Some Old School Hockey

[BurdBranding]

It has been awhile since my last USPHL post, but I haven't stopped. I actually got some inspiration from @chestnutz and their children's illustration style that gives more character to a project. The noise they were using felt vintage and I was very interested to do something new during my little COVID break. This resulted in a full blown fictional project I've been doing on another site, but I thought maybe I should show some stuff here. I made the template myself, and tried to give as much character as possible when it came to the owners (who are on the left) and players (who are on the right). The names and teams may seem weird, so I quickly want to say this is a series that kind of uses satire to exaggerate really odd moments in history as well as makes fun of traditional norms in sports design. Finally, here are some visuals.

 

The first team is Los Angeles based and owned by Frank Zamboni. Yes, that Zamboni. Long story short, I got a bit over dramatic and decided that the NHL full on collapsed when they lost the New York Americans, giving way to me exaggerating the importance of the Zamboni that was built in Paramount, CA. This gave me the reason to justify hockey growing at a high rate on the west coast, making the most southwest markets traditional and the typical hockey markets considered "risky". TTHC is my Montreal Canadians when it comes to logo and name. I went with Two Towns because Paramount was actually created when Hynes and Clearwater merged in 1948, and since this team started in 1953 I thought it would make sense to celebrate the unity. The logo has two "T"s for Two Towns, an "H" that could be hockey or Hynes, and a "C" which is Club or Clearwater... whatever you want it to be. You're giving it more credit than a 1950s logo deserves, honestly.... which would never happen in real life with a logo or jersey. 

 

Tell me what you think. I have about seven more teams at the moment if anyone is interested.

[BurdBranding]

Well, let's not all comment at once guys! I just can't believe that my thread that was posted at the high activity time of 9 PM PST isn't causing a buzz haha!

 

I kid, but I do want to share another team.

Nothing revolutionary at all here. While the last team was Montreal for the name and logo, here's that same approach for the jersey. Fans around the world will have posts talking about how this jersey is a classic and should never be touched on their favorite sports aesthetics discussion forums in the year 2020. The Grizzlies are located in San Francisco and heavily base their identity on the state flag. I thought it would be funny to give them the title of "California" in their name just because 4/8 teams in the league are currently in the state. It's just a little jab at the Warriors, Angels and any other team who has done it. I picked this team next just because I wanted to show off that mustache, it is something I take great pride in. That lip blanket is probably the best thing I've ever produced when it comes to design.

[sky1324]

That's a very high-quality mustache, that's for sure. I've already said this, but Two Towns and California are both excellent-looking teams. That red California sweater is something I'd wear if I lived in San Francisco, very classy.

[the_grateful_ted]

Great vintage looks, and those face illustrations are awesome as well (is the colored or white jersey usually the home? If the white is the away then it might be good to switch the designs so “California” is on the away.)

[BurdBranding]

On 9/5/2020 at 11:38 AM, QCS said:

That's a very high-quality mustache, that's for sure. I've already said this, but Two Towns and California are both excellent-looking teams. That red California sweater is something I'd wear if I lived in San Francisco, very classy.

I want to know if it stays put on the ice. He would definitely be part of San Jose's all facial hair team. I appreciate the compliments! California's jersey kind of reminds me of Detroit a little more now that I look at it. Hopefully in this reality it is the jersey worn by a character in a classic 80s movie about ditching school. I'll make sure to send you one when I finally get that multi million dollar manufacturing deal! haha

 

On 9/5/2020 at 1:40 PM, sleuthpanther said:

Great vintage looks, and those face illustrations are awesome as well (is the colored or white jersey usually the home? If the white is the away then it might be good to switch the designs so “California” is on the away.)

At first, I thought teams wore what they wanted as long as the home team got first pick, and white would only be necessary for extended road trips. After thinking about it, I think white would be primarily home because many teams actually have a preferred jersey that is white. 

 

 

Next, I present the San Diego Canners.

San Diego's team is named after the city's tuna industry, which was the third largest behind naval and aerospace at one point. The term "Canners" takes inspiration from the Green Bay Packers and their odd name that only works because it is so unique to the area and has history. I actually had someone comment that Canners was not a great name on my thread before realizing they themselves were Green Bay fans, which was a fun thing to see unfold. For those who don't know, a cannery is a factory where the tuna would be put in cans before being distributed for the public to enjoy. Their logo is simply the team's name spelt out with a tuna can flying across the bottom like a hockey puck. I also checked off a couple more boxes on the "classic" scorecard by going with a diagonal lettered Rangers look on the chest, and socks that don't match to give a nod to the Bruins. Odd aspects include replacing white with "Tin" and a captains letters on the shoulder. 

 

 

[BurdBranding]

What if Bugsy Siegel was not murdered in 1947, but instead continued to put all efforts into making the Flamingo the most desirable location in Las Vegas. In a timeline of zero failures and functional, consistent use out of the first AC unit in the town, the Flamingo thrives and expands. Eventually, while looking to add a show that would draw more tourists, the Flamingo decides to get a little unorthodox by adding a rink and claims an attraction that was one of a kind in the city, a hockey team.

 

The Flamingo decided to name their team the Las Vegas Flamingos for marketing purposes, and went with a pink/green color combo that they were sure would stand out to even the most casual spectator. Their logo is based on a 1940s Fabulous Flamingo casino chip with the addition of the hotels classic neon script, for marketing purposes of course. The neon theme continues with the vibrant colors being applied as thin stripes on black to give that bright sign look. Lastly, green pants are used to pull back on the overuse of black. 

[ReesDaKing]

I like the Canners' uniforms, but I think with the Captain C it looks busy and it'd look better if it were implemented into the fish in my opinion.

[MilSox]

This Green Bay fan loves the Canners name. San Diego was still an industrial/military town in this era, so it works.

 

Your Flamingos concept it brilliant; but I'm getting a real 80s vibe from it and I think that's when you should introduce the club.  Las Vegas only had 92,000 people in 1960. That's fewer than who live in Green Bay now. And a Vegas club wouldn't have a Milwaukee to attach itself to. 

 

Vegas finally got minor league baseball in the early 80s, and by then was trying to make itself more family friendly. Your idea sounds too perfectly like what a place like the Flamingo would have tried in the 80s.

[BurdBranding]

On 9/11/2020 at 8:04 AM, ReesDaKing said:

I like the Canners' uniforms, but I think with the Captain C it looks busy and it'd look better if it were implemented into the fish in my opinion.

I could understand that. I felt busy was right if the idea was to start in 1955. The idea is based on Detroit's diamond captain sleeve design from the 2014 Winter Classic. They probably won't last long, especially when the use of shoulder logos moves the Tuna to that general area.

 

On 9/11/2020 at 9:44 AM, NicDB said:

This Green Bay fan loves the Canners name. San Diego was still an industrial/military town in this era, so it works.

 

Your Flamingos concept it brilliant; but I'm getting a real 80s vibe from it and I think that's when you should introduce the club.  Las Vegas only had 92,000 people in 1960. That's fewer than who live in Green Bay now. And a Vegas club wouldn't have a Milwaukee to attach itself to. 

 

Vegas finally got minor league baseball in the early 80s, and by then was trying to make itself more family friendly. Your idea sounds too perfectly like what a place like the Flamingo would have tried in the 80s.

I appreciate the love for the name! As for the Flamingos, I won't exactly go into detail of how I forced the story to work there because this is mostly for the concept. I will say that the dramatic impact that the Zamboni had in the move of the sport out west plays a big role along with the AC thing I mentioned. Las Vegas is treated more like a high end show in the town, falling into an area between boxing and regular performances by singers. The general pull for more sports betting with the number of game also generates more interest. Because of these factors, the team generates more attention from tourists, and doesn't rely as much on their own population. It is a stretch, but that's kind of the point. If we were going off history you are 100% correct.

 

Here's the next California team

San Fran's rival lives right across the Bay in Oakland, where a war hero turned military tycoon decided to hold his company and team. There always has to be a patriotic theme in every single sport, so why not go overboard in a city that isn't necessarily known for it. This teams name is 100% based on an owner's story arch and not the city itself, but the "O" actually gave me some fun ideas in the logo department. I ended up landing on a hybrid of O/P/faceoff circle which I felt would be better than the typical Stars and Stripes you'd see on an older team representing the USA. Of course I used the stripes later in the team's wild home jersey that goes all out as a tribute to our great nation's flag, though. The away got less attention and does not match the home at all, but I thought it gave the overall set that old school charm. If you look closely, you can see a "World War Champions" patch on the chest. Without context this is strange, so I must say that having a team wear a champions patch before any play was my attempt at making fun of early teams who would randomly make their own "World Champions" patch after winning their little regional leagues. We got 5 down, which means we nearing the end of the history I have so far. I have Long Beach, Arizona and SLC left, any preferences? 

 

[MilSox]

I'll admit, it's hard for me to wrap my head around the West Coast becoming a hockey hotbed when I come from the Great Lakes.  But your alt history is certainly interesting, and you're knocking most of these out of the park.  Love the abstract hockey-equipment related crest.  It reminds me of 1970s Vancouver and Quebec.

[BurdBranding]

On 9/12/2020 at 8:59 PM, NicDB said:

I'll admit, it's hard for me to wrap my head around the West Coast becoming a hockey hotbed when I come from the Great Lakes.  But your alt history is certainly interesting, and you're knocking most of these out of the park.  Love the abstract hockey-equipment related crest.  It reminds me of 1970s Vancouver and Quebec.

I appreciate the kind words! Since the Patriots actually updated their look recently, I thought I'd dust off this thread. There are two other teams, but I might as well get Oakland up to date before anything new. 

 

The small changes made to Oakland came with the addition of a new minority owner. The goal was to construct a cohesive identity for the Patriots that didn't ruin what was already established. Other than the obvious addition of baby blue, the five stripes found on the arms of the white jersey were condensed and the colors were altered to create a pattern that feels new. These stripes were also implemented on the socks, replacing the oversized stripes and blue top that made the breezers look like they came down below the knees. The other jersey would take what had been done on the white and change the base to navy, creating consistency across the brand. The only things that stay the same are the gloves and pants.

[BurdBranding]

Since the last one wasn't much of a change, I'll go ahead and introduce the next team.

 

The Long Beach team is named after the major earthquake that struck the town in 1933, and their look is inspired by the Art Deco theme the city went with when rebuilding. The interlocking "L" and "B" are meant to keep formality and be built to last. The navy/gold/white scheme is where the Art Deco most comes into play, being a common combo seen during the era. The jerseys carry a two stripe theme that repeats throughout. The most unique aspect would be the use of these stripes on the shoulders of the dark jersey, while the whites have a phantom stripe that leaves the gold hanging. The Earthquakes are also the first team in the league to use a deep cut collar paired with laces.

 

Tell me what you think!

[JCRGraphix]

Long Beach is a great look! I've been watching this one for a while. Very nice.

[BurdBranding]

20 hours ago, JCRGraphix said:

Long Beach is a great look! I've been watching this one for a while. Very nice.

That's awesome to hear! Thanks for the Long Beach praise. If you're familiar with the teams, you know why I held off for this next one until last.

 

I was trying to figure out how to show my Arizona team off without getting in trouble here. While they don't necessarily have an offensive name in the timeline I've created, I don't believe it fits the guidelines of the forums. That being said, we can refer to this team as the "Arizona Hockey Team" for now.

The team located in Arizona was built to look Southwest without using "yeehaw"s and guns. To make the club more Arizona specific, I decided to pick a brick color, that would be given the nickname "adobe", and turquoise, which is probably the best known mineral in the state behind copper. The jerseys were the most fun to make, being my go at an overcomplicated stripe pattern that was very popular in the early years of hockey. While the league started in the 50s, I thought it be funny to have one team that just wouldn't let go of their complicated design. The actual stripes took loose inspiration from some Navajo blankets that I referenced online, and they were cleaned up to create some consistency in the pattern. The logo... isn't the actual logo. The original was stripped and replaced with a block "A", being part of my attempt to make the presentation more appropriate for the forum. Honestly, the look isn't hurt much by the logo being replaced, but it does feel weird to me. If you want to see the actual set or want to follow along with the history, feel free to visit the thread. I don't have the link in my sig, but, if you don't mind a goose hunt, I know @_DietDrPepper_ has it in theirs. I'll see you all when an expansion hits or a team makes a significant change! Thank you for sticking around.

 

 

[the_grateful_ted]

Arizona’s colors are OUTSTANDING, and great update to Oakland. Nice work as usual!