The Endangered Orca
Tuesday · Dec 1 · 2009 | 11:21 AM PST
I got an interesting email from a Vancouver Canucks fan yesterday. He told me about all the signs he's been noticing that leads him to believe the orca logo, introduced in 1997, may finally be on its way out.
Rather than paraphrasing what he had to say, I thought I'd go ahead and let you all read the email for yourself and make up your own minds.
Just a heads up for next season. Although I'm drawing conclusions based on current marketing efforts by the Vancouver Canucks I think we should look to expect the end of the "orca whale C" logo next season and seeing the stick-in-rink third jersey come into full time use.
Why, you ask? First, the new ownership group renamed operations away from Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment to Canucks Sports. Second, the current third jersey is used exclusively in current marketing and branding efforts, including the team website. In fact, the players are wearing this one whenever they do public appearances, hospital visits, etc.
Third, the stick-in-rink and "Johnny Canuck" logos now dominate team store merchandise and team merchandise available throughout the province. And likely the biggest clue are the huge price reductions and promos offered through the team store encouraging people to buy the current orca whale jersey. The ads even say "orca whale jersey" in ways that clearly distinguish it from the more popular current third. Every week there's a new incentive being advertised on Vancouver sports radio from the team store to sell off this jersey.
Will Canucks fans finally get their wish? All signs are pointing in that direction.
Dave
For the record, both the Canucks and Buffalo Sabres celebrate their 40th NHL seasons in 2010-11. Sabres brass has already talked publicly about reverting to the classic logos and uniforms from the '70s and '80s.
It's funny how these teams appear to be having mid-life crises — just like a guy who hits 40 and longs to recapture his youth with sports cars and such. It's weird in a way, you have to admit.
Reader Comments (42)
I think the direction is good from a marketing perspective. The fans clearly seem to prefer the throwback and anything that attracts more fans to the game right now is good.
Personally, I've always thought the Canucks orca C was one of the best designed logos in the league. It was simple and had enough cultural context (maybe overused or cliche) that you knew the location of the team without necessarily knowing the team name or even the city they played in. I think only the Nordiques (sweater) and maybe the Maple Leafs can claim such instant place recognition.
I agree with Tim on the stance that the Canucks' Orca log was one of the best in the league.
And i am actually not too big on the stick-in-th-rink logo.
its boring, its SUPER lame and says nothing about their team. Its a hockey rink - that could be any team.
The Orca was original and immediately told you which team it was.
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS FINALLY. that logo is on its way out soon
Well it's about time. Two classic logos to make a return. Great news.
i like that logo i hope it doesn't go away.
I've never understood the appeal of the stick-in-rink logo. Has to be among the most boring and unimaginative logos in the league. Like the Thrashers and Wild logos, it just looks like a boring BLAH until someone points out what it actually is (a letter 'c'). That's not to say the orca logo (or any of their past attempts) is any better, but I think its time for the team to abandon all hopes of ever designing that mythic "iconic crest," and just go for a stylized wordmark already
YES! Now introduce a brand-new green Johnny Canuck jersey and it's all good. No more uniform changes after that, because we've had much more than our fair share. I agree that the Orca was a good part of our identity but it's finally time to move on.
Whatever the canucks do just make up their mind and stick with one logo....
As a Canucks fan, I have to say; "Thank God!"
Tim: I'm assuming you're not from Vancouver (you used the term 'throwback', I think we use 'vintage' more), so it's interesting (nice) to hear that you actually like the sweater even though I personally hate the orca.
I gotta tell ya, as a lifelong fan (with a slight NYI exception when I was really young), it's been tough to cheer for a team who sports a sweater that I personally found ugly. Say what you want about the skate logo (memories, yada yada), I used to hate it because it represented nothing. I recall being severely disappointed back in 97 when they announced the change...I'm no artist, so I didn't have any ideas, but when I saw the orca, I felt sick. Dont' even get me started on the VANCOUVER wordmark they put in for the Olympics (and RBK). Ugh.
IF they keep the rink as their primary sweater, that'd be great...I'm personally wishing for a Johnny Canuck third...and while they're at it, make it green! :)
as a canucks fan myself, i do see a lot more usage of the rink-in-stick logo, but i wouldn't say that the orca is being phased out. As for their website, i don't quite get what the emailer is getting at. The pages are still dominated by the orca, and the only time on the homepage where the rink is used it is along side the other two logos (including the johnny canuck)
it's not so much a midlife crisis as it's a realization that if it aint broke don't fix it. These are my two favorite teams and I couldn't happier that their going traditional ( I hate the term "old school")
After they make this switch, how long will it be before the Canucks change their identity again? It always seems to happen every few years anyways. Perhaps they'll celebrate their 42nd anniversary with a logo switch as well?
as a canucks fan i would love to see the Johnny Canuck logo be our 1st and 2nd. stick in the rink as a 3rd. I just hate how the canucks reband after every blink
I've never loved the Orca logo, and the clashing blues and greens did irk me, but the design has really grown on me. The stick and rink are terrible designs, original or updated. You couldn't pay me to wear one of those jerseys but this very confused city seems to enjoy poor designs. The current look is as good as it's going to get for a while. Hopefully management doesn't go for yet another cash grab.
Wasn't the current third supposed to have become the home jersey in the first place, but there was some copyright thing going on with the Johnny Canuck logo? I think I may have even seen it posted on here, but from the moment I saw the third I really hoped that would become to main jersey and that they would make a white one.
I say they should add laces on the neck, and maybe add some silver on the outside of the white stripes on the waist and elbows, the way Buffalo did to modernize their 3rd (or is it the home now?) and because it would make sense with the silver outline added to the new stick-in-rink logo.
I was just looking on the Canucks site and there were pictures of the team on the plane and all the little napkins on the headrests had the stylized stick in rink on them. Interesting...
the canucks wearing an aesthetically pleasing uniform full time? that goes their history. :D
Vancouver's classic logo with Johnny Canuck? Bonus.
As excited as I'd be to see that, I'm fifteen times as jacked up to see Buffalo return to its roots.
I have to agree with Dave. After reading this article, I immediately went to the Canucks website. The header still features the orca; the wallpaper of the month features Ryan Kesler wearing, wait for it, the orca; the video of the Canucks hospital visit shows them wearing, you guessed it, the orca. What Canucks website was the emailer on?
The Oilers did sort of a mini-switch this season, utilizing their Vintage Blue and orange as their primary home jersey. Fans are calling for the Aways to be replaced next year with a throwback design back to White, blue and orange and keeping a design that utlizes the late 90's Copper and Blue. I wouldn't mind seeing more teams go with the brighter colours.
From a fan prespective, it's both nostalgiac, and plain fun to see the teams back in their more colourful looking jerseys. The Canucks Blue and Green (vs original Orca Jerseys), Sabres Blue and Yellow (vs Black and Red), or the Oilers Blue and Orange (vs Dark Blue and Copper) stand out a lot more.
Honestly after reading all the comments I see that I'm apart from everybody's opinion, but I find this sitck-in-rink logo just terrible... It is so boring... I do not understand why people like it so much... Probably just by nostalgia because honestly if a new team arrived with that logo... I think everybody would be bashing on it... Oh well... you all seem happy so whatever...
I'd love to see this happen. I'd also love to see the Johnny Canuck logo make it onto a jersey...however, not the one they're created, but the original one. Seeing as they sell the original logo on tshirts, I'd think this was a possibility.
I like the orca. Obviously the Canucks want to show off their third jersey. The whole point of having one is to make money. That's why the Penguins are change there's. To have a new jersey. Fans see enough of the other jerseys on the ice. Personally, unless we move to the Johnny Canucks logo, I would be disappointed if the Canucks got rid of orca.
Coming from a lifelong Canucks fan and local Vancouverite, I really hope they drop the Orca in favor of the Johnny Canuck V logo. I never really liked the Orca logo at all, at least before the RBK era the Orca logo blended well with the colors, now the logo just looks so out of place with the blue, white, and green unis.
Has any team in pro sports used as many different colors as the Canucks?
Royal Blue
Sea Green
Black
Orange
Yellow
Red
Navy Blue
Silver
I think they need to go purple now.
I actually like the orca, and I think they should just switch it back to their alternate and have two stick in rink jerseys.
I quite like both logos to be honest. It's the littler details that I think the Canucks should look at. For starters, the "VANCOUVER" wording is just plain dumb and needs to go no matter what. Secondly I believe the template of the third jersey is much better than current home. If you look closely you can see there is spacing between the white and green stripes (on both the jersey and the socks) and the a much thicker white stripe, as opposed to the current homes ginormous green stripe and puny white stripe (and the socks don't even match). I think that as long as the Nucks use the third jersey template (and keep the Johnny Canuck head as the shoulder) either logo would look quite nice.
Why are you giving credence to an e-mail that is full of nothing but old rumors and inaccuracy, which admits it is "drawing conclusions" based on certain criteria? "As a result, "The Endangered Orca" sounds like a pretty over-dramatic title for this entry... maybe you should work creating headlines for a tabloid.
The Orca Bay/Orca logo comment was ridiculous (and a very old one to boot), the website is covered with Orca logos, and a simple jaunt through the video archives on the Canucks site will show recent Canuck public appearances where players indeed the regular uniforms.
Inaccurate perceptions are normal but again, why post it like it's headline news?
I wish this were the case but it's not happening. Personally I think the Canucks should relegate the orca logo to a tourist fashion jersey. It doesn't go with the blue and green uniforms at all and it's not very well liked by hard core Canucks fans. Then again a lot of Canuck fans in their 30s seem to like that god awful skate logo so I don't know what to think there. The Canucks should have just used the Johnny Canuck skating logo from the start but they had bad ownership and terrible management that didn't know how to market the team at all. Now that they've had so many looks it's confusing for the fans. In the future I think you're unfortunately going to see pockets of fans that want uniforms or logos from every era. Right now I think the govt of BC should mandate that the Canucks wear the skating Jonny Canuck logo from here on out and be done with it. No more Orca!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tim nailed it on the first comment. I hope they keep the orca. It's one of the best redesigns in the last couple decades, and a HUGE improvement over the German Flying Skates (tho I love the black-red-gold combo) and the mind-numbingly dull Stick-In-Rink.
Keep the Stick-In-Rink logo as a tertiary for shoulders or pants, and do a kitschy Johnny Canuck third jersey, something to break up the circle logo trend in Pitt/St.L/FLA/MNLPS/Chicago.
Wow, I don't understand the love for the stick-in-rink. That's probably the 2nd worst logo I've seen for a hockey team. (With the white version of the stick-in-rink being the worst.)
Cancuks, put Johnny Canuck on the front of the jersey. Problem solved.
THANK GOD!!! It all comes full circle. The stick in rink logo works because it is simple. Same thing with the brighter colours. Remember about 10 -15 years ago when a bunch of teams (Canucks included) went to that dark, dark blue? It just looked black on tv (probably the point) No Canucks uni has ever looked better on TV than the original Blue jersey with the Stick in rink logo. Having said that, I do like the update, however I miss the White rink on the blue jersey. Keep the orca as a shoulder patch, and ditch that pathetic Johnny Canuck logo altogether (Vachon cakes anyone?) PS Can't wait to see the new s.i.r logo on a white jersey.
I'd rather see some kind of revisiting of the skate, either by recolorisation or modernizing it like he the caps did.
The Orca logo looks ridiculous. The basic idea of an Orca whale breaking out of ice is cool, but it looks very weird when they force that into the shape of a C like that.
The stick in the rink on the other hand looks decent, but it's so boring and bland. It would be better suited for an eqiupment company like Cooper or CCM, not as a logo that is supposed to initiate passion in the fans.
This combined with the infamous V 80's jerseys and the garbled early 90's logo give the Canucks what is probably the worst logo history in the league. They have gone from fail to fail.
The Cancuck's Current Logo Is Great! Do'nt Change It!!!
Its a good idea for both Buffalo and Vancouver to go back to the old logos. There was never any reason to change them and the newer logos are horrific in comparison to the classic logos.
I'm so glad my team (Flyers) have stuck with their original logo. I can't imagine how annoying it is to be a fan of a team that changes their logo every five or ten years. The modified stick-in-rink logo is a good logo and they should stick with it... until they go "retro" in five years with the giant "V"...
A few years back I was traveling through South Africa where I met someone wearing a Canucks hat with the Orca logo. I greeting this person, asking how long they have followed the Canucks and if they had ever been to Vancouver. Turns out this guy wasn't a hockey fan at all, he picked up the hat at a second hand shop thinking it was originally from a fishing club. You see, this dude collected fishing hats, and was disappointed to learn he was secretly supporting a hockey team.
Point is, the Orca logo sucks. It never really felt like a "sports" logo. Was it original? Ya, I think so... but probably best left for a corporate logo, or a fishing club.
Johnny, I'm sure if the Canucks ever played in the Winter Classic they would break out the old "Flying V's".
If the Canucks ever break out the flying V uniforms or anything with the skate logo I will officially swear off this team. They are ugly degrading uniforms and a constant reminder of futility. The players themselves did not want to leave their dressing room when they first saw the flying V uniform.
To be frank, as a fan, I am embarrassed whenever I see someone wearing the V uniform or skate jersey. They are an easy source of ridicule for our rivals. Ditto for the orca logo. I simply do not have any pride in those logos.
The skating Johnny Canuck logo should be the logo and the sweater should be blue. The Canucks have had a blue sweater for the majority of their history from 1946 onward and that should be their identity. No more ugly logos and gaudy colours that have nothing to do with the team name. Let the ugly past be the past.
I've lived in Vancouver all of my life and have suffered through the bad teams and jerseys but for the life of me I do not understand why the "V" uniforms are refered to as the "Flying V's". How has the term "Flying" come to be associated with the "V"?
As a long-time and long-suffering Canucks fan, every single post makes sense. Not that I agree with everyone. However, the passion us Canuck fans feel towards this team has never been stronger. Forget about never winning the Cup. The fact is that this franchise, which is the third oldest in Canada, has had a terrible identity crisis. All past logos, designs, and colour schemes have their pros and cons and people have different tastes.
Now, let's get with the present and the future. The blue and green are the TRUE Canucks colours, even though I loved the home yellow-away black combo. The Double V's(V'd off makes sense here) carry the '82 Cup run memories and the Skate the same in '94. However, the Stick in Rink, both original and modified, have that simplicity that the Canadiens' CH does. The most logical choice, however, would be to go with the Johnny Canuck V or the Skating Johnny Canuck. The proud Canucks' name goes back to the old WHL days with Johnny Canuck. Jonny hit the nail on the head here. Had the Canucks had strong ownership and management from day one, Johnny Canuck would have been our primary crest from the very get-go. We wouldn't have seen all these changes. Now, the Canucks have an ownership and management team with knowledge and passion who are going to correct a 39-year wrongdoing. By going with Johnny Canuck and keeping it forever.