International Challenge Hockey League (12/41) (March 22nd)

[eegl75]

here we go, attempt 2. i finally got back into designing concepts so i could create this league, which has been an idea of mine for a while now.

i apologize in advance for the low res images, im still new to this. huge thanks to Wildcomet for the logos.

 

the IHCL is a concept league with 40 concept teams that is based on the challenge era of the stanley cup. 

 

year 1: the original 8 teams compete in a 35 game season with 4 teams going to the playoffs to decide the 1st winner of the international cup

 

year 2 and on: teams from around the world are invited to challenge any of those 8 teams to a 5 game series, and if they win, theyre in. once every team has played a challenge series, the top 8 play their regular season and playoffs while the teams who didnt make it go back to their division (group of teams in their geographical area) and play 30  games there to compete for the division championship.

 

if a team goes 10 years without winning their division or making the top 8, they are relegated from the league and a new team is invited in to the top 40.

 

without further ado, the first team is a powerhouse from the American division, you may be familiar with them from the WHA and NHL, but they've found a new home in the ICHL.

the hartford whalers:

 

[eegl75]

coincidentally, the next team also spent time in the WHA and NHL.

take a guess, 

heres a hint: it starts with quebec and ends with nordiques

i decided to focus on red more than the nordiques did in real life to go with the modernized logo (by wildcomet). 

the nordiques won the international cup in 2011, but then declined. now, they have a good crop of young talent that led them to an atlantic division championship appearance in 2021-22

[eegl75]

time for team #3!

this team is an original i swear! they were even one of the original 8 teams from when the league was founded. theyre usually a contender in the west division and they live up to their namesake with their physical, hard-hitting style

 

the Fargo Bisons!:

 

 

the bisons won the international cup in 2016 by literally taking out the competition. the next year, they unveiled these new "charging bison" jerseys to celebrate. they also have a vintage jersey that they wear for the numerous outdoor home games they play.

[eegl75]

team #4!

this team's jerseys will take some getting used to. they were inspired by the teams flashy offense and their northern lights namesake

 

Borealis HC:

this team hails from Juneau, Alaska and competes in the great north division. they have made the top 4 every year since 2019 and played the international cup in 2020-21. this high flying, high scoring team likes to stand out in a crowd, and these jerseys reflect that.

 

[johne9109]

On 12/16/2022 at 10:45 PM, eegl75 said:

coincidentally, the next team also spent time in the WHA and NHL.

take a guess, 

heres a hint: it starts with quebec and ends with nordiques

i decided to focus on red more than the nordiques did in real life to go with the modernized logo (by wildcomet). 

the nordiques won the international cup in 2011, but then declined. now, they have a good crop of young talent that led them to an atlantic division championship appearance in 2021-22

I like this updated logo. It emphasizes the igloo shape in a great way

[eegl75]

in 2016, a hockey fan from Halifax won the lottery and assembled a team of pros to try to win the international cup. the fan named the team after the team from the hockey movie "Goon"

 

the Halifax Highlanders:

they also have an alternate set based more on the jerseys from the movie

they've had mixed levels of success in the atlantic division and are regarded as somewhat of a joke by the rest of the league

[LaGrandeOrange]

Real missed opportunity to take the number 69! It's hilarious!

[eegl75]

i see we dont share the same sense of humor, but yeah it would be more movie accurate

[eegl75]

this team is one of the newest in the league, joining in 2010, but they havent disappointed with their 2 american division championships and 2 top 8 appearances so far

 

the Chicago Zephyrs

their logo (by wildcomet) is inspired by the northern cardinal, the state bird of illinois, and their jerseys (which are a pain for announcers who cover their home games) are based on the chicago flag (soooo original, i know) and the "windy city" moniker

[eegl75]

team #7 this squad had a dynasty back in the 90's which saw them win 5 international cups, 3 of them in a row. their jerseys and logo from that time are iconic in the league, and this year, they're brought back by popular demand for the 20th anniversary of the 1st of those 5 championships

 

the Tacoma Thunderbirds

while not quite as dominant as they were in the 90's, the T-birds are still a force to be reckoned with. they took their 5 game challenge series to game 5 after winning the pac-northwest division championship.

 

[JCRGraphix]

Neat ideas here.  The Highlanders home and away are pretty solid. Tacoma's sleeve numbers are backwards on the back though.

[eegl75]

2 hours ago, JCRGraphix said:

Neat ideas here.  The Highlanders home and away are pretty solid. Tacoma's sleeve numbers are backwards on the back though.

thanks! 

the numbers are supposed to be like that because youre looking at it from the other side. its something i forgot to do with the earlier concepts

[JCRGraphix]

3 hours ago, eegl75 said:

thanks! 

the numbers are supposed to be like that because youre looking at it from the other side. its something i forgot to do with the earlier concepts

I assure you they're not. Take a look at some jerseys online. They don't reverse on the back.

[eegl75]

well whaddya know, they are. 

[eegl75]

heres some retro alternates for the nordiques

[eegl75]

this thread has been untouched for too long. i finally got enough motivation to make another team.

 

the seattle evergreens

 

seattle rebranded this year because their previous look was so associated with losing. they are on the brink or getting kicked out of the league and are making a desperate push to make the top 8 this year. they havent even sniffed the international cup since 1959, when they got swept by powerhouse saskatchewan, and their fans are desperate for sucess.

[eegl75]

Its time for our first European team.

 

Hailing from the snowy alps of Switzerland its:

 

Zurich alpine HC!:

 

the "christmas boys" havent changed their look since the 80s, back when they tore up the european division en route to 2 championships. 

now they boast one of the highest scoring offenses in the league, but are consistently let down in big games by their dodgy goaltending situation. most recently they suffered a heartbreaking loss in their challenge series to extend their top 8 drought to 5 years.

[eegl75]

sorry for the slow pace. ive been behind on my schoolwork and lacking motivation to make new concepts, but heres a new team

NYHC:

this squad from the big apple were the first ever international cup winners back in 1940 and have made a good run about once every 10 years. they last won in 2000 when they were unstoppable, only losing twice in the regular season.

[Wildcomet]

On 2/21/2023 at 10:04 PM, eegl75 said:

NYHC:

 

this squad from the big apple were the first ever international cup winners back in 1940 and have made a good run about once every 10 years. they last won in 2000 when they were unstoppable, only losing twice in the regular season.

 

Looking good! The uniforms feel like a team with a history and definitely would fit in with other New York concepts I've seen. Only thing I'd maybe suggest is making the front logo just a little bit smaller so the negative space between the collar and upper logo is more similar to the spacing from the lower logo to the stripes.

[eegl75]

1 hour ago, Wildcomet said:

 

Looking good! The uniforms feel like a team with a history and definitely would fit in with other New York concepts I've seen. Only thing I'd maybe suggest is making the front logo just a little bit smaller so the negative space between the collar and upper logo is more similar to the spacing from the lower logo to the stripes.

thanks for the feedback. ill try that out