Panthers Reworking Logo?

There's a question that's been nagging at me for a few weeks now. I want to see what the rest of you think. Are the Florida Panthers in the process of covertly adopting a new logo?

I noticed recently that the Panthers' official web site was redesigned to feature a legless panther logo in the banner. See the following graphic.

Panthers' official web site banner with altered logo

At first, I didn't think much of it. Maybe they were just cropping the legs off to improve the aesthetics of the logo in the banner. But this was more than just a simple crop. Special effort was made. The white fur on the panther's chest had been completely changed.

But then it started showing up all over the web site. Every page has its own custom banner with the altered panther logo.

The club's Twitter avatar even got the same treatment (left), but this time with an added text element. You can see a larger, more detailed version as the custom background on the page.

But that's not all. Like many teams, the Panthers have an official Facebook page for fans to join. It contains an image gallery that features two different logos. The new one I'm talking about (left) and the regular one with the broken stick — and text (right) can be seen below. 

So is this just a simple alteration for web use? Or are the Panthers covertly launching a new logo this year? I don't have a solid answer for that just yet, but it seems the new symbol has made its way to an offline location.

A reader named Brett wrote in to say that he was watching a video about NHL 10 on IGN when he noticed this altered Florida logo and grabbed a screenshot (below).

NHL 10 screenshot via IGN.com

So clearly this new logo is being distributed for uses not related only to the web. Why is it being introduced? Why lose the big cat's legs? Why add a new text element to 15-year-old logo? Will it be replacing the full-body panther logo on the home and road jerseys? That, I very much doubt, but I honestly don't know.

Still, many questions and no answers. So that means everything that follows is guess work. The Panthers are one of a handful of teams expected to release a third jersey this year. Could this logo be meant for that? Perhaps this logo may never even make it onto a sweater. I really can't say.

If anyone reading knows anything about what's going on with this new Florida Panthers logo, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a line and we'll keep everyone here up to speed.

In the meantime, sound off in the comments. Do you like "new" legless panther? Or do you prefer the leaping, text-free version?

Update on Sunday · Jul 19 · 2009 | 10:02 PM PDT by Chris

Now that I've had a day to read through some of the many comments and emails I've received on this story, it's time for some clarifications.

First, some new information I didn't have before writing this post. As commenter Alex points out, Miami Herald writer George Richards claimed back in March to have gotten some inside information on the Florida Panthers' new third jersey, due this fall.

According to my source ([fellow writer/columnist] David J. Neal), the new jersey is fairly similar to the Wild's third jersey.

The main color is dark blue with light blue (no idea where that's coming from) on the sleeves, shoulders and bottom. Kind of looks like the Penguins.

The leaping cat logo is replaced on the front by a logo similar to the Wild. Florida on top; Panthers on bottom, the Panther head in the middle.

The Panthers say the jersey that was spotted today at Incredible Ice by David J. is not the final jersey and may just be some kind of prototype. That might explain the inclusion of the light blue. We still have to wait and see what the new jersey will look like, but this helps.

This description makes it all the more likely that the Panthers are testing the waters with an altered logo to be used on a new sweater. That's assuming it's true. As he says, we'll have to wait and see.

Now to reply to some comments. First, Johnny Griswold:

Do you think it's just a variation of their regular logo that they use for horizontal banners and graphics that they don't have a lot of depth to play with?

As I said, that was my initial assumption, the reason it took me weeks to write up this post. The problem is, they already have a logo similar to that, so why make a new modification?

Then Six Zero comments:

I'm surprised no one's commented on the fact that this logo isn't entirely new. The leg-less Panther is as old as the franchise, just hasn't been seen since perhaps their first two years in the league. I've even seen it without the stick.

What's most interesting is how it changes the imprint of the entire mark, meaning its shape and orientation. The leg-less logo is landscape, while the previous is more of a portrait orientation. It'll be interesting to see how different a jersey might look with a logo that is wider than it is tall.

Being a Floridian myself, I feel like I've managed to pay pretty close attention to what the Panthers have done over the years. This isn't the first time they've had a half-panther/half-text logo, obviously. But this one is different.

As you can see in a side-by-side comparison, the new one is holding a broken stick, while I don't recall the old version ever incorporating that element. The new logo also doesn't include the text enclosure and has some color variations. But mostly, that white fur on the chest has been modified to stand alone better.

Basically I'm curious as to their reasoning for reinventing the wheel. Perhaps it's as simple as easier separation of individual elements, as seen in the web site banner. In this new logo, the text is not inextricably tied to the logo.

Or maybe I'm just making something out of nothing. But while we're still on the topic, let's look at some other Panthers logos.

First, without the stick, then with the stick, then with two sticks. The first two have been largely interchangeable throughout the years. The stickless panther has commonly been seen on home and road sweaters while the cat with the broken stick has traditionally made an appearance on the third jersey.

The double-stick logo has been around since the franchise first came into existence. Notice it says "hockey club" at the bottom of the circle, for people who weren't sure. It's quite reminiscent of the Wild's home jersey crest, but I wouldn't expect to see it on a new alternate jersey for the Panthers. They'll almost certainly go with something new.

That nearly wraps this post up, but I do have a bit of concept art to share from Gary.

His third jersey design is solely based on this new logo, and not on the earlier account of a potential leak. Still, it would bring a vintage look to the team for the first time. Though I think a lot of Panthers fans would appreciate the return of the classic red sweater. It went by the wayside (converted to a third jersey) even before the Age of Reebok.

Now what do you make of all that?

Twittering Away

As most of you know, just a few weeks ago, I set Icethetics up with its very own Twitter account. It was all new to me but I thought it would serve as a quick and easy way to keep you guys updated. So far, so good.

The first tweet was June 25. Now, 328 followers and 55 updates later, I figured I'd take the time to reply to some replies. Some are questions, some are not. Maybe it will make an interesting blog post. Let's find out, chronologically.

PricelessNick @icethetics Hey Chris Do you have any updates on the change in jerseys for the sabres Anniversry year. I heard they were switchin to the 3rd [Jun 27]

Founded in 1970, the Buffalo Sabres' 40th anniversary is right around the corner, and while I'm sure a large number of fans would love to see the third jersey on a more permanent basis, I haven't heard anything that would lend truth to that rumor. In fact, it's the first time I'm even hearing such a rumor.

Wishful thinking, maybe.

coryodonnell @icethetics suggestion: For ur picture posts, try http://pikchur.com Great picture sharing service..like it much better than Twitpic. [Jul 1]

I'll definitely look into that. I'm new to Twitter so I'm still learning the ropes. Seems like there are so many options out there. How do you know what's best?

Skullnuck @icethetics :'( ohlund is gone from canucks.... sooo depressing... im mad now [Jul 1]

Skullnuck, I'm really sorry for your loss. I know how you feel. It happened to me when Brad Richards got traded. Hopefully, Mike Smith will be what we need. Unfortunately, you got no compensation for Ohlund.

n8stwit @icethetics Why the checkerboard pattern on the bottom and sleeves? [Jul 2]

I think n8stwit is referring to the images I posted of the alleged Nashville Predators third jersey design. It's a very good question, but one I don't have the answer to. Still, I say we wait until seeing something official before worrying too much.

lance_bradley @icethetics Any word on when CHL teams will be releasing their RBK Edge redesigns? [Jul 3]

That's a great question, Lance. Once again, I'm answerless. But I'm posting it in case someone out there does know and can provide some dates or links. When will CHL teams start unveiling their new Reebok EDGE uniforms?

mburmy @icethetics Hopefully the IceHL is coming back too! (If you forgot the links, I'll send 'em over) [Jul 4]

The IceHL will be coming back soon! I'm working on plans to get it re-launched within the next couple weeks. We are going to see this project through, without a doubt. (And mburmy, I have no idea what links you are talking about.)

kskopek @icethetics Followed those links lost a couple hours ! Thanks [Jul 4]

The links to which kskopek is referring send you to The Hockey Uniform Database and NHL Patches.info. Those two sites can really kill a day if you're not careful.

electrocraze421 @icethetics http://bit.ly/whatjerseyisthis the black one. it looks weird. do you know which teams it is? [Jul 11]

What the heck is that black jersey?All right, electrocraze421, I'm going to use the context clues in this picture to help you try to figure it out. Going in, all I have is the picture and what you've written.

At first glance, it's obviously a minor league. The Toyota ads on the back of the jerseys give that away. The group of cheering fans wearing Los Angeles Kings jerseys leads me to believe this game is in California.

If you look in the first row, there's a fan wearing an Ontario Reign jersey. Definitely an ECHL game. You can clearly see Andrew Martens and Jon Francisco in a group hug celebrating.

So your question becomes, who are the Reign playing? When I clicked on your bit.ly link, it takes me to the original image on the Press-Enterprise's web site, a publication based in Riverside, California.

Inside the URL is a date, October 26, 2008. Now it's easy. Who did the Reign play on October 25? According to the ECHL's official web site, it was the Las Vegas Wranglers and the final score was 4-1, Ontario.

A quick search of the Wranglers' web site turns up a slew of pictures, including a white version of this black sweater. Further research indicates that these are the road and home jerseys and that the team wears a red-infused uniform as an alternate. And in case you were wondering, wearing No. 7 and the alternate captain's "A," that's defenseman Sean Owens.

So there's your answer.

And on that note, I'm done. If you have any questions or comments, Twitter references are always welcome. I'll try to do something like this once a week or so if you guys are interested. And for those without Twitter accounts, you can still follow along with Twitter Updates in the sidebar right here on icethetics.info.

Around the Minors

I've actually got a lot to talk about on this Friday, including a few minor league-relating items.

We'll begin with a shoutout to PuckDrawn, with a first look today at the new uniforms of the IHL's Quad City Mallards. Icethetics first took you "quack to the future" with the unveiling of the team's new logos back on July 1. Now see them on the jerseys.

Mallards unveil uniforms (via PuckDrawn)

You can see the home, road an alternate sweaters being modeled here. A little shockingly, those neon greens are not the third jerseys. So they're going to see a lot of ice time this year. The Mallards also made available the lowest quality images ever of the designs.

Typically, we like these images to be larger for the purpose of seeing the detail of the design. But we'll live. One thing worth noting is that the green in this image and the actual green of the jersey look nothing alike. I like the one shown here better.

It also appears that the alternate sweater in the photo is dark blue while seeming to be black in the following image. Not sure which one is playing tricks on my eyes.

Next, we move on to another obscure minor league — the SPHL. On Wednesday, the Pensacola Ice Flyers announced they have sold enough ticket packages to be able to field a team this season. Now it's time for a real web site. But that also means they need a logo.

This morning I checked back in on the poll being conducted by the Pensacola News Journal. Much to my disappointment, SixZero's design (Logo 3) has fallen behind option 4. After 2,776, Logo 4 is ahead with 35% of the vote, just three percentage points ahead of SixZero. Normally, I'd tell all of you to get over there and get voting, but this isn't for us, it's for hockey fans in North Florida. If that's what they want, that's what they get.

However, the poll, which began on July 17, indicates no end date. Therefore, there's no way to know when the Ice Flyers club will make its decision with regard to the team's logo. So I will keep an eye out for that and keep you all updated.

Sweater Switch '09, Part 3

First, check out Part 1: Pronger, Havlat, Tavares, Hedman, Ashton and Part 2: Bouwmeester, Ohlund, Walker, Cammalleri, Gomez, Smyth.

Our summer blog series continues today with another slew of players who will be wearing new uniforms in the fall. As usual, we start with a big name. After eight seasons with the Minnesota Wild, Marian Gaborik left the team that drafted him and joined the New York Rangers.

Marian GaborikA photo currently on display on the Rangers' web site shows Gaborik posing in the locker room in his new blue sweater. And when he hits the ice in October, he'll be sticking with the same No. 10 he's worn all his career.

It's quite possible the Montreal Canadiens are responsible for signing the most new players this offseason, so it should be no surprise that coverage has spanned two parts of this series. Last time, we looked at Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez. Today, we'll look at five other guys.

The image above was created for the Habs' web site for a great article about the sweater numbers selected by the rest of their new free agent signees. I highly suggest reading the article, but if you don't have time for that, I'll summarize.

Lightning draftee Paul Mara will return to the No. 22 jersey he first wore in Tampa 10 years ago. Stanley Cup champ Travis Moen will keep the No. 32 he wore during his four-year stint in Anaheim. He wore No. 24 as he finished out last season with San Jose and, oddly, No. 59 as a rookie with Chicago in 2003.

Brian Gionta will switch from No. 14, which he'd worn in New Jersey since 2001, to No. 21. Tomas Plekanec currently dons the No. 14 for the Canadiens. The article mentions that Gionta will be the 46th player in the 100-year team history to wear No. 21. Only No. 20 has been more popular with 55 players having skated with it.

The No. 75 sweater you see above actually belongs to Hal Gill this season, selected for his birth year. Gill previously wore No. 2 with Pittsburgh, but it's been retired in Montreal. During the first 10 years of his career, Gill donned the No. 25 in Boston and Toronto. Mathieu Dandenault, currently an unsigned free agent, wore it last year for the Habs.

That leaves us with only Jaroslav Spacek, who will stick with No. 6. Spacek began his career 10 years ago with the Panthers, wearing No. 8 and later wore No. 3 with the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets. It was when he made his return to Chicago in 2005 that Spacek began using No. 6, and has done so ever since, including the past three years with the Sabres.

I'll finish off this part of the Sweater Switch series with what I think has been the most interesting jersey number story of the summer. I imagine fans always wonder how players handle it when their preferred number is in use on their new team.

I know we already covered Martin Havlat with a photo in Part 1, but via his Twitter account on Tuesday, the new Wild member updated inquiring fans, since Derek Boogaard has the No. 24 he wore in Chicago.

"For everyone asking, I will be wearing number 14 with the Wild," Havlat tweeted, "I got into an arm wrestling match with Boogie over 24 and lost!"

That's it for another edition. I'll keep following these number stories throughout the summer.

Update on Thursday · Jul 16 · 2009 | 11:07 AM PDT by Chris

Marian GaborikI have some clarifications to make in response to some of the comments. As Tom D mentioned, Marian Gaborik hasn't exactly worn No. 10 for his entire NHL career.

In fact, as this picture (left) clearly shows, Gaborik wore No. 82 for a short time at the beginning of his rookie year with the Wild. (Miss those green jerseys, by the way.) He was born in 1982 so we can safely assume that to be the significance.

Tom D and another commenter, Aaron, also point out that Hal Gill originally wore his birth year, No. 75, for a short time at the start of his career with the Bruins.

I've been unable to find any photos or roster archives to support this claim, but I'm sure if it's out there, someone will send in a link and we can set things straight here.

And finally, as Dan notes, I forgot to mention that the Blackhawks will be introducing Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky to local media this afternoon. Let's hope they'll be wearing their actual jerseys so I can offer up pictures in Part 4.

The Lightning held a press conference yesterday with Ohlund and Walker but the team handed them each No. 09 "draft day" jerseys, which is incredibly odd.

Either the pair had yet to choose their new numbers or the team was too lazy to actually make them real jerseys. Whatever the case, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the Hawks.

Fenway Will Host Bruins, Flyers

The Winter Classic 2010 will be held January 1 at Fenway Park between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers. This should come as a shock to no one who regularly reads Icethetics. I'm posting it today because the NHL is making the official announcement this afternoon.

Additionally, the Boston Globe posted pictures online, giving readers a sneak peek. They come from NHL communications manager Schuyler Baehman's Twitter account. You can see them right here as well.

Winter Classic 2010 via Boston.comThe logo (upper left) takes on a slightly new look from years past. Certainly a more vintage feel. The photo on the bottom shows the layout of the rink on the baseball field while in the outfield you can see the blow-up jerseys that indicate the Flyers as the Bs' opponent.

The press conference will likely yield more information. I'll update this post later tonight.The NHL will release the 2009-10 season schedule later this afternoon as well.

And one more note. Part 3 of the Sweater Switch series will be posted tomorrow. It will include Gaborik, Havlat and the other new members of the Canadiens.