AHL Calder Cup Playoff Logos

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Over the last couple of weeks, the American Hockey League has been revealing Calder Cup playoff logos for each team as they clinch their spots. As of this writing, 9 teams have clinched. Here are the logos we've seen so far.

I'll keep an eye out for the rest as they're revealed.

NHL May Play 6 Outdoor Games in 2014

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Could it be true? Is the NHL really considering six different outdoor games in the span of two months? It would be a heck of a way to ring in the new year. And ESPN says it's in the works.

The network reported yesterday that a series of outdoor games will take place beginning with the Winter Classic on Jan. 1 and wrapping up with the Heritage Classic on Mar. 2. And the official announcement could come in the next couple of weeks. Here's what ESPN is reporting.

Jan. 1: Maple Leafs at Red Wings (Michigan Stadium)

This one is official. The NHL announced it on April 7. We've even seen the jerseys and everything. The Detroit Red Wings will host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium — "The Big House" — in Ann Arbor, Mich. on New Year's Day.

Jan. 25: Ducks at Kings (Dodger Stadium)

Three weeks later, it's the most surprising outdoor game of the series. The Los Angeles Kings will apparently host the Anaheim Ducks at Dodger Stadium. A sheet of outdoor ice in southern California is a novelty, but it's doable. I believe the Rangers and Kings once played outdoors in Las Vegas.

Jan. 26: Rangers at Devils (Yankee Stadium)

A day later on the other side of the continent, the New York Rangers would play in their first of two games at Yankee Stadium — this one against the New Jersey Devils. But ESPN reports that for both games, oddly, the Rangers would play the visiting team. Not sure why that would be.

Jan. 29: Rangers at Islanders (Yankee Stadium)

In the same week, the Rangers would square off against the New York Islanders in the elements. It's likely the NHL would be looking to capitalize on the media attention given to the Super Bowl — which in 2014 takes place at MetLife Stadium in nearby New Jersey. I think this would get the job done.

Mar. 1: Penguins at Blackhawks (Soldier Field)

The next game would be more than a month later and be the first cross-conference match-up of the outdoor series. The Chicago Blackhawks would host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Soldier Field as part of Hockey Weekend in America. It would be the Penguins' third appearance in an outdoor NHL game.

Mar. 2: Senators at Canucks (B.C. Place)

Finally, the series would wrap up the following day back on the west coast with the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Ottawa Senators for the third Heritage Classic at B.C. Place — just across the street from Rogers Arena. The previous two have each featured the Montreal Canadiens taking on the Edmonton Oilers (2003) and Calgary Flames (2011) with both games being staged in Alberta.

Both of these teams already have "heritage" jerseys too — the Sens' black "O" sweater and the Canucks just debuted their Millionaires jersey last month. One of the teams would have to introduce a white version though, because black and maroon wouldn't quite work together the way blue and red will for the Jan. 1 game.

Does this mean 11 new sweaters?

I doubt we'd see special uniforms for all six games, but if the NHL is looking to make each one as special as the Winter and Heritage Classics of past years, it might be necessary. I could see Anaheim sporting Mighty Ducks colors and the Kings in their Gretzky-era threads.

What about the Rangers? They already have two throwbacks — their dark blue third and the "vintage white" jersey they wore for the 2012 Winter Classic in Philadelphia. Should they try to come up with an alternative for their games against the Devils and Islanders.

And speaking of which, the Devils already have a retro sweater — the green and red one they've worn around St. Patrick's Day in recent seasons. The Islanders? Well they're already wear throwbacks night in and night out. The only other option they have is the fisherman. And there's no way that happens.

What's left is Pittsburgh and Chicago. Both of these teams still have huge collections of past jersey designs to choose from. I know most Penguins fans will push for the early '90s Cup-era design of black and yellow. It makes sense now why they wouldn't introduce a third jersey next year — as has been reported. They'd probably just do a special outdoor jersey that could be adopted as a third in 2014.

For the Blackhawks, there are a lot of choices. Maybe something in black and white from the early, early days of their existence? All I know is there is a lot of money to be made with all of these potential jerseys. And a lot of news to cover here on Icethetics should that happen.

I'll keep an eye on it, but for now, of course, even these games are all still speculation.

The AHL Will Look Different Next Fall

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In this post, I'm hoping to catch us all up on some recent AHL news I haven't had a chance to write about. There will be new affiliations and some relocations and just general upheaval.

Canucks buy Rivermen, could move them to B.C.

We start in Illinois. Earlier this month, the Vancouver Canucks agreed to purchase the AHL's Peoria Rivermen from the St. Louis Blues. The deal, announced April 1, means starting next season, we'll have a couple of NHL/AHL affiliate swaps.

Obviously, the Canucks will be aligning with their new asset in Peoria. Only they don't appear to be staying in Peoria. According to the Vancouver Sun, the club will pack up and find a new city closer to the west coast. Where might that be?

Heat may leave Abbotsford for Utica, N.Y.

The Abbotsford Heat and owner Calgary Flames are in a spot of trouble. Things aren't really working out in B.C. See, British Columbians don't seem all that eager to cheer on the future of their enemy. Most of them are Canucks fans after all.

So where does that leave us? The Flames are apparently content with nearby Abbotsford, but clearly a Canucks-affiliated team would be a better draw. If the Rivermen find themselves in B.C. next season, where would the Heat go? I can't say, but it would be the franchise's fifth home in a decade.

From 1993 to 2003, the Saint John Flames played in New Brunswick. After that, there was a two-year suspension of the franchise followed by relocations every other year from Omaha, Neb. in 2005 to Moline, Ill. in 2007 and finally to Abbotsford in 2009.

UPDATE (4/16): A number of you have correctly pointed out that Utica, N.Y. is apparently the most likely place for the Heat to move given a February report that the Flames may sign a 10-year affiliation agreement with the city. What's funny is that Utica is where the franchise was based 20 years ago — prior to being in New Brunswick. Only then, then were affiliated with New Jersey and known as the Utica Devils. Will they keep the Heat moniker or go with something better?

Blues likely to enter affiliation with Wolves

So back to the Rivermen. They'll be ending their arrangement with the St. Louis Blues, who'll presumably pick up the Canucks' sloppy seconds, the Chicago Wolves. Geographically, it makes sense too. So no surprise there.

Aeros may leave Houston for Des Moines, Iowa

What is surprising, however, is that we could be witnessing the end of a 20-year run of pro hockey in Houston, Texas. The Houston Aeros apparently can't come to terms on a new arena deal. You know what that means. Relocation, relocation, relocation.

Word is, they've been eyeing Peoria — should the Rivermen be moved by the Canucks. In which case, my money says the storied Rivermen identity never skips a beat. The Aeros become the "new" Rivermen and the "old" Rivermen get a completely new identity in Abbotsford or elsewhere.

But if the Canucks can't get the Rivermen out of Peoria, the Aeros would still have to find a new home. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune believes Des Moines, Iowa could be a good possibility. It's closer to NHL affiliate Minnesota Wild but less convenient when it comes to air travel and call-ups.

So there you have four AHL teams that could look very different next fall. But they won't be alone.

Other leagues will look different, too

Elsewhere, other changes are in the works:

  • The OHL's Brampton Battalion are on the move. The league approved the relocation to North Bay, Ont. back in November. It doesn't appear their name or logo will change — they have already been renamed the North Bay Battalion, according to the team's official website.
  • Brampton, Ont. loses one CHL for another. The Central Hockey League swooped in with an expansion team for 2013-14, which recently got its official name — the Brampton Beast. (Think the IceHL's Boulder Beasts might have something to say about that?) The club doesn't have a logo yet, but this is the CHL's first foray into Canada.
  • The CHL will also welcome the St. Charles Chill this season. You may recall the team named a winner in its logo design contest back in November.
  • UPDATE (4/16): JanBan (comments) reminded me that the QMJHL's P.E.I. Rocket will be rebranding this summer. Their new name, announced last September, is P.E.I. Islanders. You can currently get 50% off Rocket merchandise from the team store.

If I've overlooked anything, please let me know. We'll have a lot to keep an eye on this summer as teams move around and new logos get unveiled. Stick around!

IceHL Rebranding Project 2013

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I hope you don't think of 13 as an unlucky number. Because it's going to be central to The IceHL Project this summer. Today, I'm announcing the launch of the next phase of Icethetics' user-driven fantasy hockey league project. And 13 has a lot to do with it.

The infographic above is a quick breakdown of what you can expect over the next 13 weeks. Read on for the full explanation of what we're about to embark upon.

13 Weeks of R&R in 2013

It may sound like we're taking a vacation, 13 Weeks of R&R. In fact, it's the opposite. Starting April 13, we're going to work. And in this case, the two Rs stand for "Rebranding" and "Relocation." Based on your vote, as many as 13 IceHL franchises will get a branding refresh this offseason.

13 out of 32 teams eligible

In an effort to make it all easy to remember and to stick to our new favorite number, I'm making 13 of our 32 teams to be eligible for a redesign. It's one of the few executive decisions I make in this league. Some of my selections are based on duplicate color schemes, naming concepts. Some are cases of poor logo design. Others were more random.

Think I'm wrong? Change my mind!

That said, you know I'm all for the democratic process. So if you think I'm making a mistake and there's a team I should add or remove from my list, make your voice heard. If there's enough of an outcry, I can be convinced to change my mind. But it has to be done by the end of this week — before April 13.

7 of 13 teams eligible for relocation too

You'll note in the graphic above that 7 of the 13 teams are marked as eligible for relocation as well. Another executive call. In some cases, I want to separate teams. Others are somewhat random. All 13 are elgibile to be rebranded. Only these 7 may be relocated as well.

60% majority required for relocation

Relocating an IceHL franchise is a big decision, not to be taken lightly. In order to be certain that the community as a whole is resolved to moving a team, a vote of at least 60% (not rounded) will be necessary to move forward. This vote will take place during Week 1 of the project.

51% majority required for rebranding

Rebranding a team will need just 51% (not rounded) of the vote to move forward. Any team selected for relocation in Week 1 will automatically move to the rebranding phase as it will obviously require a new name and logo to go with its new city.

Some side notes to consider

Since you're probably a bit curious, I do have some notes on eligibility to share. For one thing, any team that's been a league champion is exempted. That goes for the Huskies, Nighthawks and Beasts. There are also some teams that are simply in need of an overhaul.

The Colonials logo designer has already submitted an updated version of the team's marks for consideration. Plus, I'm no longer willing to allow the Renegades and Outlaws to coexist. They're too similar both in name and logos. At least one of them will have to change. Also, I want to give voters a second chance at the Calgary Cavalry (awful name) and the Hamilton Steelcats (should probably be renamed for Toronto).

The IceHL has always been intended as a project where a popular vote makes all the branding decisions. That will continue to be true. However, as commissioner, I feel the need to make rare executive decisions to improve our league.

The big one this year is the Outlaws/Renegades situation. If the voters decide to relocate/rebrand one or both, that's great. If, however, voters decide to do neither, I will step in. The team with the higher percentage of R&R vote will be moving on. So no matter how the vote goes, at least one of those two teams will endure big changes. That's the only big caveat of this summer's proceedings.

At the end of the 13 weeks, specifically on July 13, the rebranding efforts will be complete. But by no means will we be finished with the IceHL.

13 Third Jerseys in 2013

The next phase of our summerlong project starts immediately after the last — July 13. It'll be another jersey design contest just like the one we had last year, but with a few new twists. The 13 Third Jerseys project will last just four weeks, ending on August 13. In the first week, a series of polls will determine which 13 teams will get new alternate uniforms going into the 2013-14 season.

Most teams will be eligible for third jersey

Most but not all IceHL teams will be eligible to get an alternate sweater this year. Any team that was relocated or rebranded this year along with our two expansion clubs from last year will NOT be eligible for third jerseys. At least not in 2013. There's always 2014 and beyond.

Quite simply, all eligible teams (at least 17 of them) will have a poll asking whether a third jersey should be added. The 13 teams with the highest "yes" percentage will move forward this summer. The rest will have to wait and try again next year. (There must be 13 teams chosen so this means it's possible a team could have more "no" votes and still get a third jersey.)

Three teams will "hire" dedicated designers

You read that right. The twist. Unlike in past design competitions, it will be open season on just 10 of the 13 teams. The three teams with the highest "yes" percentage will not be taken lightly. They'll get special treatment. As a group, we're going to "hire" three dedicated designers to create unique third jerseys.

The idea is that we'll choose artists whose work is so respected that it will not have to be subject to a popular vote. So you'll be voting for the artist, rather than the art. These designers will also be given an extra week to hone their work.

The rest will be subject to normal rules

For the other 10 teams, all designers will have two weeks to create and enter their jersey designs. They'll be free to design new alternate logos or stick with existing ones (even altering existing ones will be acceptable). They'll also be free to add a new color if they can make it work.

Designers will have a lot of latitude with these third jerseys. But ultimately, voters will choose their favorite looks in the final week of the project. This will be the additional week that the "hired" artists will have to work on their designs since they won't be subject to a vote. By August 13, we'll have our winning designs.

IceHL 2013 Yearbook: Coming in September

After all the rebranding, relocating and third jersey voting, we'll take a short break before the hockey season resumes. I'll use that time to finish up the IceHL 2013 Yearbook, which I hope to release on — you guessed it — September 13, 2013. I'm hoping to make it available to purchase in print as well as the standard free download from Icethetics.

By the way, you can still download the IceHL 2012 Yearbook for more information about the league.

I sincerely hope you guys are as excited as I am about the next phase of The IceHL Project! Leave a comment and let us know what you think.

NHL Announces 2014 Winter Classic

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Outdoor game in Ann Arbor, Mich. officially rescheduled

The NHL announced Sunday morning that the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will meet in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Jan. 1 for the next Winter Classic. I'm starting to sound like a broken record. This same game was announced last year for 2013 but was canceled due to the lockout. It will now take place in 2014.

Better than the announcement of the big game was the unveiling of all the jerseys that will be used at the event next January. So we'll have a lot of pictures in this post. Enjoy.

We'll start with the host team. The Red Wings who, according to the press release, "will be wearing iconic red and antique white uniforms featuring a striping pattern and arch Detroit wordmark inspired by the late-1920s Detroit Cougars. The front crest on the jersey will feature an early iteration of the winged wheel from the late 1930s Red Wings."

Photo from Detroit Red Wings official website

Perhaps the most fascinating detail of this jersey is the captains' letters being worn on the left sleeve. Above, you see the "A" on Pavel Datsyuk's sweater, and below, the "C" on Henrik Zetterberg's. I think this may be the first time we've ever seen the captains marked anywhere but the chest.

Photos from Detroit Red Wings official website

Here are a few more looks at the jersey and some the details.

Now let's switch gears to their opponent.

The Maple Leafs are going back to 1927 for their Winter Classic uniform — a design they actually resurrected briefly back in the 90s.

Photo from Schuyler Baehman via Twitter

Here's what the team says about the jersey on their website's current splash page.

The Toronto Maple Leafs 2014 NHL Winter Classic sweater speaks to our storied beginnings and evokes memories of Hall of Famers nicknamed "Busher" Jackson, "Ace" Bailey, "King" Clancy and "Gentleman" Joe Primeau.

The name and crest were born on a train ride home from Michigan in 1927, with Toronto leaving Detroit as the St. Pats and pulling into Old Union Station as the Toronto Maple Leafs. Our blue and white colours were chosen by team founder Conn Smythe to reflect is alma mater the University of Toronto.

An unabashed patriot, Smythe wanted to adopt Canada's national emblem, the maple leaf, for his new hockey team, stating: "The Maple Leaf, to us, was the badge of courage, the badge that meant home... We chose it hoping [it would be] worn with honour and pride and courage, the way it had been worn by the soldiers of the first Great War in the Canadian Army."

Don't you love the Detroit tie-in to that story?

Photo from Toronto Maple Leafs via Facebook

Now I'd love to show you some more pictures of that Leafs jersey here, but — unlike the Red Wings — the Leafs haven't put a whole lot out there yet. So we'll just skip to the next bit.

Photo from Detroit Red Wings via Facebook

The sweaters for the alumni game were also unveiled today. The Wings will basically wear the opposite of their 2009 Winter Classic jersey — red with a white stripe and "D" on the chest. The Leafs will sport their 1970s uniform.

Here are some other notes from the day:

  • HBO's 24/7 series will be back to chronicle the season leading up to the Winter Classic. It's worth noting that realignment puts Detroit and Toronto in the same division next season which will make things even more interesting.
  • There's been a lot of talk about multiple outdoor games in 2014. Perhaps another Heritage Classic featuring the Montreal Canadiens and, say, the Vancouver Canucks in their Millionaires jersey? I only say Montreal because they've played every Heritage game so far. But maybe the Ottawa Senators in a white version of their Heritage jerseys could take on the Millionaires-clad Canucks? That way everybody gets a turn at playing on a pond.
  • And finally... BLUE VERSUS RED!!

What are you excited about most when it comes to the 2014 NHL Winter Classic?