HOCKEY CRESTS ARE LIKE ART
With over a hundred years of history, the NHL has seen a ton of jersey crests come and go. So many of them are legitimate pieces of art, and, in fact, I wouldn’t say there’s a single stinker in the bunch.
Still there are a few that stand out to me for their je ne sais quoi, as the French say. So this week I’m taking a closer look at the seven NHL logos that I think nail it when it comes to uniqueness.
QUEBEC NORDIQUES
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love the old Quebec Nordiques logo. For one, it’s a unique name and that lends itself well to a unique logo. There must be something in the water in La Belle Province because Quebec has produced some of the most unique team names and logos in hockey. Just check out the QMJHL’s team names and logos.
Anyways, what makes the Nords’ logo great is that it’s got layers, baby. It’s an igloo, yes, but it’s made up of a lowercase N and a hockey stick. Very creative. Great logo. No notes.
HARTFORD WHALERS
The Hartford Whalers is another unique logo that hockey fans still go bonkers for, myself included. What I really love about the logo is the creative use of negative space. You’ve got the big W and the whale tail, but the negative space forms a hidden “H” for Hartford, which is pretty neat.
Some say that the H is also two hockey stick blades connected with a puck. I’m not so sure about that, but that’s how good this logo is — we’re still debating it.
PHOENIX COYOTES
The original Phoenix Coyotes logo has got to be one of the biggest swings for the fences in NHL logo history. It’s angular, it’s abstract, and boy is it unique. Pablo Picasso himself would be proud.
The Coyotes returned to the Kachina logo, as it was known, for their final few campaigns to widespread applause. But, it didn’t get that kind of reception when it first debuted in 1997. It was so different back then, that critics panned the crest.
Turns out it was just ahead of its time.
BOSTON BRUINS
If you’re a hockey fan, you’ve been looking at this logo your entire life, so you might not realize how unique this logo is. Its uniqueness is found in its simplicity — its a B with spokes and a circle.
What I love about it is that a “bruin” is a bear, but there’s no bear to be found on the logo. That’s a pretty bold choice, and honestly I would’ve never thought to not put a bear on the crest. And the trademark spokes emanating from the B like a wheel? There’s some meaning there — it’s a nod to Boston’s nickname, The Hub.
I’m not sure we’ll ever see another logo as uniquely simple as this classic hockey insignia.
MINNESOTA WILD
The Minnesota Wild’s primary logo made its on-ice debut in 2000 when the team entered the NHL as the league’s 30th franchise, and dare I say, it may be the most unique logo in NHL history.
See, usually a logo has a particular subject, like an angry animal, or an angry tradesman, or some sort of symbol or shield (which may also be angry). But the Wild’s logo is a landscape portrait of Minnesota’s vast wilderness, with towering pine trees and a winding river. Pull back a bit, though, and you’ll notice that the landscape itself is in the shape of a bear’s head. Some say it’s a wolf but wolves don’t have round ears.
The river of the landscape acts as the animal’s mouth also cleverly shaped as a loon, Minnesota’s state bird, and the north star — a nod to the Minnesota North Stars — serves as the beast’s eye. I’m a big bear fan and outdoors fan so this is the logo for me.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
It’s pretty rare for a team to only ever have one logo, but that’s the case with the Philadelphia Flyers. Really the only thing that’s changed about the logo is the shade of the orange circle in the middle of the P.
What makes this logo so unique is… well… what the heck is it? It’s a stylized letter P… and it has wings… but it’s precisely the abstract nature of it all that makes it timeless and unique. So much so, that I truly believe that the day this logo gets retired is the day the NHL closes up shop for good.
ST. LOUIS BLUES
I don’t think there’s another logo in the NHL that winks at a city’s cultural contributions like the St. Louis Blues’ crest. The city of St. Louis is closely tied to the blues. In fact, the father of the blues himself, W.C. Handy, wrote the iconic song The St. Louis Blues for which the team is named.
The blue note logo has wings to depict speed, but musicians will notice that the wings make the musical note a 64th note, a nod to the year that the city of St. Louis was founded — 1764.
Man, I’d like to see more teams naming themselves after songs. Maybe the new Utah Hockey Club can call themselves the Salt Lake City Beach Boys.
unique hockey jerseys help foster team unity
Hockey sweaters are one of the best ways to solidify a group of individuals around a singular concept. A good crest says a lot about the team, their style of play, and who they represent, whether it’s a city, a community club, a workplace, or just a group of friends.
As a jersey maker, I love seeing the unique logo designs some of our clients come up with, and it’s an honour to be part of the process of bringing that to life.
Anyway, those are the most unique NHL logos from over the years, at least in my books. I’ll be back next week with another little ditty on hockey jerseys and hockey culture.
Be sure to sign up for the 4 Shots with Keener newsletter so you don’t miss out, and I’ll see you next Friday.
