NHL Tournament of Logos

Entries in west (120)

Tuesday
Jun192007

Blue Jackets vs Flames


vs
BLUE JACKETS
FLAMES
1-0
0-0

The Aesthetics
Here we see two teams with very nice logos. The Flames logo is a great idea if not a little obvious. The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, works in a very subtle "C" and other clever elements that make it more visually appealing. But it was a close one.
Blue Jackets

The Nickname
The Blue Jackets fighting for the Union were great soldiers, but they don't really stand a chance against Flames. Unless their coats happened to be fire retardant. But they weren't.
Flames

The Analysis
Aside from its Civil War history, Columbus' choice for a team named the Blue Jackets seems a little odd to me. I really like the fact that the Flames kept the name after moving from Atlanta to Calgary. The flames inside the "A" for the Atlanta logo goes very well with the "C" currently used. The "A" is even used today as the alternate captain patch on the ice.
Flames


WINNER
2-1

 

Monday
Jun182007

Kings vs Coyotes


vs
KINGS
COYOTES
1-1
0-0

The Aesthetics
The similarities in these logos are interesting. Both feature white, black, a deep jewel tone and an off-white color — purple and silver for the Kings, brick red and sand for the Coyotes. I was a fan of the original Coyotes logo so I didn't understand why they'd planned to change it. Still, I wasn't completely disappointed with the result. For me, it wins out over the Kings.
Coyotes

The Nickname
The same way it had the predator killed, the King could easily have one of his minions take out any Coyote that might wish him harm. Easily.
Kings

The Analysis
Okay seriously, could the Coyotes have come up with a better name for the team when it moved from Winnipeg? I doubt it. While I'm not sure what relevance kings have to Los Angeles, it does make a good name for a sports team. The Coyotes get the point just by a slight margin.
Coyotes


WINNER
2-1

 

Monday
Jun182007

Blackhawks vs Oilers


vs
BLACKHAWKS
OILERS
0-3
0-1

The Aesthetics
The Blackhawks logo's lack of a defined color scheme is in stark contrast to the blue, copper and red of the Oilers. Just on pure aesthetics, the Oilers is the much better-looking logo.
Oilers

The Nickname
Chief Black Hawk and and Oiler wouldn't have lived at the same time in history, but if they had, the tomahawk would probably be enough to take out the oil man.
Blackhawks

The Analysis
Based on where the teams got their names from, the Blackhawks would be a shoo-in for the point here. I'm not really sure what Oilers has to do with the city of Edmonton, but we already discussed the background of the Blackhawks. For that reason, the 'Hawks get the edge, but really only barely.
Blackhawks


WINNER
2-1

 

Sunday
Jun172007

Predators vs Kings


vs
PREDATORS
KINGS
2-1
0-1

The Aesthetics
Both logos seem to have an equal amount of detail, but the Predators make use of more than one or two colors. Aside from black, white and silver, purple is the primary Kings color and there couldn't be a better one. After years of trying to come up with a good logo — failed attempts with purple/yellow and black/silver — the combination of past tries has resulted in a keeper. The Kings, but just by a hair.
Kings

The Nickname
The King rules the land and, if he wanted, could have a Predator of any kind shot dead on the spot. He's powerful.
Kings

The Analysis
The Kings have existed for 40 years but their one claim to fame is that Wayne Gretzky once brought greatness to the locker room. Without him, the team has never really proved itself as a perennial contender of any sort. Still, the logo is top-notch. I only wish they'd kept the coat of arms logo as the primary instead of switching it with the crown. For that reason, the point goes to the Predators, whose story we already know.
Predators


WINNER
2-1

 

Sunday
Jun172007

Wild vs Ducks


vs
WILD
DUCKS
0-0
0-1

The Aesthetics
It doesn't take much to see that the Wild deserves this point over the Ducks. While the Ducks logo barely features a non-letter element, the Wild manages to work in a sunset behind a forest scene with a trail in the profile head of a bear with a "north star" as its eye. It certainly makes the best use of hidden features and I love it.
Wild

The Nickname
Ducks live in the Wild and need it to survive. The Wild however, would go on without Ducks.
Wild

The Analysis
As stated, the Wild is undoubtedly one of the cleverest logos in the NHL. The inclusion of so many Minnesota-related elements makes it top notch. Even the Ducks' new colors, of which I'm a fan, are nothing compared to the color combination used by the Wild. Plus, the Ducks logo's use of words over design elements leaves me wanting more.
Wild


WINNER
3-0

 

Saturday
Jun162007

Red Wings vs Sharks


vs
RED WINGS
SHARKS
1-1
1-0

The Aesthetics
Neither logo would win a lot of points for color. The Red Wings features only red and the Sharks uses its unique teal very scarcely. That being said, the Sharks logo is very eye-catching and despite its tiny detail in the broken hockey stick, it squeaks by with the point.
Sharks

The Nickname
I can't think of a Red-Winged bird that would be flying anywhere near a coastline that would subject it to a Shark attack.
Red Wings

The Analysis
Like I've said, the Sharks logo has disappointed me in its lack of color. I can see where the black shark comes off as more fierce, but the teal color could be used better. And even though it does feature a hockey stick, I like the idea of it being bitten by the Shark. There isn't very much going on in the Red Wings logo. It's solid but could use a design upgrade, and up against the Sharks, it doesn't really stand a chance.
Sharks


WINNER
2-1

 

Saturday
Jun162007

Blue Jackets vs Oilers


vs
BLUE JACKETS
OILERS
0-0
0-0

The Aesthetics
Right off the bat, the Blue Jackets gets an easy point here. Both logos use a few the same colors — blue and red — but the Oilers does not really use them its advantage.
Blue Jackets

The Nickname
A union soldier and an oilman are a couple of pretty tough fellas. Should a Blue Jacket ever have to face an Oiler in battle though, he has a bayonet and could therefore win.
Blue Jackets

The Analysis
Both teams have solid nicknames and logos. The Oilers has withstood the test of time, born in the days before the team joined the NHL. Good upgrades were made a decade ago when the bright orange was replaced with copper and red trim. It's a solid look that is hard to beat.
Oilers


WINNER
2-1

 

Friday
Jun152007

Blues vs Red Wings


vs
BLUES
RED WINGS
1-0
1-0

The Aesthetics
For one thing, both logos incorporate a wing element. So that's interesting. While the Red Wings logo has been around forever, the Blues is a little sleeker. I would almost venture to say that the same guy who designed the Flyers logo had a hand in the Blues. As far as aesthetics, the Blues logo has the edge.
Blues

The Nickname
This will be complicated. The situation here is that both teams have a color as part of their names. To determine which is superior — red or blue — we must look to the American Revolutionary War. Since the British fell, the Red Wings are obviously inferior to the Blues. (I warned you to expect some crazy nonsense.)
Blues

The Analysis
As I mentioned, both logos have elements attached to a wing. In the Red Wings case, it is the primary element, the wheel being there to represent the Motor City of Detroit. In the case of the Blues, the musical note is the primary element. The attached wing — I'm not really sure about why it's there.
Red Wings


WINNER
2-1

 

Friday
Jun152007

Predators vs Blackhawks


vs
PREDATORS
BLACKHAWKS
1-1
0-2

The Aesthetics
Looking at the two logos side by side, my eye keeps getting drawn to the Predators logo. Unfortunately, I've looked at the Blackhawks three times in the last four days and nothing's changed. I still feel like it's from the 1940s. And it pretty much is.
Predators

The Nickname
Chief Black Hawk needs a break. First a giant ball of fire and then a deep-sea shark. But I'm rather sure he would be able to take out the Predator with a throw of his trusty tomahawk.
Blackhawks

The Analysis
We know the histories of both logos and while I think the Predators have the advantage, both cities utilize their history well in coming up with a name and logo design. Ultimately, though, it just comes down to which one is better and the Predators have the edge.
Predators


WINNER
2-1

 

Thursday
Jun142007

Sharks vs Blackhawks


vs
SHARKS
BLACKHAWKS
0-0
0-1

The Aesthetics
The Sharks use a very nice teal as the primary color in their uniforms, but unfortunately it barely shows in the logo. We see it only in a simple outline of the triangle behind the shark. And while I feel that the Blackhawks use too many colors, at least they use color.
Blackhawks

The Nickname
I've said before that Chief Black Hawk was one tough son of a bitch, but if he ever found himself in the ocean surrounded by Sharks, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Sharks

The Analysis
The Blackhawks name is very fitting for its location and so is the Sharks, with its home city being found along the coast of California. And despite the Sharks logo's lack of color and incorporation of a hockey stick, I still think the fierce-looking shark is an awesome icon. The Blackhawks logo could stand an upgrade.
Sharks


WINNER
2-1