Name Nominations: Hartford & Yellowknife
The time has come to start suggesting names for the IceHL's 2012 expansion franchises. Last week it was announced they were awarded to Hartford, Conn. and Yellowknife, NT.
To nominate team names for consideration, simply post them in a comment below. If you see someone before you has suggestd a name you like, say so in your comment. The more popular suggestions are more likely to be among the 25 selected for the voting process. I will base those 25 on whether they are creative, unique, and of course, popular.
Here is a list of locators you may use to precede your team nicknames:
- Hartford
Connecticut | New England - Yellowknife
Northwest Territories | Northwest
You can be creative and suggest other names. The worst that could happen if they're not acceptable is they won't be included in the voting. But so as not to waste anyone's time, don't bother submitting Whalers. It won't be considered.
There are some other important don'ts. You may NOT use the name of any current or past IceHL, NHL or WHA team, nor any current ECHL, AHL, CHL, WHL, QMJHL or OHL team. You may NOT use the name (or any variation thereupon) of any current or past sports franchises in the market or geographical area. And if your suggestion is vulgar, obscene, or in any way inappropriate, it will not be considered.
Only names nominated in the comments of this post will be considered. Do not email or tweet your suggestions if you want them to be included in the voting process.
Submission period ends: Monday, March 26
Voting on eligible name nominees is scheduled to begin on April 6, following the end of the Pacific Division jersey voting. (That begins this Thursday, March 15. Submissions closed on Sunday night.)
Some other upcoming IceHL events: Later this month, I'll start accepting jersey design submissions for the Southeast Division and then we'll hold a poll to determine how the IceHL will be realigned after it expands to 32 teams this year. In April, we'll vote on Southeast Division jerseys after we wrap up the Pacific. We'll also get to some other minor questions that I think the community should decide. Fun year ahead for the IceHL!
Chris
We're barely a day into this, but I feel the need to chime in on these name nominations. I want to encourage you guys to stop trying to hard to find a name that "means something." If you have to try so hard that the name sounds absolutely awful for a hockey team, then it's not worth it.
Ask yourself one question about the names you suggest. Can you imagine chanting them alongside 20,000 other screaming fans without feeling like a dolt? If not, it's probably not worth recommending.
Also, the name Hartford Harpoons or any variation of it or "Whalers" will NOT be accepted for voting. This league is not going to be a rehash of the NHL. We're going to do something original here. There are so many creative people in this community that I know we can do better than simply copying history.
Reader Comments (103)
Northwest Narwhals (look at the crest of the Territories!)
Hartford Harriers
Yellowknife Blades
Yellowknife Prospectors
Yellowknife Klondikes
Yellowknife Excavators
Hartford Mariners
Hartford Stags
Hartford Dutchmen
Hartford Hounds
Hartford Blizzard
Connecticut Broadbills (The Charles W. Morgan Ship is docked in CT and is modleed after the Broadbill Duck)
Connecticut Crusaders
Connecticut Cottoneers (the cotton gin was invented by Connecticut native Eli Whitney)
New England Founders
Yellowknife Moccasins
Northwest Mounties (like the Northwest Mounted Police)
Connecticut Cannons
Connecticut Cavaliers
Connectiut Coasters
Connectitut Constitution (Known as the Constitution state)
Connecticut Cougars
Hartford Falcons
Hartford Flames
Hartford Harpoons
Hartford Helicopters (Major aviation center)
Northwest Lakers (Yellowknife is positioned on Great Slave Lake)
Northwest Narwhals
Northwest Mounties ( The Northwest Mounted Police was the original name of the RCMP)
Northwest Polar Bears
Northwest Warriors
Northwest Wildcats
Northwest Wolves
Northwest Wolfpack
Northwest Territories Trappers
Yellowknife Medics - One of the first businesses was Sutherland's Drug Store
Yellowknife Kosmos- The Russian Sattlite that crashed
Yellowknife Yellowjackets- I just like how that one sounds
I had Miners and Auroras but I got beat to the punch on that...
Hartford Heroes
Hartford Undertow
Hartford Stars
Hartford Steelers
Hartford Tide
Hartford Industrials
Connecticut Cannons
Connecticut Cruisers
Connecticut Saints
New England Captains
New England Coast Guard
New England Steelships
Yellowknife Klondikes
Yellowknife Tundra
Yellowknife Permafrost
Hartford Historians (seeing as how they have Mark Twains House/Museum, and that the Connecticut Constitution went on to inspire the U.S. Constitution).
Sorry to chime in again. I've made an update to the original post. Any name associated with or derived from Whalers will not be accepted for the Hartford team. Also, stop thinking so hard about finding a name that "means something." If you have to work that hard to come up with something that sounds like a terrible name for a hockey team, it's not worth it.
One last note to ponder. Do we really like alliteration that much? It often comes off a little childish.
my bad, didn't read the rules all the way... my suggestion of Yellowknife blades is invalid...
This suggestion should ammend that: The Yellowknife Golden Blades
Hartford Heroes
Hartford Hellions
Hartford Hunters
Hartford Saviors (Insurance Capital)
Yellowknife Trappers
Yellowknife Shiver
Yellowknife Igloos
Yellowknife Polar Bears
Yellowknife Black Ice
What about Bridgeport and New Haven for Hartford
Northwest Mountaineers
New England Artillery
Yellowknife Polars
Yellowknife Blizzard
I keep wanting to add the CT Nutmeggers, but it would be such a lousy name for branding etc.
Hartford Whale Hunters
Hartford Bats
Hartford SeaGiants
Yellowknife Bisons
Yellowknife Ravens
Yellowknife RCMP'S
Yellowknife Warriors
Hartford Revolution
I'm going to chime in with my suggestions here.
I saw one of them already, so I would like to support the suggestion of the Yellowknife Wildcats.
The Wildcat Cafe is a legendary establishment, and even though it's a name of a QMJHL team, I still feel it pays enough tribute to the place to warrant consideration.
For the other, I'm putting in the Hartford Astros. The Stars are not allowed, but astro is latin for "star" and it falls in a nickname given to Hartford: New England's Rising Star.
Connecticut Cachalots - Historical name for the Sperm Whale and some alliteration
Northwest Breakers - as in Icebreakers, as in those giant ships that break ice. i think they use them up in NWT?
Yellowknife Gold Rush
Figured I'd give it a shot
Yellowknife 60s (north of 60 degree line)
Yellowknife Axemen
Northwest Freeze (My personal favourite)
Hartford Heroes
New England Frost
Connecticut Cyclone