Tuesday
Mar302010
Polls: NHLToL Week 4
Tuesday · Mar 30 · 2010 | 6:00 AM PDTPolls close Sunday, April 4 at 11:59 PM
Western Conference
 Edmonton Oilers |
 Calgary Flames |
NHLToL 37
|
 Phoenix Coyotes |
 Columbus Blue Jackets |
NHLToL 38
|
 Dallas Stars |
 Detroit Red Wings |
NHLToL 39
|
 Chicago Blackhawks |
 Minnesota Wild |
NHLToL 40
|
 Vancouver Canucks |
 San Jose Sharks |
NHLToL 41
|
 Los Angeles Kings |
 Nashville Predators |
NHLToL 42
|
Eastern Conference
 Carolina Hurricanes |
 Boston Bruins |
NHLToL 43
|
 Ottawa Senators |
 Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHLToL 44
|
 Washington Capitals |
 New Jersey Devils |
NHLToL 45
|
 Atlanta Thrashers |
 Philadelphia Flyers |
NHLToL 46
|
 Montreal Canadiens |
 Buffalo Sabres |
NHLToL 47
|
 New York Islanders |
 Tampa Bay Lightning |
NHLToL 48
|
Commenting: Feel free to add your comments about the polls below. Keep it short, relevant and friendly. Currently, commenting is unmoderated. Abuse it and commenting will go away. I'd prefer to offer an open discussion but not at the expense of civility. Also, if you choose to announce the logos you've voted for, do it in paragraph form. Comments with long lists will be removed.
Reader Comments (78)
I guess this is going to be a catch up week for my Flyboys.
I'm so confused about the Hawks over the Wild. Don't people realize that Minnesota's logo is one of the most sleek and clever logos in sports? It's truly brilliant. More importantly, don't people realize that despite how unanimously popular the Blackhawks logo has become, that is it indeed A NATIVE MAN'S HEAD!!! Seriously folks, it's "classic" and all, but it's a Native American's head.
That's my thought exactly about the Boston Bruins logo... it's just a circle with a "B" and line in it. Nothing beautiful.. yes, it's classic, but ugly.
The Wild logo is totally overrated. I don't care how many elements they have in there. It's too busy. It's an ugly piece of crap.
The only original six logo that isn't good is the Leafs. You can totally tell that thing was drawn by some ad company in the 70's with that awful font and that fat outline. If it were any other team it would have been replaced long ago but because you're forced to see it every Saturday in prime time it's a "classic".
The Blackhawks logo is the most colorful and artistically detailed logo in the league. Those aspects are what make it beautiful. It has stood the test of time for a reason. To down play it is completely absurd.
I'm glad to see the Flames beating th Oilers. Aside from being a Flames fan, I just don't like the Oilers crest. The weird, drippy letters, the red thrown in for no reason. The Flames crest evokes a sense of power, and the black C just looks great on those red sweaters.
1) Habs > Sabres: Biggest blowout of all time!
2) Devils are creeping up there as usual (they seem to do that every year also. GO DEVILS!)
3) The Battle of Alberta is very intriguing. Who's gonna be the best?
4) The Wild logo is absolutely brilliant, I don't see how anyone could really say it's too busy.
5) The Sharks logo is also very well done. It seems to be a bit underrated.
In response to EL's comment about being 'forced' to watch the Leafs every saturday... this isn't really the case anymore since CBC can show different games in different regions. I live in Ottawa and they show the Sens games on Saturdays on CBC HD... yet I am not 'forced' to watch that logo (which looks like someone puked on a red jersey, or is the letters SNES on a black sweatshirt) since I can just watch the Leafs in non-HD on a different CBC regional channel.
TO EL
I love how you stated the wild logo is too busy and used it as a reason to vote for the Blackhawks. As I see it the blackhawks logo is the busy piece of crap. I feel that it is one of those logos that people vote for because its one of the classics. The wild logo is actually a pretty clean cut design showing both animal head and the beautiful wilderness. Both of which repesent the name of the team. As well as all but one of the colours are actually used in their jerseys. Aside from the Blues and Canadiens, it is one of the best logos in the league. The blackhawks logo isn't the worst but I see it as only a middle tear logo at best.
This was actually a pretty tough week.
Blackhawks-Wild: Both very nice logos, but I went with MIN. I think MIN just has so much imagery in such a confined space, and the colors work brilliantly. CHI doesn't really have a defined color palate, and is the "literal" logo; what you'd expect an Indian-based logo to look like (even though they're not the Chicago Indians).
Canucks-Sharks: Actually a tough choice for me, even though I'm somebody who has basically voted against VAN for "not exuding 'Canuck'". I do think VAN is a nicely-designed logo, but I still have my reasons as to why I don't exactly "like" it. SJ is one of the most underrated logos in this tournament, in my opinion. Yes, it's just a shark biting a stick (how unoriginal, I know), but it's just aesthetically pleasing to look at. And what's the website name? Icethetics, a combination of "ice" and "aesthetics". So, I picked SJ.
Kings-Predators: As a Kings fan, this was a really hard choice. I actually went with NSH because when you think of the Nashville Predators, you have to think of where the name came from. The name "Predators" actually has some meaning, while "Kings" is just a nickname, like the Rangers or Bruins. You know, a name/logo that doesn't really have much to do with the locale. And I like both logos greatly, so I based my decision on another factor.
Senators-Maple Leafs: Surprised TOR is ahead as much as they are in the early going. TOR can't be a more simple logo. It's TOO simple. It's "Toronto Maple Leafs" in a very standard font, inside of a simply-drawn maple leaf. It's an arts-and-crafts project, something any first grader could do. It's not original, and it's certainly not special. It's plain, and has absolutely NO detail. This is the perfect example of why tradition shouldn't be a factor in the voting. No matter how much tradition and history a logo has, it can still be a crappy logo.
Islanders-Lightning: Sorry Chris, but I hate BOTH of them. For me, NYI isn't pleasing to look at. And the word "Islanders" isn't even balanced. There's too much going on there, and none of it is done particularly well. For TB..... what can I say? They're the Lightning. It's very hard to make a lightning bolt look good. Can't say it does here.
I wish there was any way for people to take their "teams that have had the same logo forever" bias out of this. The Caps have such an aesthetically pleasing logo, but they never seem to win any.
Also, obviously the Buffaslug sucks, but if we did this again next season once their current third have become their main jerseys, I bet the classic buffalo/sabres logo would kick some ass here.
Even ignoring the 'other' issues, I still don't like the Blackhawks logo from a design standpoint. Franco says it's "colorful and artistically detailed," but it's not artistically detailed at all. I have no artistic ability and if you told me to draw an "Indian" it would look exactly like that. And having four coloured feathers is not exactly an artistic accomplishment.
EDM - CGY : Each are wonderful in my eyes. I voted for the Oilers because I don't understand why the Flames changed the flaming C to black, Flames shouldn't be black.
PHO - CLB: I consider this a push. The current yotes logo is much better than the picaso coyote, but it's just a very underwhelming design. The columbus logo is kind of a confusing mess.
DAL - DET: Detroit's logo is so unique, classic, and perfect. The stars are nice, but they can't compete here.
CHI - MIN: I understand the "cleverness" in the Wild crest, but it's just very busy and overdesigned in my opinion. The blackhawks logo is probably my favorite in all of sports. Absolute classic design perfection.
VAN - SJ: The orca c is stupid and doesn't make sense from a "canuck" standpoint. Any logo from the canucks past is better than this. San Jose's is nice enough for a modern design, the win by a landslide
LA - NAS: A push, i don't like the black/purple modern crown, the fierce wildcat logo has been overdone to the point of sickness in north american sports.
CAR - BOS: The hurricanes have a nice simple recognizable logo, but the bruins have a perfect logo.
TOR - OTT: I liked the original sens crest, the new one seemed like "change-for-the-sake-of-change" why not try to establish some tradition? Leafs have my least favorite of the original six, but hey it's clean and hard to complain about.
WAS - NJ: While i'm not offended by the caps logo, the devils have a very classic design
PHI - ATL: Thrashers have an overly modern logo of a lame mascot. Flyers is simply with time-tested appeal.
MON - BUF: Buffaslug versus one of the oldest in use crests in sports? tough choice
TB - NYI: I've always loved that isle logo. Lightning aren't offensive, i just prefer the isles
banned in dc....the Capitals "logo" is a word mark. its the same as Dallas. its hard to vote for a non-logo in a logo tournament.
i find it slightly humorous that people are complaining about the hawks beating the wild yet make no real mention of the other original 6 that are winning. if your looking to simply deconstruct the logo (the bruins logo is just a B with some lines through it) as a way of devaluing it, its a waste of time. that can happen to every logo. for example: Montreals logo is just an H inside a C. Calgarys logo is just a flaming C. see, its pointless.
part of what makes a logo great (outside of the design) is the history/story of the logo. look at McDonald. do you think the double arches would garner a 10th of the attention it does if it wasnt for the fact that it represents one of the largest fast food giants in the world? Even a new company picking a logo goes by more then just design. whether or not the logo represents the companys values and such would play a roll in the decision.
Wow, this is really making me feel stupid. After years of seeing the Wild logo I just now realized its also an animal head.... All this time I thought it was just those trees and a river. Weird.
I'm having dificulity inderstanding why there's such hatred to the buffaslug?
Yes, Montreal deserves to win in this case.
and Yes, the old crossed-swrods logo was better.
But the buffaslug is clean, and simple and is able to represent the team. Why all the hatred?
I wonder what others here would think if the Thrashers got rid of the "swirly bird" as we call it down here and just used the head from out of the current crest. Simple, interesting colors (it looks brown here, but the actual trim is a brick red).
Caps logo has got to go. I really do not like the font. Go back to the original.
Yeah, this week we have to make a choice of voting CHI or MIN, but you gotta admit, they are BOTH one of the top logos in the league.
I agree with the comment above about the original Sens logo. They made a nice tweak a few years in by replacing the text with the olive leaves...then they blew it all up and have the mostrocity they have today. Go back to the cleaner look.
Tampa needs to get rid of the silly looking text on their logo, because the silver blue and black look great together.
Surviving the "test of time" when it comes to Native American issues is hardly a valid argument. Witness the Washington REDSKINS or should I even bring up the logo of the Cleveland Indians?
Of those, yes, the 'Hawks logo is the most tasteful of the bunch, but it doesn't necessarily make it right. You'll never see a team called the "Montgomery Negroes", right?
@Danny
I'm not sure the logo represents the team. It represents the city... kinda. It's not exactly an anatomically accurate depiction of a buffalo, but it certainly isn't a sabre.
For the same reason why I don't like the Canucks logo, that's why I'll never vote for the Sabres logo. Both logos might have some symbolization of the area around the city, but orca =/= Canuck, and buffalo =/= sabre
weirdfish....your argument would make sense if the Blackhawks name was actually a native american reference. nice try though. once you know where the name came from, the logo isnt "racist" at all.
i feel we go through this every week.
I dont get why the Stars are losing so bad. The have a great logo with a great and unique color combonation. While the wings logo is representative of Detroit and there name, its just too simple.
Being from Buffalo, the Sabres current uniform has to have the ugliest crest in all of sports. A yellow Bison "jumping" with no legs represents the designers inability to create something that fans will enjoy.
Haha, Josh. The SNES logo! Perhaps they'll just put Super Mario right on the front...I don't know give him a Spartan helmet or something....
Some people liked the Picasso coyote too, but I thought it was ugly. The Wild logo just looks ugly. I don't care how much symbolism and double meaning there is in the thing. A classic logo to me looks timeless and that is definitely not the Wild logo. Would the Wild logo lastr 5 minutes if this were the 50's? Of course not!
As for Chicago's it's an Indian head. Not some abstract mess of marketing ideas that has been tested by a dozen focus groups. This logo has been tested in the real world over time. It's simple classic and people love it. It's not my absolute fave logo in the league but it undeniably completes the best uniform in pro sports. The fact that it has all those colours in it and looks so great on a 3 colour sweater is pretty amazing too. I love uniforms that use different colour logos like that. Remember when the Florida Panthers wore red? Do you remember how good that off coloured logo looked on it? Or how about the Nordiques off colour red crest?That's what I'm talking about.
Let's just say that an atrocity that could successfully stunt double for Donald Trump's hair should not represent the Sabres or the City of Buffalo. Or anything for that matter.
EDM/CAL- The Flaming C, although simple, is a pretty nice logo. It totallly represents the team name. I guess the Oilers represents the team, but the logo is not as good.
PHO/CBJ-Both good logos in my opinion. And both a step up from thier old logos. I didn't know who to choose, so my 6 yr old chose the Blue Jackets.
DAL/DET-I personally don't care for the Red Wings as a team (a respectful hatered) and I don't think their logo is the best, but it is way better than the Stars logo. I personally don't know what the stars can do with a star without looking like the Dal Cowboys.
CHI/MIN-I think the Wild logo is one of the best logos in the NHL. Chicagos is a nice logo too, but I seriouly dont believe that it is the best of all sports. With that said, I voted for MIN.
VAN/SJ-I am a Sharks fan, so yes I voted for the Sharks. Not because I am a fan, but because I do like the logo. I think the Sharks should have gone with the full body Shark as their primary logo, but the newer look is still nice. I have never really cared for the Orca 'C' but it is WAY better than most of their older logos.
LA/NSH- Both nice logos... nothing special, but they represent the teams well. I chose the Preds.
CAR/BOS-I happen to like the Hurricanes logo. It matches the team name. It is a little too much but not in a really bad way, if you get what I am trying to say. Bostons logo is nice and simple but I have a hard time really liking it. But with some of their failures over the years trying to but a bruin on a jersey, I see why the B is timeless and will always stand for the team.
OTT/TOR-As far as which logo is better, I went with OTT. Nothing great about both of these. I would like to see the Sens go with the Black Jerseys with the Red/White Stripe in the middle and the 'O' crest. It would be rediculously simple yet very classy.
WAS/NJ-If it was the Weagle, I might choose the Caps. But the team name spelled out should not win. Especially against a good logo like the Devlls
PHI/ATL-The Thrashers logo=FAIL. Even though the Flyers logo is just a P looking like it is flying across the jersey, I like it. I actually like it better than most of the logos in the NHL.
MON/BUF-Try this again next season and I would probably choose the Sabres, for now...NO. MON is just a C with an H inside, no real wow factor there, it is still way easier on the eyes.
NYI-TB-Both suck. I still chose the Lightning even though it says Tampa Bay on the jersey. Any hockey fan knows they play in Tampa so you dont need to remind everybody by adding it to the crest.
OCONN96 pretty much makes it clear why the Wild have a great logo in my opinion. You can look at it a bunch of different ways and see different things. I don't think busy really applies to anything other than jerseys, because you have time to look at a logo. The Wild have a great logo and a great color scheme. Green and Red are very pleasing to look at and is not an oft seen combination in the NHL. Also, the Sharks logo is totally sick I don't know how people don't like it. I think the teal on the head of the Shark is great and the eyes really make it.
I'm still shaking my head about the Wild logo. OCONN96, it was only last week on here that someone pointed out to me that it was a bear head. I always just thought it was a wilderness scene and a mid-tier logo at best. Now that I see the animal head, it is brilliant.........but not good enough to beat the Blackhawks.
I live and die by the Oilers. BUT, I gotta admit, the Flames logo is better. Ouch, that hurt.
The tough part about this particular poll is not the good logos pitted against one another but the bad ones. Bolts vs. Isles? The Lightning logo is one of the most straightforward and boring in the league, and the font used is tacky. But at least it's simple; a 5-year-old could draw it. If you asked me to draw the Isles logo from memory, Long Island would probably end up a squiggly lump - and I grew up in NYC. I went with the Isles in the end because I like the colours better, but both are terrible.
Also, Coyotes and Jackets. There's something so.. not "classic" about both of those logos. But the Jackets logo looks more like an actual sports logo, so I went with that one.
I also don't get how LA is beating Nashville. The crown in the Kings logo looks so flat, like a rough draft. The Preds logo is just so.. badass! I hope Nashville gets pitted against Pittsburgh in future rounds so we can enjoy the stark contrast between the terrifying killing machine represented in the Preds logo and the goofy hockey playing penguin.
Hey guys, let's just let the Kings beat the Predators in this poll, okay? We can't beat them in real life (0-6-1 since beginning of 08-09 season), so give us something!
I seem to be one of the few who likes the Canucks logo. For those unaware, you can see Orcas if you go for a whale-watching tour so the orca is a rather west coast look. There's also the Orca Bay angle (I think it's the management company which owns/runs the Canucks - feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). The stylized C is, well duh, for the Canucks. I will agree that, say, Johnny Canuck would look better but you'll have to find him on Luongo's mask rather than on the jersey. For now, though, the jersey suits me fine - except Vancouver doesn't need to be spelled out.
Still think you should use the Sabres third jersey logo since it will be there logo next season.
I don't get people bashing just the blackhawks and leafs logos for the original six... sure the blackhawk logo is just an indian, and the leafs logo looks like a stupid leaf with words in it.
The redwings logo was actually taken from a detroit shoe store's logo, i mean it's just a wheel and a wing.
The canadiens logo looks like a freaking toilet seat.
The bruins logo is a b inside of a spoked circle.
The rangers logo is just a shield that says "new york rangers"
If anybody came up with any logo's that looked like these today... everyone would say they look retarded. But since these logos are old and represent the time they were designed, they have become instant classics, just like they should be. Eventually today's logos will start to look old too... it's just how stuff like this works.
@Bibbidy Bob
I think everybody here who dislikes the Canucks logo KNOWS that there are orcas in the ocean. Just like there are sharks in the Pacific, and they're the San Jose Sharks. If they were the San Jose San Joseans (San Josean is the denonym for somebody from San Jose), yet their logo was a shark..... need I go on? Y'all know where I'm going with this. That's essentially the same case as what we have with the Canucks and the orca logo.
as far as the blackhawks logo goes. i have to vote for it just because it is my favorite logo but i will vote for the wild against any other team (most likely) because of the subtle hints it gives. i didnt realize there was a bear in the logo until the begining of this year (im an oblivious person). it has a great subliminal 'logo' if you will
@TheKleenexBox
I could not stop laughing at how you pointed out that the Canadiens logo looks like a toilet seat. I will never look at that logo the same again.
And the shoe store is in Red Wing, Minnestoa. I know because my wife works for Red Wing Shoes and recently had to travel there.
I think the Flames will beat the Oilers here. After all, Edmonton can't seem to win anything this year.
The Flaming C is beating the Oilers logo? UNBELIEVABLE.
I don't know about this tournament.....people are just voting for tradition like the original six instead of an AMAZING design by the WILD....I'm not a wild fan but this logo should be at the top.
Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment was the name of the previous owners for the Canucks. They were the owners when the orca logo was created. They sold to the current owners in 2004 (50%) and the remaining in 2006. The ownership group is now Canucks S&E. That's why it was speculated that the orca would be euthanized when Team Reebok came into existence.
If the Canucks manage to beat another far superior logo, I'll be shocked. Sure, the Sharks logo is simple, and sure it's a modern twist on their original primary mark. But its the small details that seem to escape some people. Like how the artist worked in the very subtle SJ into the logo. Can't see it? Look at the shark's fins and back, you'll find it. Plus the colors work, and the streamline look make it very easy to look at.
As for the Blackhawks. For those of you making a hubub about it being an indian head, and the ones of you oblivious to the fact that the name has nothing to do with a bird, here's a quick lesson. They are named after the famous indian Black Hawk, who many years before, was prominant in the region that would become Chicago. Go figure the club would go for a profile of said indian. And while it is albeit a very good logo, that has stood the test of time, the Wild have a far better logo. Like the Sharks, it has a great colors, is streamlined and the artist painted a picture within it. Those of you saying that the Hawks have a better logo because it's stood the test of time, how about waiting 5 maybe ten years when that Wild logo is still around. Hell, on that red home where it is withing a circled crest, it looks like it has been around for decades.
The toughest poll was the Coyotes vs. the Blue Jackets. Both are fantastic modern logos, that are far better than each of their predecessors. I did have a soft spot for the robot coyote being a fan of the team. However, the howling coyote profile is a fantastic logo. I read that somewhere here said the Jackets logo is a "confusing mess". How is it confusing? It's a star, with the flag of Ohio wrapping around it. What part of that threw you off? Far better than the ribbon and stick mess that was the "CBJ" logo they originally had. Went with the Coyotes though for the original colors and overall look of it.
[quote]I don't know about this tournament.....people are just voting for tradition like the original six instead of an AMAZING design by the WILD....I'm not a wild fan but this logo should be at the top.
Mar 30 . 2:10 AM | Unregistered CommenterSkizzyMcB[/quote]
I don't think it's that at all. Here's my big beef with the Wild's logo: it's just too slick. It's too cute and clever for its own good. It could only be a product of the super slick Adobe Illustrator school of corporate logo design of the 90's/2000's.
Yes, it is very clever and a good design, but at the end of the day, for many fans, it is just too much. Whether you have a logo from the 30's, 50's or 70's, 95% of those logos (at least the successful ones that survived) looked fantastic on a small black and white TV or a huge HD flat screen. They transcend and translate. The Wild logo is like their name, a product of their time, and very soon we will be puking over the excess and trends of the times these teams were created in (Predators? Thrashers? Wild? What the hell are these, GI Joe Extreme code names thought up by 10 year olds?)
Clearly, the Wild logo is a well thought out and interesting logo, and I'd even admit, as an illustrator and designer, it is the type of thing I would most likely submit as a proposal (if I was that clever, I'm saying, which I'm probably not) at an agency (or at least vote for if I was on the deciding committee), but after living with it for a year, I'm sure I'd start having creator's or buyer's remorse that it was too smart for its own good and would soon look dated.
The Bruins logo isn't awesome because its an Original Six logo or a classic simply based on age (although those are contributing factors), it's because it is simply a perfect logo: elegant yet simple while unique, looks great up close as well as 100 feet away. Iconic, identifiable... in short, everything you want from a logo.
The Flyers is clearly a product of the late 60's/early 70's design school, and while identifiable from the era, still a unique and wholly original image/shape. There is no shape or logo in sports remotely like that weird-ass "P" with wings thing. Even as a kid, I didn't get that it was a flying P, but I knew it as a unique "Hey, that's weird logo is cool looking" thing. So it is totally classic and perfect for completely different reasons than the B's logo (and I HATE the Flyers!).
But the Wild? A clever design school exercise for any generic bear/cat/animal sports team created in the 90's. Yes, the addition of the North Star eye is neat. Yes the river for a mouth is cool. But it is sort of a victim of its own success. Too busy, too clever, too much.
In the end, really neat up close and a good logo, but not classic. I have a feeling in 10 years people will not be thinking anywhere near as highly of it as they do today.
I don't like the Wild logo because the bear has an underbite.
As if this moment, here's the Canucks/Sharks vote:
Canucks: 1,161 votes
Sharks: 1,160 votes
Really, REALLY close.
i agree with minny's logo... its great, i personally can't beleive the smiley indian face is beating it.... pathetic
A little history lesson:
The Vancouver Canucks have existed since 1945.
The name is not based upon a political cartoon, a superhero, an aviator, or a mammal that is rarely seen in Vancouver waters. The name came from owner Coley Hall who named the team after Canadian soldiers that were coming back from the war. In those days he called them Canucks.
The original Johnny Canuck logo - which is not the one you see all over the internet - did not appear until the mid fifties. It is very similar to the one that appears on Roberto Luongo's mask. This logo was mostly used for publications and only appeared on select uniforms for a few of seasons. The original logo it looks so much better than the one that is commonly seen BTW.
The one logo that has appeared on Canucks' uniforms since 1945 has been the V. All professional hockey clubs in Vancouver have worn some form of V logo either on the chest or arms.
Even if the Blues aren't in a poll I'm still going to somehow vote for them
I liked the original realistic-lookin' Sharks logo better than the current one but I still think its a great logo
If you guys are all obsessed with "simple logos" and "simple jerseys" why so much hate for the maple leafs logo? Simple... Is it not?
lol HGG447.. the bear has an underbite. That cracks me up. I love it. I agree Joe, the original Sharks logo was better. This one is still better than the orca though. That is coming from a Canucks fan.