New Logos and More...

Some of you have been concerned by my lack of updates lately. Sorry, I'm just one person. And while I have been enjoying all that Super Mario Galaxy 2 has to offer, it's actually vacation prep that's been keeping me away from Icethetics. I'm out of the country all next week so hopefully this extended post will tide you over until I get back.

Anniversary logos appearing

Chris Creamer's SportsLogos.net is a resource I know many of you can't live without. Earlier this week, new NHL team anniversary logos started appearing on the message boards. Typically there are no big unveilings for these things, they just tend to come out in drips and drabs. So let's take a look.

The Vancouver Canucks celebrate their 40th NHL season in 2010-11. This mark will likely find its way onto the jersey somehow. It's a pretty standard birthday logo, although for some reason it reads as a tombstone to me, the festive ribbon notwithstanding. Maybe it's the dash between 1970 and 2010.

In any case, it's basically the stick-in-the-rink logo sans the stick, replaced by a big 40. Not the most creative thing they could've done, but creativity isn't that organization's strong suit these days. Just one opinion. It's plain.

The San Jose Sharks are turning 20 in 2011, but they're getting the festivities started a little early. You'll note that the 20 refers to how many years the team has existed not how many seasons it's played. Anyway, it's a solid logo, built on a pair of Xs with the shark in between.

It features a great use of color and type so I can't complain. It is rather wide, however. And just try to count all the triangles and partial triangles that cover the thing. Overall, thumbs up.

Lastly, the Columbus Blue Jackets will join the Wild in beginning their 10th NHL season this fall. Rumors of a cannon taking center stage on the forthcoming third jersey next season are not substantiated by this mark, which gives us an alternate perspective of the Ohio state flag instead.

For whatever reason, the waving flag just screams Civil War to me. I like it. Definitely furthers the brand of the club. So kudos to all these logo designers. Sharp work for logos that will only be in use for a single season.

Thanks to those of you who pointed them out to me.

Maple Leafs jersey changes

It should be news to no one that the Toronto Maple Leafs will don altered jerseys beginning with the 2010-11 season. And by "altered," I mean "fixed." The missing stripes will return as will a much-needed shoulder patch.

Will the Leafs wear these in 2010-11?Mike Burse of Bleacher Report offers up an in-depth look at how Leaf fashion directly correlates to Leaf success/failure. He also offers up this mock-up/concept (right, from LeafsHQ, see below) of what these new jerseys might look like.

As I've mentioned prior, no final decision has yet been made public. To this point, all we have is what team management has said. But for the record, Burse also says the Leafs have had these alterations in the pipeline since April 2009.

The article also says that a new third jersey is in the works to replace the current one, but that won't happen until the 2011-12 season at the earliest. There's a lot of history to choose from.

Whalers reincarnate

Howard Baldwin wants to bring hockey back to Hartford. NHL hockey. Whaler hockey. For those that have missed that iconic logo, he's trying to bring it all back.

Icethetics reader Gennaro Schiano writes in about the newly announced Whalers Hockey Fest which will consist of a series of outdoor hockey games to take place in February 2011. You can read more about it on Baldwin's website, WhalersSports.com.

Man, all this talk about changes to the league; will any of them happen? Will the Coyotes stay in Phoenix? Will Hartford get a team back? Will Winnipeg? Kansas City? What about new markets like Las Vegas? It's all kind of exciting.

Hopefully Whalers Hockey Fest is a big success. I'll be keeping an eye on it.

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Tampa Bay Rays in hockey sweatersBy the way, if you're interested, over the weekend the MLB's Tampa Bay Rays sported NHL jerseys on a road trip to Toronto. They had Blackhawks, Penguins and of course Lightning jerseys. Even the Bruins and Predators made an appearance.

There's more to this story and TSN has it covered for you.

Update on Friday · Jun 4 · 2010 | 8:48 PM PDT by Chris

It was brought to my attention that the above Maple Leafs jerseys were actually created by Jeff of LeafsHQ. You can see more images and his take on the forthcoming sweaters over there. Plus, as the Leafs ponder a new historical third jersey for 2011-12, Jeff has put together some concepts based on past uniforms. All worth checking out. Enjoy!

Around the Hockeyverse

Been following a variety of news around the Hockeyverse these days. Thought I'd take a moment to share a bit of what's been going on. (Because apparently, I can only write new posts really late at night now.)

Wild officially unveil 10th birthday logo

Since the Minnesota Wild are not in the playoffs, the big news on their website this week was the unveiling of the 10th anniversary logo.

It's not the first time we've seen it, by the way. We got a preview on a few weeks ago when it started showing up in season ticket ads on the Wild's website. Despite that, the "official" unveiling was Thursday.

The following details were included in the online press release:

The Wild's 10th anniversary mark will be worn on the right chest at all games next season except for the two contests in Finland, where it will be replaced by the NHL Premiere patch.

The mark uses a stylized Roman numeral “X” to represent the ten years of the Wild in Minnesota. The “X” has an added touch of the crossed hockey stick look connecting it back to the State of Hockey.

The mark incorporates the team colors of Minnesota Wheat, Iron Range Red and Forest Green and was developed in partnership with SME in New York.

Wild fans won't be able to miss it next season. By the way, the release also points out the the 10th anniversary celebration culminates with the club hosting the 2011 NHL Entry Draft next June.

Blue Jackets' red-and-yellow mystery

The other team ready to celebrate ten years is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who joined the NHL in 2000 with Minnesota. And like the Wild, they will be opening their 10th season overseas. And we already have a jersey mystery brewing.

Columbus Dispatch beat writer Aaron Portzline regularly updates a CBJ blog called Puck-Rakers and a recent post about a preseason game in Sweden has some of us scratching our heads.

He wrote the following last Friday (April 23):

The Blue Jackets and the Malmo/Rogle club will wear custom designed red and yellow uniforms, the colors of the province of Skane, where the game will be played.

That sort of gratuitous use of specialty jerseys sounds like something out of the minor leagues. Ah, but wait. Is that even true? The release on the Jackets' own website tells another story. Here's an excerpt from that:

The Blue Jackets will play a unified team comprised of two Swedish hockey teams – the Malmo Redhawks, who in 2009-10 played in HockeyAllsvenksan, and Rogle BK from Angelholm, who played the 2009-10 season in the Swedish elite league Eliteserien.

The best 10 skaters and one goaltender from Rogle BK will join forces with the top 10 skaters and one goalie from Malmo to square off against the Blue Jackets. Coaches from each side will lead the team. The players will be outfitted in custom-designed red and yellow uniforms, the official colors of the province of Skane.

That says that ONLY the unified Swedish team (comprised of the two aforementioned clubs) will wear custom-designed red and yellow uniforms. Obviously they couldn't wear their own jerseys as there would appear to be three separate teams on the ice.

If indeed the Blue Jackets were also meant to be wearing specially-designed jerseys for that game — and why would they? — I would expect the release to be more specific about it. But it begs the question, why would local fans want to see an American hockey team dressed in their home colors? You want to pay homage, wear a special patch.

That's my take on it. I've emailed Portzline for clarification on the subject. I'll let you know when/if I hear back. But at the moment, I would presume a miscommunication on the part of the newspaper and that the Blue Jackets will NOT be wearing anything but their own uniforms in Sweden in September.

Name Greenville's new hockey team

Name the ECHL's new Greenville teamThe new and yet unnamed Greenville ECHL hockey team, the relocated Johnstown Chiefs, is holding a name-the-team contest at HockeyGreenville.com right now. If your name is selected, you win a pair of season tickets for life. Pretty sweet deal.

Here's the actual form to fill out if you have an awesome name to submit. Entries will be accepted until Friday, May 28. And even if you don't submit your suggestions, feel free to share them here in the comments.

Greenville News says the name suggestions will be "presented to a selection committee made up of team owners, as well as area dignitaries, for final determination of the team's new name."  The newspaper also confirms that the new name, colors and logo will be unveiled on Friday, June 25.

We are tracking one other relocated minor league team this summer. The Edmonton Oilers' AHL franchise begins play once again this fall, now in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoman has a web page set up with "ongoing coverage" of hockey's return to OKC.

I'll keep an eye on it, but so far there's nothing new. No name. No colors. No logo. All we know is that there will be a hockey team in the fall. A naming contest ran Feb. 9-20 but no official announcement has been made yet.

However, some industrious fans at Copper & Blue have discovered a handful of web domains recently purchased by Prodigal Hockey, the company that will operate the new Oklahoma City AHL team. They include names like OKC Oilers, Oil Kings, Oil Barons, 89ers, Hawks, and even Roadrunners. Others that have cropped up: Tornadoes, Bison, Wildcatters, and Roughnecks.

The Big AHL Affiliate Swap

It's been a busy week for affiliate relations between the NHL and AHL. Three teams from each league were involved in the big swap. Here's how it all breaks down.

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The Edmonton Oilers started it all on February 9 by announcing plans to resurrect their dormant AHL franchise in Oklahoma City, ending their partnership with the Springfield Falcons.

The Oklahoma City team will be a relaunch of a franchise that has existed since 1984, most recently as the Edmonton Road Runners for the 2004-05 season, during the NHL lockout. The club gets back in action in 2010-11 but has yet to be named.

Some have predicted that it will be called the Blazers after the Central Hockey League team which was originally founded in 1965. The latest incarnation of the club, assembled in 1992, folded in 2009. The head of that ownership group is now involved with the AHL franchise.

Count on Icethetics for details on the new name and logo when it is officially announced.

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Falcons announce new NHL partnerAbandoned by the Oilers, the Springfield Falcons announced a new affiliation agreement with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

During the press conference, the Falcons said they would be changing their colors to match their new parent club. The recolored Falcons logo was unveiled along with renderings of the new uniforms.

• See the new dark jersey
• See the new light jersey
• See the recolored Falcons logo

The Falcons are still affiliated with the Oilers through the end of the season, so the new colors and uniforms will not be adopted until next season.

The Blue Jackets' new deal suddenly left another AHL team without an affiliate.

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Crunch joins forces with DucksThe Syracuse Crunch wasted no time, announcing the same day that the Anaheim Ducks would be their new NHL partner.

And just like the Falcons, the Crunch announced they would also be changing their colors to match the Ducks. The red and blue will give way to orange and gold. A recolored logo and uniform set has yet to be officially released.

The Ducks have spent this season without an affiliate, partnered previously with the Iowa Chops, who were suspended by the AHL on July 7, 2009. Recently, the Ducks expressed interest in placing an AHL franchise in San Diego. Costs led them to back down. Instead, they opted for an existing team on the opposite coast, a geographical head-scratcher.

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As of now, each of the 30 AHL franchises set to play in 2010-11 are affiliated with their own NHL teams. Most wear their parent club's colors and/or logo on one or both shoulders of their uniforms.

Prepare the Cannon!

BlueJacketsXtra, the Columbus Dispatch's NHL hockey blog, broke more third jersey news over the weekend. 

Turns out the Columbus Blue Jackets' 2010-11 alternate sweater will have yet another new crest, with the primary element being a cannon — a mainstay of Blue Jackets concept art here on Icethetics for a while.

Typical of Civil War imagery, it's not surprising to see Columbus work a cannon into their identity as they celebrate a decade of mediocrity with the sixth sweater in franchise history.

Here's what beat writer Aaron Portzline had to say on the matter:

NHL sources tell The Dispatch the Blue Jackets' new third sweater, to debut next season, will feature a cannon as the central part of the main logo.

It's unknown what the base color of the sweater will be, but it's unlikely to be red or silver for fear of looking too much like Ohio State.

Whenever the Blue Jackets tinker with their sweaters, fans should be compelled to raise a toast to former team president and general manager Doug MacLean. If not for MacLean, the main logo when the Blue Jackets took the ice in 2000 would have been Stinger.

First, I think it's unlikely the jersey will be red or silver simply because the team is called the Blue Jackets. It would be like the Red Wings wearing green jerseys. It would hurt my brain. Personally, I always liked the blue-black-red combo on the old third jersey from 2003. Maybe they go back to something like that?

Second, that's cool about Doug MacLean keeping the bug off the front of the jerseys. Somehow that little tidbit escaped my radar all these years. It's like how Mike Keenan kept that awful Blues jersey from ever seeing the light of day.

Who's on board with forming the Icethetics Hall of Fame? We honor those who have made hockey look better. Keenan and MacLean should be the first inductees for taking preventive measures to protect us against ugly jerseys.

Anyway, here's a cannon logo for you. Think Keenan or MacLean would let that fly? (Out the window, maybe. Zing!)

A Whopper of a Jersey

Wayne Gretzky #99Speaking of bad hockey uniforms...

One guy who will never get into the Icethetics Hall of Fame is Sam McMaster — the GM of the Kings in 1995 who approved this atrocity, then proceeded to let Wayne Gretzky actually wear it in NHL games.

Over the weekend, it seems a group of dedicated Los Angeles Kings fans held Burger King Appreciation Day — a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the 15-year-old third jerseys.

And if you don't believe me, The Royal Half and Life in Hockeywood have incredible write-ups on it as well as incredible photos of fans swarming in these sweaters.

Some really dedicated Kings fans (Life in Hockeywood)

Such brave souls.

A Hell of a Jersey

Devils' throwback uniformDon't forget, the New Jersey Devils will finally break out their red and green throwback jerseys on Wednesday night.

The one-time-only vintage sweaters, designed in the Reebok Edge style unlike the Flames' throwbacks from this season, will hit the ice on St. Patrick's Day when the Devils take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins — and then probably go back into hiding for another 20 years.

The Devils have a few photo galleries on their website showcasing the green-infused jerseys, including one just posted today. It shows jerseys belonging to Martin Brodeur and Zach Parise. Notice there's no black to be found — just like in the old days.

Brodeur's throwback maskI think the coolest thing is Marty Brodeur's throwback helmet — painted to match the original mask he wore as a rookie in the early 1990s before the black and red one that would later become an NHL icon.

And there's also this small gallery in which you can see Parise's helmet and some more angles of the jersey.

I'll try to have this Devils jersey gallery up right away this week. I know I've been slacking off in that area, but I really wanted to spend the time getting the new NHLToL going. And yes, I will be finishing up the Olympic jersey galleries in the near future.

Jackets Investigating Logo Theft

In the category of things that are shockingly stupid, the Columbus Blue Jackets are investigating the theft of their logo by — of all people — a politician!

If you can believe it, U.S. Senate candidate Marc Delphine of Oregon has appropriated a slightly altered version of the Ohio NHL franchise's primary logo to promote his campaign, by flipping it to form a D with the flag — still practically the Ohio flag, by the way.

Here's the banner on his website:

Campaign steals Blue Jackets logo

It became obvious that the Blue Jackets didn't grant the campaign any special permission when the following was posted to the team's Twitter account about an hour ago:

For those who are asking about the misuse of the #CBJ logo, the issue is being looked into. Thanks to those who pointed it out.

To be fair, the logo may not have been stolen by Delphine himself but rather a P.R. hack for the campaign, but it's still a pretty shocking oversight on the part of the candidate.

Thanks to Matt for the tip!

Update on Wednesday · Mar 10 · 2010 | 8:54 PM PST by Chris

In the interest of fairness, read Puck Daddy's posting on the matter. Mr. Delphine explains that the logo was a contribution from a volunteer, and being a Libertarian from Oregon, knowledge of hockey logos is not one of his strong suits. (Nor is being able to properly vet images he wants to represent him as a candidate for high public office, apparently.)

The logo was removed from his campaign website earlier today after a flood of emails and calls from the media and the NHL. The matter has officially been put to bed.