THN Releases Logo Rankings
30 CommentsThe Hockey News, as they've done every year since I can remember, has released their logo rankings. The Blackhawks are No. 1 on their list — far from that on mine.
Below are their Top 10.
Pretty much what you'd expect. Here are the Bottom 5.
I'm a little surprised to see the Hurricanes down there. Not at all surprised to see the Ducks last. Shame about my Lightning, but what THN says is true. They just can't find a font that works.
I highly recommend checking out their full ranking complete with rationale and everything. (You'll understand my joke once you've read that.)
Now that's not all THN has going. Yesterday they launched a new web feature that I can't decide whether I should be miffed or flattered by. They announced their Logo Rankings & Tournament. This is a lot like any one of our logo tournaments where we pit logo against logo and you vote for the best.
Theirs is on a larger scale. They're holding a tournament of the 40 best logos from 16 different leagues. A great idea, but not an original one. Still, I think you guys should all go vote in their logo competition and see how it all turns out. I'll still continue doing the same thing here.
I'm curious to know what you guys think of this. Read up on what The Hockey News has going and then drop me a line by email or comment.
Reader Comments (30)
Their list is all about the history behind the logo and not the artistic representation of the logo itself unlike on this blog, where history of a logo means much less to how good it is.
Senators would be one of the top logos in my best logo list and only the sharks and wild out of their top list.
What a bunch of copiers... you knew it would come some day.
Their short synopsis for each logo is mind-numbing at best. As you stated in your blog, they do not provide an in-depth evaluation of the structure, colors, and meaning of the logos themselves. I wonder how the rankings change year to year if and when none of the franchises change logos.
I wouldn't worry Chris! Even tho they copied the tournament, I think what made this site is the concept logos, jerseys, etc. I don't think they will come up with something like this. I hate THN, can't stand their website and their magazine.
Im glad the nucks logo isn't last. I actually like it.
I commented on the Hockey News board about how it was already done, and they erased it within minutes. Nice to see how threatened they are by this.
That Just plane rude. Makes you wonder if them and the NHL are watching this site closely and Looking to steal our work. Im not liking this one bit. There the the big fish trying to eat the little guy. Makes me Mad!
Their list is a joke, Chris. It's pretty much groundless, and they just claim to be traditionalists for the sake of it.
That said- my Top 10, and Bottom 5, respectively:
(1-10)
St. Louis , Colorado, Montreal, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, San Jose, Minnesota, Vancouver
(26-30)
Buffalo, Columbus, Los Angeles, Florida, Anaheim
That Habs logo is way uglier than most of the bottom 5, the fact that it is "legendary" shouldn't grant it a top 5 spot.
Idea: Have two panels, consisting of 5 people each from Icethetics and THN dissect each individual logo for a winner take all tournament. The competition can be open to panels from other blogs, just as long as there is a general consensus.
Can't believe Nashville's that high on the list with their multi-color creation. On the flip-side though, I'm surprised that Columbus and Dallas are so low on the scale.
I posted a comment on Tournament section. There's two before me that posted a similar comment saying that it's a déjà vu and that they copied.
bah i never was a fan of the hockey news,, each year they pick my habs to finish in the bottom of the league,,each freaking years,,,im sure they will do it again this year even tho we finished first last season,,
and now they copy your tournament tsss shame on them
Come on Pawscal say TABARNAK desti dcaliss!!!
Wow, shocker, the Slug is in the bottom. How many "worst" lists does it have to be on before Tommy G. and Larry Quinn realize that they need to drop it.
LAME THN!
total copy of concept. maybe if enough people say stuff over there, you could get even more publicity.
though with that, it would be a good idea for you to bring those banners over from NHLTOL and put them at the bottom somewhere...solidifies your status as the first to do this.
what you really should do at some point, just to one-up these guys one more time, is to take every winner from the past logo tournaments, NHL, CHL, AHL, etc...and pit them against each other to find "the best logo in hockey"
Chris, you need to stop hating on the Blackhawks' logo; it's getting old. Every time it's mentionned you have to make a stupid remark on how mediocre it is. We get it, ease up.
Hockey Week: You mean "the best logo of North America"? I think some European hockey teams have better logos than some NHL teams.
Jokerit (was voted the best logo in Europe a few years ago) and HIFK from Helsinki Finland, Frölunda HC (Indians), AIK Stockholm,
Maybe in the future we could have tournaments for European leagues?
Damme,
First we gotta finish all the North American leagues, even the ones that THN has listed.
Glad to see the slug right where it belongs.
wow..im surprised my canucks are pretty high, usually people hate on their logo! Im also surprised that Ottawa is in the bottom five, their logo actually looks nice.
Damme,
well there you go, let's do the Best Logo in North American Hockey. then start on european leagues.
i know there's a ton of european leagues, maybe do the Swedish Elite League, the Russian Superleague, the new KHL, DEL?, and then have select logos from the rest of the leagues, just so it doesn't take forever.
but seriously, why not try to find the best logo in the hockey world?
I have to agree with a previous comment...enough with the reminding people every time you don't like the Hawks logo. There's nothing wrong with holding the dissenting opinion, but when EVERYTIME the Hawks logo is brought up, it has to be stated that you aren't a fan, it really detracts from an otherwise brilliant site.
What?! The only possible reason one could have for loving the Blackhawks logo but hating the Sens logo is out of "history", and "history" has no place in evaluating the aesthetics of an image.
I like how they apparently dropped the Devils in their logo rankings (as if the logo has changed in the last decade+), and say that the stylized "N" has it's good characteristics. They do realize that it isn't just an "N" but an "NJ", right?
Bunch of dolts at that publication.
Haha, to the folks knocking THN's selection process. Does anyone remember when the logo tournament on NHLToL was on, and voters were admitting that they were voting against certain logos because they hate the team they represent, and it was clear others were voting for the logo of their favorite team? THN's list is more on the mark, because the selection process was more objective. The NHLToL tournament was fun, but the Black Hawks would have had no chance to win that poll.
I used to dislike the Wild's logo until I realized it was in the shape of a bear's head. For whatever reason, I just could not see it -- it just looked like a weirdly-shaped landscape -- and then one day it just dawned on me, and now I think it's a brilliant logo.
Yeah, I kind of feel like an idiot.
& the Blackhawks' logo seems kind of outdated and exploitive to me. I'm not a fan of using Native American imagery in sports logos, even though I know it's an old logo and none of the Original Six have really altered their logos too much. I still don't like it.
emo,
exploitative? i can see the arguments that people make with a lot of Native American logo usage, but lets be reasonable here.
teams like the Redskins or the Redmen could definitely be offensive. logos that are particularly stereotyped, such as the Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo, could definiely be offensive.
but when a logo really isn't demeaning, doesn't try to poke fun at a people or a culture, and in fact try to glorify them, such as the Illinois Fighting Ilini or the U. Of North Dakota Fighting Sioux, and even the Chicago Blackhawks, what's the problem? seriously, if I were a Native American, i'd be proud of that logo, that someone sees my people as tough enough to represent a sports team.
why does nobody get upset about the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? I wish there was a team name based on my primary heritage of the Polish.
let's be reasonable here, the name is used in a politically correct way, the logo is not politically incorrect, and if anything, should be used as an example of a good logo that a people can be proud of.
and if anyone who happens to be Native American, especially descended from the Blackhawk tribe, considers me wrong, please speak up, and as specifically as possible, tell me where i'm wrong, so that i won't make the same argument again.
@hockeyweek,
a] the chicago blackhawks aren't named after a native tribe at all. to quote the team's wiki:
"McLaughlin had been a commander with the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I. This Division was nicknamed the "Blackhawk Division", after a Native American of the Sauk nation, Chief Black Hawk, who was a prominent figure in the history of Illinois. McLaughlin evidently named the hockey team in honour of the military unit, making it one of many sports team names using Native Americans as icons."
which brings me to;
b] there's no such tribe as blackhawk - black hawk is taken from chief black hawk of the sauk, fox, and kickapoo tribe responsible for the great black hawk war of the 19th century. the war was fought by natives against americans for the possesion of their land.
now, secondarily - i argue that blackhawk logo, and other such logos do little more than perpetuate stereotypes and misinform third party viewers. you're by no means in the minority when it comes to your knowledge of native culture, and i believe part of this problem is a lack of proper education about native history and misrepresentation in media [sports teams being not the biggest culprit, but a major.]
furthermore, i think it's moderately unfair that a corporate entity that does business in america merchandises depictions of a native chief who fought a war against the absorption of his native land and was held captive [rightfully so, i suppose by US law -which is another argument] for nearly a year.
for the record, i'm against the name fightin' irish too... different debate.
hopefully this has shed some intelligible light on the subject from a not often heard perspective, and was worded in a polite manner. if it's not a was trying to be blunt to keep this shorter ;)
C v J,
thanks for the response. I knew the actual naming for his WWI division and even his restaurant (which was named first, the restaurant or the team is still up for debate), but i did not know that there was no Blackhawk tribe.
i understand your argument and respect it, even moreso because you're consistant with the Fighting Irish. That said, isn't there also something to be proud of here? Sure this Chief fought against American domination and lost, but the fact that he was revered enough to be considered a symbol of toughness (enough so to represent a team), and to be remembered at all is an honor in itself, is it not?
i get what you're saying and i mean no disrespect, but can't one also look at this from another angle, that the use of this Chief's likeness and what he stood for (the standing up and fighting part), be a good thing, and perhaps even an honor?
Link didn't fully publish, but here it is again.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/
This-isn-t-a-tournament-of-logos-it-s-an-Ultima
;_ylt=AnKxMPb3skfAZzVnyza4OQJ7vLYF?urn=nhl,98009