NHL 2010-2011

[IceCap]

How can anyone think this...

is better than this...

?

Well it's not, at least not in my opinion. That being said, MLSE seems content to keep the Ballard leaf the primary and keep the throwback leaf on the alternate. So if that's the way it's going to be, then I'm happy to hear the Leafs are going to be wearing the sweaters described. It's the best potential design that uses the Ballard leaf.

That Leafs sweater is nice, but it's also not ridiculously special. I'd like to be able to elaborate on that, but I can't. I do find it similar to the Red Wings in that way, actually, but I know I'll get disagreement there. The Blackhawks (specifically the red) is a simple and traditional design that I would say actually is sweater (and if you're following the Cup thread, you know I must mean it to say that).

Given your King of Consistency reputation (and as someone with a mild case of OCD I can't blame you) I'm surprised you've let the Blackhawks off the hook, given the discrepancies in striping between their home and road sweaters.

As for the Leafs and Wings, in my opinion each team's best sweater is the white sweater. If the NHL ever went soccer style with its uniforms (with primary and change sets rather then home and road sets) I would want to see the Leafs and Wings designate their white sweaters as their primaries.

There's two changes I'd make to the described Leafs sweater (and here's where I start to own up to my King of Consistency title again). I'd make the socks and jersey match, and I'd make the logotype and names/numbers match. And you could do it whichever way. The jersey could either be the thin-thick-thin like the socks (and now Coyotes) or the socks could be thin-big space-thin. Either one can be vouched for, but I hate that they don't match. And I always loved what I think of as the Sundin era sweaters that were essentially what's above, but with the number and names matching the font in the logo. But I do like the block numbers so I can handle that too--if they'd switch the logo to a block font.

The socks and sweater striping will never match. I agree it would like nice either way, but it's not going to happen. The current striping pattern on the socks is traditional, it's not going anywhere. The sweater striping won't match the socks, because if they did that (essentially echoing the 1967-1970 design) they'll encroach on Phoenix's look. Like the Canadiens' red and white sweaters, the striping patterns of the Leafs' socks and sweaters seem to be destined to mismatch.

As for getting the logo to match name/number font, they tried matching the name and number font to the font used on the Leafs logo. It looked, in my opinion, terrible. It was way to cute/gimmicky for an Original 6 team. As for changing the logo to match a standard block font used for the names/numbers? Possible. I'll have to create a mock-up to see how the current Ballard leaf would look with block font.

[TruColor]

How can anyone think this...

is better than this...

?

I do. So sue me.

[The_Admiral]

?

[IceCap]

?

That looks nice.

How can anyone think this...

is better than this...

?

I do. So sue me.

The Ballard leaf has two things working against it.

For one, it's associated with 40+ years of futility. Secondly it's a simplification of a simplification. The 67-70 leaf was based on the leaf design on the Canadian flag. That design, in and of itself, worked as simplification of the classic leaf design _RH_ posted. The Ballard leaf took that simplified design and simplified/streamlined it even further. It just got a point where if you really look at it, it's just to "over-processed," for lack of a better term.

[Quillz]

Personally, I like this iteration of the Maple Leafs logo the best:

I wish this was their primary logo.

[The_Admiral]

I'm not sure it was ever front and center, just a shoulder logo.

[IceCap]

I'm not sure it was ever front and center, just a shoulder logo.

Yep, and from all accounts it seems like it's coming back as the shoulder logo again. Which is the perfect place for it. It's to flimsy to work as a primary.

EDIT-

Trying out STL's suggestion of changing the font on the Ballard leaf to block to match the upcoming names and numbers. It's a quick mock-up, but all things considered, it looks better than I imagined.

[STL FANATIC]

I'd go a little bigger, ICE, and I'd have to see it without serifs as well. Also, I do like the arched Toronto on the old leaf, but not sure how that'd work out on this one.

[STL FANATIC]

That Leafs sweater is nice, but it's also not ridiculously special. I'd like to be able to elaborate on that, but I can't. I do find it similar to the Red Wings in that way, actually, but I know I'll get disagreement there. The Blackhawks (specifically the red) is a simple and traditional design that I would say actually is sweater (and if you're following the Cup thread, you know I must mean it to say that).

Given your King of Consistency reputation (and as someone with a mild case of OCD I can't blame you) I'm surprised you've let the Blackhawks off the hook, given the discrepancies in striping between their home and road sweaters.

As for the Leafs and Wings, in my opinion each team's best sweater is the white sweater. If the NHL ever went soccer style with its uniforms (with primary and change sets rather then home and road sets) I would want to see the Leafs and Wings designate their white sweaters as their primaries.

RE: Blackhawks, that's why I usually point out that I'm talking about the red uniforms. It took me years to get over the striping inconsistency for me to be able to admit that each jersey on it's own is still pretty nice (and the red is great). But you're right, together, the set still lacks consistency and while I try to get past it, it does still bother me.

RE: White sweaters, I think there's a lot of teams who have better white sweaters and that's why I was bummed to see the switch a few years back. I'm generally over that now, but I agree with you about the Wings especially. I think most teams that have colored shoulder yokes on white jerseys (especially if they don't have a contrasting yoke on their dark jerseys) fall into that boat. For me anyways.

There's two changes I'd make to the described Leafs sweater (and here's where I start to own up to my King of Consistency title again). I'd make the socks and jersey match, and I'd make the logotype and names/numbers match. And you could do it whichever way. The jersey could either be the thin-thick-thin like the socks (and now Coyotes) or the socks could be thin-big space-thin. Either one can be vouched for, but I hate that they don't match. And I always loved what I think of as the Sundin era sweaters that were essentially what's above, but with the number and names matching the font in the logo. But I do like the block numbers so I can handle that too--if they'd switch the logo to a block font.

The socks and sweater striping will never match. I agree it would like nice either way, but it's not going to happen. The current striping pattern on the socks is traditional, it's not going anywhere. The sweater striping won't match the socks, because if they did that (essentially echoing the 1967-1970 design) they'll encroach on Phoenix's look. Like the Canadiens' red and white sweaters, the striping patterns of the Leafs' socks and sweaters seem to be destined to mismatch.

As for getting the logo to match name/number font, they tried matching the name and number font to the font used on the Leafs logo. It looked, in my opinion, terrible. It was way to cute/gimmicky for an Original 6 team. As for changing the logo to match a standard block font used for the names/numbers? Possible. I'll have to create a mock-up to see how the current Ballard leaf would look with block font.

I pretty much accept it as a fact that the socks and uniforms will always keep those stripes, but it'll never look right to me and it'll always keep them from a "perfect" look even if they did everything else right.

[IceCap]

I'd go a little bigger, ICE, and I'd have to see it without serifs as well. Also, I do like the arched Toronto on the old leaf, but not sure how that'd work out on this one.

Yeah, it was a quick attempt on my new computer, which means I still haven't gotten used to the updated MS Paint program. So it was a really rough sketch, just to get a basic idea. I'll try something more complex tomorrow.

As for the NHL switching the home/road designation, it makes sense. In the era of the alternate jersey (which, 9 time out of 10 are dark coloured sweaters) it makes sense to wear white on the road.

Speaking of which, how long until the Blues announce their alternate as their new home sweater*?

That Leafs sweater is nice, but it's also not ridiculously special. I'd like to be able to elaborate on that, but I can't. I do find it similar to the Red Wings in that way, actually, but I know I'll get disagreement there. The Blackhawks (specifically the red) is a simple and traditional design that I would say actually is sweater (and if you're following the Cup thread, you know I must mean it to say that).

Given your King of Consistency reputation (and as someone with a mild case of OCD I can't blame you) I'm surprised you've let the Blackhawks off the hook, given the discrepancies in striping between their home and road sweaters.

As for the Leafs and Wings, in my opinion each team's best sweater is the white sweater. If the NHL ever went soccer style with its uniforms (with primary and change sets rather then home and road sets) I would want to see the Leafs and Wings designate their white sweaters as their primaries.

RE: White sweaters, I think there's a lot of teams who have better white sweaters and that's why I was bummed to see the switch a few years back. I'm generally over that now, but I agree with you about the Wings especially. I think most teams that have colored shoulder yokes on white jerseys (especially if they don't have a contrasting yoke on their dark jerseys) fall into that boat. For me anyways.

With the Leafs the darks just feature a lot of blue. Likewise the Red Wings' darks are just very red. The white versions of each break up the monotone. That's my reasoning, anyway.

If I had my way all Leafs/Habs games from now 'till the end of time would feature the Leafs in white and the Canadiens in red.

I pretty much accept it as a fact that the socks and uniforms will always keep those stripes, but it'll never look right to me and it'll always keep them from a "perfect" look even if they did everything else right.

The sock stripes are actually the last remnant of the 1930-34 set. The striping pattern was all over the blue sweaters. They changed it up for the 1934-35 season by going with the now-familiar double stripes on the sweater, but they kept the triple stripe design for the socks, for some reason. And they've been there for ever version of the Leafs' look since, save for the 1970-1992 Ballard design (which, though nice, have way to much going against them to see the light of day again).

Looking back the reintroduction of the traditional Leafs sweater design in 1992 would have been the perfect time to leave the triple striped socks in the past, but it didn't happen. So they're pretty much here to stay, whether any of us like it or not (personally I wouldn't shed a tear if they were done away with, but that's just me).

*I kid

Though in today's NHL I wouldn't be shocked if they did, but didn't bother to design a white counterpart for the road.

[CanuckFanatic92]

Thought I'd toss in my hat on those who think the block font would work on the Leafs logo rather than Kabel Bold...

The following uses the NAMEPLATE font used on the (78-92 and) 92-97 jerseys.

This one uses the 1967 Leaf, I had made this for a fantasy jersey quite awhile ago..

And using the "Ballard" Leaf

.

And yes, I did make "(somewhat) fantasy jersey concepts" using the '67 leaf above.

[scraw28]

Even Snoop Dogg shows support for the maple leafs (sort of)

http://everythingshare.com/snoop-dogg-loves-the-toronto-maple-leafs

[Lee.]

At this point, do they really even need to keep putting "Toronto Maple Leafs" in there? I imagine there'd be a revolt of some kind if they simplified, but still...

[uniformity]

Three Leafs uniforms with a laceup? Overkill. They should just leave the laceup on the third so it remains special.

Count me as not down with the dated ballard Leaf. Anything that looks like it was designed in the 70's should go. Especially for an original six team that has so many good previous designs.

[AndrewG70]

If the Blackhawks close things out against the Flyers and win the Cup, the Leafs will be the new epitome of futility, having not even been to the Finals since 1967. Why not ditch the monicker and go with the Toronto Corn? Someone on this board did a (hilarious) concept of those uniforms a few years ago. Whoever you are, do you still have it? If so, post it! Let's all see it again!

[IceCap]

?

[Generic]

I'm not a Maple Leafs fan, i'm far from it, but the alt. jersey just looks beautiful. It's a shame that it's not on the home and away. Who wouldn't want to use that beautiful logo.

[IceCap]

At this point, do they really even need to keep putting "Toronto Maple Leafs" in there? I imagine there'd be a revolt of some kind if they simplified, but still...

Tampering!

[BBTV]

I'm also a fan of the Ballard leaf - simple, iconic, passes the "3rd grader can draw on book cover" test. Nothing wrong with the other as a throwback-alt, but what the current is nice. I like Ice_Muthafuggin_Cap's last mock up with the arched TORONTO better though (but the words aren't centered right, kinda like the throwback.)

The Leafs are one of the teams that validates my opinion that white should be the home uniform, as their blues are just too... blue. I think more teams (especially the two-color teams) have better whites than darks, and your best should be your home. Obviously, there are exceptions (Chicago for example), but majority rules.

[IceCap]

This should be better....