Panthers vs Canadiens

	vs
PANTHERS		CANADIENS
11-1		7-4

The Aesthetics
That panther makes for one fierce logo. Unfortunately for the Panthers, though, simplicity is going to win the day for the Canadiens logo. There's a profound quality to it that's hard to describe which likely stems from the fact that it's only been around since the beginning of time itself. No, I'm not usually one to bend to the irritating whim of tradition, but what can I say? I'm helpless against the force today.
Canadiens

The Nickname
On the other hand, a hungry Panther would totally eat a Canadien for breakfast.
Panthers

The Analysis
The Panthers logo speaks for itself, but not necessarily Florida or Miami. Whatever. The Canadiens logo speaks French to me, although there's been some debate about the meaning of the "H" here among the readers at the NHLToL. And when I say "debate," I of course mean me being a smartass. Now once and for all, may I state my opinion here before ultimately giving this point to the Habs. I understand that back in the day (1917 to be precise, right?), the "H" stood for hockey as the team was called Le Club de Hockey Canadien or something to that effect. However, my (ignorant?) stance is that in today's world where the team is more commonly known as the Habs, why can't the logo evolve to take on new meanings? I'm actually asking if anyone has a good reason why that makes absolutely no sense. Because I'm sure that's the case.
Canadiens

WINNER

2-1

 

Bruins vs Devils

	vs
BRUINS		DEVILS
8-3		12-1

The Aesthetics
I was going to make a comment about how both of these logos have circles for primary elements. But what's wrong with circles, anyway? They've long made for great logos worldwide in every aspect. Anyway, they each also have letters inside their circles. Though, here's where I think I'd be more impressed if the "B" formed some sort of bruin since the "NJ" manages to form a devil. Good stuff.
Devils

The Nickname
Devil, all-powerful, et cetera. Bruin, itty-bitty bear in comparison. Fire, brimstone, hell, move on. Stupid Satan. Go ahead, smite me with your pitchfork! (Okay, that's enough.)
Devils

The Analysis
I don't know what it is that makes the Bruins logo stand out so much. Maybe its the thick black lines over yellow. Not that the Devils logo has nothing to offer. This is a tough one. But I have yet to actual mention this so I'm going to take this opportunity. It's been pointed out to me that the spokes behind the "B" form a wheel, a hub if you will. And why is this significant? In fact, Oliver Wendell Holmes referred to the State House in Boston as the "hub of the solar system." Long story short: It stuck. And here we are. The Hub of Hockey. End of the road for the Devils, by the way. Count 'em up.
Bruins

WINNER

2-1

 

Jersey Ideas For The Big D

Further proof that this Dallas Stars jersey I posted a few days ago was a fake comes by way of another piece of work from the same designer. As a side note, he also created this Lightning concept jersey.

What gives it away here is the "Big D" logo with the star in the bottom corner of it. Have a gander.

So what do you guys think? It's a little reminiscent of the old North Stars with a touch of cool in the logo. Speaking of which, am I the only one who likes that concept for the logo? Anybody else out there? I thought it was a huge improvement over what they've been using.

I also came by another fan-designed concept to put out there.

I don't think I really like the lack of black here. Don't put too much stock in either of these designs. Based on what little we've heard, we should expect to see home and road uniforms with two different crests. It may even be that the road jersey says "DALLAS" across the chest like in some of the other fan artwork we've seen.

Anyway, that being the case, what do you guys think about what you're seeing here? I'd also like to hear from some Stars fans as well if any are reading.

Mailbag: Any Thrashers News?

Now that I have a new email address posted for the blog, I've been getting emails from people on jersey- and logo-related topics. It's stuff that used to end up in the comments. So to get it posted for all to see, I'm starting a new feature called Mailbag where I respond to an email for all to read. Here goes.

Hey Chris,

I really enjoy your blog, and I wanted to say thank you for the work you are doing to bring us new information regarding the new reebok jerseys. However, Atlanta fans, like myself, have been starving for some news about the changes we might expect to our home and road apparel next season. We know that we are sticking with the blue as our home color, but there are still a lot of questions. Will our road jerseys mirror the blue ones (with the "Atlanta" down the sleeve)? Will we have to deal with ridiculous excessive piping like Nashville? etc.

So, like I said, I really appreciate your work, and I'm hoping you can dig something up for those of us down here in Blueland. Thanks!

Jesse

Thanks for the email Jesse. This post is for all those readers from Blueland out there.

I'm sorry to say despite searching far and wide, high and low, I unfortunately have nothing really to show for it. All I can do is post the rumors that have been making the rounds. So here's what you should be able to reasonably expect for the Atlanta Thrashers this fall.

The light blue jerseys were so popular that the Thrashers just made them the regular home sweaters last season. They dropped the red/dark blue ones altogether. Expect to see light blue home jerseys again this season. But one element of that jersey that fans seem to like may be difficult to achieve with the new Rbk EDGE cut. And that is the "ATLANTA" written down the sleeve. I think that's such a cool element of those jerseys and while it's not impossible, it doesn't seem likely that we'll see that on the new unis. Keep your fingers crossed.

As for the road jerseys, I'd expect to see more light blue, possibly along the shoulders. That's been a very identifiable color for the Thrashers the past few years. But this may all just be wishful thinking. Which reminds me, if anybody out there has seen any concept art for new Atlanta Thrashers jerseys, please don't hesitate to send it my way so I can share it with the rest of the class.

Just for reference, here are the current Atlanta uniforms which can be found at NHL Uniforms.com.

So again, I'm sorry to disappoint, Thrashers fans. But as always, if I hear or see anything, I'll post it right here.

If you have a question or comment you'd like to submit by email, you can reach me at nhllogos@gmail.com.

A Wild Design!

Check this out, Minnesota Wild fans. Some among you seem to think your team can break from the pack and wear something other than white at home. Outrageous! Seriously, though. Check out this fan-created concept.

We have heard that the Wild will be converting their red third jersey to their permanent home jersey, dropping the greens altogether. But this design suggests using the wheat color on the road jerseys. A radical concept to be sure, I think it would be great! All that white... it blends into the ice, you know?

Actually, I like both of these designs a lot. I think they would be among the best in the entire league if the Wild go with something in this neighborhood. But I want to know what Wild fans think. Do you prefer the red or green at home? And would you like white or wheat for the road sweaters?