If the Wild Weren't the Wild...
Wednesday · Feb 16 · 2011 | 5:46 PM PSTIf there's one thing apart from new uniforms and logos that gets Icethetics readers excited, it's what was left on the table. We love concept art, especially when it's in the form of professional designs once considered by NHL teams. We've actually had a chance to see a lot of that recently with the Lightning, Kings, Blue Jackets, Ducks, Panthers, and even the Coyotes way back in 2008.
Now the team we know today as the Minnesota Wild has revealed what might've been in a new image gallery posted on their website.
Did you know that among the names considered early on were the Blue Ox, Freeze, Northern Lights, White Bears and Voyageurs? You may have. Those names have been floating around for a while, so now as they celebrate their 10th anniversary season, the Wild have hooked up with Minneapolis creative firm called The Shinebox to give us a visual representation of how the club might have otherwise looked.
Note: The following artwork doesn't truly fit in with the other teams discussed at the beginning of this post. Those were actual concepts the team considered once they had their name selected. In this case, the Wild turned to SME Branding to create their bear head logo only after a name was settled on.
Minnesota Blue Ox / The Shinebox
Minnesota Northern Lights / The Shinebox
Minnesota Voyageurs / The Shinebox
Minnesota Freeze / The Shinebox
Minnesota White Bears / The Shinebox
All rather interesting concepts, but none beats the Wild. And just like the logo, even the name Minnesota Wild is one of the best in the NHL. (Second only to, say... the Tampa Bay Lightning?) It's kind of interesting to see some personality added to the names that were considered for the team.
The Wild name was revealed to the public on Jan. 22, 1998 and the logo still in use today was unveiled Nov. 18, 1999. I highly recommend reading the article on the Wild's website as it talks a bit about the process of choosing the name and the trepidation the higher-ups felt upon its unveiling.
Reader Comments (41)
There should not be 'non-plural' names in sports....
It is a great nickname instead of some stupid animal. I love that they brought the green back as they never should've gotten rid of it.
This is a cool idea from the Wild to look back at concepts instead of forward... I like the Freeze cracks in the ice and the symmetrical Blue Ox, but not much else. I'm glad to have the WILD here in Minnesota and the best logo in professional sports just the way it is now!
To be honest, I never liked the name "Wild." What are they even referring to a noun? an adjective? a verb? Abstract concepts and non-count nouns just simply shouldn't be used as names for sports teams. That's the same reason why I dislike the names of Avalanche and the Lightning as well.
On a side note: Even thouhg it's black.... I'm Really digging that Voyageurs Jersey.
interesting stuff...agreed that none of them are probably better than the current wild concepts. Imo, the white bears is the best, northern lights the worst, and the rest somewhere in between
northern lights is sick
I love the Northern Lights logo concept, although not so much the colours used or the colour changing effects of the jersey. That Northern Lights concept is the best concept out of that group. But as far as the Minnesota Wild identity is concerned, IMO I don't believe they could've have come up with a better brand identity than that. The name (Minnesota Wild) is great, has a good ring to it, the logo is ingenious which in my mind is ranked right up at the top of the list next to the Whalers logo, and the colour sceme is perfect which which lookds great together and suits the Wild theme perfectly, and is also unique among the other teams in the league, and this is coming from a die hard Canucks fan who considers the Wild a bitter rival.
I read the original tweet post. The Northern Lights shown above doesn't show the original idea of using the material that changes color when it heats up. It glows yellow when the body under is warm. That photo doesn't show the true idea for an interesting concept.
Neat, and I agree that the Wild is definitely the best one of the options, though the color scheme for the Polar Bears is actually pretty solid in my eyes.
I must say, i really like the northern lights idea. I'm surprised they didn't go with this, it is pretty similar to the north stars so the fans might have appreciated that. But I still think Minny's home jerseys are AWFUL, the worst in the NHL. I love their away and alternate jerseys, and especially the green jerseys they had years ago. Please Minnesota, just change your home jerseys (and maybe throw in the northern lights jersey somewhere)
You must be being sarcastic Chris, the name Wild is terrible. Their jerseys aren't so hot either. I know you dig the green but thats no excuse bro!
When I see old North Stars' highlights and the mention of some of their great players, the more I despise the "Wild" name as well as the Dallas Stars franchise. When the SuperSonics left Seattle for Oklahoma City, it was agreed that the Sonics' name and colours would remain in Seattle, if and when the NBA returns to that city. The same thing should have happened in Minnesota back in '93.
Here's another solution that I've mentioned numerous times and I will say it again. Why not have two Stars' names of two kinds? Like in baseball's American League for example: there is both the Boston RED Sox and the Chicago WHITE Sox. Have the NHL, Dallas, and Minnesota work out a deal that gives Minnesota the classic North Stars' name, history, and brand while Dallas can add a little character to their plain "Stars" name by calling themselves the Lone Stars. This would be the perfect solution. Minnesota was one of the original expansion teams from '67 and had famous players like Bill Goldsworthy, Bobby Smith, Dino Ciccarelli, Neal Broten, and Craig Hartsburg. And of course, one of the nicest crests and colour schemes, the kelly green, white, and gold N-Star crest. NO WAY should that all be replaced by a goofy name that isn't even good enough to be used by an East Coast League team.
I'll save the team monikers until the end, because I have what I believe is a good defense of non-plural ones.
First, I'll cover the logos... The Northern Lights one is my favorite; I have no problems with it. I like the symmetry of the Blue Ox logo, but the stylized look of the ox head makes it look too unnatural. The Voyageurs one fails due to the use of a hockey stick, while the Freeze logo fails due to the having both "Minnesota" and "Freeze" incorporated into it. Even using just one or the other isn't good design for a logo. Of course, "Freeze" is kind of a hard concept to visualize. And the White Bears logo is just too bland.
Now, the uniform designs and colors... The Blue Ox and Freeze ones are nice, while I think the "shoulder pads" on the White Bears one handicaps it. The use of the Northern Lights logo's yellow "spikes" on the jersey's arms is just too much; and yellow should not be the main color of the 10th anniversary patch. (Let's just ignore the idea of Hypercolor jerseys mentioned on the Wild website. shakeshead ) And while I prefer subtlety over flashiness, the Voyageurs uniform is just too monochromatic; it needs another accent color.
Finally, the team monikers... Voyageurs and Freeze just doesn't seem distinct enough for a Minnesota connection. Blue Ox I understand, but then again, there are many places all over North America that claim Paul Bunyan as their own. Northern Lights I totally understand, but I tend to connect it more with northern Canada, particularly the territories. (It's also the name of my local newspaper. shrug) Now, White Bears I really like, what with the lake and the legend all all.
Now, about singular and plural team names... Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it does. My first example is my local team - the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL. I like the use of the singular "Titan" here because I see it as a name that represents the team as a whole; all the players combined make one, singular Titan of a team. While one could use similar reasoning for "Freeze", as I mentioned earlier, that's a hard concept to visualize; and IMO, that moniker sounds too much like a name a low-level minor pro league team would have.
My second example is the Wild. While the word is most commonly used as an adjective with numerous meanings, it can also be used as a plural noun for all the animals that reside in a wilderness area; in essence a shortening of the adjective and noun "wild animals" into one merged descriptive noun. One which I find very appropriate for players on a hockey team.
Now, "Blue Ox" is a problem. It is definitely not a moniker that can be used as a plural noun like "Titan"; at least without the explanation sounding somewhat silly. All the players combined make one mighty Blue Ox of a team. LOL! The solution would of course be changing the name to its plural - "Blue Oxen". Minnesota Blue Oxen sounds a little awkward though.
However, "Oxes" is also acceptable (and is technically the proper term for more than two oxen); and Minnesota Blue Oxes does sound a bit better, what with the usual plural "s". Of course, it should also be pointed out that an ox is technically a castrated bull. Not sure how the players would feel about that; and just wait until rival fans realize that. Ouch!
As it is, I love the "Wild" moniker, and while I was initially disappointed that they couldn't get the "North Stars" name back (which, IMO, was a miscarriage of justice), I must say I really love the Wild logo. It looks so simple and old-school, yet upon closer inspection has those wonderful hidden details with the river and trees and moon. It's just a masterpiece of design, and it's actually my favorite logo of all the teams in the NHL.
Anyhoo...
None of these concepts beat what they have now. Not even close. As for 'Wild'...it's grown on me, but I still dont like it. I prefer words that can be plurals as opposed to just adjectives as names. Doesn't sound right....kinda sounds juniour-ish.
The Announcement:
I was driving north on 35W in Minneapolis on Jan. 22, 1998 when the name "Wild" was announced, and there was a collective groan in the cities that still reverberates in places today. We had heard about the possibility of White Bears and Blue Ox, and some thought we might find a way to use "Minnesota Moose" but instead, we got a terrible, painful reject name from the WNBA.
The Aftermath:
And then it sank in ... they're going to want us to chant "LET'S GO WILD!!!"
F. That.
The jerseys only made it worse. Shiny gold stripes on tree green with red garland? It was the worst Christmas pageant ever. I couldn't help but pity all those men who were now buying jerseys clearly designed for their wives.
And that logo ... that design-by-committee abomination. "It should be an animal! No, a tree! No, a river! No a forest! A star--with the sun shining! No, let's make it ALL OF THOSE! IT'S WILD! GRRR!"
It's a travesty is what it is.
In at least the first couple seasons, the ironically named "Xcel Energy Center" was one of the quietest places I'd ever been. You could talk in a conversational tone with the person next to you, no matter what happened:
"Gaborik just did a sweet move to score."
"You think it would be louder."
"Why are you wearing your grandmother's dinner dress?"
"No, dude, that's just my WILD! jersey"
"Let's pretend there's a big N on it and never say 'WILD' again."
The Compromise:
If I know anything about Minnesotans, it's that they eventually decide to make the best of things. While I moved away, my friends in Minnesota eventually accepted their embarrassing team brand just like they accept the winter. It's uniquely terrible and painful, but it's theirs -- they are the ones who suffer through it, and suffering is a proud Minnesota tradition.
@ ANDRE
Right on. I've thought this for a long time. North Stars, Lone Stars. That would be rich.
If they wanted to make something of it, they could always schedule a 3-game series between the two teams at the same time every season - which could be cool, as they are connected, or hokey if done wrong -- or they could just leave the two alone. Either way, "Wild" is an all-time let down for a loyal hockey state that deserved better.
if the wild would ditch the red, they might be getting somewhere
Chck the "visual representation" tab and see how the Freeze jerseys change colour as they heat up (as in sweat). Good way for the coach to see who is doggin' it.
The Freeze option is too Roller Hockey anyway.
Do like the Voyageurs and creamy White Bears.
I'm glad they stuck with the Wild.
Nope, none of the above are really any better than what they have at the moment.....
that northern lights is almost the same as north stars, horrible colors tho.
blue ox & freeze probably are the best color schemes, but the blue ox logo is not good at all.
does the name voyageur work outside of quebec? not for me.
and the worst of all is the white bears!
Blue Ox - Enough with the two toned blue crap, Bad logo, bad name, worse jerseys.
Northern Lights - THAT COLOUR SCHEME! It's amazing, wish they had gone with that!
Voyageurs - Not my style, too much black, no colour at all? none? lazy.
Freeze - again, amazing colour scheme, so many options for alternate jerseys.
White Bears - more like WAT bears. That's a horrible logo, and a horrible name. colours are meh.
Wild the best name? I'd say tied for worst with Preds and Thrashers. I like the North and Lone Stars idea. IMO the wild need a new name and logo, as for ATL and NSH, move em to QUE and WPG already! I can deal with the other expansion teams and like the new TB logo, but these fake teams with weak attendance need to come home to Canada!
Really? Wild is by far the worst name in pro sports - it's an adjective for gawd's sake! The home jerseys look like cheesy Christmas sweaters. Too bad, too because North Stars was one of the best names ever. Sad minny lost two of the better, unique names in the north stars and lakers.
Again, Wild is simply an awful team name. Might as well be called the scary LOL
not gonna lie, i think that the northern lights would be a BOMB-ASS name.
Love the name Voyageurs. Don't care for the jersey representation, but it's a name/logo you can do a lot with.
I'm generally not a fan of adjective-noun team names for pro sports (ie. White Bears, Blue Jackets - but the grammatically incorrect Maple Leafs get a pass). Seems to work well in college sports though (ie. Crimson Tide, Thundering Herd).
Wow! I can't believe all the hate for the name. And Josh, you're looking too closely at the logo to realize how good it is as a logo. Stand back and it's an awesome logo, simple and old-school. The details you mentioned are just something cool to notice when you look closely, and they don't take away from the logo in any way. It's the best in the league, IMO.
And Jon, you must have meant Atlanta and Phoenix, not Atlanta and Nashville; because the Predators are doing great attendance-wise, while the Coyotes are the worst in the league. And you do realize they are called the Predators. "Preds" is just the informal shortened version. "Predators" is an awesome name. Of course, being "Canada's #1 Predators Fan", I'm biased. But I'm also a Quebec fan from way back and still bleed Nordiques bleue, so I'm excited about the prospect of Quebec City getting a team again (likely the Thrashers).
Anyhoo...
Minnesota Wild is a great name. I enjoy when NHL teams can actually make their logo and name connect to their town. Florida Panthers? Tampa Bay Lightning? (yeah lightning is specific to west florida)
Along with the Wild, the Blues and Red Wings have incredible name/logo combinations.
I do agree though, if they could hav pulled off Northern Lights it would be the best name in the league. Kind of a long name but cant you imagine everyone referring to to them as the "Lights" just as the Predators are the Preds or the Canadiens are the Habs. I've never been a fan of purple in a hockey jerzey though.
Jonathan, I get your larger point, but you picked a couple of not-so-great examples to make your point about team names not relating to the home locale. The Florida Panther is an actual, unique animal that is endangered and lives in the Everglades -- very place-specific. As for the name "Lightning," there may be lightning in many other places, but as anyone who's lived on the Florida Gulf Coast can tell you, there is an inordinate amount of lightning in that particular region of the country. (I might add, I now live in Boston, and I've yet to see a bear wandering my neighborhood....) Don't mean to be flippant, but just felt I needed to stick up for the two Floridian teams. They get picked on enough!
"Northern Lights" would have been a great name for the current Minnesota team. Also, while at first I thought that going with the same basic logo as the North Stars would be going to far, I realized that it was just the purple of the concept jersey that put me off. When I think of the actual northern lights - while they are colorful and include hues of purple - I really don't see purple working as the main color of the uniforms, or the logo. Maybe a slightly lighter shade of purple as an accent color.
On the subject of short versions of team names, it's nice when a team moniker of two of more syllables can easily be shortened to one syllable, or a one-syllable alternate name becomes accepted by the team's fans. But there are a few NHL teams that don't have such names; at least that I know of. If they do, could somebody enlighten me as to what they are? Those teams are the Thrashers, the Sabres, the Blue Jackets (though also called the "Jackets"; which is one syllable shorter), the Devils, the Rangers (though also called the "Blueshirts"; which is the same length syllable-wise), and the Flyers.
Now, there's also the Coyotes and Canucks, who are sometimes called the "Yotes" and "Nucks" ("dis"respectively?) on sports news shows. IMO, those are just awful names! Do Phoenix and Vancouver fans actually use these names. The former are sometimes called the "Desert Dogs", which I like as an alternate long name. Just "Dogs", however, would just sound insulting to the team.
The teams with alternate names, rather than shortened version of their official names are the Florida Panthers ("Cats"; which, while somewhat common and plain, is at least not insulting like "Dogs" would be), the Montreal Canadiens ("Habs"; short for "Habitants", which the "H" in their logo does not stand for), and the Tampa Bay Lightning ("Bolts"; which I really like; I hope their fans do too).
Anyhoo...
And I have I don't like any of them. First of all Wild is stupid, it's been a said a million times and it will be said a million more until the league and team figure out "Wild" is an adjective! Not a Noun! Next Blue Ox, don't you mean Blue Oxen? Also who wants a team name for a castrated bull? Northern Lights is not Minnesota, but the Yukon. Voyageurs is good but the sweater is plain and boring. Freeze is stupid too and White Bears, are they Polar Bears (which is a good name) or just Albinos? I like the "North Stars/Lone Stars" idea. Please bring the Green & Gold back.
I like the Voyageurs and the Freezes ... nice logos .... but very bad colors !!!!
@Stephen Trinder: "Wild" is a noun. It's a shortened form of both "wilderness" and "wildlife", both appropriate words with regards to the state of Minnesota. As a team name - a name for a team of physical athletes in a very physical sport - "Wild" as a shortened form of "wildlife" is a great name for a team!
And "White Bears" is a reference to the well-known region of Minnesota surrounding White Bear Lake. Although I do find "Minnesota White Bears" somewhat awkward to pronounce, of all the monikers mentioned in the article, this one has the best connection to Minnesota.
But I do agree with you on "Blue Ox/Oxen/Oxes" (and the castrated bull point). I find both "Freeze" and "Voyageurs" both rather generic, and "Freeze" does sound like the name of a 3rd-level minor-league team.
As for "Northern Lights", my local newspaper here in northern New Brunswick is called The Northern Light, yet the central northern states have a better chance of seeing the actual northern lights. The aurora has to be more active than usual, and it's easier to see then outside a big city (away from lights and air pollution), but it can be seen.
Anyhoo...
Bill Bourne was on to something. The Minnesota Blue Ox is a name I've heard before. They were a team in the defunct Roller Hockey International league in the mid-90s.
There also was a team called the Minnesota Arctic Blast (not making this up!). Can you imagine the Wild being called THAT instead?
For that matter, could somebody here even come up with a concept using the Arctic Blast name?
I'm not a big fan of any of the jerseys but I really like the name Minnesota Northern Lights!
Is there anything more 90s than FREEZE? Reminds me of the Calgary Radz rollerhockey team. While the Wild was definitely the right pick, I like the colour schemes for the Ox and the Bears. And I like the bravery of the Northern Lights design! The Voyageurs is an interesting concept that would work better with colour. Maybe a new Quebec team could be the Voyageurs...
The NORTHERN LIGHTS would make a great name for a BEER LEAGUE TEAM. Or just a BEER.
@JOHN D: Quebec and Winnipeg can return to the NHL as the Nordiques and the Jets, since the NHL owns those names with regards to professional hockey teams. Unfortunately, Minnesota couldn't come back as the North Stars because, whether it was the Dallas Stars or the NHL, someone screwed up and lost the rights with regards to naming a hockey team. Some patent lawyer/"squatter" scooped up those rights in 1999. But the league still owns the rights to the name with regards to clothing, jerseys, collectibles, etc.
Wild's logo and white jersey are one of the better ones in the NHL - the Wild name not so much, but I don't dislike it as much as when team first started up.
Out of the other choices, I think Voyageurs has the most potential. The logo is pretty good - be better if they'd lose the hockey stick as paddle and replace with real paddle; the jersey's monochromatic colour scheme should also go - didn't like it with the Kings, and don't like it in general. As far as Voyageurs having a local connection - not so much for Minneapolis (as far as I know) but Grand Portage in Minnesota was a rendezvous post for Voyageurs.
Freeze is the worst of the bunch on every level - very bad name, lousy logo not just for NHL but would be embarrassment for any minor league or even beer league team.
The curent logo is one of the best in pro sports.
The colors, though harsh and ugly to me at first, have grown on me through the years.
But that nickname....ugh. I STILL find it repugnant, even all these years later.
What they could have done - very simply - is replace the gold in the uniform with off white, and then call themselves the White Bears.
Would have doubled thier annual sales.
The "Wild"? Please, no wonder no one ever takes Minnessota seriously.
I still like Northstars! Norm Greed shoulda have left the Northstars name and logo in Minnesota when he packed up the team and left
Looking at the alternatives I have to say... HOW IN THE HECK DID "WILD" WIN? If the Blue Ox, White Bears, and Freeze were the only other names then I could see, but the Voyagers is a name that has great Minnesota history and a Cool logo.. though to be honest the colors could have been better, and as for the Northern Lights... The only thing that would have been better would have been to get the North Stars name rights back. Using the Vikings colors was actually an interesting idea that might been great for marketing, and as for the Logo, what an excellent homage to the North Stars and to Minnesota hockey history! They should have put it too a vote.