Hockey team photo comparison

This is a work in progress high school hockey team photo; no graphics yet.

Just looking for opinions. I like the original on the left, the team manager

asked me to make the changes on the right. They both are interesting, but

I would like more opinions before committing to a couple hundred game

schedule posters. Most of these will be hanging in bars, eateries,

businesses and schools. The one on the left grabs me more, but the one

on the right may be a bit more sophisticated. Thanks for any replies!

I strongly agree with your opinion about the first photo: it's more appealing. The second one is - imho - a bit too much post produced, and the contrast between the team and the background is a bit too much. I think you could work on the white balance of the first to achieve a more natural result. Ciao, G.