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

 

Blue Jackets vs Red Wings

	vs
BLUE JACKETS		RED WINGS
8-1		4-7

The Aesthetics
The Red Wings logo is very flat. There is one color and its traditional as with any Original Six team. I think it's okay but also that there's still room for improvement. But I'll leave it there. As for the Blue Jackets logos, it's a huge improvement over the previous logo (anybody remember the electric green bee?). At the very least, it makes better use of color than the Wings logo does.
Blue Jackets

The Nickname
A Blue Jacket may carry a bayonet, but chances of him shooting a bird with Red Wings are slim.
Red Wings

The Analysis
Both teams have colors in their names and yes, those colors are prominent in each logo. In fact, red is the only color in the Red Wings logo. The Blue Jackets logo prominently features the Ohio flag wrapped around a silver star in the form of a "C" as has been mentioned. A reader also pointed out that the star signifies Columbus as the capital city. And, yes, it's that cool.
Blue Jackets

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

 

Wild vs Blue Jackets

	vs
WILD		BLUE JACKETS
11-1		7-1

The Aesthetics
These are the league's two youngest teams, part of the most recent expansion. As far as aesthetics, this is one of the most difficult matches to judge. This incarnation of the Blue Jackets is simply the best ever devised. At the same time The Wild logo is pretty awesome. Some may not necessarily agree, but they really have to want it to see it. I don't know who to choose. I'm tempted to flip a coin. But since I can't do that, I'm going with the Blue Jackets for reasons unknown.
Blue Jackets

The Nickname
A Blue Jacket should know his way around the Wild, but if he were to face a bear, I don't know that he could necessarily hold his own.
Wild

The Analysis
A clever forest scene of Minnesota versus an Ohio flag wrapped around a silver star. How do you decide? Somebody really knew what they were doing when they designed these. However, while the Wild logo could befit any forest-laden locale, the Blue Jackets logo is very specific to Ohio. My love for the Wild logo will have to be overtaken. I'm sorry to say.
Blue Jackets

WINNER

2-1

 

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

 

Wild vs Avalanche

	vs
WILD		AVALANCHE
11-0		9-1

The Aesthetics
I've been dreading this match. How do you decide between two of the league's best logos? And while not everyone will agree with me, for now I'm the one having to decide. I'm going to go with the Avalanche logo but I can't really explain why. Just accept it.
Avalanche

The Nickname
If we assume the Wild is a forest and all the life that's part of it, then an Avalanche has the upper hand. The falling snow would completely take out everything.
Avalanche

The Analysis
This is where the Wild can truly earn a point. It's impossible to look at that logo and not see something different every time. You've got so many different things going on that it makes for a logo that's always interesting to look at — not to say that the Avalanche logo doesn't, but you can't expect to sweep a logo that looks that cool.
Wild

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

 

Wild vs Predators

	vs
WILD		PREDATORS
9-0		7-4

The Aesthetics
These are two teams still working on their first decade in the NHL — though if certain billionaires have their way, the Preds won't make it beyond ten years. The most noticeable thing about these two logos is their similarities in shape. There are very distinct triangles make up the heads of some rather vicious animals. I think they are two of the league's best and that shows in the standings. Still, I think the Predators logo could use a little less minutia and final a real focus for the color scheme. The Wild logo already has all of that.
Wild

The Nickname
You might say a Predator is the king of the Wild, catching prey and dispatching of it.
Predators

The Analysis
By now, you already know the story of how the Predators got their name. Unfortunately, there's no sign of the city of Nashville in the logo, so it will be very easily transferred to Hamilton, er Kansas City, er... screw it. Anyway, I've also already talked in length about the greatness of the Wild logo in its ability to work in so much in such a small space.
Wild

WINNER

2-1