I applaud Abrieden for taking such a large risk by stepping away from an identity that I'd consider one of the most traditional in the league despite the team being newer. It shows awareness of potential and understand of community. In turn, fans seem to trust the organization and the decisions they make due to the great relationship the team has developed with their community. This move was low risk, high reward and it seems to have already paid dividends.

I love a logo that utilizes hard angles and unnatural lines. They feel clean, consistent and hold form wonderfully, which the new Bucks logo succeeds in doing. That being said, the rounded outline is taking a lot away from a very good base, especially up by the antlers. It's like the base and outline are two separate styles. If they altered the outline to use sharp angles, like the buck itself, I think it would be one of the top logos in the league. Other than that, I am not quite sold on the navy antlers. Navy takes the height away from the logo on the home jerseys so it looks like the buck's head is awkwardly lower than it should be. Why not make the antlers gray and the outline navy? To me, the dominant use of gray on the away jersey implies that Abrieden treats both navy and silver as interchangeable primary colors, so it isn't an unreasonable idea. Not only would it fix the problem on your home, but it would also elevate the away jersey.

Speaking of jerseys, I think their away is much, much stronger than their home. I like the commitment to gray. It felt funky at first glance, but I warmed up to it pretty fast. Being the team that owns gray is a bold approach, but also unique and modern. It fits the team's personality very well.
 

Thank you for all the great feedback on the Bucks! I've taken it all into consideration and have got some adjustments working, which I will present soon. Meanwhile, I wanted to keep going so we've got the next team in line coming right up.


Alko Barbarians

About the Team: The Barbarians joined the league as part of a two-team expansion in 1976. Founded in Guilden, Forstana, the Barbarians were part of a response by the league to place pro teams in hockey hotbeds to help spur growth in smaller markets. The plan was flawed, however, as both teams ended up relocating. The Barbarians moved in 1988 to Alko, Pakola, much to the dismay of local fans. The Barbarians have typically carried a persona of a tough, hard-hitting team with blue collar fans. They haven't yet won a championship but they've had several very successful years, particularly since moving to Alko with playoff appearances in three of four seasons. The Barbarians have been moved from the Elam Division to the Hatch Division to form a better rivalry with their crosstown foes.

Ownership and Management: The Barbarians are owned by Dick Valentine, an entrepreneur and former military veteran from Chasonne. Valentine owns a variety of ventures around Torland and can often be found on political radio talkshows espousing his peculiar brand of beliefs. He also endorses quite a few products and has developed a reputation as a bit of a snake oil salesman. That persona spills over into hockey, especially since he moved the Barbarians from Guilden, making him a polarizing figure around the league.

The team is managed by Russ Shoemaker, who has served as general manager since the team was founded. He is considered a top executive in the league, winning Best GM in 1979. The team is coached by Jonas Rayburn who has also been with the team since its inception. Rayburn is considered an underrated coach in the league. Anderson Lamb has been assistant coach since 1977, and previously worked with Rayburn in Trowburgh.

City and Arena: Alko is a huge metropolitan area, largest in Torland. The metro is typically divided east-west by the Misty River, with the eastern side typically more blue collar and a reputation of being rough and ready. Despite the fact the team doesn't actually yet play in East Alko, the team has been embraced by that side of town, especially with the rival Wizards calling the western side home. The Barbarians have had little luck in the arena department, beginning with their original home in Guilden at the Guilden-Hobuck Center. Partly city-owned, the GHC had a leaky roof and the city was going through a recession and had no funds to renovate, leading to some of the financial struggles of the team. The Barbs played one season at the Rosa Nence Arena, a very small facility, before moving to the slightly larger but worse-looking Brimson Center. Construction has been going on at a new site in East Alko for four years with no completion date yet announced, as plans have hit major snags with the city and general contractors along with Valentine's meddling.


(Previous Identity: 1988-1991 Alko Barbarians)

Team Brand and Identity: Valentine's meddling took front and center during the redesigns with Elite Vision, requesting an homage to his old military unit and colors from the German heritage of his latest supermodel girlfriend. Steele tried to talk him out of it but Valentine was adamant. The new team logo is a shield with a stylized viking helmet “A” inside, with a new color arrangement that features more black and gold in the scheme. Valentine thinks the black jerseys look “mean” and personally requested double outlines on everything. The nameplates are captain patches are flat, however. The striping on the sleeves is the purposefully the opposite angle of their crosstown rivals the Wizards. Both sets feature black pants and red collars.


Roster Breakdown

Top Three Players

1. Frankie Albertelli, 31, defenseman
2. Konrad Kedzierski, 27, forward
3. Nicky Brockelman, 22, center


Forwards: The forward group is an intriguing mix of young talent and veteran presence. Former #1 pick by the Serpents, Konrad Kedzierski is the star and for what he lacks in maturity at times, he's a lethal scorer. He's had less defensive responsibility since moving to wing which has improved his game. Young center Nicky Brockelman is proving himself a capable two-way forward and perfect linemate for Kedz as he is defensively sound and an excellent passer. Harmon is just 23 and has potential and enough speed to keep him on the top line. Veteran team captain Lorenz Laduca heads the second line with grizzled vet Eddie Pires. For what the line lacks with speed, they make up for in grit and grind. The third line is the speed line, featuring the steady Sherman Bourget, Steve Cook, and rookie Mike Marut. An “extra heavy” fourth line of grinders is feared around the league with the legendary enforcer Johnnie Greco patrolling the ice with linemates Joey Goebel and Frankie Williams. The Extra Heavies have racked up the most fighting PIMs in the league, lending to a tough reputation for the whole team.

Defensemen: The squad is headlined by the generational defenseman Frankie Albertelli. A 3-time Cup winner with the Heralds, Albertelli has also racked up the hardware with 6 All-Star appearances. He is at the top of his game and could contend for even bigger hardware. His pairing mate in Elliott Barber is the quintessential pro, good in all three zones and as steady as they come. One of the best 2nd pairings in the league is Haraldsen and Burke, both excellent two-way players from the blue line. A pair of youngsters in Kilgore and Caruso head up an intriguing third pairing for strong depth.

Goaltenders: Rick McCombs, 23, is a bonafide starter ready to take a leap into stardom as a goalie. The Barbarians are very excited about his potential and he figures to be a cornerstone player for the franchise between the pipes. Backup Tony Simms is 35 and well past his prime but still a capable tender with plenty of experience to mentor. Alko has a couple of interesting prospects in the pipeline in Mike Robello and Ben Zamarripas.

Three Key Storylines: 

• Can the Barbarians finally have a permanent home? Three different stadiums in just 16 years and still not actually playing home games in their own side of the market has put a toll on the finances. The fans are clamoring for Valentine to get out of his own way and that distrust could breed into disdain very quickly.
• Can the team galvanize into a winner? The roster has a lot of firepower and veteran leadership and the team is poised to make more noise in the playoffs. The team needs to build on their success and carry it into the playoffs for a Cup run.
• Is McCombs a star? The Barbarians have been very happy with McCombs' development so far but his lofty trajectory needs to hit for the team to be able to contend.

The Alko Barbarians logo is nice, reminds me of those fantasy board or card games that were popular during the 80's and 90's, great job on this!

Last edited by GoosetavoMan (6/30/2023 7:49 am)

All the new identities are looking great!

Nice! Question, will the Cobantle and Waterdee team logos and uniforms be revealed in alphabetical order (Chasonne, then Cobantle)? Or will they be revealed at the end?