NHL team branding that you like, dislike, or have an opinion about

[No Fun Shogun]

I don't mind dull or bland branding, but I despise is when teams have clearly superior jerseys in their history but they primarily or only wear inferior jerseys.

Looking at you, LA. Bring back the purple and gold.

 

[MoneyManny]

As a Seattle resident, I was really excited about getting a team here. I was just hoping please don't name them the Kraken. Cascades was my personal choice, but that was far down the list. Emeralds or Totems was my choice for the main frontrunners. Instead they chose a drunk frat boy type of name. So many great names to choose from to capture the Pacific Northwest and you choose that.

Seattle has one of the best branding in the league imo. Awesome name, colors, logos...

 

[MrLunatik]

I don't mind dull or bland branding, but I despise is when teams have clearly superior jerseys in their history but they primarily or only wear inferior jerseys.

Looking at you, LA. Bring back the purple and gold.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I think the Vegas Golden Knights are great , suprised so many people have issues with their branding

 

[AKL]

I don't mind dull or bland branding, but I despise is when teams have clearly superior jerseys in their history but they primarily or only wear inferior jerseys.

Looking at you, LA. Bring back the purple and gold.

I feel like this is fairly common, but maybe I just have bad opinions.

Ducks: anything with the jade/eggplant really
Sabres: honestly I'm a big fan of buffaslug but I may be the weird one
Hurricanes: anything with the little square pattern across the waist, 2008ish
Avalanche: any time that they had black pants
Stars: I liked the jerseys with the star pattern on the waist and up the sides
Oilers: 2001-2007 jerseys, including the alt
Panthers: quite literally any time before 2016
Kings: purple and yellow
Wild: the inaugural green jerseys
Devils: the ones with green
Islanders: maybe not so much the fisherman jersey as it was, but definitely the logo/colors
Rangers: the liberty jerseys
Blues: the early 80s and before
Lightning: late 90s
Canucks: I really liked when they used red in the late 90s/00s
Capitals: really either the old style red/white/blue from the 80s and before, or the black/bronze from the 90s/00s
Jets: the jerseys from Jets v1

 

[Zenos]

The current nhl is collectively very aesthetically pleasing with only a few real duds imo.

Winnipeg should just cut the crap and go with the navy/red heritage jerseys full time.

Columbus needs a rebrand. The current logo belongs in the minor leagues. Look at an actual Union uniform and take inspiration from there. Create a visual identity around the cannon logo.

Dallas looked better with more black and gold.

Ottawa should bring the red reverse retro back into circulation.

The kings brought the Chevy shield back, but it looks worse than before. They should either use the exact same Gretzky era uniforms (with silver numbers) or return to gold and forum blue.

 

[thebeernerd]

you need to go to a VGK game. So many weird and disjointed mascots, tron dancers, castles, drumlines, its like the owner was pitched ideas in 2017 for the games and just said "yes".

I've heard the games are trippy and very Las Vegas, but the problem is that the average ticket is like $200. However, given that it's not as affordable to go out for a night (sans gambling of course) as it once was, that might be a bargain. It was enough to price out a friend and her husband on their honeymoon, though, so probably not.

 

[NYRfan85]

Rangers fan here, our branding is timeless. I do miss the 1996 liberty jerseys, but the current 3rds are pretty sweet. I hope they don't botch the 100th anniversary uniform this season. They need to go with a direct remake of their original 1926 blue jerseys, which were a lighter shade than they wear today.

Homer analysis aside, time for some criticism.

Los Angeles - the current rebrand is better than what they had, but they really blew it by not going back to the "forum blue" and gold. Purple is criminally underutilized, and it pairs beautifully with the old crown.

Carolina - Their current uniform set is a damn mess, it's all over the place. Just go back to the 1997 uniform set. The black uniform is fine. The CANES on the white uniform, paired with red helmets, is the worst look in the whole league.

Dallas - The 'star' uniforms from their Cup win are things of beauty, and they should have never deviated from them. Though I do absolutely love their neon green/black third uniforms--those are gorgeous!

 

[thebeernerd]

View attachment 1031923
^^Love this version: the blue is close enough to black that it’s not a massive departure from tradition, and the blue/yellow/red combo is a subtle homage to the team’s origins as the Colorado Rockies.

I know there's a rationale behind that color scheme for their old reverse retros, but I strongly believe blue doesn't belong anywhere on anything Devils related.

Also, count me in as one of the people who don't like that they took away the big stripe on the bottom of the Devils jerseys. I suppose when you've had a remarkably consistent look for the 40+ years the team has been in New Jersey, any departure is going to spark controversy. But the jerseys feel empty without one.

The Jersey jersey grew on me almost immediately after they announced it. My very first reaction was "this is stupid," but they almost immediately became endearing. And the team has run with that branding. I don't think Marty intended that kind of appeal but he's not complaining.

 

[KAWAIlllI]

Love - Sharks
Loved - The Panthers
Like - Sabres
Hate - Utah
Hate even more - Carolina

 

[Summer Rose]

I feel like this is fairly common, but maybe I just have bad opinions.

Ducks: anything with the jade/eggplant really
Sabres: honestly I'm a big fan of buffaslug but I may be the weird one
Hurricanes: anything with the little square pattern across the waist, 2008ish
Avalanche: any time that they had black pants
Stars: I liked the jerseys with the star pattern on the waist and up the sides
Oilers: 2001-2007 jerseys, including the alt
Panthers: quite literally any time before 2016
Kings: purple and yellow
Wild: the inaugural green jerseys
Devils: the ones with green
Islanders: maybe not so much the fisherman jersey as it was, but definitely the logo/colors
Rangers: the liberty jerseys
Blues: the early 80s and before
Lightning: late 90s
Canucks: I really liked when they used red in the late 90s/00s
Capitals: really either the old style red/white/blue from the 80s and before, or the black/bronze from the 90s/00s
Jets: the jerseys from Jets v1

I think it would be awesome if the Jets switched to the logos/branding/jerseys/etc. from the Jets 1.0 era as well. I believe they've worn them as throwbacks, but aren't allowed to switch to them full time because of trademark ownership nonsense and such. I'm sure that enough money would solve that issue, and it would be great to see them do it.

 

[AKL]

I think it would be awesome if the Jets switched to the logos/branding/jerseys/etc. from the Jets 1.0 era as well. I believe they've worn them as throwbacks, but aren't allowed to switch to them full time because of trademark ownership nonsense and such. I'm sure that enough money would solve that issue, and it would be great to see them do it.

I thought the league owned all the branding, but maybe it varies by the specific brand. As far as I know, the league owns the Coyotes brand, not the Utah Very Big. I think the league also owns the Thrashers branding, which is why both groups want to use it?

 

[Summer Rose]

I thought the league owned all the branding, but maybe it varies by the specific brand. As far as I know, the league owns the Coyotes brand, not the Utah Very Big. I think the league also owns the Thrashers branding, which is why both groups want to use it?

That's what I seem to recall as well. In recent years (as in the past few decades), a team that relocates tends to have the ownership of the intellectual property of branding and such revert to the league, whether in the NHL or otherwise. I think the Hartford Whalers branding also belongs to the NHL, but they permit the Carolina Hurricanes to use it for throwbacks.

Much further in the past, teams would usually keep ownership of that kind of that stuff when relocating, with a personal example being the Arizona Cardinals, who used to be the St. Louis Cardinals (and earlier than that, the Chicago Cardinals). Seemed like it was just generally much less of a big deal back then, if it was an issue at all. Of course, you also have the Los Angeles Rams who became the St. Louis Rams, then very recently became the Los Angeles Rams again, the Raiders moving around while keeping the "Raiders" moniker, so maybe it's just different for the NFL.

 

[qcal1427]

I'll try to go with some more controversial ones:

- The Weagle is a great shoulder patch/secondary logo but would look awful as the primary logo on a jersey and I really don't understand fans clamoring for it

- Colorado's sets were better when they had the black pants/helmets/gloves. Their third jersey is an underrated awful look

- Jets 2.0 is one of the best sets in the league and they should stay with what they have

- Columbus' branding and home/away sets are completely fine, bordering on good. The thirds are awful though

- Boston's 100th anniversary set last year was probably the best in league history and they should switch to them full-time immediately

 

[Tawnos]

I know there's a rationale behind that color scheme for their old reverse retros, but I strongly believe blue doesn't belong anywhere on anything Devils related.

I feel similar about red being the primary color on anything Rangers related. Even on practice jerseys it bugs me.

 

[PistolPete]

With the Utah Mammoth officially announced, we have the latest package of an NHL team's logo, alternate logos, jerseys, primary colors, etc.

Do you particularly like or hate any NHL team's branding? Do you think anybody needs a rebrand? A new name even? Prefer alternate logos or jerseys over the primary set?

Carolina. Hate the logo and the "CANES" jersey; with the colour's makes me think of candy cane's

Pittsburgh needs to change their nickname.

 

[PistolPete]

I think Blue Jackets is a great name one of the best in the NHL

I agree. Not a fan of the jerseys or logo though

 

[PistolPete]

I liked it anyway when I first saw it, even though it admittedly took me several years to see the "NJ" in the logo. Silly me. Then I liked it even better.

Guilty of that also.

 

[PistolPete]

As a Seattle resident, I was really excited about getting a team here. I was just hoping please don't name them the Kraken. Cascades was my personal choice, but that was far down the list. Emeralds or Totems was my choice for the main frontrunners. Instead they chose a drunk frat boy type of name. So many great names to choose from to capture the Pacific Northwest and you choose that.

Breakers wasn't a consideration for you? Or Thunderbirds?

I like the Breakers name just because it's different, a reference to a very specific type of wave. Not a fan of the logo the WHL team used though

 

[Dr Salt]

The Blackhawks branding is perfectly fine and should never change.
Avs color scheme has always popped nicely.
I can't describe it in depth but the Tampa Bay Lightning feel like it could be so much more with the name they got going.
The Columbus Blue Jackets should switch the primary to the cannon.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Canes take warning jersey colour scheme is great.

The sens black jersey is great.

I don't mind the Dallas glow in the dark jerseys.

The matte black helmets are really nice looking

 

[MessierII]

Regarding Utah I feel like the away jersey needs the logo. Any jersey that has just lettering sucks outside of the rangers. Most nhl team have figured out what works by now. Besides Nashville.

 

[Turin]

I'll try to go with some more controversial ones:

- The Weagle is a great shoulder patch/secondary logo but would look awful as the primary logo on a jersey and I really don't understand fans clamoring for it

- Colorado's sets were better when they had the black pants/helmets/gloves. Their third jersey is an underrated awful look

- Jets 2.0 is one of the best sets in the league and they should stay with what they have

- Columbus' branding and home/away sets are completely fine, bordering on good. The thirds are awful though

- Boston's 100th anniversary set last year was probably the best in league history and they should switch to them full-time immediately

Agreed besides Boston

 

[Chet Manley]

I like the Wild. It's a place, it's a verb, kick-ass animals are it, girls with low self-esteem do it, etc. The logo is well thought out too.

 

[Sol]

I've always hated Vegas' branding. I thought dropping the "Las" was gimmicky and only because it would make Foley's "[Adjective] Knights" obsession too clunky.

And "Golden Knights" was the worst of the three options. "Silver Knights" would have fitted the Silver State. Silver/gray also looks way nicer on the ice than their morning piss yellow. "Desert Knights" would have been a little cheesey, but it would have lent itself to unique colors and logos. Instead, we got one of the most boring and underdeveloped logos in sports.

Just curious, how often have you been to Vegas?