Ziggy Stardust
Master Debater
Not to sound overtly defensive over the current Kings logo, but I want to provide some logistics as to how that logo came about (and this is just from my own observation and not some "behind the scenes" information behind the brain trust that created the emblem).
First off, the inspiration for the "homeplate." That design originated back to the 60s. The Kings had a shield banner that they had used on promotional items.
In the 80s they made a different variation of the same logo, which was the precursor to the "chevy logo."
From what I personally recall reading, the Kings were planning on changing their colors, their logo, and uniforms before they had Gretzky. That was all set way before the trade was officially announced, and the "chevy logo" was born and a new era began, and the Kings set league records in merchandise sales and doubled NHL merch sales with the introduction of the black and silver sweaters.
The Kings' logo also drew inspiration from the Dodgers. Everyone knows the Dodgers "LA" logo.
Obviously they aren't going to mimic the same design, and so the Kings created their own version of that and wanted to make that a focal point of the logo. Combine all of those elements together, and you get this:
Is it the best logo in the league? No, not at all. But is it the worst in the league? No, I wouldn't go that far. It's just average. Yes, I get the meaning behind the logo and its inspiration and story behind it, but it just falls flat to me. You look at all of the original six logos and they are all timeless. Although the Rangers wear a script logo on their uniforms, their team logo is another timeless classic.
I understand the pencil point shield or "homeplate" is supposed to be a coat of arms, and they had another coat of arms logo that didn't last too long because I think it just looked silly with the lion with sunglasses, stick, and puck. BTW, there are five hockey sticks within the logo: two crossing the main logo, the two crossing sticks used for the top design of the crown, and the hockey stick being held by the lion.
I'm glad that they ditched that logo rather quickly, but I do believe there was potential for the Kings to do more with that design than what they ended up presenting to us when they unveiled the purple and black in 1998 at Universal City Walk. I think if they used a better crest than the one worn on the current set of uniforms, there would be less fans complaining about the Kings' jerseys.
First off, the inspiration for the "homeplate." That design originated back to the 60s. The Kings had a shield banner that they had used on promotional items.
In the 80s they made a different variation of the same logo, which was the precursor to the "chevy logo."
From what I personally recall reading, the Kings were planning on changing their colors, their logo, and uniforms before they had Gretzky. That was all set way before the trade was officially announced, and the "chevy logo" was born and a new era began, and the Kings set league records in merchandise sales and doubled NHL merch sales with the introduction of the black and silver sweaters.
The Kings' logo also drew inspiration from the Dodgers. Everyone knows the Dodgers "LA" logo.
Obviously they aren't going to mimic the same design, and so the Kings created their own version of that and wanted to make that a focal point of the logo. Combine all of those elements together, and you get this:
Is it the best logo in the league? No, not at all. But is it the worst in the league? No, I wouldn't go that far. It's just average. Yes, I get the meaning behind the logo and its inspiration and story behind it, but it just falls flat to me. You look at all of the original six logos and they are all timeless. Although the Rangers wear a script logo on their uniforms, their team logo is another timeless classic.
I understand the pencil point shield or "homeplate" is supposed to be a coat of arms, and they had another coat of arms logo that didn't last too long because I think it just looked silly with the lion with sunglasses, stick, and puck. BTW, there are five hockey sticks within the logo: two crossing the main logo, the two crossing sticks used for the top design of the crown, and the hockey stick being held by the lion.
I'm glad that they ditched that logo rather quickly, but I do believe there was potential for the Kings to do more with that design than what they ended up presenting to us when they unveiled the purple and black in 1998 at Universal City Walk. I think if they used a better crest than the one worn on the current set of uniforms, there would be less fans complaining about the Kings' jerseys.
