable. Nice work so far, Spurs are probably still my favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 20, 2020 Author Share Posted June 20, 2020 It seems that Option A is a good enough place holder for the time being, so we are going to keep it until further notice. I have updated the original post for Utah to include the new logo. Just because I have no process of picking who I want to do next, we are heading to Pueblo, Colorado to take a look at the Pueblo Bulls. Pueblo Bulls Here is a team that I have never heard of, which is surprising because I usually do my best to keep up with the junior hockey leagues on the west coast and all the teams popping in and out of them. They do not have an awful logo compared to other teams, but that isn't saying that much when their competition is the west coast teams from the USPHL. I decided to dispose of all the bells and whistles that cluttered up their logo. There was no need for the addition of a massive body and a shield to balance it when they already had the bull head that can survive on its own. All I had to do was extract the bull head from the blob of a logo, then mirror the outline from the left side of the face to the right, creating some symmetry. I also redid the nose ring because I really didn't like the white highlight on it. Right now, Pueblo runs a home/away system that features black and gray used as the base (what is up with junior teams and this trend). They also use K1's Toronto Maple Leafs template. In conclusion, I hate it. You will need to buckle in for this ride, because I got out of my traditional hockey comfort zone. I made red their primary because it is surprisingly unique in the division, and then I promoted the athletic gold to make a powerful combo that I love. The actual design felt Reebok Edge to me, but then I realized it also reminds me of the black/red/silver Sabres era that I like. The stripes are meant to evoke bull horns, if it isn't obvious. Please, tell me what you think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurdBranding Posted June 21, 2020 Author Share Posted June 21, 2020 Hey all, might be a couple days for the next team because I’ve hit a wall with what is left in the division, and I wouldn’t mind a little bit of a brainstorm when it comes to the remaining teams. I’ll list my thoughts and if anyone is familiar with the team or would like to help by just throwing in their own thoughts it be much appreciated. Anaheim Avalanche: I’ve already said this team is packing up and heading to Bakersfield but don’t know what theme they should have. Does inspiration from Bakersfield’s country or oil influence make the most sense? San Diego Sabercats: This logo is a crime, and I am planning to scrap it. Any clever thoughts on a logo that would incorporate both SD and the team name? Southern Oregon Spartans: This name takes up half a sentence, but a change to the Medford Spartans doesn’t sound great. Anyone know the geography of the state well enough to drop some knowledge/opinions on this? Also was thinking about just taking the head from the logo and making it the primary, but I’ve done that a lot so I’m open to other suggestions for their logo (or even a more appropriate name for that matter). Ogden Mustangs: Have a love/hate relationship with their brand. Their jerseys have gone way too far, but idk if I’d rather start from nothing or keep their current logo. It has some history, but it seems off and idk why or how to fix it. Provo: I have an idea of what to do for this new team, just trying to figure out what three of their colors I should use of their five. Don’t mean to bump the thread, but I could use some collaboration on a few of these to make them work. Please throw your hat in the ring if you have any thoughts that could help. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastianm Posted June 21, 2020 Share Posted June 21, 2020 Boat-like theme for San Diego. Ogden Raptors, Utah Raptor influence. Provo mountaineers for the mountains near Provo. Medford Blazers, short for Trail Blazers for some ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportsfan7 Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 For Provo I think you should replace the light green with the light blue, making all 3 waves the same color, and change the color of "Provo" to one of the other 3 colors (mountains, "Riverblades", top and bottom wave). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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