Portfolio WLD's National Hockey League Crossover

[WLD42]

Hey, everyone! It’s been a lot of fun getting acclimated to the BigFooty boards and the design section over the past few weeks, entering a few competitions and getting to see everyone else's work and all that. Now I'm finally able to share the concept series that actually prompted me to join the boards, and it’s the perfect time to do it, to be honest, with the AFL season having just wrapped up and the NHL season just getting underway.

Making these 49 sets of jumpers has been quite a project, as I’m sure you can imagine, with quite a bit of re-doing and fine-tuning along the way. The transition from hockey to footy has also been particularly fun, though, since the aesthetics of a hockey sweater and a footy jumper are vastly different. I'd say what I tried to accomplish was to create designs that are true to the look of jumpers, while retaining the character of the respective teams. So, if a team is noted for traditional, conservative jerseys, I tried to create something that is more of a traditional jumper, and the same goes for teams with a history of modern (dare I say strange?) jerseys.

Anyways, what to expect from this portfolio. Each team has between two and four jumpers: A home and a clash for everyone, and then some teams have third jumpers designated as either heritage or a second clash, the former being somewhat equivalent of a "throwback" hockey jersey, and the latter being somewhat equivalent to a "third jersey." A very small number of teams have one-off heritage jerseys that bump them up to four; these are generally based off of one-off jerseys the teams have worn for anniversaries or outdoor games. I think it's worth noting that I've also chosen shorts colors purely based on my aesthetic preferences, as I think that my clash designs keep them from being particularly important in that regard.

With so many teams to get through, I thought it would be fun to present them in chronological order, giving a bit of a history of the NHL alongside my designs. Every team I've done can be found on the NHL Uniform Database, which was an invaluable resource for me and which will hopefully provide some insights into my design inspirations if you choose to take a look. Finally, here's another link to the timeline of the NHL that I’ll be following.

Spoiler: Table of Contents: Teams and Links to Posts

Ottawa Senators
Montréal Wanderers
Montréal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs
Québec Bulldogs
Hamilton Tigers
Boston Bruins
Montréal Maroons
Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Americans
Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Quakers
St. Louis Eagles
California Golden Seals
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota North Stars
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
St. Louis Blues
Vancouver Canucks
Buffalo Sabres
Atlanta Flames
New York Islanders
Kansas City Scouts
Washington Capitals
Cleveland Barons
Colorado Rockies
Edmonton Oilers
Hartford Whalers
Québec Nordiques
Winnipeg Jets
Calgary Flames
New Jersey Devils
San Jose Sharks
Ottawa Senators
Tampa Bay Lightning
Anaheim Ducks
Florida Panthers
Dallas Stars
Colorado Avalanche
Phoenix Coyotes
Carolina Hurricanes
Nashville Predators
Atlanta Thrashers
Columbus Blue Jackets
Minnesota Wild
Winnipeg Jets

 

[WLD42]

Ottawa Senators (1883 – 1934)

The first Ottawa Senators team was one of the NHL's four charter teams. The League was founded in 1917, essentially replacing the National Hockey Association because the other NHA teams' owners had a dispute with the owner of the Toronto team. The four-team NHA was suspended and a four-team NHL was formed, with the three old NHA teams plus a new Toronto team.

The inspiration for the Senators jumpers aren't hard to see. The home is essentially a carbon copy of what the club actually wore, since early hockey sweaters honestly looked more like footy jumpers than today's hockey jerseys, while the clash utilizes the O that the team added to their sweater starting in 1929.

Montréal Wanderers (1903 – 1918)

The Wanderers are the second of the four founding NHL clubs, but unfortunately, most of their history lies in the pre-NHL days. The club played only four games in the NHL's inaugural 1917-18 season before their arena burned down on January 2, 1918, forcing the team to fold. Continuing to draw from the simplicity of the era’s hockey sweaters, the Wanderers jumpers don’t have much flashy to them, just a W-shaped yoke representative of the club’s nickname.

Montréal Canadiens (1909 – present)

The Canadiens are "the longest continuously operating professional ice hockey team and the only existing NHL club to predate the founding of the NHL," as Wikipedia eloquently puts it. So, this is the first design on the list that shows what I imagine a team to be wearing in the present day. The home is a pretty easily-done version of their actual sweater. The clash is inspired by this short-lived jersey, but it works much better as a jumper than as a jersey, so here it is! Likewise, the heritage is inspired by this one-off (or two-off) anniversary jersey, but it too works much better as a footy jumper than as a hockey jersey, so I've promoted it to a "full-time" heritage jumper. The one-off comes from another anniversary throwback jersey, but it doesn't fit with the team's identity enough to be more than a one-off.

Toronto Maple Leafs (1917 – present)

The Leafs came into existence with the NHL, essentially replacing the NHA's Toronto Blueshirts, and surely spiting Blueshirts owner Eddie Livingstone. The team was originally named the Toronto Arenas for a couple seasons, then came to be known as the Toronto St. Patricks (hence the heritage one-off), and finally the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1927. The home and clash come from the striping pattern used on some older jerseys (still seen now on their current socks), while the heritage is based on their current throwback third jersey.

 

[Bacon Warrior]

I'm excited to discover what you've got lined up for my desert dogs

 

[Bryce_Jersey17]

As someone who's not really interested in ice hockey (I play field hockey though. Does that count? ) I love that Heritage One off for the Canadiens! Great work so far!!!

 

[Bacon Warrior]

I play field hockey though. Does that count?

 

[WLD42]

Haha, as an American, I remember how surprised I was to visit Australia and discover that field hockey was a men's sport...

I'll be doing my best to keep this series moving along at a brisk pace, so we should get to the 'Yotes before too long! All my designs are finished, but I'm putting them onto the final template for displaying as I post them, so that and my desire for feedback are really the only factors in determining the time between posts.

Speaking of which, I'm the type of person who has a terribly difficult time considering anything 100% finished, so any constructive feedback or suggestions that are offered may in fact result in some updated designs! The Bulldogs and Tigers will be up soon, probably by the time all of you in your time zone are starting your days.

 

[WLD42]

Québec Bulldogs (1878 – 1917; 1919 – 1920)

The Quebéc Bulldogs were another of the old National Hockey Association teams, but their tenuous finances coupled with World War I forced them to sit out the NHL's first two seasons. They were able to rejoin the League in 1919, but were unable to do well enough, financially or on the ice, to prevent a move to Hamilton at the end of the season. My jumpers for the Bulldogs are pretty straightforward, as were their hockey sweaters. The Q on the clash I found here; it's listed as having been used during the NHA years, hence its lack of appearance on the NHL Uniform Database page, which doesn't cover pre-NHL sweaters.

Hamilton Tigers (1920 – 1925)

After their lone NHL season, the Bulldogs moved to Hamilton and became the Tigers. The franchise came to a messy end in 1925, with players striking over pay and the League shutting the club down. The players were bought by the expansion team New York Americans, but while the rosters were the same, the official records show that the Hamilton Tigers club was dissolved, not relocated. The jumpers for the Tigers are again nothing spectacular, just another set of what I envision to be a historically appropriate look, but from here on out we'll be starting to see more and more sets for modern clubs, as the NHL enters its "Original Six" era (a silly misnomer, but it is what it is).

 

[WLD42]

Another team that's still around today, as this post gets us halfway through the Original Six! In 1924, the NHL added two teams to the competition: the Boston Bruins and the Montréal Maroons.



Boston Bruins (1924 – present)

As you can see, the B's were the first NHL club south of the border. They started out with a yellow-and-brown color scheme that was borrowed from their owner's grocery store chain, but the brown changed to black after a decade of play. In making the jumpers, I didn't really take any design cues from their actual hockey jerseys, just the color scheme and the desire for something classic, unique, and of course above all aesthetically pleasing. The heritage jumper reverts to brown and gold, just as they used to wear, and as they revived for their 2010 Winter Classic jersey. While many, myself included, really liked the yellow-and-brown throwback, and would love to see a full-time third jersey with that color scheme, the brown, which is the more unique color of the two, was also very dark and not much more than an accent color, so I upgraded it to the primary color for my heritage jumper.

Montréal Maroons (1924 – 1938)

The Maroons were founded in many ways to fill the void that the Wanderers had left behind. The Canadiens were the city's Francophone team, but the Wanderers had been and the Maroons were again the team for Montréal's English-speaking residents. The jumpers I've put together for them are as simple as their name suggests; I pictured them as being somewhat similar to the Carlton Blues, named after a color and wearing that solid color with a crest in the middle. The side panels were just to make it a bit less monotonous, and to ensure there was enough maroon on the clash jumper to make me happy.

 

[WLD42]

Pittsburgh Pirates (1925 – 1930)

Just one year after the Bruins and Maroons, yet another two teams joined the NHL, one of which was the Pirates, who "pirated" the name of the local baseball team. (Sorry for that, couldn't help myself.) The Pirates jumpers were fun to do, because their hockey jerseys were some of the more unconventional of the time period. The team had some identity issues, going through not only three different looks, but three completely different color schemes in just five seasons. I decided to go with the yellow and black colors of their original look, but the enjoyably unique pattern of their last set. (The 1928-29 jerseys were, in my opinion, just a hot mess, and are thus ignored here, though maybe I'll come back to it someday.)

New York Americans (1925 – 1942)

The Americans were New York's first NHL team, but even so they still always played second fiddle to the Rangers, who came into existence the following season. As with the Pirates, I had a lot of fun making jumpers for the Americans, because where the Pirates' jerseys were unique, the Americans' were straight-up gaudy! Their star-spangled home jumper is a mix of their first look, with stars everywhere, and their second look, where there were fewer stars and background color for the shoulders was changed from red to blue. The clash isn't drawn from anything in particular found in their hockey sweaters; instead, I just took their color scheme and their obvious penchant for looks that some may consider, well, "interesting" (cough, ugly), and came up with something that I thought would fit that identity as a fictional footy club.

 

[WLD42]

The NHL's early growth spurt concluded with the addition of these three teams in 1926. After that, a few teams relocated and/or folded, but no new teams joined the League until expansion boomed back into existence in 1967.



Chicago Blackhawks (1926 – present)

The Hawks' jerseys have remained essentially unchanged since the mid-1950s, and are almost universally praised, so it would be blasphemy to use anything other than their current set as my starting point. Maybe it's a bit easy to transpose the striping from their jerseys to the middle of the jumpers' torso, but is it my fault that it just looks so good that way? The heritage guernsey comes from this, the least haphazard pattern found in their "barberpole" era of jerseys.

Detroit Red Wings (1926 – present)

Well, the team's called the Red Wings, after all, so... I gave them red wings! There's only so much you can do with one color (well, one color plus white), and the Wings' jerseys reflect that, with hardly any extraneous design details. I've tried to keep that understated, monochromatic identity here. The heritage, meanwhile, comes from their 2009 Winter Classic jersey, which was itself inspired by the club's very first sweater, back when they were known as the Detroit Cougars. The thinner stripes on the top and bottom are a small touch drawn from another throwback jersey and its respective inspiration.

New York Rangers (1926 – present)

A quick look at the Rangers' jersey history will reveal that there's pretty much just one main design to draw from. The home, clash, and heritage all find inspiration from each of the three jerseys in their current set. I decided to use the red sash as the Rangers' identity, and decided to run it from right shoulder to left hip, in order to mimic the diagonal "RANGERS" text on their jerseys. The addition of the thin blue stripe and the white gap on the clash is inspired by the shoulders of their white sweater. The one-off, meanwhile, is a relatively faithful guernsey-ization of their 2012 Winter Classic jersey.

 

[WLD42]

If this portfolio were being divided into chapters, this would be where chapter one ended, as these two teams, both of which lasted only a season, represent the end of the NHL's early, tumultuous period of constant expansion and contraction. After the creation and subsequent demise of first the Quakers and then the Eagles, the National Hockey League enjoyed stability as a six-team competition for three decades, until expansion began again in 1967.



Philadelphia Quakers (1930 – 1931)

The Pittsburgh Pirates were in dire straits thanks to America's Great Depression, forced to sell off star players to make ends meet and lacking a suitable arena. It was the latter issue that resulted in the team moving to Philadelphia for the 1930-31 season, a move that was meant to be only temporary while a new arena was constructed back in the 'Burgh. And indeed it was a short-lived relocation, but that was because the franchise folded altogether after its one Philly season. As for my design, I went with pinstripes because of the use of thin stripes found on the Quakers' sleeves and waist. The sash was then added for a couple of reasons: One, because I just felt it needed something else, and two, because I'd actually designed the Penguins set before the Quakers, and (spoiler alert) I gave them pinstripes, so I knew I had to make the two rival cities fairly different, even if the two teams were from different eras. The addition of the sash just seemed like an aesthetically pleasing solution to both those issues.

St. Louis Eagles (1934 – 1935)

The Ottawa Senators also struggled financially during the 20s and 30s, going so far as to take a season off, 1931-32, before returning again the next year. Their problems remained, however, and they made the decision to leave Ottawa for St. Louis. While they had solved the problems posed by playing in a small market, however, they'd created the new problem of exorbitant travel fees, as they were by far the League's westernmost and most isolated team. Like the Quakers, the team lasted just the one season in its new city before the franchise folded altogether. The Eagles' hockey sweaters didn't give me much to work with in terms of design elements, so I went the conventional route and just did plain hoops. Besides, I wanted to save my more unique designs for the teams that lasted more than a year!

 

[WLD42]

Alright, with this post, the NHL kicks into high gear, starting to add new teams like wildfire, and I'd like to think this is where the portfolio kicks into high gear as well. We're getting more and more current teams, and even the defunct teams are more recent ones that still stick in people's minds, and have a certain amount of nostalgia associated with them. So without further ado, the first half of the 1967 expansion, when the League doubled in size from 6 to 12 teams!



California Golden Seals (1967 – 1976)

The California/Oakland (Golden) Seals (they had some identity issues during their years of existence...) were one of two teams from the Golden State to join the competition in '67, and were certainly the less successful, lasting just under a decade before skipping town for Cleveland. After three years they replaced blue with yellow in their color scheme, which was actually just a gimmick to match the colors of the Oakland A's, the much more successful and popular local baseball team. Personally, I just found the green and yellow to be more fun to work with, so I went with that; blue is a very overused color in the NHL, in my mind. The decision to use the prison bars wasn't driven by anything in particular, just the fact that I hadn't used it as a design yet, and thought it worked for this team with these colors. Finally, the second clash uses the new color scheme of their last couple seasons, a "reverse heritage" design, in a way.

Los Angeles Kings (1967 – present)

I was disappointed that the Kings recently dropped purple from their color scheme, because it's a fantastic color and terribly underused, but at least it gets to be represented in the heritage. And I will say that I think the black/silver/white looks better on a guernsey than on the Kings' current sweaters. It's not a bad color combo, really; purple's just so much more distinctive. So obviously the home and clash come from their current set, with silver as the clash color for the simple reason that it's more interesting and better for building a team identity than white, while the heritage comes from their 1970s look, which they actually did use as a throwback anniversary jersey in 2010. I've heard that St Kilda's cross jerseys weren't particularly well-received, but that didn't stop me from thinking that it would work for a Kings concept, especially if these fictional Aussie Rules L.A. Kings established it as their identity early, and used it consistently.

Minnesota North Stars (1967 – 1993)

Well, I just said that I used green and yellow for the Golden Seals because I thought it was a good color combo, so what a coincidence that it should show up here on the North Stars as well! No, really, it actually is something of a coincidence; I made my Seals and Stars designs quite a while apart. In fact, I originally hadn't given them a second clash, until I started putting this post together and realized that if the Seals were wearing their home vs. the Stars, neither of Minnesota's options would solve the clash, so I actually whipped up guernsey #3 just the other day. The North Stars always had green as their primary color (at least until their last couple seasons before the move to Dallas), so that was an easy decision; yellow became more prominent in '78, so if anything was any particular inspiration to me, it was that. The long, angular yoke is meant to be evocative of their angular, "arrowed," and simple logo, and the star on the first clash also mimics the placement of the star in their logo, while also placing it over the player's heart. (No jersey ads in the NHL, so no jumper ads to worry about on these designs!)

 

[WLD42]

Philadelphia Flyers (1967 – present)

Pennsylvania got NHL hockey back with the '67 expansion, as both the Flyers and the Penguins joined the competition. I really don't have too much to say about my Flyers design (maybe I've been clogging it up with too much text, anyways). I felt that their black and orange is a bold, iconic look that speaks for itself, as seen in the fact that their jerseys have remained quite constant throughout the years, so they didn't need a fancy jumper design; simple stripes would serve them quite well.

Pittsburgh Penguins (1967 – present)

The introduction of "Vegas Gold" to the color scheme was one of the silliest decisions the Pens have made, and their current jerseys are particularly ugly in my opinion. So, I've chosen to ignore all that in favor of the true black-and-yellow of the '80s and '90s, a color scheme that all of Pittsburgh's teams ought to share. I went with a black base and yellow pinstripes as the home purely for the "intimidation factor," as that's something that I feel Pittsburgh sports fans love to hang their hat on. The clash is just a fun idea I had for making a distinctive design that fit the identity I've given the Aussie Rules Penguins. The heritage is inspired mostly by their first Winter Classic jersey, though the multiple-stripes element is borrowed from their second one.

St. Louis Blues (1967 – present)

And finally, '67 is rounded out by the NHL's return to St. Louis. The team didn't start wearing two shades of blue until the end of the millennium, but I actually quite like the look, so that's what I went with here. I made it a triangular yoke to mimic the darker blue's appearance on the shoulders (coincidentally, the area that's also referred to as the "yoke" on hockey jerseys), and used yellow sparingly as a vibrant accent color, just as on the jerseys. The clash is inspired by their alternate jersey, which drops the lighter blue altogether, and its logo, featuring the famous Gateway Arch.

 

[WLD42]

Vancouver Canucks (1970 – present)

The Canucks joined the NHL wearing blue, green, and white, and they finally returned to those colors in 2007, after going through a veritable identity crisis during the years in between. I could hardly create a heritage jersey for every look they've ever had, so I've just been kind to the Canucks and pretended that the fictional footy-playing Vancouver side has had a much more stable identity throughout the years. The V-shape was a no-brainer; the heritage is basically a carbon copy of the (in)famous jersey the team actually once wore, and I actually started with that and then moved on to the home and clash. The Flying V is fondly regarded as one of the worst hockey jerseys ever, but seeing as the shape is actually a legitimate Aussie Rules jumper design, I saw no reason not to appropriate it here! The one-off is my guernsey version of the one-off Vancouver Millionaires jersey that the Canucks wore last year; the mini-hoops on just the side panel is intended to be a parallel to the jersey's use of arm stripes only.

Buffalo Sabres (1970 – present)

It's generally agreed that the Sabres have had some beautiful jerseys in their past, and have had some pretty ugly ones more recently. I've chosen to use the better-looking ones as inspiration. I do use the current shade of navy blue rather than royal blue, since I am creating jumpers that are for the most part supposed to line up with existing teams' current identities, but gone are all the unnecessary and busy design elements that are crammed onto their sweater at the moment. The home jersey highlights the team's fantastic logo, while the clash is meant to solidify the team's identity in terms of color scheme, and to toe the line between classic and modern (a line the actual hockey team needs to learn to respect...). The heritage is inspired by their gorgeous and unfortunately retired 40th anniversary alternate jerseys.

 

[WLD42]

Atlanta Flames (1972 – 1980)

As the NHL's first team in the American Southeast, the Flames were entering uncharted territory, and while they were a decent, competitive team, attendance fell every season until the team was sold and moved to Calgary. Seeing as it was an "untraditional market" team, I decided to make the Flames' jumpers similarly untraditional, using the flames from their logo as the main design element. I intentionally made the shorts the same color as the fill color of the flame, as though the shorts themselves were on fire and the flame was leaping up off of them and onto the guernsey.

New York Islanders (1972 – present)

With such a nautically-themed name, I figured I might as well go with the Freo anchor for the Islanders. I did experiment with tricolor panels a la St Kilda, as well, but ultimately decided to go this route, though both looked good. Their current jerseys use more of a royal blue than a navy, which was the shade of blue that they used during the late '90s and 2000s, but I just thought that the navy interacted better with the orange, at least on my computer screen; it also helps differentiate them from the upcoming Edmonton Oilers. Sticking with the Fremantle inspiration, I used four chevrons on the heritage in order to incorporate the "four stripes" motif, which the Isles have adopted as an homage to their four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-83. (The four stripes also feature on the only pair of socks that I gave the team.)

 

[WLD42]

Kansas City Scouts (1974 – 1976)

The 1974 expansion created two franchises that were a prime example of futility, at least in their early years. The Scouts lasted only two seasons before leaving for Denver, Colorado, and eventually landing in New Jersey as the Devils. The Scouts finished last in their division both seasons, and posted what still stands as the worst record in franchise history in the 1975-76. As a short-lived team, I focused on realism and simplicity more than on innovation and flashiness in my jumper designs, especially since the Scouts' own hockey sweaters would certainly qualify as traditional in nature.

Washington Capitals (1974 – present)

If the Scouts were bad, the Caps were terrible when they joined the League; their .131 winning percentage in that inaugural seasons is still the worst ever in NHL history. It took until the 1982-83 season for the team to find success, making a number of big trades, drafting successfully, and making the playoffs for the first time. The club has had its ups and downs since then, but is certainly a competitive team to this day. My home and clash guernseys feature their fantastic alternate logo, which is so much better than the lousy wordmark they slap on the front of their jerseys. I also find the design of their current jerseys to be not that great and unnecessarily busy and "modern," so I figured that would translate to jumpers with an oversized logo. The heritage jumper, fairly obviously, comes from their blue-and-bronze years, which they have not yet used as an actual throwback, but give it a few years and that '90s and '00s look will be considered classic enough to make a return as a one-off or alternate.

 

[WLD42]

Alright, alright, I know you've all been clamoring. My busy week's over, and I'm finally able to get around to the boards again. Today's post features a couple short-lived relocations of troubled franchises, as the California Golden Seals move to Cleveland, Ohio, and the Kansas City Scouts move to Denver, Colorado.



Cleveland Barons (1976 – 1978)

The Golden Seals left the Bay Area when plans for a new arena in San Francisco were cancelled, but their new situation in Cleveland wasn't much better. They played in what was then the League's largest arena, since it had been built for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, but they struggled to fill it to even half of its 18,500 capacity. Their lease for the building was also unfavorable, and those two factors led to monetary woes that only got worse. After a loan from the NHL to prevent them from folding mid-season, they merged with the Minnesota North Stars. My Barons guernseys are fairly simple, like their jerseys were, with inspiration taken from the slanted striping at the end of their sleeves.

Colorado Rockies (1976 – 1982)

The Rockies lasted slightly longer than the Barons, but they performed equally poorly and were known as the New Jersey Devils within a decade. (And unlike the old Pittsburgh Penguins, the Colorado Rockies took that name before the current Major League Baseball team!) They squeaked into the playoffs only once, and even then they managed to do so with a record under .500, and were promptly swept in the first round. Their jumpers primarily feature design elements drawn from their logo, which I feel remains one of the more recognizable of defunct NHL teams. The single hoop with the C was a pretty easy decision for the home, since the C already has the white stripe behind it in the logo. With the clash, I figured I would just give the giant mountain logo a try and see what happened, and personally, I think it worked as well as I'd hoped!

 

[WLD42]

From 1972 to 1979, the NHL found a surprisingly strong competitor in the upstart World Hockey Association. In fact, the NHL hadn't really had any plans to expand until the WHA showed up, at which point the NHL decided to try and stake its claim in as many markets as it could before the WHA got there first. The Flames, Islanders, Scouts, and Capitals could all be said to have been pressured into existence by the rival league. In 1979, though, the WHA came to an end, and reached a deal to have four of its best teams merged into the NHL.



Edmonton Oilers (1979 – present)

The only of the four WHA teams to still be in its original location, the Oilers had immediate success in the NHL, due in no small part to some guy named Gretzky. They won five Stanley Cups in seven seasons (1984, '85, '87, '88, '90), supplanting the Islanders as the NHL's dynasty. The team has since floundered quite a bit, and has been one of the weaker teams in the League for several years now, but is stocked with some very good young players and is well positioned for success if they're managed well. As far as the guernseys, the hockey team has thankfully returned to the royal blue and orange that they started out wearing, after having gone through a terrible navy and bronze phase in the late '90s and '00s. In creating the home, I didn't borrow much of anything from their hockey sweaters; I was really just experimenting, seeing what it would look like if I alternated two widths of stripes but three colors, and I liked how it came out, so I went with it. For the clash, the giant logo style was just something I thought worked with the particular shape of the Oilers' logo; apparently, given the Flames, Caps, and Rockies already, the '70s were the decade of giant logo jumpers in the fictional Aussie Rules NHL. I debated whether their clash jersey was different enough, but in comparing them to the rest of the teams in the League, there are few enough other teams that I gave vertical stripes that getting rid of the stripes but keeping the colors was enough to solve any potential clashes.

Hartford Whalers (1979 – 1997)

The New England Whalers changed their name to the Hartford Whalers upon joining their new league, and are still one of the most beloved former teams, with fan groups continuing to meet even today to reminisce, watch tapes of old games, and hope for the NHL to someday return to Connecticut, though it's unlikely. The brilliance of their logo, widely regarded of one of the best ever seen in the League, certainly helps perpetuate the nostalgia, as well. It would've been very tempting to just stick the logo on a jumper and leave it at that, but I felt I could be just a bit more creative than that, so I adapted the tricolor stripes design into forming an H. One might even say that it slightly evokes the look of the overalls outfit stereotypically associated with fishermen, too, but perhaps that's stretching it, and anyways it would just be a happy accident.

Québec Nordiques (1979 – 1995)

Like Hartford, Québec City is another town pining for its NHL team to return, though unlike Hartford, the prospects of that actually happening are considered much more likely by some speculators. In making their guernseys, I latched onto the Nordiques' signature fleur-de-lis trim as a major design element; I actually designed their Québec flag-inspired clash jumpers first, and then made their home jumpers to match that. The second clash was "just for fun," as it were; their home doesn't really even clash with anyone in the first place, so I figured I'd make three jumpers because I wanted to, and that the team would just wear what they pleased whenever they wanted.

Winnipeg Jets (1979 – 1996)

Once again, as in Hartford and Québec City, Winnipeg was a small market whose team became financially untenable after jumping from the WHA to the NHL, and whose fans clamored for their team to return. But in this case they actually got it! We'll get to that later, though. For the first Jets, their hockey sweaters were never anything but simple, classic, and understated, so I felt it made the most sense to just borrow the striping from the last jersey design they wore and use it as hoops. Nothing too exciting here, but I'm hoping my guernsey design fits realistically with the hockey team's identity.

 

[WLD42]

Calgary Flames (1980 – present)

The franchise decided to keep the Flames nickname when it moved from Atlanta to Calgary in 1980, despite the name having been originally chosen as a reference to Atlanta history, namely the burning of the city during the Civil War; I guess "Flames" is generic enough that it still worked regardless of city. As we move closer to the present day, I've been using logos on a few more jumpers, since a.) that seems to be more common with younger football teams, like the Suns and the Giants, and b.) with more teams being added, it becomes a little bit harder to come up with completely unique and original designs! With the Flames, I thought that it was appropriate because the main design element I used as inspiration was the thin stripes on the sides of their jerseys ("piping," as it's referred to in hockey jersey lingo), but that left the chest of the guernsey completely empty, so it just seemed natural to fill that space with the logo. The one-off heritage jumper, meanwhile, comes from the jersey they wore in the 2011 Heritage Classic outdoor game, which was designed in reference to the city's team during the 1920s, the Calgary Tigers.

New Jersey Devils (1982 – present)

After stumbling along for a few more seasons in Denver, the former K.C. Scouts, then Colorado Rockies finally moved to New Jersey and became the Devils, and they've been there ever since. This one's actually going to be a bit different, as I have two designs I'm going to be sharing. The Devils' jerseys have changed literally only once, and they've always been pretty simple, so there wasn't too much to go with as far as carrying over a design element directly. I started out with the idea that I wanted to use chevrons, pointing downward, as if to the underworld. My first design was an idea I had prompted purely by uniqueness, and I think there's no real arguing that it definitely creates a distinct identity.

I sat happily with that design for several months, but then when I revisited it, the more I looked at it, the more I wondered if it was just too busy, so I created this simplified version. I do think I like it more; it's not so unique anymore, but unique isn't always the best thing if it doesn't look good. (See: Buffalo Sabres' new third jersey.) In both cases, the heritage jumper is in reference to their original color scheme, where they used green in place of the black they've now switched to. It's a look they've pulled out on occasion to wear on St. Patrick's Day, so there is some precedence for creating a heritage guernsey out of it.

 

[WLD42]

Well I didn't plan on letting this portfolio languish here untouched for two weeks, especially so close to the end, but, sometimes these things just happen... Regardless, I've got 14 teams left to share, and they'll be split up into 5 posts, which I am determined to put up in as many days and finally get my Aussie Rules NHL out into the world in its entirety!



San Jose Sharks (1991 – present)

The story of the Sharks' creation is a somewhat complicated one that I'm happy to just let Wikipedia explain, but long story short, they're somewhat a spiritual successor to the California Golden Seals; if nothing else, they finally returned NHL hockey to that general geographic region. The Sharks have worn teal since day one, and while the design of their jerseys and some of their secondary colors have changed over the years, that primary color is firmly established as their identity. A lot of fans seem to dislike the team's recent use of orange as an accent color, so I guess I'm in the minority by saying that I like it; in fact, I think it works with teal so well that I've upgraded it to the only secondary color on their home guernsey. The clash, though, uses the orange-less color scheme of their black third jersey. The "pointed hoop" design is my attempt to mix classic and modern aesthetics, as I intend it to be representative of a shark's fin breaking the water, but also stay away from any unnecessary clutter and extraneous elements.

Ottawa Senators (1992 – present)

The NHL finally returned to Canada's capital in '92, and the expansion team revived the name of the city's original franchise, too. Despite borrowing the name, however, the team has never looked like anything but a child of the '90s, eventually forgoing traditional(ish) striping patterns in favor of whatever this mess was, and then a patchwork of colored side panels and sleeves, which the team wears today. So in a "modern twist," I gave the Ottawa Senators' jumpers diagonal hoops that, in my view, simultaneously call back to the historical Senators jerseys/jumpers and establish the new team's identity as distinct. The heritage, though, is nothing more than a carbon copy of the original Sens' clash, as the hockey team's current heritage jersey was inspired by old Senators sweaters.

Tampa Bay Lightning (1992 – present)

Along with Ottawa, '92 saw the NHL expand southward into Florida, as the Tampa Bay Lightning came into existence. The Lightning have changed their look a few times throughout the past decade, though they've always stuck with the color scheme of blue, white, and black. (Well, black until recently.) With the recent re-brand and its new jerseys and logo, my inspiration for the home and clash is pretty apparent. The heritage, meanwhile, brings back black, as well as one of the team's "sometimes colors," silver. The inspiration from its design actually comes from the old Port Adelaide guernsey, as you can probably tell, but it's inspired in spirit by this crazy third jersey, as both jersey and jumper are pretty wild.

 

[WLD42]

Anaheim Ducks (1993 – present)

The NHL added three southern teams in '93, two by expansion and one by relocation. The Anaheim Ducks (née Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) landed to the southeast of Los Angeles, becoming the area's second NHL team. Originally owned by the Disney Corporation and named after their movie and TV franchise, the team was originally regarded as something of a joke by many, and their logo and colors were likewise derided as unprofessional. So much changes with time, though, as the Ducks, no longer part of Disney, are now solid contenders every year, and fans across the League pine for the return of the "eggplant and jade" jerseys and the duck mask logo. My Ducks guernseys utilize the unique striping pattern found on their current jerseys for all three, changing up only the colors for the home and clash, and returning the colors of yesteryear for the heritage (as the Ducks themselves actually just did to celebrate their 20th anniversary).

Florida Panthers (1993 – present)

Joining the Ducks and bringing the league to 26 teams were the Panthers, Florida's second team in as many years. I feel as though the Panthers have never been quite sure whether they want to embrace a modern or classic look, so they just end up in a weird place in between. They've certainly been moving in a more "traditional" direction, though, comparing what they started out wearing to what they wear today. They've also gone back and forth from using red and blue as their primary color, though they've ended up back on red. All of these apparent identity crises informed my decision-making as I created their jumpers. The primary is a red-based tri-panel, as an attempt to come across as a traditional, old-fashioned club despite being a "90s baby." The clash, meanwhile, is obviously blue, and is slightly more modern in its use of a logo, specifically the circular logo seen on their ill-fated two-toned blue alternate jersey.

Dallas Stars (1993 – present)

Finally, 1993 saw the Minnesota North Stars pull up roots and shoot southward to Texas, where they naturally dropped the "North" from their name. The Stars have finally, thankfully, reintroduced green as the team's primary color after too many years of thinking black was a good idea. So I was more than happy to make use of their new color scheme and give them a good old-fashioned home jumper with green, black, and white vertical stripes. The clash makes use of the newly-introduced silver and uses as much green as humanly possible because you can never ever have too much green. Finally, these old jerseys have always been fun ones to reminisce about, so I certainly wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to turn them into a heritage jumper!

 

[WLD42]

Colorado Avalanche (1995 – present)

Over three years, one at a time, all but one of the teams absorbed from the WHA ended up relocating. First were the Quebéc Nordiques, who brought NHL hockey back to Denver as they became the Colorado Avalanche, and won the Stanley Cup their very first season in their new home. My guernseys for them take more cues from their logo than from any of their jerseys; I thought that the curved sash worked well with the shape of the logo. I wanted to figure out a way to showcase both the blue and the burgundy, so I figured that wasn't really any reason not to make the jumper two-colored on either side of the sash, which I decided to make silver simply because I thought it was more interesting than white.

Phoenix Coyotes (1996 – present)

Alright, [user]Bacon Warrior[/user], here's your 'Yotes, finally! They moved to the desert from Winnipeg in '96, and started out with a pretty crazy logo and jersey set. Those original jerseys, and the third jersey they later added to the set, served as the basis for my heritage jumper, because it was just too much fun to pass up making one. The traditional vertical stripes of their home and first clash reflect the simplicity seen in the complete overhaul they underwent in 2003, while the second clash comes from the third jersey the introduced in '08. I keep second-guessing whether or not my second clash looks good or not, but I think I'm just over-thinking it, because it looks fine when I zoom out and look at it from a distance, I've just spent too much time looking at it magnified several times.

Carolina Hurricanes (1997 – present)

Finally, 1997 saw the Hartford Whalers ship down the east coast to Raleigh, North Carolina (though they spent their first two seasons 80 miles west in Greensboro while they waited for their new arena to finish construction). The 'Canes recently eliminated the unique storm-warning flag striping pattern from their jerseys, but that didn't stop me from using the old jerseys as my inspiration for their jumpers. The clash, of course, comes from their all-black alternate jersey.

 

[WLD42]

Nashville Predators (1998 – present)

In 1997 the NHL announced four expansion franchises that would join the League over the next few years, the first of which was Nashville, hitting the ice in '98. The Predators took their name and logo from a sabre-toothed tiger skull that was unearthed during construction of their new arena. The Preds have matured into a fairly competitive team for the past several seasons, and also can claim that their coach, Barry Trotz, is the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, having coached the team since its inception. The Predators recently changed to what I think is a very attractive blue and gold color scheme, certainly one that's unique in the NHL, so I decided to create a jumper design that just let the colors speak for themselves.

Atlanta Thrashers (1999 – 2011)

Atlanta's second NHL club fared just about as well as their first, unfortunately. They made the playoffs only once, where they were swept in the first round, and were finally sold and moved to Winnipeg in 2011. The Thrashers always had a weirdly large number of colors. They started out with navy, dark red, and yellow; they then introduced light blue, which eventually became the primary color on their home jerseys but was nowhere to be seen on their aways; and finally, dark red, which had been slowly phased out, stormed back in a very strange-looking third jersey. For their guernseys, then, I used the unique asymmetry of their light blue jersey as my jumping-off point for the home and first clash, and drew from that dark red alternate for the second clash. As with the hockey team and its jerseys, light blue is established as the primary identity, then never used again outside of the home jumper.

 

[kid_a]

as a huge footy and (ice) hockey fan this is awesome to see, but even if i didn't like hockey i'd still be mighty impressed, top work.

 

[WLD42]

Thanks, kid_a! I appreciate the kind words. I've assumed people are liking the series well enough, with the pageviews and the absence of negative comments, but it's always nice to hear that I really am not the only one who's enjoying it.

Anyways, let's wrap it up with the NHL's three youngest teams!



Columbus Blue Jackets (2000 – present)

The Blue Jackets were named after the Union Army and their outfits in the American Civil War, in recognition of Ohio's many contributions during the war. Unfortunately, instead of proudly embracing the inspiration for their nickname, the Jackets immediately shot themselves in the foot (in the skate?) by "cartoonizing" their identity; their original logo was no more than a stylized monogram, and their secondary logo and mascot tried to make an insect-related pun out of the name, equating a "blue jacket" with yellow jackets (a name for certain types of wasps which is apparently only used in North America). This doubtless served only to confuse those same young fans they were trying to reach; I know I certainly had no idea why they were called the Blue Jackets until my mid-teens. Thankfully, they've since switched to a more appropriate logo, and a more classic identity overall. It was with that recent turn towards traditionalism in mind that I decided to give the Blue Jackets simple hoops; navy is the main color on the home, as with their hockey jerseys, while the clash borrows its color scheme from their third jersey.

Minnesota Wild (2000 – present)

Joining the League along with the Blue Jackets were the Wild, returning NHL hockey to both Ohio and Minnesota. Personally, I really like Minnesota's color scheme, a lot; you might have picked up on the fact that I'm a big fan of green on sports teams, and I like the Wild's adoption of off-white ("wheat," as they call it) as a color before it became the "in" color for faux-vintage looks. So with that personal bias, I decided to use their third jersey as my starting point for their home guernsey; like I did with the Rangers, the sash follows the direction in which their wordmark is slanted. The clash takes its cues from their normal home jersey, and is an excuse to showcase their mind-blowingly creative logo.

Winnipeg Jets (2011 – present)

The 'Peg got their Jets back in 2011, as the Atlanta Thrashers called it quits down south. While the name is the same, the team and its identity is markedly different than the original Jets, since the Coyotes franchise still owns all the history and trademarks associated with the old team. With the New Jets taking their design cues specifically from the military, rather than airplanes generically, I figured a sash was an appropriate design element. I added side panels as a sort of equivalent to the stripes on the hockey jerseys' arms; specifically, I thought the sash overlapping a side panel would emulate the unique look of the stripes overlapping the colored sleeve on the white jersey. As I did with the second incarnation of the Senators, the heritage is a carbon copy of the original team's jumper, albeit changed to the current team's shades of blue, silver (in place of white), and red.

And that about wraps it up! Thanks for indulging me, everyone; I'm grateful for the opportunity to have shared. The itch to keep making designs can never really scratched, of course, so in between the occasional competition entries, I'm thinking I want to flip this series the other way around and make some hockey jerseys for the teams of the AFL. I'll probably do what I've seen in some other portfolios and let everyone else dictate the order of that, so as a special thanks to those of you who've actually read this, I'll let the next poster pick what team will start that series off!