Quack to the Future!
Tuesday · Jun 30 · 2009 | 9:02 PM PDTJust days ago, hockey fans in Moline, Illinois were mourning the loss of hockey as the Abbotsford Heat unveiled its new logo and uniforms. But happiness now reigns as the league that once hatched the Quad City Mallards resurrects them — and with six new logos to boot.
Today the International Hockey League announced the approval of the expansion franchise. The team now has a bare-bones web site set up with the following splash page graphic — from which I borrowed tonight's headline.
;)
It features six different logos, two of which are textless. I didn't think you could make a mallard look intimidating but somehow these guys actually managed. And while I'm impressed by the look of this club, I can't help but wonder how wise it is to exist in the first place.
An article in the Quad-City Times points out the frequency of attendance trouble the i wireless Center has faced for hockey in the last decade. (Also talks about the management's marketing strategy for getting fans back.) The arena has been home to the sport since 1995, but has also lost two different teams — the original Mallards shut down when the Calgary Flames moved the AHL's Ak-Sar-Ben Knights to town in 2007.
Now they're gone and I hate to pass judgment on the fans, but it just doesn't seem like there are enough of them in Moline to warrant a team. Maybe you just make the 90-minute trip down I-74 to see the Rivermen in Peoria.
Having said that, there's more to this story. See, the IHL used be called the United Hockey League — the home of the first Quad City Mallards club. So in a way, it's like they just took a two-year vacation while the AHL tested the waters of a market that it found couldn't quite support it. So maybe they're right where they're meant to be.
Thanks to J.D. for the tip on this story and for making the "Mallards are re-hatching" joke. And now that you've heard enough from me, what do you guys think of the menacing green-headed bird logos above?
Reader Comments (9)
Looks kind of cool... I think I'm scared of that thing though.
Bottom and bottom right logos are my favorites of the bunch. I'd like the solo mallard a lot more, but without anything supporting the bird it looks sort of lost. This may just be in comparison with the other logos that have more going on.
We just got Ohlund!!!! GO BOLTS!!
These are kinda cool, based on being called the Mallards. They don't look stupid at least. I like bottom right and top right.
Bottom middle logo is great, the Anaheim Ducks should use that one.
I like the logos in the top-left and bottom centre. For the others, I frankly don't like the twisted mallard head and the font...
If I were the Mallards, I'd make the bottom right logo the front crest, and put the bottom center logo on the shoulders. Maybe with a San Jose style jersey like this. Though I'd replace the grey with orang, and the black with green outlined in white.
Oops, sorry. I meant to put the url in that last post. :P
http://www.prosport.ca/images/SJ_Sharks_A.gif
Sweet logos, I especially like the top right and bottom middle. The bottom right is also pretty good.