QMJHL: Sherbrooke Rises from the Ashes
Thursday · Nov 24 · 2011 | 7:09 PM PST
Sherbrooke Phoenix jerseys unveiledThe QMJHL's only U.S.-based team shut down over the summer, but a new one will be resurrected in that franchise's old home next fall as the Lewiston MAINEiacs give way to the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
The club's new name, logos and uniforms were unveiled at a press conference today, according to this release written in French (translated). Click here for more photos from the event.
As you may have read in the (incomplete) Icethetics Season Preview, the league bought out the floudering franchise after last season and ceased operations.
At the same time, it announced an expansion franchise had been awarded to Sherbrooke, Quebec and an ownership group led by ex-NHLer Jocelyn Thibault to begin play in the 2012-13 season. I find it a little weird. Why end the lineage of one of the league's oldest franchises? Why not simply transfer the franchise? (In the end, I'm sure it all comes down to money.) As I wrote in the Season Preview post...
The franchise itself is actually one of the QMJHL's oldest. The Trois-Rivieres Ducs were a founding member of the Q in 1969. They were renamed the Draveurs in 1973. In 1992, the club relocated to Sherbrooke and became the Faucons for six seasons. In 1998, the name was changed to Sherbrooke Castors. The club moved across the border into Maine in 2003.
There had been speculation that one of the previous Sherbrooke monikers would make a comeback, specifically Castors or Faucons. But as it turns out, they went the more literal route for a team that's "rising from the ashes." Of course this will be confusing for folks in Quebec if the Phoenix Coyotes end up moving there. (Kidding!)
Here are the other logos that were on display at today's unveiling.
Sherbrooke Phoenix secondary logos
Brilliant logos and a fantastic overall look for this team. I'm impressed. But are you noticing a trend? Two other Q teams, the Armada and Olympiques, introduced monochromatic logos this season, just like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles Kings. Seems like a trend toward less color. If so, I'm not sure that's a good thing.
But when you look at Sherbrooke's jerseys and logos, it's clear they're still a three-color team: dark blue, powder blue, and yes, that's the trendy vintage white rather than actual white. Don't get me wrong. I think these colors look great together, but they tick all the boxes in terms of what's "in" right now.
A local creative agency called Lubie designed the new brand (with an awesome video), which appears to have been influenced by the municipal coat of arms of the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Anyway, what do you think? How is this not a great look for a hockey team?
Reader Comments (30)
It's rare enough that expansion teams get it right on their first try and I think they cleary managed the feat on this one !
AWESOME logo, might be the best in the Q right now!
The reason why they didn't directly transfer the team back from Lewiston to Sherbrooke is because the arena (Le Palais des Sports) wasn't ready for september 2011, it's actually under renovations, and the owner in Lewiston didn't want to maintain the franchise one more year.
I like the primary logo...not too sold on the 'P' and 'SP' secondaries though. Just a thought...shouldnt a team called the Phoenix have brighter colors (ie red,orange,yellow) im thinking something along the lines of the Canucks late 80s-early 90s, or the Belleville Bulls
Pretty sharp. I like them. They are similar color wise to the Sageens jerseys though.
Any logo that's not in the new cartoonish look is a win to me.
I'm not exactly wowed by the jersey, but the logo is pretty awesome.
Either way, I look forward to seeing Les Phoenix (Or is this another weird singular name? Le Phoenix? like l'Océanic?), both in Hull and in Sherbrooke!
Hopefully Trois Rivières is the next to get their team back! (other than maybe Les Nordiques!)
Kevin AV: I understand why they shut down the team in Lewiston. I just think it's weird they're calling it an expansion team. We see franchises take a year or two off all the time in the minors. Doesn't mean they're an expansion team when they come back, even if they come back in another market. Maybe things are different in the Q.
Get the Reebok logo off the front and back to the lower backside where it belongs.
@CHRIS : Well, it's not totally clear though; some medias say it's an expansion, others a continuation (The league didn't make it clear too, so the interpretation is open I guess)... But if we look in the history of the Q the first Québec Remparts were put on hold in 1985 and returned in 1988 as Longueuil Collège Français (then the franchise shutted down in 1991 as Verdun Collège Français), so there is a precedent.
@TAOISEACH : It's LE Phoenix ;)
The funny thing about this team is its name. In french, Phoenix should be written "Phénix" and not "Phoenix", because spelled like that, it's a type of plant, not the mythical bird...
@CHRIS I think the reason they are considered to be an expansion team is that Lewiston's players were dispersed throughout the league. A transfered franchise would have to include the same players no ?
@ MARC-ANDRE It struck me at first too. But after some research, turns out both spellings are accepted. Althought the "o" and "e"are "glued" as "œ" in the official accepted french typography.
I love that logo and those jerseys. It is such a treat to see something so simple and so excellent! Good work to the design group in Sherbrooke!
But I'm not too crazy about the name. Only because the hat says Phoenix. The Phoenix Whats?
@Marc-André
Check on their facebook page, they explain that ''Phénix'' in French and ''Phenix'' in English both come from Greek ''Phoenix'' which is the original source of the word and that's why they went with that, they did not want to alienate French or English...
@G
Yeah color-wise it's pretty much like the Chicoutimi Saguenéens but the jerseys are REALLY different so it's no big deal ! (I'm from Chicoutimi by the way haha)
That logo isn't just good, it's stunning. The best logo outside the NHL perhaps. The perfect balance between simple and detailed. With most teams in the CHL either being cartoonish or bland copies of NHL logos this one stands out.
Sure, the colors are perhaps too trendy, but that can easily be remedied by dropping the powder blue in a few years.
isn't it kinda sad when a minor pro team can make nhl team logos look bush league,sweet logo,although i kind of agree with peter duggan about the colors especially a team nicknamed the phoenix but still really sweet logo.....anybody know when the coyotes are goin off to quebec because with realignment looming it seems inevitable for a new eastern conference team to spring up this summer.
I think the logo is good along with the jerseys.. but why not bring back the castors ?? the name was a big part of the teams history and one of my favorite logos ever !
I really like the crest, but the rest looks like some varsity track team, or beer league softball team ballcaps. Also agree with what was said above, I would think a "PHOENIX" would have brilliant colors, not so monochrome...
Hey Chris, could you make a proper wallpaper with the image you created above
I'd expand on it but can't create your nifty blue background
looks pretty nice to me, especially the logo
The most idiotic branding in sports history.
It says Phoenix on a ball cap. What exactly are your first thoughts? A junior team in Quebec or the well known city of Phoenix Arizona?
Dave: I didn't create the image above. It's a screen grab from the YouTube video I linked to in the post.
Chris: Ah alright thanks anyhow!
It looks like a Hylian Shield from the Zelda series.
that is the best logo in hockey, hands down
Nice logo, but that's all. There is a word in French for Phoenix, "Phénix". No need to use the English word and Sherbrooke is still a French-speaking city, even if it's only a couple of miles from Maine. Blatant disrespect for the language used by the majority.
Although I love the logo, I really don't like the look of the jerseys and the colors are way to cold for a fire creature like a phoenix. I mean, if you create a branding based on a phoenix, use at least some red, orange or yellow. Not blue and powder blue. Would the Calgary Flames ever use blue on their jersey, let alone use blue as the base of their logo?
I hate to be negative but:
Ugly logo, boring colors, silly name!
Sherbrooke Castors had a name with tradition, a nice logo and very good looking jerseys. Orange and blue is a great combination of colors. They had the chance to bring back the Castors with logo, jersey and name. And they wasted it!
Actually, this is a very sharp logo, and colors. Let's not forget, the hottest flames burn blue in color, so the color scheme works, contrary to popular belief and opinion.
I'm not comfortable with the choice of symbol and its rendering. A phoenix rises from its ashes. Why choose a symbol that burns down, then rises, even if it's supposed to be an eternal entity? The design of the bird itself has a somewhat militaristic quality which I find stiff, grim, almost lugubrious. Also, the name reminds me of the NHL Coyotes, so it's not distinctive enough. It's nice that the team's name is bilingual (it can be written in French this way as well), like the Armada, since Sherbrooke is in Quebec, too. I wish they'd come up with a revamped beaver symbol, from the old Sherbrooke team. Finally, I like the monochrome aspect, but I think the blue is too dark to be telegenic.
sharp logo, but needs more colors
Nice looking logos and stuff, but the colors should be of fire and ash (red, yellow, orange, black, charcoal), not ice and water. Death to double-blues! Enough is enough!