Photo: Monumental Network

Ian and I seem to like the Caps’ new Winter Classic jerseys. For me, they’re an invocation of a hockey legacy in DC– the discovery and acknowledgement that hockey has been here for awhile. It’s a synthesis of old and new. Plus I think the colors are pretty.

And while the majority of RMNB readers and commenters seem to agree, not everyone loves the new sweaters. That’s totally fine. It’s a big Internet, with room for all kinds of opinions. In the spirit of plurality, let’s share a few alternate design concepts created by and sent in by you guys. Any excuse to share your artwork, right?

Design by Michael Link

Michael Link shared the image above on our Facebook page. It’s a simplified version of the Caps’ concept, which he felt had too many design elements. Gone are the shoulder stripes and second stripe across the waist. The top image uses the Caps’ secondary logo, the Weagle, but the one below uses a monumental W on the chest.

Check out Michael’s deviantArt page.

I think they’re pretty sharp. What do you think?

And while we’re at it, let’s compare and contrast with this concept found on Icethetics earlier this week.

Sent to us by @sugelover and designed by Nick Sample (that can’t be his real name), this design uses the tan in the NHL’s 2015 Winter Classic logo instead of #FFFFFF white to give the jersey a vintage feel. The W logo appears without the team name that is on top of the W on the chosen Caps Classic jersey.

This is a bit too Habs-y for me with all those abdominal stripes, but I love the socks and pants.

Alright, that’s enough Tim Gunn routine for me. Your turn. Thoughts?