Cole Fixes the Entire NHL in This Thread!

[ColeJ]

thaaaat's right, folks...

people have done this before. people have done similar things before... but this time, it's my turn.

and the best part? there's no wait!

instead of announcing my intentions, then drawing this out for the next few months, i didn't mention it a single time until I was finished... and now i'm finished.

I'll post a few teams per post.... I'll also post a brief explanation of what I changed, and why.

The rules I set for myself say that all teams, no matter how traditional, get an alternate uniform. 30 teams, 3 uniforms each. The format is that the top uniform is the home, the middle uniform is the road, and the bottom uniform is the alternate.

here we go:

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

The Ducks current home and road sets are very nice. I've got nothing against them... but I really liked those alternate sweaters they used to wear. A little untraditional, and pretty unique. So I brought those back, only with a few minor tweaks. The home was changed from teal to purple. Also, the black and silver alternate was changed into team colors. Teal, purple, and silver. I also dropped the "MD" logo from the shoulders, because I never liked it.

Atlanta Thrashers

Everyone's biggest complaints with the Thrashers uniforms should be fixed with this uniform set. I dropped the "True Blue" lopsided one-sleeved sweater. Baby blue really isn't a team color... so instead of "fixing" the alterate, I just made a new one. Also, the problem of the home and road logos not matching is now out the window. Most people seem to prefer the brown-bird-with-stick logo, but I really like the "Batman" T... and since this is MY vision of the NHL, my vote wins. The bird-with-stick logo is on the alterate sweater.

Boston Bruins

Traditionally, the Bruins are one of the better dressed teams in the league. However, in recent years, they've gone down an ugly road. Their home and road sweaters are fine, with the exception of the strange black boxes on the sleeves... but instead of just "fixing" those, I decided to revert back to some unis that are based on the best sweaters the team ever wore. Yellow isn't gone from the alternate, but Winnie the Pooh is.

[ColeJ]

Buffalo Sabres

The fans love the blue and gold... but no one wants to see them revert back to their dated old duds from the past. This is my solution. Pretty simplistic. Based on the current alternate jersey, only with new colors. The new alterate jersey is based on the current home jersey. I know many people have done concepts similar to the alternate jersey before, but I like the way it looks. I'm a big fan of my home/road here. Simple designs have always had a place in my heart.

Carolina Hurricanes

The home and road for this team are pretty good as they already are. The hurricane flags around the waist aren't my favorite... but they give them a little bit of uniqueness, so I left them. Everyone's biggest complaint with the Canes is that they only have 1/2 of a hurricane flag on their shoulder logo... 2 flags means hurricane... if I'm not mistaken, 1 flag means tropical storm? Either way, 2 flags, one on top the other, equal a hurricane... So i fixed that on the shoulder logo. Also, that new double-flag logo is the primary logo on the new black alternate sweater. I left red helmets and red pants on the alternate, because in my mind, that looks really nice, and isn't used in the NHL with a black sweater.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Several minor tweaks to these uniforms. First of all, and most importantly, I dropped any an all traces of "lemon/lime electric yellow" that they had left over from the bug logo. That means dropped the primary logo, that had a stick of that color. Also, the BJers primary logo reads CJB, which I hate... So, I took the logo off of the alternate, and put it on the home and road. I also took the civil war cap from the shoulders, and used in on all sweaters (including the primary of the alternate). I added a little bit of piping to the sleeve stripes, because I felt it looked less plain. On the alternate sweater, I used the shoulder logo as the primary, and dropped all traces of black. I'm one of the few that likes the home/road layout better than the alternate, so I kept those things intact, largely.

[ColeJ]

Calgary Flames

This was mostly just cleaning things up from the real uniforms, and trying to add a little consistency. The flames home/road/alts from now appear to be loosely based on each other, but they don't really match. Now all 3 uniforms have the same style collar, the same logo, and the same striping pattern. I also dropped the flaming pony logo... In it's place, I did a simple outline of Alberta... not unlike the Stars/Coyotes shoulder logos. I brought back the white C logo, that I've always liked... but not on the home, like originally planned. That black C seems to be good luck to them, since the 1 season they wore it, they won the West... so more power to them.

Chicago Blackhawks

In my opinion, they're arguably the best dressed team in sports. I didn't change much on these. The most noticable difference is the alternate. I changed the white to an off-white, and I replaced the logo with a logo inspired by their original logo. Not really a throwback, since they never wore a sweater of that style before... but I like the way it looks.

Colorado Avalanche

The biggest thing I did here was drop the black. I always found it to be useless and tacky on Colorado. I darkened the blue, to make up for the loss of black. I also dropped the Rangers-ripoff of an alternate sweater, and gave them more of a college-hockey style. Yes, that's a number on the front. I like it... you may not. Not everyone will have a 19, obviously...

[ColeJ]

Dallas Stars

My beloved Dallas Stars... I brought back the old "DALLAS" pants from my childhood. I never understood why they left. They're unique to the team, and they won the cup in them. Other changes include the shoulder logos... Nothing drastic. I just changed the outlines of the shoulder logos, to match those of the numbers. That basically means adding a gold outline. Also, I dropped the dreaded Mooterus, and all traces of red. This new alternate is green with black stripes... all of the stitching on this sweater is gold, for contrast purposes. Not easy to see in such a small pic, and not easy to represent in drawing form... but I've posted it before, and I think a lot of you get what I was going for.

Detroit Red Wings

Sure to be one of the most controversial of my league package. The home and road were not changed in the slightest. Since I forced myself to create an alternate for all teams, this was the best I could come up with. The D from their years as the Cougars, and a uniform based loosely on their uniform of that era. I also added few slight touches of black, which won't be popular... but I think it works. I tried not to over-do it.

Edmonton Oilers

Slightly edited the colors, because their current navy looks too close to black on some TV stations. Biggest change here is to the alternate sweater. I know it's popular in super-dark-navy and silver, but I just don't think it looks like the Edmonton Oilers... I used their copper and red outlines, and I switched up the colors on the logo. It looks rusty now...... and I like it. More of a work-man-like rusty image. Also, I put the good ole primary logo on the shoulders.

[ColeJ]

Florida Panthers

They've got some of the most underrated uniforms and logos in sports, imo. They took a big step in the wrong direction, however, when they made navy blue their primary uniform. I dropped the blue sweater, made the red one the primary again, and added a new alternate. I know it won't be popular, but the alternate is yellow. If anyone can pull it off, it's a team in the "Sunshine State". Of course, I put the "broken stick" logo on the alternate, as always.

Los Angeles Kings

I based all 3 uniforms off of the current alterate sweater. It's got it's own unique style of draw-strings that looks really appropriate for a midievil themed team. Purple at home, white on the road... I dropped the goofy "LOS ANGELES" text from their waist as well... never liked that. The alternate also may not be too popular. I brought back the Gretzky era black and silver, only with the current logo sets and layout... then I brought back the original crown logo as the shoulder logo.

Minnesota Wild

This was one of the last teams I touched... I couldn't decide what I wanted to do here. I don't like green and red together... but the Wild have very popular uniforms... those colors, as tacky as they are, really seem to work for that team. I'm not a fan, but it's their thing, so I left it. Home and road only have minor tweaks. Their current vintage-style alternate is actually their best uniform, as far as I'm concerned, but I replaced it with a red version of the primary uniforms. The vintage sweater just doesn't go well with the modern name and logos, to me... I think this worked out a lot better than I expected.

[ColeJ]

[Montreal Canadiens

I brought back the tie-downs for the Habs, like they used to wear... Very few changes... I did force another alternate sweater on myself... based on their "vintage" sweaters they wore at the heritage classic, and years ago... Slightly modified, with some white outlines to the stripes, that really help set it off, in my eyes.

New Jersey Devils

Not many changes... I changed the collar style to a Y neck. I felt that it went with their logo sets, and was a nice way to add a tiny bit of spice to some bland, yet classy sweaters. I like them, as boring as they are. I also created a new alternate jersey. Nothing special, but I like it... and it's better than just a black version of their home/road, to me.

Nashville Predators

I bet a lot of you are disappointed now. I didn't change too much of these, because believe it or not, I really like their style. Minor tweaks all around, with the biggest change being the logo on the alterate. The look on the face of the cat on the alternate just always freaked me out, even though it's one of my favorite jerseys... so I just put the regular old cat on those sweaters.

[ColeJ]

New York Islanders

Some of the best primary uniforms in sports. Bland? maybe. Outdated? probably. But I love them. Not fond of the team, ever since they added Alexei Cash-in, but I still love those sweaters. Their horrible alternate had to go though... orange seems popular to their fan base, so I threw them a bone, and made an orange version of the primary uniforms. The orange wasn't so bad, as much as the uniform design, of those real-life alternates.

New York Rangers

Many people list the Rangers are untouchable... but they may be forgetting that the Rangers change uniforms quite often. They've had different variations of different sweaters all over hell, including the Jets-style sweaters with the shield logo on the chest... So I took this opportunity to bring back the white liberty jersey, that I always loved so much. The liberty jerseys are now home and road, and a modernized version of the old home is now used as an alternate. I found a happy medium between the navy of the liberty and the royal of the primary uniforms, and used that color blue on all uniforms. I also added 1 shield to the shoulders of the alternate. I wouldn't want this change to be ever-lasting, but as I said, the Rags have gone drastic in the past... I wouldn't mind seeing them wear these for a few years, at least.

Ottawa Senators

Everyone and their cat seems to have a boner for the Sens alternates, and wants them to be the primary... I don't love them as much. I think their best set is their white road uniforms... and those red home jerseys are by far their worst. So, I brought back the old black sweaters from their early years... not a popular move, I'm sure, but it's my NHL, and I loved those damn sweaters. I also made a red version of their current alterate as the new alternate uni.

[ColeJ]

Philadelphia Flyers

Team Halloween returns to it's roots. Orange at home. White on the road... Black alternates. However, I do enjoy the "3D" version of their logo from the current alternates (even if I hate the layout of the new alterantes), so I used it on my black alternate. I also added tad bit of silver to the sweaters, to make the logo feel at home.

Phoenix Coyotes

Evil team, but they're very well dressed. Some of my favorite new sweaters in hockey. Only change here is that I use the same collar style on both jerseys now. Also, I added an alternate. Stays in the same general area of the home/road jersey, only has a little bit of a more modern flare to it.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Home and road are basically the exact same... People seem to be wanting a powder-blue alternate... I wouldn't go that far, but I did give them a nice icey blue color, between powder and royal. I'm not in love with it, but I have to make an alternate for every team, and it's certainly better than a vegas-gold sweater. Love it or hate, you know they'd sell about a billion of them, with #87 on the back.

[ColeJ]

San Jose Sharks

Home and Road are largely unchanged. I added a little bit of color to their alternate, as well. Sorta like a mixture of the Whalers, and old Team USA... with teal and black and silver. I dunno. I don't like the team, or the team colors, but something about that alternate jersey speaks to me. I like it. I hope I'm not the only one.

St. Louis Blues

One of the best uniforms in all of sports, that never seems to get any love. I left the home and road unchanged, out of respect for perfection. This team can't improve on their primary sweaters... I did however add a nice navy blue alternate, using a logo from the past. Not really vintage-style as much as simplistic. I think it would be a nice change of pace uniform for an already well dressed team.

Tampa Bay Lightning

I've posted these before, a few other times. The Bolts current uniforms are just so incredibly boring and ugly. I tweaked the colors to give them a really dark stormy look, without just being black and navy. The home and road have been floating around forever, since I designed them a little over a year ago... but I had to come up with an alternate, due to my rules... I decided if any team could pull off a dark grey sweater, it would be a stormy team like the Tampa Bay Lightning.

[ColeJ]

Toronto Maple Leafs

No more silver, please. The Leafs look great, throughout history, as the blue and white. I dropped all silver, and I dropped the TML logo. I brought back a new shoulder logo, not unlike the one used in the Potvin era... Also, as much as I love the current white alternate sweater, I feel it's time for a change... My new alternate sweater is based on my favorite sweaters in team history. If i'm not mistaken, they wore these sweaters the last time they skate the Cup. They aren't too different from the homes, but I like them a lot, so I used them.

Vancouver Canucks

I'm tired of all the navy in sports, so I decided the Canucks could pull off a nice deep royal blue as their primary instead... and I absolutely love the way it looks. Also, I dropped the FUBU alternate, and used a red version of their primary sweaters. The red sweater uses the "Canuck place" logo on the shoulder.

Washington Capitals

A return to red, white, and blue, for a team that doesn't seem to know what uniforms they wear anymore. The home and road are meant to be modernized versions of the old red caps of my childhood... only a lot less tacky. No more floating stars, and ugly script. I used the eagle as the primary logo, and updated it to red, blue, and silver. The alternate is based on the Russian template... not sure why... maybe subliminally because of Ovechkin... I also used an edited and altered version of their "rejected" shoulder logo from a few years ago as the primary logo of the alternate jersey.

[ColeJ]

Now there's all 30 of the NHL teams, in my perfect world

I appreciate any and all comments. it's the least you can do for me, after alllll the hours I spent on this project

I'd also like to give a HUGE thanks to Chris, for all the great logos available on his site... and of course, Roger Clemente. I'd never be able to do something this big without his templates.

[GUINNESS]

first off....great job....i hope you had fun doing it.It shouldnt be a task,more of a happy thing to do...

overall,i usualy like to see concepts with the back shown and letters and numbers..so thats big negative for me....

Calgary has somthing funny going on the front down low..a black "centering" line..

nit pick i know..

i really like the Caps the most..love the red/white/blue

the avs 3rd is nice..like the front #..the shirt stripe doesnt match the sleeves tho..is it supposed to?

All 3 Buffalo are great.....and I love the Canes 3rd with the Double flags....

Dallas pants are great like you said....

i really wish you took the time to show the backs and have these lettered and #d up..it would bring much more to this project

but nice job

[Shumway]

This is gonna take awhile, but I've got time to blow...so I'm gonna go thru all 30 teams, since you took the time to do all 30 teams.

Anaheim: Overall, I love these. My only suggestion is to make the alt. eggplant rather than teal. Teal's just not looking good with that jersey.

Atlanta: Nice. It pains me to see the light blue go, but I like what you've done.

Boston: Nice. I've got no beef with these. They should wear those yellow jerseys.

Buffalo: I'd say try to ditch the black if at all possible. I'd honestly say go back to the old logo...I really hate the buffalo head logo.

Carolina: I like the use of the alt. logo. I'd like to see the alt in red just to see if I like the red or the black better. Good set overall.

Columbus: My main problem is the use of the alt. logo as the primary. I think using the normal logo would be better. I kind of like the lime green personally, it's different. I actually have a jersey with just the lime green bugs head on it. I do like the alt jersey you've made...needs a bit more red though.

Calgary: The white logo has got to go. I see where you're going with it, but it just doesn't look right.

Chicago: No complaints. Anyone else notice in NHL '98 for SNES, they're spelled "Blawkhawks"....only videogame typo I know of.

Colorado: The alt isn't doing it for me. The front number's just out of place...like by league standards. Maybe try using the foot logo?

Dallas: Thank god you got rid of their horrible alts. The alt you've made is pretty nice, I'd say.

My Beloved Red Wings: Lose the black in the alt, you've gotcho' self a winner.

Edmonton: I like that you've made the alt match the color scheme. That white stripe's a bit overbearing though.

Florida: I miss the blue jersey already. The yellow's not terrible, but the blue was their best jersey IMO.

Los Angeles: Decent, I see what you were going for in the alt, but there does need to be purple to keep things together IMO.

Minnesota: Gorgeous. I love the red alt.

Montreal: Basically what anyone would see as their alt. I like it.

New Jersey: No need to change the home and away. The alt you've done is different. Not sure it needs the "armpit" red area.

Nashville: Definite upgade with your alt over the current mustard one.

Isles: I like that you've kept the alt the same as their other jersey styles. Nice.

Rangers: Well, changing the primaries is a mistake in my eyes. I like the Statue of Liberty logo, but it is a better fit as just an alt.

Ottawa: Nice. It looks better without the big "swoosh" going across it.

Flyers: I don't like the "3D" logo, but I do like the reemergence of the old orange jerseys. I own one of those.

Phoenix: Nice. The black's not bothering me here since it's in that logo.

Pittsburgh: I don't like that there are 2 shades of blue in the alt. I like the attempt to bring blue back in though.

San Jose: If it were up to me, which it's not, I'd model all of them off of their current alt. I'm not big on teal, so I'd say use as much black as possible.

St. Louis: Nice. I like the trumpet logo.

Tampa Bay: Pretty nice. I don't like the thin stripes under the armpits or on the sides though.

Toronto: I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the old leaf, but I like what you've done.

Vancouver: I like the lighter blue as a primary color. I'm not big on the red though. I would've liked to see some green to give it a retro feel.

Washington: I'm loving the alt logo. Going back to red, white and blue was a HUGE upgrade. Nice.

Overall, I like what you've done. I like that you didn't change too many of the primary homes and roads. When there's nothing to fix, why try to fix it? Good job. My fingers are tired.

[ColeJ]

first off....great job....i hope you had fun doing it.It shouldnt be a task,more of a happy thing to do...

overall,i usualy like to see concepts with the  back shown and letters and numbers..so thats big negative for me....

Calgary has somthing funny going on the front  down low..a black "centering" line..

nit pick i know..

i really like the  Caps the most..love the  red/white/blue

the avs 3rd is nice..like the front #..the shirt stripe doesnt match the sleeves tho..is it supposed to?

All 3 Buffalo are great.....and I love the Canes 3rd with the Double flags....

Dallas pants are great like you said....

i really wish you took the time to show the backs and have these lettered and #d up..it would bring much more to this project

but nice job 

i would have thrown in the backs, but it would have been twice the work, really... and most of them haven't changed at all. we all know what the dallas, detroit, chicago, and others would look like.

i appreciate the input it really was fun for me, but it got pretty tedious... but oh well. i'm proud of it.

also, that "centering line" on calgary is to show a seem. i don't own one of those jerseys, but i believe there is a seem there... the river city sports catalog showed one there, at least, if memory serves me.

[LetsGoAdmirals]

Don't have enough time in the day to comment on all of them, so here are the ones that move me the most.

Nashville: Not feeling the alternate. I don't like the triangle logo, but it's better than the current logo on the alt.

Washington: Really like the switch back on the colors. Also like the logo on the alternate.

Tampa: Love the whole set, HUGE improvement over what they have.

STL: Love that horn logo.

Philly: Hate that 3D logo.

Columbus: Love that alternate.

Buffalo: Love the whole set, used the blue and gold, but it's nothing like the old jerseys.

All in all, great job.

[StPatty33]

Wow, this is super hot, man! I've only gotten through up to Edmonton--mostly because I want to save the rest for later (haha). I'll give you an in depth analysis of them tomorrow. I REALLY like the stars alternate--classy but different!

Also, while I don't think I like the college-style Avs 3rd, I do like the number on the front. In fact I was planning on doing an old Denver Falcons (from the 1950's) hockey concept that was going to keep their numbers on the front--only theirs were off center on the chest, like where the Captains C and Alternate A would be.

[Andy]

First and foremost, you need to be applauded for doing this the way you did - not getting overanxious and posting the project before it was finished. I enjoyed seeing all the teams at once.

Secondly, this is amazing work. A great presentation for all 30 teams.

Now on to the critiques:

The Good

Anaheim Ducks: A reasonable upgrade. I enjoy their current set and have no problem with it, but I like how you tied the alternate colors in with their home and aways here.

Atlanta Thrashers: Yes. Perfection. Uniformity in the home/away. Love it.

Carolina Hurricanes: Nice alternate.

Columbus Blue Jackets: I'm hard pressed to say I like these, because I just don't like their uniforms or set or team name in general, but you did the best with what you were given. I like 'em.

Dallas Stars: Great job, the dropping of the red looks great, and while the alternate isn't mind blowing it's obviously better than Mooterus.

Los Angeles Kings: Love this, the nod to the Gretzky-era uniforms is a great touch.

Montreal Canadiens: Great work here as well, the Habs clearly deserve a tied collar.

New York Islanders: I agree these jerseys are already great, and you'd be doing everyone a favor by dropping that godawful alternate they have now and replacing it with this one.

New York Rangers: I also loved these Lady Liberty uniforms, and I think this is a definite upgrade. Keeping the traditional diagonal Rangers uni as an alternate should keep the loyalists happy.

Philadelphia Flyers: Bringing the orange back = thumbs-up.

St. Louis Blues: Great alternate jersey, only thing I would change is the color. Have it match the home and you'd have a winner.

Tampa Bay Lightning: This is the best update in the set.

Washington Capitals: Though red white and blue is the obvious way to go, you give the Caps a great look with it.

The bad

Boston Bruins: I like their current jerseys just fine, and I don't mind the bear alternate like most people around here do.

Buffalo Sabres: I'm not digging that new crest you created, and the new logo doesn't look right with the old colors.

Chicago Blackhawks: I don't understand why they are referred to as one of the best dressed teams in sports on this board. I mean, they're alright I suppose... their crest is kind of tacky and it doesn't scream "tradition" to me like say, the Red Wings or NY Rangers. So it's nothing against your work, I just don't like their uniforms.

Colorado Avalanche: No to the college-style sweater.

Detroit Red Wings: I don't actually dislike this one, I just don't think they need an alternate. I know you made alternates for everyone, but that's why I don't like this set.

Edmonton Oilers: Those red outlines look bad. They stick out like a sore thumb, they're the first thing I see. And the alt should be left the way it is. I know I liked the Ducks one earlier, but this... not so much.

Florida Panthers: I agree the red should be the primary home, but keep the navy blue as the alt.

Minnesota Wild: You got rid of the best alternate in hockey!

New Jersey Devils: Same as the Red Wings; not feeling the alternate.

Nashville Predators: I actually liked the different crest on the alt, the regular one looks out of place here.

Ottawa Senators: I have a boner for the new crest. I admit it.

Phoenix Coyotes: The alt is alright, but it looks a little uninspired to me.

San Jose Sharks: Just not a fan of these unis, and you unfortunately didn't change them enough.

Toronto Maple Leafs: How can you make a Maple Leafs set without replacing the Ballard-era leaf with the cooler one?

Vancouver Canucks: Yes to the dropping of the fubu alt, ixnay on the light blue.

and The Ugly...

Pittsburgh Penguins: Why... why... why... why did you create an alt for my beloved Penguins with that ridiculous, lame-o, totally unnecessary Howard Baldwin-era modernized Penguin? I would not even think of purchasing one of those.

Sigh... other than that monstrosity, awesome work, awesome project.

[OMMF]

Great work. My only complaint is that you got rid of one of the best underused logos in the half tower/half leaf of the Sens. That should be on there somewhere. Get rid of the Trojan and slap this on there.

[jr79]

Not got the time at present to offer comments on all of these but in general, fantastic work Cole.

Sharks alternate works for me so you're not alone there.

If the Rangers were an expansion team that set would be brilliant, but I'm not sure a team with their history would wear it so well. But you took a risk and I like it.

Blues alternate is great.

Love the Buffalo makeover. The small amounts of black are OK. Maybe you could lose to Buffalo head on home/roads and keep it for the alt.

The Devils alt is clever, but as someone else said maybe the armpit striping is overdoing the references to the home/road unis.

Anaheim's teal alt doesn't work for me either.

Panthers yellow alt was interesting... not sure it'd fly in real life, but its a great concept to think about.

[JQK]

Agree with some, disagree with some. Overall a very nice body of work.

The Biggest Problem: The Rangers. Don't touch 'em.

The Biggest Improvement: Boston Bruins