I Can See the Future.

Hello world. Looks like I am back at this (at least for the time being, while I am in school, and there are real assignments for me to avoid doing). In all seriousness, I have no idea how frequently I will be updating this blog, but I hope it is a lot more than I have been over the past few months.

Side note/credit where credit is due:
MONTHS ago, Andre e-mailed me this photo of him and a friend sporting some custom Canucks jerseys. A really simple change was made to make the current Canuck sweaters into sweaters which better reflect the Canucks identity as a whole. It is always cool to see an idea become reality with a hockey sweater, and recently as I looked back at this email, I go started thinking about how I could tweak what the Canucks already have, and make it into something decent.

Here is what Andre sent me, and what has inspired this post:

Andre in Blue, Anthony in White

'My friend, Anthony, and I went to the Abbotsford Heat (Calgary Flames' AHL affiliate) game vs the Chicago Wolves (When Andre Sent this to me the Wolves were still the Canucks' AHL affiliate) back in October with custom-made Johnny Canuck jerseys. We had countless compliments on our jerseys and so many people have told us that the orca logo, a hangover from the Orca Bay ownership, must go and be replaced with our true namesake, Johnny Canuck.' 



Pre-amble done, let's move on.

The thought dawned on me the other day that the Orca logo has been on the front of the Canucks jersey (albeit in varying colour schemes) for 16 years. This makes it the longest serving Canucks main crest (the skate on a plate logo was in use for 19 years, although for 7 of those years it was playing second fiddle to a garish V on the front of the sweaters).

This realization scared me. And I began to ask myself too many questions. In 40 years, is the Orca going to be considered the Canucks' classic logo? With the current accusation that the Canucks have made to many jersey changes are we ever going to see a change away from the longest serving main crest? In 50 years is anyone going to remember that the stick in the rink logo ever existed (it only served as the main crest 8 years)?

With the Canucks 'aging core,' a new coach, the Sedin era closer to the end than to the beginning, the time seems ripe to me for an identity shift (the team will have a completely new identity in 5 years, heck I barely recognize our bottom 6 forward group this year...)

PROBLEM: the Aquilini's (the canucks ownership) are really attached to the Orca logo, and they seem invested in this team for the long haul.

Here is a series of jersey tweaks (and a fictional timeline, complete with FICTIONAL, although now that I re-read it VERY pessimistic, predictive/foreshadowing story) that use existing uniform elements and slowly shift the Canucks identity away from the whale and towards our beloved Lumberjack friend: Johnny Canuck. This timeline is more meant to focus on the possibility of changing the uniforms, but I have put in some elements predicting how the team might do just for fun.

PHASE 1.0: SUMMER 2014:

After a tough year in the new Pacific Division, the Canucks finished in fourth, claiming a wildcard spot for the playoffs. This set them up for another first round series against the LA Kings. The Canucks made a valiant effort, but lost to the Kings in 6 games.

Due to another underwhelming playoff performance, and a lack of ability to make necessary trades to improve the team, Mike Gillis is relieved of his general manager duties. A new GM is hired, and makes it clear that although the 'aging core' is welcome and will be relied upon to contribute, He will be going with a youth movement as much as possible. At the draft the new GM performs exceedingly well, moving some bottom six forwards and draft pick around, and picks up a few promising prospects.

Also at the Draft, new members of the Canucks organization are presented these sweaters:

 They are not a whole lot different than the current Canucks uniforms, although a few adjustments have been made to make them a cohesive set.

The largest change is the addition of a blue hem to the road jersey to match the blue cuffs, and make the striping patter a direct carry over from the home sweater to the road sweater.

A small change is also made to the collar on the road sweater, making it the inverse of the home collar.

Another major change is the striping on the socks. They now match the jersey striping.

The logo is also resized slightly to give the text and logo a bit more balance.


PHASE 2.0: SUMMER 2015:

Again the Canucks have a hard time in the Pacific division. They again qualify for the playoffs via the wildcard spot. Young players Hunter Shinkaruk and Nicklas Jensen really impress in the playoffs, and with a huge team effort, they are able to get by the Ducks in 7 games setting up a second round match up with the Kings, who yet again have the Canucks number, eliminating them from the playoffs in a heartbreaking game 7 overtime loss.

Over the Summer team management decides that it is time to retire the alternate sweater. Initially fans are furious, but to appease them, management reveals these sweaters (again at the NHL draft).

These sweaters combine the crests from the old home jerseys with the striping pattern from the newly retired alternate sweater.

Also to appease the fans, the Canucks announce that a new twist on the beloved stick in the rink alternate sweater will be unveiled in early December, just in time for them to show up under the tree for Christmas.

Also in the summer of 2015, Daniel and Henrik Sedin, after much deliberation sign matching 3 year contracts, taking them through the end of the 2017-2018 season. Daniel and Henrik make it very clear that they will retire as Canucks at the end of this new contract.





PHASE 2.1: DECEMBER 2015:

The long awaited alternate jersey is unveiled!

It is green, combining the logos from the old alternate sweater in a simplified blue and white colour scheme. It also brings back the striping pattern from the original Canucks jerseys, with the V in the arm stripes.

The fans LOVE it!

for the 2016 playoff run, the Canucks again make a second round exit, to the high flying Edmonton Oilers, now an unstoppable force led by their young core of premier players.

The 2016-17 season does not go well for the Canucks, they fail to make the playoffs, and a full rebuild is initiated. The Canucks and Ryan Kesler part ways at the trade deadline. Kesler joins the Detroit Red Wings, his hometown team as a rental player for their Stanley Cup run. In exchange the Canucks get some decent young talent. Some other veteran players are leave in the summer, or are traded. But the Sedins honour their commitment to the club and choose to stay in Vancouver mentoring young players for the duration of their contract.

In 2017-18 the Canucks again fail to make the playoffs, but their young core shows a lot of promise. Roberto Luongo, fed up with missing the playoffs two years in a row, demands a trade. The GM does his job, and trades him to the Florida Panthers. The Sedins, still seeking a Stanley Cup decide to re-sign for one more year, in hopes that the promising youngsters, and new additions will be able to get them back to the playoffs for a shot at the Cup.

PHASE 3.0: SUMMER 2018:

The Luongo era has ended, and to mark that change, the Canucks decide it is time for them to make another uniform update. It is both a minor and a major change. The only thing that changes on the uniforms is the main crest, which goes from being the Orca, to being Johnny Canuck. The green alternate jersey remains, giving the Canucks fan base the jersey set that they have been waiting for since 1970.

The Sedins play a background role in the 2018-2019 season, as they anchor the second line, behind some fabulous young players. The Canucks qualify for the playoffs as the third seed out of the Pacific division (surprising everyone), and go on to win the Stanley Cup. Their mix of energy, and hunger, along with the veteran leadership and poise of the Sedins is unparalleled, and they finally win the Stanley Cup for the city of Vancouver. Defeating the Boston Bruins in 7 games.

Thanks for sticking around for these designs interspersed with my extended, and unnecessary fan fiction. Please remember that these events are completely imagined and fictional, and my predictions about the team are really only to provide a timeline for the introduction of new uniforms.

Any feedback on my designs would be hugely appreciated, also if you want to post your own predictions  (more about when the Canucks will change their uniforms, than about when they will win a Cup) feel free to do that.

Thanks for stopping by.

LONG TIME, NO POST

Wow, it has been far too long since I posted on this blog. Here is a little number I drummed up for a series I am working on, in which I am designing a unique, and creative alternate jersey for each team in the NHL. I have not done a concept in a long while, and it has been even longer since I have done a canucks concept. Since doing concepts for exclusively one team can get a bit boring, I may just start posting all concepts I make here on my site... but I'm not too sure about that.

I am wanting to spend more time actually doing concept art, not formatting, or writing blogs, so I have switched to a simpler template, and will say no more on this blog post. Enjoy, comment (if anyone actually still reads this blog), and thanks for stopping by.