There are currently seven NHL franchises that have been relocated from their original homes, the most recent being the Utah Hockey Club who will begin play in the 2024-25 season.
Some transplant clubs keep the team branding and jerseys from their previous incarnation, while others take the opportunity to reinvent themselves, like a high school kid who transfers to a new school mid year and gets a cool new haircut and a black leather fringe jacket (with an Iron Maiden patch).
Team branding is important, not only for the squad’s on-ice identity and the camaraderie that it fosters, but it’s also important for the bonds it creates with the team’s home city and their fans. So, this week I’m looking at how teams that relocated have approached their hockey jerseys.
calgary flames
Although the “Flames” nickname was originally an homage to General William Sherman’s burning of Atlanta during the US Civil War, Calgary kept the Flames name and jersey scheme when they moved to Cowtown from Atlanta in 1981. And they kept them around up until the mid-1990s.
In 1995, the team switched up their striping with a new look that collectors have since nicknamed the “pedestal” jersey. Adding black and featuring diagonal striping across the lower front of their sweaters, it kinda looks like the Flames crest is on a pedestal! A look they would reintroduce with the NHL’s Reverse Retro program.
Since then they have experimented with many different striping looks and even Cs and As. For one season the team tried out a smaller Flames crest for the Captains C but dropped that after one season, but in 97-98 introduced the Atlanta Flames logo as the alternate captain’s A. They would use this A for 24 years!
As of 2021, the Flames have returned to the Atlanta look — the one they wore when they hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1989. Hopefully they can return to the Cup Finals soon, too.
Calgary C, Atlanta A.
utah hockey club/arizona coyotes
Unlike the Calgary Flames, the Coyotes immediately ditched the Jets name, logo, and colours, when they transferred from Winnipeg to Phoenix in 1996. The franchise completely rebranded, opting for a southwestern desert colour combo, and a logo that can only be described as Picasso-esque.
They’d hold strong to that imagery until 2003, when they switched up their primary colour to brick-red and their logo to the howling desert dog.
It’s rumoured that when Gretzky became part of the ownership group that he insisted the Coyotes change their uniforms to a more traditional hockey look, and that the brick red jersey is his doing. He liked the look so much he decided to become the team’s coach, and let’s just say you wont find any of his coaching stats in the Hall of Fame.
We’re still waiting to see what Utah will do with their nickname and logo, although it seems like they’re pretty intent on making a clean break with the Coyotes’ image. They’ve already settled on a black and baby-blue scheme for their bibs — not unlike the Carolina Panthers’ uniforms of the NFL — and there’s significantly less canine DNA in the short list of nicknames the franchise appears to be entertaining.
My one wish is that the Utah fans keep the mullet wig tradition that fans adopted in the Coyotes last couple campaigns. Sort of like how Phoenix adopted the Whiteout from Winnipeg.
Gretzky telling the team how much he likes the jerseys.
Winnipeg Jets
When it was announced that the Atlanta Thrashers would be leaving Georgia for Winnipeg, True North Sports and Entertainment seemed to do everything they could to rename them the Manitoba Moose. Try as they might, the city’s love affair with the Jets 1.0 was too strong, and the Jets name was confirmed on opening night of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
The double-blue kits were introduced a few months later, and have been the Jets’ base uniforms for the 12 years since.
Now, I love the old Jets jerseys from the 80s and 90s, and their blue heritage tarps are masterpieces, but I’d hate to muddle the team’s branding too much by suddenly switching up their base colours and logo. The last thing you want is a fanbase that looks like they’re cheering for different teams because their jerseys and logos don’t match.
I’m looking at you Vancouver!
Dustin Byfuglien modelling his old team’s threads.
carolina hurricanes
I loved the old Whalers logo and colours. To me they were the perfect example of what a hockey team name, logo, and uniform should look like. I even liked the Cooperalls and the “Pucky the Whale” shoulder patch. So, I was sad to see them go when the team relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina.
But, I have to say, the Carolina Hurricanes have done a fantastic job of forging their own identity, in no small part because they’ve stuck pretty closely to their original red, white, and black getups for over 25 years, with some minor changes here and there.
I once dated a girl whose initials were HW so I made her a sweater with the Whalers logo in her favourite colours. Thought she’d love the logo as much as I did. She was fixated on the whale look of it and asked, “Are you trying to tell me something?”
Colorado Avalanche
The Quebec Nordiques were another example of a perfect name, logo, and uniform. But the name and logos (especially the fleur de lis) were too ingrained in the local Quebec City culture to transplant it to Denver.
So, the team ditched the igloo and the royal blue, and arrived in the Mile-High City with a burgundy bib with silver, blue, and black affectations. The unique colour scheme and stylish logo were instant hits, and they’ve helped keep the Avs’ brand strong for almost three decades.
Two legendary jerseys- which one do YOU prefer?
dallas stars
Like the Calgary Flames, the Dallas Stars didn’t change much when the Minnesota North Stars packed up and headed south to Texas. All they really did was change the city name on the logo and slap some Texas shaped patches on the shoulders. In 1999, the Stars switched up their jersey design, but they kept that final Minnesota logo for 20 years.
Stars, minus the North.
new jersey devils
When the Kansas City Scouts moved to Colorado, the Denver franchise kept the jersey colours and changed the team name and logo.
But, when that same franchise relocated to New Jersey, the team made a fresh start with red and green outfits and a logo that has become one of the NHL’s mainstays. In fact, I put the Devils’ shield among the NHL’s most untouchable logos along with the original six logos, the Philadelphia Flyers’ crest, and the Edmonton Oilers’ emblem.
The Devils have done business with their pointy-tailed insignia since 1982 — that’s over 40 years! I mean, that logo’s so old it doesn’t understand TikTok.
hockey jerseys are the heart and soul of the team
Sometimes it makes sense for a relocated team to keep the same colours and name, but when the identity doesn’t travel well, it’s necessary to forge a new image. Hockey jerseys are where a team’s sense of self is kept, so it’s important to get it right. That’s why Utah is taking their time to settle on a name and logo.
I’m sure looking forward to what UHC comes up with for their final hockey sweater design. But, until then I’ll be here making jerseys and writing my blog, which you should sign up for, by the way. It comes out every Friday, and I touch on anything and everything to do with hockey jerseys and hockey culture. Subscribe right here, and I’ll see you next week!
