Reader's Artistic Talent

The man to the left is Michael Nylander. Nylander suited up for a few games with the Grand Rapids Griffins in his career, and you can see him to the left in an alternate logo for the AHL club. Now this is the second day in a row where I've spoken about the Michigan-based AHL franchise, but this is less about the Griffins and more about someone who will see his uniform design worn on the ice next season. As you may know, the Griffins allow fans to submit designs for their annual jersey design contest, and one reader from the incomparable Uni Watch Blog came out on top! Who was the designer, and what design was chosen? And when will his design be seen? All of this below!

The man with the artistic abilities that trumped everyone else is Ryan Muraro. The Waukesha, Wisconsin native's design was chosen from 97 entries for the contest! The contest was held on the incredible PuckDrawn site - a site I frequent often - and Ryan's design was certainly one of the best, if not the best.

Ryan's design featured a powerful, muscular griffin on the front of the jersey. On the shoulders, the secondary logo, resembling the NHL's Detroit Red Wings logo, is present, keeping the tie-in to the Griffins with their NHL affiliate. Honestly, it's a very cool design, and I may have to contact the Griffins about getting my own jersey. I like that design!

"Ryan’s completely original design features an aggressive Griffins logo, yet he was able to keep the lines simple and capture the tradition of the game with use of the ties in the front of the jersey," Rich Meyers, the Griffins’ director of game operations, stated. "And his creative integration of the city’s logo into an allusion to the famous 'winged wheel' put Muraro's design at the top. I'm looking forward to seeing this jersey come to life on Dec. 31, once we’ve converted Ryan from a Milwaukee Admirals fan to a Griffins fan."

Ryan is an accomplished industrial designer and illustrator with a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The 23 year-old has designed suits for British speedskater Philip Brojaka as well as the Ukrainian national speedskating team, and will get to see his newest design on the ice in Grand Rapids, Michigan on December 31, 2010. From his comments, it appears the young man is a hockey history lover as well.

"I wanted to make an accelerated evolution of the Griffins’ current look, making sure to keep the same sort of structure," Muraro said in an interview. "For the jersey, I looked back to the jerseys the Griffins wore back when they began in the old IHL and wanted to emulate the feathered shoulders that were such a unique look. When I first saw them play the Admirals back then, I saw those jerseys and immediately identified them with the team, just as much as the logo itself."

Muraro will receive a customized jersey of his design and four tickets to the New Year's Eve game in honour of his winning design, and I'm hoping that he'll wear that jersey proudly. It looks great, and it should look fabulous on the ice! Congratulations to Ryan for his work, and I'm looking forward to seeing your design in action!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!