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I am really digging the Bluejays logo!
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Full thoughts:
1. I third the call to #BringBackBenji, but I trust he'll be back at some point down the line (maybe as a shoulder logo at least) and understand that the B's wanted to sharpen their brand for now.
2. Nice refresh for Fergus, putting the classic "FF" logo on the jerseys and making the twister logo the primary/shoulder logo (But why just the one shoulder? Maybe it's just a lil' quirk of theirs)
3. LOVELY refresh for the Mustangs, matching their IRL look. I honestly think we're in for a new era of greatness for 'em.
4. That Beavers logo's got some character to it...one of these where I wish merchandise existed for the MAHL, because I would buy a Beavs hat or jersey if it did!
Regarding the new teams:
1. You NAILED IT with the Colts...blue and orange is one of my favorite color schemes (my HS alma mater's, in fact)...I imagine Simon the Stallion is gonna be quite the unforgettable character too!
2. WAYZATA! (it's just fun to say)...love crisp red,and blue look and that "W." (I wonder what it's gonna be like if they ever play Little Canada in the playoffs, since a certain Canadian superhero will his comics debut during the team's inaugural season.)
3. LOVE the Hermantown look...crisp black and gold identity, contrasting the "Good Boys'" in Moorhead's identity (If the Huskies ever play the Flying Aces in the Super Series, will the Aces fans chant "Ha Ha, Herman"?-it was a variation of hide-and-seek which Charles Schulz invented with his kids, and it even made its way into a couple of Peanuts storylines).
4. Nice modern look for Proctor too, fits right in with the mid-70s. (Again, I would buy merch if it existed IRL)
5. LOVELY look for Lake City...a good look for a hometown team named after its city's claim to fame! Ditto for Wabasha (when this pandemic clears up, I REALLY want to visit the National Eagle Center now).
6. "This is the lake, la la la la, Elmo's lake!" Seriously, nice classic usage of the blue-on-blue...
Overall, another splendid offseason...
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Bloomington - Considering I liked the bear and enjoyed their thinner stripes, this change is a miss. Still love their colors, but the B is just a B to me now. I like the new outline on the numbers, so that's a plus. A- -> just a B
Fergus Falls - Have always liked the simplicity of this team, and I think they keep getting better. Although I prefer they dispose of the Boston Bruins quirky sock look, this look is a lot more cohesive. The striping is the biggest upgrade, the use of the double F is clean and I think the detailing on the cyclone brings this team up to date. B- -> B+
Rochester - Like you said, this was their actual logo in the USHL I believe. I actually am pretty aware of most of the logos that you clean up that were used in real life and I appreciate the tie in with your world. I just was pointing out that the logo is worn, maybe not for the time but sometimes it is hard to play into the fiction when you are in 2020, if you know what I mean. They still look sharp, logo is an improvement and jerseys are the same sooooo only good things. B+ -> A-
Silver Bay - I like that these guys got their skin... uh I mean teeth in the game of non script logos. They have a name that deserves a mascot logo! The actual beaver looks pretty good, but the eyebrows throw me off and the guy looks like he is biting his lower lip like he's eyeing me across the bar a few drinks in.... or maybe he ate something sour. I think the logo change is a side step for now, but small tweaks can change that quick. Unfortunately, I think they jersey set is a downgrade. I loved that orange and gray jersey, it reminded me of Tennessee's football team for some reason. B- -> C+
Crystal - I like the funky C logo they have going on for them, but not much makes them pop. A casual viewer might mistake them for a team like the Pointers if the logos weren't displayed. The overall look puts them in the middle of the 100+ team pack. C
Wayzata - When I think of Wayzata I think of a couple of guys I played with in juniors who came in with their team bags from high school at tryouts the first time I met them. Kids were good, logo was a very ugly W. Point of the story? Your W looks like gold compared to what they have, so that is a good start. Red, white and blue isn't abundant in this league so I'll take it. This team has a modern Caps vibe, but with a much better shade of red. B
Hermantown - I'll happily take the Michigan Tech look alike in this league. The logo is simple, and I personally enjoy it a lot. I much prefer their whites over their darks because of how the striping looks on them. I know it is just a reverse of the other, but the white and yellow looks off for my eyes. Doesn't matter though because, again, I like the white so much I would buy it. A
Proctor - Well Section30, you have done it. You discovered my favorite color in sports, in graphic design, in life. Congrats! It is a semi unique one. That shade of orange/red is eye candy, and now for the team. I like their colors, aside from the orange, the yellow works well with it and the black really plays up the bright colors around it, but I wish they would downplay the white a little in the striping. Not that it is bad by any means, actually reminds me of Vancouver's older white jersey but better. The logo is very well done for a name that might be difficult to create a brand around during the time, but I worry for them going forward. (If you took the Spikes in a direction that has to do with a Stegosaurus with gold spikes that would be incredible. Could even incorporate Olive Green in the 90s to early 00s).... Anywho, this batch of teams would make my wallet hurt because I would have to buy this jersey too. Make that 2 so far. A+
Lake City - If you are the city of lakes in the state of 10,000 of them you have to be water themed, but they didn't have to shame all the other lake themed teams with a name so unique. HANG YOUR HEADS IN SHAME LAKERS AND LAKERS, THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT! The Skis also look really good. Even though there are plenty of cursive logos in the league, I still like what they did with the mark. Colors are eye catching, jerseys are balanced. Call up UCLA's club program, you'd be doing them a favor. No complaints here. B+
Wabasha - We had red and brown before the baby blue and brown which was a shock to me, but I am happy we have it now. (Unless I am mistaken) This combo just looks clean and I am happy that you give brown the respect it deserves in this series. The actual team isn't doing much for me, unfortunately. I like the Weagle you put together because it is colored like an actual bald eagle, besides the beak of course, but it leaves something to be desired. I like the classic striping on the jerseys, but would like to see a baby blue base because I think it would make the logo pop. It kind of looks like it is blending in at the moment, that might actually be the problem rather than the logo itself. C
Lake Elmo - The best part of this team is their jerseys, they look like what Villa would be wearing if they had a D1 NCAA team. Would not buy them, but I would love to watch them. I like the jay logo, but I think the guy needs an eye to make it easier to identify. It is a little abstract atm. B
(Side thought: We know red looks good with brown, so does orange, yellow, blue and sometimes I would argue green. You don't see many people use two of these colors to go with brown. I tried to get Sleuthpanther to do it with Central Oregon in his college series on the other board that I won't name, but they decided against it because they had just posted a team with a brown base. I would be very interested to see what you could do with it)
Some great jerseys in this expansion, Section30. I think the new teams would get a collective B from me. Keep up the work!
Last edited by Thehealthiestscratch (5/01/2020 12:03 pm)
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QCS wrote:
I really like the Skis and Eagles! They're all good, but I don't think any of them are good enough to unseat Golden Valley as my favorite team.
Thank you, glad you like them!
sportsfan7 wrote:
Good as always. I'm just not seeing the Bluejay in the logo.
Thanks, and that's fair, I could see them updating the logo down the line for sure.
TourneyEarnie wrote:
BRING BACK BENJI! #BringBackBenji
Haha, I expect Benji to definitely be back at some point in the not too distant future in some way, shape, or form.
FC Macbeth wrote:
Did the Caps not realized that this team raided their design department closet?
I was definitely inspired by the Caps Weagle logo, but I tried to make this one different enough to be able to stand on its own which I think it does.
sportsfan7 wrote:
Wabasha is just a bunch of Grumpy Old Men anyway, don't think they react to well to anything Washington has to say
Great movie, Minnesota classic.
JamHeronArk wrote:
I can now feel the Silver Bay beaver judging my every move. The new FF logo looks clean and the wordmark is on point. The new teams have some nice logos, but wow! That Crystal monogram is sharp. The Wabash colors and logo just give them a cool vibe. (And from personal experience, yes, the National Eagle Center is quite amazing.)
#BringBackBenji
Silver Bay's new logo was a fun one for me, I think that cartoony look is unique but works for them. I'm glad you like the others!
Dan O'Mac wrote:
I am really digging the Bluejays logo!
Thank you!
Burmy87 wrote:
Full thoughts:
1. I third the call to #BringBackBenji, but I trust he'll be back at some point down the line (maybe as a shoulder logo at least) and understand that the B's wanted to sharpen their brand for now.
2. Nice refresh for Fergus, putting the classic "FF" logo on the jerseys and making the twister logo the primary/shoulder logo (But why just the one shoulder? Maybe it's just a lil' quirk of theirs)
3. LOVELY refresh for the Mustangs, matching their IRL look. I honestly think we're in for a new era of greatness for 'em.
4. That Beavers logo's got some character to it...one of these where I wish merchandise existed for the MAHL, because I would buy a Beavs hat or jersey if it did!
Regarding the new teams:
1. You NAILED IT with the Colts...blue and orange is one of my favorite color schemes (my HS alma mater's, in fact)...I imagine Simon the Stallion is gonna be quite the unforgettable character too!
2. WAYZATA! (it's just fun to say)...love crisp red,and blue look and that "W." (I wonder what it's gonna be like if they ever play Little Canada in the playoffs, since a certain Canadian superhero will his comics debut during the team's inaugural season.)
3. LOVE the Hermantown look...crisp black and gold identity, contrasting the "Good Boys'" in Moorhead's identity (If the Huskies ever play the Flying Aces in the Super Series, will the Aces fans chant "Ha Ha, Herman"?-it was a variation of hide-and-seek which Charles Schulz invented with his kids, and it even made its way into a couple of Peanuts storylines).
4. Nice modern look for Proctor too, fits right in with the mid-70s. (Again, I would buy merch if it existed IRL)
5. LOVELY look for Lake City...a good look for a hometown team named after its city's claim to fame! Ditto for Wabasha (when this pandemic clears up, I REALLY want to visit the National Eagle Center now).
6. "This is the lake, la la la la, Elmo's lake!" Seriously, nice classic usage of the blue-on-blue...
Overall, another splendid offseason...
1. Haha, Benji will be back don't worry.
2. Glad you like them, I'm not really sure why just one shoulder, I just kinda went with it. I could see them adding it to both shoulders in the future.
3. Thank you, Rochester is definitely still a contender and with the city growing they will likely get better and better.
4. Thank you, and haha I'd love having merch just so I could have some of these myself lol.
1. Glad you like them, I think the logo is different enough but I really like their colors. And Simon might be my favorite mascot yet, just for the sheer weirdness of it. I'd love to see a 2 person horse mascot trying to skate around.
2. Thank you!
3. Glad you like the Huskies, I'm really happy with how it turned out.
4. When I made this I said that it was the most 70s thing I've made, glad you like it.
5. Thank you, glad you like them. And I highly recommend it!
6. Thanks!
Thehealthiestscratch wrote:
Bloomington - Considering I liked the bear and enjoyed their thinner stripes, this change is a miss. Still love their colors, but the B is just a B to me now. I like the new outline on the numbers, so that's a plus. A- -> just a B
Fergus Falls - Have always liked the simplicity of this team, and I think they keep getting better. Although I prefer they dispose of the Boston Bruins quirky sock look, this look is a lot more cohesive. The striping is the biggest upgrade, the use of the double F is clean and I think the detailing on the cyclone brings this team up to date. B- -> B+
Rochester - Like you said, this was their actual logo in the USHL I believe. I actually am pretty aware of most of the logos that you clean up that were used in real life and I appreciate the tie in with your world. I just was pointing out that the logo is worn, maybe not for the time but sometimes it is hard to play into the fiction when you are in 2020, if you know what I mean. They still look sharp, logo is an improvement and jerseys are the same sooooo only good things. B+ -> A-
Silver Bay - I like that these guys got their skin... uh I mean teeth in the game of non script logos. They have a name that deserves a mascot logo! The actual beaver looks pretty good, but the eyebrows throw me off and the guy looks like he is biting his lower lip like he's eyeing me across the bar a few drinks in.... or maybe he ate something sour. I think the logo change is a side step for now, but small tweaks can change that quick. Unfortunately, I think they jersey set is a downgrade. I loved that orange and gray jersey, it reminded me of Tennessee's football team for some reason. B- -> C+
Crystal - I like the funky C logo they have going on for them, but not much makes them pop. A casual viewer might mistake them for a team like the Pointers if the logos weren't displayed. The overall look puts them in the middle of the 100+ team pack. C
Wayzata - When I think of Wayzata I think of a couple of guys I played with in juniors who came in with their team bags from high school at tryouts the first time I met them. Kids were good, logo was a very ugly W. Point of the story? Your W looks like gold compared to what they have, so that is a good start. Red, white and blue isn't abundant in this league so I'll take it. This team has a modern Caps vibe, but with a much better shade of red. B
Hermantown - I'll happily take the Michigan Tech look alike in this league. The logo is simple, and I personally enjoy it a lot. I much prefer their whites over their darks because of how the striping looks on them. I know it is just a reverse of the other, but the white and yellow looks off for my eyes. Doesn't matter though because, again, I like the white so much I would buy it. A
Proctor - Well Section30, you have done it. You discovered my favorite color in sports, in graphic design, in life. Congrats! It is a semi unique one. That shade of orange/red is eye candy, and now for the team. I like their colors, aside from the orange, the yellow works well with it and the black really plays up the bright colors around it, but I wish they would downplay the white a little in the striping. Not that it is bad by any means, actually reminds me of Vancouver's older white jersey but better. The logo is very well done for a name that might be difficult to create a brand around during the time, but I worry for them going forward. (If you took the Spikes in a direction that has to do with a Stegosaurus with gold spikes that would be incredible. Could even incorporate Olive Green in the 90s to early 00s).... Anywho, this batch of teams would make my wallet hurt because I would have to buy this jersey too. Make that 2 so far. A+
Lake City - If you are the city of lakes in the state of 10,000 of them you have to be water themed, but they didn't have to shame all the other lake themed teams with a name so unique. HANG YOUR HEADS IN SHAME LAKERS AND LAKERS, THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT! The Skis also look really good. Even though there are plenty of cursive logos in the league, I still like what they did with the mark. Colors are eye catching, jerseys are balanced. Call up UCLA's club program, you'd be doing them a favor. No complaints here. B+
Wabasha - We had red and brown before the baby blue and brown which was a shock to me, but I am happy we have it now. (Unless I am mistaken) This combo just looks clean and I am happy that you give brown the respect it deserves in this series. The actual team isn't doing much for me, unfortunately. I like the Weagle you put together because it is colored like an actual bald eagle, besides the beak of course, but it leaves something to be desired. I like the classic striping on the jerseys, but would like to see a baby blue base because I think it would make the logo pop. It kind of looks like it is blending in at the moment, that might actually be the problem rather than the logo itself. C
Lake Elmo - The best part of this team is their jerseys, they look like what Villa would be wearing if they had a D1 NCAA team. Would not buy them, but I would love to watch them. I like the jay logo, but I think the guy needs an eye to make it easier to identify. It is a little abstract atm. B
(Side thought: We know red looks good with brown, so does orange, yellow, blue and sometimes I would argue green. You don't see many people use two of these colors to go with brown. I tried to get Sleuthpanther to do it with Central Oregon in his college series on the other board that I won't name, but they decided against it because they had just posted a team with a brown base. I would be very interested to see what you could do with it)
Some great jerseys in this expansion, Section30. I think the new teams would get a collective B from me. Keep up the work!
Thank you, always love hearing your thoughts!
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1974/75 Regular Season - North
For the first time ever, a team not named the Lumberjacks or Bearcats has won the Granite Hockey League. Fergus Falls came out of nowhere this year after missing the postseason a season ago to earning the 19th ranking in the MAHL at the end of the season. Coming in second were the Lumberjacks who had yet another solid all around season, coming up just short of another league crown. Little Falls and St. Cloud round out the playoff teams. The Bearcats struggled a bit midway through the season, dropping considerably from their impressive championship season a year ago, but they remain in the top 4, keeping their season alive. This left the Storm on the outside in fifth with Princeton, Alexandria, and Sauk Rapids in the rear.
After a great playoff run a year ago where they made it to their first Super Series, the Redbirds from Eveleth kept it going through this season, earning the Quad City Trophy and their 16th Iron Range title as well as ending the season ranked 5th. Grand Rapids continues to win by sheer offensive power, earning a top 10 ranking and being the only team somewhat close to Eveleth this season. Hibbing and Virginia earned their way to the playoffs, beating out very good Ely and Mountain Iron teams. Chisholm took a step in the right direction this season, making some major improvements and finishing in 7th. Coleraine was the surprise of the season, going from a contender a year ago to a mediocre hockey team in the span of a season. Keewatin and Tower-Soudan round out the table.
Thunder Bay said enough of the alternating titles with Superior, being selfish and keeping it for themselves for the 5th time in the last 8 years as well as being ranked 4th in the MAHL. Despite not winning the league, the Lakers still had another very good season, also finishing ranked and coming in second. The young group in Duluth continues to improve, keeping le bleus in third and sweeping their trophies yet again. Sliding into the final playoff spot are the Silver Bay Beavers who finally got over the hump this season, punching their ticket to the playoffs for the first time ever. This left their rivals from Grand Marais in fifth with Cloquet having a bit of a bounce back season coming in 6th. After the Broncos it was Two Harbors followed by the Hornets who had a very disappointing season by their standards, having a season to forget coming in 8th. As expected it was a tough season for the small expansion teams, but they showed signs of improvement as the season progressed. Even so, they finished at the bottom of the table with the Spikes beating out the Huskies by 3 games.
The powerhouse that is the Northland Hockey League was once again an absolute bloodbath with so many very good hockey teams. The defending champs look poised to get another run going, going back to back and being ranked 2nd in the MAHL. Steinbach, Roseau, and Warroad round out the playoff spots, all of whom also earned top 20 rankings. Roseau won back the Victory Bell and the Barbs kept the Leaf. Winnipeg was close yet again, just missing out in fifth. Baudette had a surprising season, moving all the way up to sixth. It was a blob of teams in the bottom middle of the pack with the bottom four all coming within 5 games of one another. Fort Frances did manage to retain ownership of the Can-Am Cup though.
For being the smallest league in the MAHL, the Red River Hockey League is very skilled. Grand Forks won the league for the 4th time, reclaiming the Fork in the process. The Pointers and Titans were not far behind in third and fourth, with EGF being ranked in the top 20 as as the Jets. The Railers once again round out the top four, keeping Crookston and Moorhead out for the last 6 years.
Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!
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I like seeing those Beavers in the postseason. Maybe that new logo will unnerve opponents so much as to throw them off...
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Seeing TRF at the bottom seed of the playoffs has me worried once expansion hits the Red River.
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1974/75 Regular Season - Twin Cities
We have new champs in the east side as the Canucks edge out White Bear and Maplewood to secure their first league title as well as finishing ranked 15th. The Braves held onto the barrel and finished ahead of their rivals from Maplewood who came in third. After the top three, there was a lot of shake up happening in the middle of the pack with Fridley securing their first playoff birth and Mounds View and Roseville having impressive seasons come up just short. Eau Claire had a bit of a sophomore slump this year, dropping all the way back to seventh. Next up were the Bluejays who had about the first season they expected, not doing all too much of note, but being respectable. The Polka and Vols struggled this year, losing a lot of close games, being unable to get over the hump. And in last were the Pike who continued to struggle after a rough first season a year ago.
Golden Valley bounced back this season, reclaiming the North Metro crown from the Screaming Eagles who finished right on their heels in second. Elk River made some noise this season, moving up to third thanks to an 11 game win streak during the season. Rounding out the top four are the Bandits who had another solid season. Blooming rivals Plymouth and Wayzata followed just outside the top 4, missing out on the playoffs but having alright seasons. Brooklyn Park had a considerable drop, missing the playoffs for the first time, but still beating out Anoka. Finishing just ahead of the Panthers were the Blaine Spartans who were flying under the radar all year, having a quiet yet decent season. At the bottom of the table were roommates Crystal and New Hope who both had a tough time.
South St. Paul is back on top once again, putting together a great all around season and being ranked 3rd in the MAHL as well as keeping the wood slab for the 9th year in a row. Moving up into second were the Vulcans who made major improvements to the defensive side of things, earning a top 10 ranking and returning to the playoffs with a purpose. The V's are back as well, looking to get another playoff streak going as the east side boys made some noise this year, earning a top 10 ranking and regaining the Milk Jug. Minneapolis fell a few spots from their title last year, but don't let that fool you, the Mighty Millers are a force to be reckoned with, besting the Victorias to keep the Veterans Cup as well as finishing ranked 13th in the MAHL. As per usual it was a mess in the middle of the pack as 4 very good teams were left out of the playoffs yet again. The Aces turned some heads with their turn around season, nearly sneaking into the playoffs. West St. Paul proved doubters wrong, putting together another solid all around season, finishing ahead of even the Saints. Speaking of the Halos, they had a disappointing season to say the least, going from a contender a year ago to not even making the playoffs this year. Como is in the same boat, dropping drastically after an incredible inaugural season a year ago. At the bottom of the table were the usual suspects, the Bakers and Raptors.
It's Edina vs the world, the Cake Eaters continue to prove that they are the most talented team in the MAHL, owning the West Metro Hockey League, finishing with an incredible 28-1-1 record with the dynamic duo of Hankinson and Nanne tearing up the rest of the league. Hankinson actually set a new MAHL record for goals scored in a season (granted the seasons are now 6 games longer) scoring an incredible 51 goals to pass Eveleth's Marco Palazzari's record of 47 that had stood for over 20 years. Edina has to be thinking that it's now or never, coming into the playoffs as the top ranked team in the MAHL by all experts. After a large gap we get the Louies and Bears in second and third, each putting together solid all around seasons. The story of the season besides Edina's domination was the unexpected rise of the Minnetonka Muskies. Tonka has never made the playoffs, never finishing higher than 5th place and even coming in last only a season ago. This year was different though, something clicked for the Muskies and they managed to piece together a couple winning streaks to finish in fourth. Richfield missed the playoffs this year, underachieving as they were considered a top 3 team in the league at the beginning of the season but it just never came together. The Terrible Terriers had a tough time with injuries this year, dropping to sixth, but beating out Hopkins and EP.
Let me know what you think, comments are appreciated!
Last edited by Section30 (5/02/2020 4:53 pm)
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Glad to see Golden Valley on top once again! I'm hoping this year we can actually make some noise in the playoffs.
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All right the Cake Eaters are top of the league again! I hope this time they get it all.