Top 10 NHL Logos of All Time
Monday · Dec 17 · 2012 | 2:03 AM PSTSo. A handful of ancient cultures tell us the world ends on Friday. Guess there's no better time than now to quantify the history of hockey logos — since obviously there won't be anymore to come. Ever.
Before we start, understand this is just me picking my favorites. Yours may differ wildly. And if we all survive December 21, you'll get your chance to vote in a new sort of logo tournament after the new year. Now let's go. Clock's ticking.
1. Hartford Whalers
Its perfection lies in its subtlety. The use of negative space has a lot to do with the brilliance of the Whalers' logo. Often the H in the middle is what catches people off guard. They say, "how could I have missed that?" When a designer is able to incorporate every inch of their design into important symbolism, they've struck gold. Peter Good is responsible for this logo and even though it was retired in 1997 with the relocation of the Whalers, hockey is better off for having had it.
2. Minnesota Wild
It was hard not to place this logo at No. 1. I think the Whalers logo only got it because of longevity. It happened to come first. But if the world weren't ending, I'd say this logo will be around for a long time as well. Imagine being told to design a logo for a team called the Minnesota Wild. What does that mean? And yet this mark so perfectly captures the wilderness the team is named for. You can see something new every time you look at it. The trees and setting sun are perhaps most obvious. Then there's the shooting star, flowing river and distant hills. It all comes together in the shape of a wild animal's head. Some people see a wolf. I see a bear. It's a remarkable symbol that I hope survives the apocalypse.
3. Montreal Canadiens
No list of this sort would be complete without this juggernaut toward the top. Montreal's classic CH has survivedin some form for more than a century. It's lived through wars, depressions and even lockouts. So what's a little armageddon? Long live the CH. And just so it's being said here, the H does not stand for Habs, but rather simply, "hockey" as the organization's official name is le Club de hockey Canadien.
4. Colorado Avalanche
It may seem blasphemous to put so many logos created in the last two decades so high on this list, but I wouldn't do it if they weren't awesome. The Avalanche logo is another that approaches perfection. Created by Adrenalin in 1995 after the sudden relocation of the Quebec Nordiques, this logo is striking. It conveys motion splendidly with a color palette found nowhere else in sports. A logo this good. There's no way it could wait to hoist the Stanley Cup.
5. St. Louis Blues
The Blue Note originated in 1967 when the NHL expanded beyond the Original Six. Over the years it's been upgraded and revised. The mark we see today is beautifully balanced and it almost makes you hear music in your head when you look at it. There's no better symbol for a team named the Blues. They got it right the first time. They were smart to stick with it.
6. New Jersey Devils
Clearly this isn't a list of my favorite teams. And for as much as I may dislike the Devils, they have a superb logo. It's no wonder they don't have any secondary or alternate logos. Just this one. The only difference you'll find in the history books is that green replaced black at the beginning when the team arrived in New Jersey in 1982. (By the way, Wikipedia would have us believe that the logo was designed by the wife of the owner at the time of the team's move. But I can't find any corroborating evidence for that.)
7. Boston Bruins
The spoked-B has always been in league with Montreal's CH in my book. I don't mean that literally. Of course they are both members of the NHL and have been since the early days. But the idea of logos so simple, I think, is beyond what would be considered good sports logos these days. When was the last time a new team sprang up with nothing but a letter as its primary symbol? Over the years, the Bruins' logo has been upgraded and refined, each time for the better. It's one of those great, recognizable marks.
8. Chicago Blackhawks
No doubt many of you will complain this logo wasn't higher on the list. But you've heard my position before. I don't think it's a bad logo. I just don't think it's the best the way so many other people do. I've never understood that. Still, it certainly has a place on my Top 10. Only the Blackhawks could pull off such great use of color. (There are 8!) It's another one that's been around for a long time and seen a lot of refinements. But it's old and it shows. For a logo, there's no better compliment.
9. Colorado Rockies
Yep, the Rocky Mountain State shows up twice on my list with two different teams. In 1976, the Kansas City Scouts moved to Denver and became the Colorado Rockies (the original ones!). Their logo struck the ideal balance between a team's nickname and its location. It was only a shame they left town in 1982. I always hoped the Avalanche would get a chance to wear this mark in a Winter Classic or something. But with the Four Horsemen supposedly on their way, I guess that's out of the question.
10. Philadelphia Flyers
How does anyone finish a Top 10 list? It's so difficult. And so final. Here I've decided to go back to the first expansion again. Some logos are just so instantly identifiable, that you'd only need to see them for a fraction of a second. The Flyers logo is one of them. Like the Devils, I can't stand the team. It's ingrained in me. But when I look at their mark, I can't deny a fantastic design.
I'm sure a number of you will find fault with my ranking, but that's what the comments are for. How did I do? Any serious oversights? Any big blunders? I'd love to see your Top 10s.
Check back on Thursday for my Top 10 worst NHL logos. Tuesday and Wednesday will be dedicated to the minor leagues — AHL and ECHL.
Reader Comments (74)
@CSL - Flyers and Blues ripped off Redwings?! This may be true (I don't know the legitimacy of that allegation), but what I do know is that the Detroit Redwings presented by Amway originally 'borrowed' their symbol from a Montreal cycling club. So, probably just as huge a negative for the Wings according to your logic. Talk about original, eh! Ps no Nordiques? C'mon, the igloo!
Meh, Red Wings stole their logo from Red Wing Shoe's anyways. Deserves to knock em down a few pegs.
Hard to take this list very seriously given the absence of Detroit. I'm not even a Wings fan but they have a top 3 logo.
As the saying goes, opinions are like.........................
So, my father designed the Rockies logo. He was an amateur scout for the Kings, then the Blackhawks in Denver where we grew up. But what really gave him the job was his previous role as the Assistant GM for the Denver Spurs during their time in the Western Hockey League ('68-'72). This is where he designed the original Denver Spurs logo too. As those hockey jobs were part-time, he was the founder/owner of a growing design firm in Denver during the late sixties and definitely had the credentials to pull this off. The Spurs logo is really classic...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Denver_Spurs.png
Also, for the Rockies logo, you had to see it in its glory within the scope of the whole uniform - particularly the red pants that were the key to this ensemble...
http://sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/colnj/nhlrockiespics.html
Thanks for this - great stuff!
I agree with most choices except for Montreal and Boston. I think they ride the wave of nostalgia. If the Bruins logo wasn't around forever, but was rather just introduced, people would likely complain about how much it sucks and ask why the "B" is on a basketball (see author's comment on new Jets logo).
Diggin' the inclusion of the Rockies' logo. Mimics their state flag, much like Columbus' logo does today. And to the poster above, the H in the Montreal logo does indeed stand for "Hockey".
You need to have the Rangers "Lady Liberty" logo in there and the current Islanders one. Chicago's I absolutely hate, even if it's an Original 6 and how do you not have Toronto up there with Anaheim's "D" logo?
I read it from 10 to 1, and was in general agreement until #2.
The entire time I was waiting for Detroit. Waiting. Waiting. "Ah, it'll be number tw- WHAT."
The Wild logo is too busy. There's too much going on in it; a great logo thrives on simplicity, or at least in having one or two main concepts. It is a good logo but not a great one. If it were on this list at all, it deserved to be much farther down.
Meanwhile, you omitted the Winged Wheel- one of the most ubiquitous logos in sports. The wheel for the city's auto industry, the strong red color, the detail in the wing and the wheel...
I'm sorry. Detroit's logo kicks Minnesota's across the curb. But I guess Minnesota is flavor of the month these days because they signed two free agents. Kind of disappointed that this includes you.
Don't see how the Atlanta Flames logo was left out. Definitely one of the best from the past.
The Hartford Whalers logo, original (which I prefer) or 2d generation, is a spectacular design, as good as most any logo anywhere, of any kind. Even the original New England logo was pretty good. But nuthin' - absolutely nuthin' beats Pucky, the secondary Whalers logo.
http://www.theslot.com.br/2010/247/pix/logos-whalers.jpg
The Wild is a very attractive piece of art, but I'm not sure it works as well as you think. It takes a lot of work to understand it - exactly the opposite of the Whalers'. But you gotta love the star; it's not a "nod" to the North Stars, it's a poke in the eye of Gary Bettman! (Which makes it all the better)
I'd like to see this expanded to include the WHA teams. You'll get some Top and Bottom 10 there. Two of the all-time best are The Toronto Toros/Birmingham Bulls and (as anyone who watched WKRP can attest) the Cincinnati Stingers http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1e/Birmingham_bulls.png/150px-Birmingham_bulls.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/25/Cincinnati_Stingers_Logo.svg/120px-Cincinnati_Stingers_Logo.svg.png
This list is a joke without the Winged Wheel
Frank, Ryan M. and Mr. Brass Bonanza are dead on. I like the Rockies logo and dislike the Avalanche logo. The Bruins logo isn't awful, but isn't a top-10 logo either. And none of those 3 should be on at the expense of the Red Wings, skating Penguin logo, or the Canucks skate logo, all of which are very slick-looking. I have to give you credit where it's due for putting the Wild logo second. That is a great modern logo on every level. You wisely went with classics in the other spots. My order would probably be slightly different, but you did pretty good on this.
Gentlemen/women: the 'Winged Wheel' is an absolute premier logo...its ommission on this list is egregious
I agree with most of your choices, so I like your list. I think mine would be
1. St Louis
2. New Jersey
3. Philadelphia
4. Vancouver
5. Colorado Avalanche
6. Hartford
7. Detroit
8. Montreal
9. Minnesota
10. Buffalo
Chicago Black Hawks #1. Omission of Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings pretty much points to the eye of the beholder syndrome from the author. I'm surprised the author did not put the Cleveland Barons in the top 10, considering his like for the Colorado Rockies logo. To each their own and I'm going with mine over the authors every day of the week.
I see everything that you see in both the Wild and Rockies jerseys, but neither one of them ever did much for me. The Avalanche logo, to me, is middle of the pack, not top 10 worthy. I'd have put the Red Wings and the Rangers "Lady Liberty" logos in the top 10, along with the Maple Leafs. To me, the Lady Liberty logo is the best one, with the Hawks, Devils, Wings, Blues, Bruins, Leafs, Whalers, Flyers, and Habs following.
THE BLACKHAWKS LOGO IS #1 AND IS THE BEST IN ALL OF SPORTS.
THERE IS A GREAT STORY WHY THE BLACKHAWKS
HAVE THE INDIAN HEAD AS A LOGO
READ ABOUT IT SOMETIME.
i just noticed now that the snow and circle in the avalanche logo looks like a Q. anyone else notice that? think it was intentional?
speaking of quebec, why does everyone like the nordiques logo? i didn't know it was an igloo till i read these comments. a red igloo?
is this just primary logos? the avalanche bigfoot secondary is great.
johnny canuck.
the ducks late 90's shoulder patch.
shark's first secondary.
the new full body shark.
predator's guitar pick.
purple and yellow kings crown.
I think the Wild logo is vastly overrated. I very much like their green jerseys with the "Minnesota" script, but I've never much liked the bear logo. Certainly wouldn't make my top 10:
1. Bruins
2. Blackhawks
3. Red Wings
4. Maple Leafs
5. Blues
6. Rockies
7. Devils
8. North Stars
9. Penguins (skating penguin)
10. Flyers
I like your list and most of these are fine logos, but not the best in my opinion. I agree with others that the two Colorado logos should not be there, and that Detroit's omission was a huge oversight. I also agree that older logos are not the greatest things ever created just because they have been around a long time. Pretty much all of the logos that are letters, or texts with a little flare or bordering are just downright lame. And to show I'm not being biased, my favourite team, the Leafs, would be on that lame list.
My list includes a few not mentioned yet in the comments section but I feel need some love:
1. Minnesota Wild (just brilliant)
2. Ottawa Senators ( 2-D version)
3. San Jose Sharks
4. LA Kings (original crown)
5. Detroit Redwings
6. New Jersey Devils
7. Washington Capitals (shoulder crest eagle)
8. New York Rangers (Statue of Liberty NYR)
9. Ottawa Senators (3-D version)
10. Vancouver Canucks (Orca version)
Oh! I wanna I wanna!
1. New Jersey Devils
2. Hartford Whalers
3. Minnesota Wild
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Calgary Flames
6. Boston Bruins
7. Montreal Canadiens
8. Philadelphia Flyers
9. Chicago Blackhawks
10. Edmonton Oilers
1. Buffalo Sabres emblem logo
2. Hartford Whalers
3. Washington Capitals screaming eagle (not that capital building eye sore)
4.Chicago Blackhawks
5. St.Louis Blues note logo
6. Phoenix Coyotes OG logo (its like art)
7. Vancouver Canucks skate logo (don't hate, it pops out on the ice because black jerseys weren't common in 90's)
8. Quebec Nordiques (because I miss this team)
9. New Jersey Devils (religion has crapped on this logo yet)
10. Anaheim Mighty Ducks (duck looks dangerous)
11.Ahl team Baltimore Bandits (raccoons are awesome!)
I know, I am absurdly late for commenting and nobody is ever gonna read this but I can't help but just take pride in noticing the hidden 'H' all by myself years ago without it being pointed out to me (can't say the same for the Wild though)