Canucks vs Kings

	vs
CANUCKS		KINGS
5-7		6-5

The Aesthetics
This is a hard one. I like both of these logos. How to choose. I actually like the Canucks logo's color scheme better than the Kings. I also like the Haida style artwork. It's very unique in this league. But both of these teams have struggled with an identity for decades, changing logos constantly. But as for right now, I'm going with the Canucks.
Canucks

The Nickname
A King pretty much gets whatever he wants. He can have Canucks do... anything really. Go whaling or something. I don't know. Where are my creative juices when I need them?
Kings

The Analysis
As far as logos pertaining to the team names, a Canuck is not a whale. A King is not a crown, but he wears one. I also like the subtle hockey sticks in the top of the crown and the suns on either side of it. The Canucks logo doesn't offer anything cool like that.
Kings

WINNER

2-1

 

Kings vs Blues

	vs
KINGS		BLUES
5-5		5-7

The Aesthetics
Some logos just don't look very good next to each other. These two look very good. It's kind of a wonder they seem to be bathed in mediocrity in this competition (or not based on my bad judgment). One thing that always gets me is the two-tone blues of the Blues logo. That's unique and very cool in combination with the yellow trim. I hope they don't lose that anytime soon. Unfortunately for the Kings, all I keep seeing right now are all the little circles. There must be like a dozen of them on that crown.
Blues

The Nickname
All right, you can already tell this one is going to be a stretch. Do you suppose a King would simply be able to hire a person to play music for him, be it Blues or anything else?
Kings

The Analysis
I like the subtle hockey sticks at the top of the crown and the suns on either side of it in the Kings logo. But I also like the Blues logo as it has been recently pointed out to me that the logo is a 64th note and the city of St. Louis was founded in 1764. So what it comes down to is which one works better. Frankly, I think the Blues logo looks more like a wing than a 64th note but it was a good effort. Kings, please.
Kings

WINNER

2-1

 

Stars vs Coyotes

	vs
STARS		COYOTES
5-5		5-5

The Aesthetics
Talk about an ocean of mediocrity (based on my ridiculous criteria). Both teams are 5-5 after their first 10 matches. Let's see how they fare versus each other. I like both color schemes but as you know by now, I'm tempted to go with the logo that doesn't so much symbolize the name as spell it out. And that's what's going to happen.
Coyotes

The Nickname
I don't think the Stars have lost this point yet. But come on, unimaginable celestial ball of fire. Little desert dog. The Coyote never had a chance.
Stars

The Analysis
It seems like the Stars logo goes farther in symbolizing the region as much as the team name. While there's a coyote in the Coyotes logo and it features desert colors, it doesn't scream Arizona to me. The big "lone star," on the other hand, says nothing other than Texas.
Stars

WINNER

2-1

 

Wild vs Coyotes

	vs
WILD		COYOTES
11-2		5-4

The Aesthetics
Well this is it for the Wild — last match of the tournament. They're going to be the first ones finished. And for that, we're going to milk this forest scene for all its worth. If you don't see how cool it is, then I'm convinced you're blind. That coyote just looks awkward to me. But then again I didn't hate the original Coyotes logo from the late '90s.
Wild

The Nickname
The Coyotes live in the Wild, true. But so do bears.
Wild

The Analysis
I've said it all before about the Wild logo. I'm not sure what else I can add. It's really a great team icon. But just one more time for posterity: Inside the outline of a bear's head you've got a beautiful forest scene featuring trees, mountains, a river, a sunset and — wait for it — the north star in a fitting tribute to the history of The State of Hockey. Anything I missed? I think the Coyotes logo is designed well but it doesn't have nearly the depth of the Wild. And that's that for the Wild in this tournament.
Wild

WINNER

3-0

 

Coyotes vs Ducks

	vs
COYOTES		DUCKS
4-4		1-11

The Aesthetics
The Coyotes logo isn't the greatest, but the Ducks logo is a wordmark. Lesser of two evils, here. Not sure what else there is to say about it.
Coyotes

The Nickname
If motivated, I'm sure a Coyote would eat a Duck.
Coyotes

The Analysis
Where is the duck? I see the coyote but where is the duck? Oh right, there's not one. Yeah, I'm still not getting over that yet. I understand the webbed duck foot "D" will become the primary this season. I guess they just wanted to establish the change of name. But in doing so, they get swept yet again.
Coyotes

WINNER

3-0

 

Blues vs Coyotes

	vs
BLUES		COYOTES
4-7		4-3

The Aesthetics
Let's just get this out of the way. I'm going with the Blues logo here. The Coyotes logo isn't terrible, but nor is it great. They have yet to find a great logo in my opinion.
Blues

The Nickname
Coyotes howl and so does a Blues singer for that matter. Fortunately for the Blues man, if he ever had to face a Coyote, perhaps he'd have a saxophone with which to whack it on the head. (Try not to find the logic of a Blues singer carrying a sax into the desert. You'll never get there.)
Blues

The Analysis
Even though it probably won't live on as a classic NHL logo a hundred years from now, the Coyotes logo is at least a coyote. Sometimes I think a trumpet or some other musical instrument would be a better fit for the Blues logo. Despit that, I still like the musical note, I just don't quite get the wing attached to it. Anyone?
Coyotes

WINNER

2-1

 

Stars vs Wild

	vs
STARS		WILD
5-4		10-0

The Aesthetics
These two logos seem to share a few colors. It makes the red in the Wild logo really stand out. But as far as who takes the point in this category, I think you already know who I'm going to pick. I really do think there are was of improving the Stars logo if you remove all the lettering from it. I like the star itself, though I admit it would look a little bare on its own. I've heard tale of a new Stars logo to be unveiled this summer. So we'll wait and see what happens.
Wild

The Nickname
What seems to keep working for the Stars is the fact that one is a giant ball of fire that you couldn't possibly imagine up close. Even the Wild would be consumed by its ferocity.
Stars

The Analysis
Now this one is harder for me, because it could almost go either way. The big "lone star" has Texas written all over it (I say that despite Dallas actually being written right there). The Wild logo continues to amaze me with all of its ingeniously combined elements. I wanted to give the Stars logo this point, but I can't in good conscience take it away from a logo this good. It's even got the "north star" as a tribute to Minnesota's hockey history. It was a close one, though.
Wild

WINNER

2-1

 

Ducks vs Flames

	vs
DUCKS		FLAMES
1-10		8-1

The Aesthetics
Is it wrong of me to keep hating on the Ducks logo? I like the colors but the wordmark just rubs me the wrong way as far as crests go. Meanwhile, the flaming "C" continues to impress... me. Let's clean things up on the Ducks side and make the duck foot the primary and lose the rest of the letters. Then maybe they'll have a real shot in this competition.
Flames

The Nickname
What do you get when you cross a Duck and a Flame? Dinner. (You knew I was going there.)
Flames

The Analysis
For many teams, I understand it's a difficult task to find some way to represent the home city visually in a way that would be universally recognizable. Anaheim and Calgary are two such cities I would lump in that category. So instead, I'm looking at the basics. Do we see ducks and do we see flames? In fact, I do see flames attached to a "C" meant to do its best job of representing both Calgary and even Canada. As far as ducks, all I see is a footprint, meaning that duck was there. Or it's just a duck foot indicating to me what was left after the stew was made.
Flames

WINNER

3-0

 

Canucks vs Ducks

	vs
CANUCKS		DUCKS
4-6		1-9

The Aesthetics
This is easy. The wordmark the Ducks are claiming is a logo... isnt. Meanwhile, the color combination in the Canucks logo is cool, not that the Ducks colors aren't — but they need a better logo.
Canucks

The Nickname
If he was a good shot, a Canuck might be able to successfully hunt a Duck.
Canucks

The Analysis
Aside from the "C" formed the logo itself, the Canucks logo doesn't do much to represent the very team name it's meant to — but neither does the Ducks logo. A webbed duck foot in the form of a "D" isn't enough of a saving grace for this logo. And it gets swept again.
Canucks

WINNER

3-0

 

Stars vs Canucks

	vs
STARS		CANUCKS
4-4		4-5

The Aesthetics
These are both decent logos. Neither is bad, nor very good. Just average. For this point, I've always liked the Canucks' logo. Word is it's gone after this season, but as far as aesthetics, I think it's one of the best out there. The Stars logo spells out the name and that's too easy and uncreative. It also hurts the logo from a design standpoint.
Canucks

The Nickname
A Star is a giant, all-consuming ball of fire as we've noted, and I don't think they've lost this point yet. A Canuck has no chance against a Star.
Stars

The Analysis
Stylistically, both logos are very appropriate for their teams. The giant "lone star" practically screams Texas while the Haida-style orca points right to the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, what's lacking in the Canucks logo is ... a canuck. Even the coolest logos have their problems and this is a big one. It will cost them this point.
Stars

WINNER

2-1