Voting Starts Early For The Leafs Re-brands

I received a LOT of submissions for the Original Six: Toronto Maple Leafs Re-branding Competition, but the submissions have completely died down now. SO, rather than hold up the next competition, it's been decided that submissions will no longer be accepted and we will get on with the voting!

The voting officially begins on Wednesday, February 10th and the winner will be announced the following Monday morning (Feb. 15th). I'll be hiding the results so there's some suspense.

Important note: I am removing one team from the competition. The awesome Toronto Toros design by Roccot, to me, is not a true re-brand and will have to be removed from consideration. My reasoning is, if the real Toronto Maple Leafs were going to undergo their own re-branding initiative, they wouldn't use imagery and history from a completely different franchise from another league.

One last Leafs thing: Designers, check out the official Leafs re-brand page to make sure your design is there. I'm pretty sure I have everything covered, though...

All that leads to this: The next Original Six team to be re-branded is ... The New York Rangers!

Rules and details will be coming soon, but feel free to get started. But remember, this is a re-branding competition, not a logo/uni tweak competition. So get creative!

UPDATE: Here's how the votes broke down for the selection of the next Original Six team re-brand.

 

Logos shown here courtesy of SportsLogos.net

Comments

[Nick May]

Hey so whoever makes one of these NYR rebrands would one of you mind puttin Mike Del Zotto on the back lol just wanna see what it looks like lol. Only a request dont sweat it if u dont want to

[Steve]

If Roccot's Toros design is being "removed from consideration" for a somewhat trivial reason that was not a part of the original rules, then I would expect IceGoalie365's design to be disqualified for breaking the rules. From the contest rules...

"3. You may not use any of the Maple Leafs primary or secondary logos, nor any of their past logos. You may not "Frankenstein" any of the previous/current logos to cobble some "new" design together.
UPDATE: To be clear, you are allowed to use an actual maple leaf image. I just don't want a slight redesign of any past Maple Leafs logos. If it's close, I'll put your design up for a vote. So play it safe!"

All IceGoalie365 did was black out the current Maple Leaf logo. That's not fair to the other designers who actually took the time to design a new maple leaf for their submissions. I mentioned this when that submission first appeared but no one seemed to notice.

All I'm saying is that if Roccot's submission is left out, then one that directly broke the rules should be too.

[johnny griswold]

Steve,

I was lenient on some entries. The only reason I decided to remove the Toronto Toros submission was because it was just an updated version of the Toronto Toros.

Why would the Maple Leafs re-brand themselves as an old WHA team? That just didn't make sense to me for this concept project.

However, as with everything else, I'm open for comments from everyone else on this matter. If I'm overwhelmingly overruled, I'll put the Toros submission back in.

And I'm not saying that Roccot's submission broke the rules, per se. My point was that it can't really be considered a Leafs re-brand because of it being a pre-existing team from another league.

So, let the debate begin...

[Hockey Week]

Can we make an early rule that the Rangers rebrand cannot have the words "RANGERS" or "NEW YORK" across the front of the sweater? I find it nearly impossible to create a new look while retaining that key trait.

Just a suggestion.

[Gary Punzak]

I agree with both steve and hockeyweek. Steve about IceGoalie365's design being an exact maple leaf logo with added script and changed color. And hockeyweek about the NEW YORK and RANGERS being on the chest. Please add that as a rule for the NY competition, if u wern't already going to do that.

[vlad]

shouldn't mike's titans design be excluded for the same reason that you stated for the torros exclusion?

[johnny griswold]

@vlad -

No. Mike's Titans re-brand is not an update of any Toronto Titans uniform I've seen by doing a Google search. In this instance, Mike's uni design and logo were original creations.

Roccot re-introduced the WHA's Toronto Toros as an NHL Toronto team.

[ross]

what if i had called them the Toronto Bulls? Toronto Markets, in reference to the Toronto Stock Exchange?

[johnny griswold]

Roccot, you're then gonna have to wave one of those blinky lights like in the movie Men In Black so we forget that it was originally a Toronto Toros jersey/logo update! haha.

I'll think about that one as I read more comments.

[Steve]

Johnny, I have no problem with you taking Roccot's Toros out...this is your site and what you say goes. And after all this is a jersey competition, so who really cares.

That said, I think it is ridiculous to throw out a submission that was within the rules while you leave one in that is clearly breaking the rules. IceGoalie365's design broke the rules, plain and simple and it's not fair to the other designers to leave it in.

I'm not arguing that Roccot's design should be reinstated, I want to see IceGoalie365's design taken out. It's only fair to those who took the time to follow the rules and design their own logo and sweater, for that matter. As you pointed out, all he did was rip off your ducks sweater.

It just seems trivial to me to take a submission out of competition because it isn't realistic but then leave one in that clearly broke the contest rules.

[johnny griswold]

Steve,

I see your point. I really do. As I said, I was lenient on some entries. That one (IceGoalie365) in particular. My reasoning for keeping it in was due to the fact that he made a sincere attempt to do something drastically different than what the Leafs currently wear.

Red, white and black, with big, scripty "Leafs" text over a big black maple leaf was enough for me to let it through.

The thing that made me decide to remove Roccot's Toronto Toros entry was because it's not a Maple Leafs re-brand. It's a WHA Toronto Toros update.

At least tell me you can see my point.

I'm not a website overlord. If you've followed this blog long enough, you'd see that I really do engage the people that come here and comment. I listen. This is why I'm posing the question.

By the end of the day, after reading all of the comments, I'll make up my mind. It's either keep Roccot's out, allow Roccot to give it a name change, or take out IceGoalie365 for not following the rules to the letter.

Sound fair?

[johnny griswold]

One last point, another reason I decided to remove Roccot's Toronto Toros submission was because I wanted to remove the nostalgic factor.

My thinking was that people may say, "oh, cool, the Toronto Toros! I remember them!" Which would lead them to vote for nostalgic reasons rather than voting on an actual Toronto Maple Leafs re-brand.

[johnny griswold]

Ok, one more last point and then I'll go away for a little while...

Since we're quoting my rules, I'll quote this one:

"UPDATE: To be clear, you are allowed to use an actual maple leaf image. I just don't want a slight redesign of any past Maple Leafs logos. If it's close, I'll put your design up for a vote. So play it safe!"

I don't think IceGoalie365's logo was a "slight redesign". In my eyes, he made an attempt to make a major change. This updated rule states that I'll leave it up to a vote. The comments here will be the votes that I count. So far I'm the only one in favor of keeping IceGoalie365's entry.

[Link]

"if the real Toronto Maple Leafs were going to undergo their own re-branding" is in and of itself a suspect phrase. In the nearly 90 years the team has been the Maple Leafs the only changes have come in '27, '67, and '70. One was a color change, the second was the simplified logo, and the third was a change in stripping patterns. The only thing that could be interpreted as a rebranding came around 82 years ago. We all know that if Toronto was to go through any major changes today there would be riots and the city would burn. Since we are in playing with fantasy and concept rather than the actual riotous Leaf Nation, I see no reason why all uniforms that meet the rules and criteria should not be included.

Further, a switch in the teams name indicates a change in ownership in all likelihood. One could imagine the possibility that the original owner(s) of the Toros somehow managed to purchase the Leafs and decided to resurrect the old team.

[Steve]

Yeah, man, I definitely see your point. If the Leafs were rebranding, they wouldn't update the Toro's uniforms and call it a day. And perhaps that design belongs in a different competition. So I have no issue with you removing Roccot's Torros one.

As for IceGoalie365's...maybe I'm just too much of a "rules" guy. All I'm thinking of are the people who thought of a really good design using an old logo or a "Fankenstien" but then read the rules and realized they had to go in another direction. Then they work on a creative new design and submit it, only to see one allowed in that broke the same rules they followed.

If that design is allowed, it's not like I'll boycott the site or anything. My posts might come off as being mad, but I'm not. I'm just really opinionated about principles and fairness.

[johnny griswold]

Link, in no way am I gonna go that deep with possibilities of who would and who would not be the owners of this Toronto organization.

The NBA's Washington Bullets changed their name to the Wizards. It was a re-branding done by the same owners. The NBA's Washington organization wouldn't have - and didn't - pick an old ABA team to model their re-branding.

We can argue all the points of the competition till we're blue in the face.

My point was that IceGoalie365 kept it a Leafs re-branding. Roccot's created an updated look for the WHA's Toronto Toros.

[johnny griswold]

Point well taken, Steve.

[Mike Ivall Design]

And this is why you will never see one of my other entry's! unless its outside of this competition. No offense to Mr. Taylor he know i like his work. But i have to back Johnny in his choice. If he lets that one in then he will have to let one of mine in.

That being said. i would have to say IceGoalie365 be taken off for the leaf alone if it was another leaf i would have no issues. ALSO! if this is the way we are going to take this. Roccots first submission would also have to be taken out, KOHO's St. Pats and Eric Westhaver Toronto Granites.

So you guys choose the Rules to a T! or just let things be?

I for one would just like to let it be .

[johnny griswold]

Ok, inmates, The Toronto Toros submission by Roccot is back in the competition!

I've decided that it's too last minute to pull it without giving Roccot (and IceGoalie365) a chance to modify their design to make it an acceptable entry.

Also, if I allow rules to be broken one way, I have to allow them to be broken in another way. Actually, there was no rule against submitting an updated team from another league, so that's just an oversight on my part when making up the rules.

All in!

[Mike Ivall Design]

So does this mean i can ad mine? LOL

More headaches! hehe

[johnny griswold]

NOOOO, Mike! Haha. The submission deadline has passed on and you've already changed it to the Titans, correct?

[Mike Ivall Design]

Oh have more tweeks! and its all ready baby!!!! lol no its fine ill save it for another time.

[ross]

really will be a mute point when one of the other concept wins. I don't put the concepts in to win but to get feedback, debate etc. As you can see real work just doesn't entertain me like you guys.

[Mike Ivall Design]

Yeah i love feed back too. Yeah i have to say the samething about real work too.

Oh just a point for the Rangers! NO USEING THE AMERICANS as a name!

[ross]

i say no rules for the next contest. It should become obvious that people that don't change it up much won't 'win'. Then again we'll have nothing to discuss.

[johnny griswold]

No rules means anarchy, ross!!! haha

[Koho]

I think you could've just said to take out the toronto toros and have it re-entered when the Toronto Toros are up in the WHA rebrand competition (whenever that happens). That's fair to the leafs designs and still gives roccot a chance to win the toros competition that he essentially started with his rebrand.

[ross]

is anarchy at puckdrawn a problem?

Don't worry Koho I've already got my Leaf design ready for the Toros competition. haha

[johnny griswold]

Ha! Ross... good one.