The Carolina Hurricane (and the logo that thankfully never was)

[DaleCooper]

http://www.icethetics.co/blog/2014/7/14/designing-the-90s-nhl-part-2-expansion-relocation

Then in 1997, the Hartford Whalers relocated. The loss of one of the greatest sports logos of all time put the pressure on The Mednick Group, as the NHL hired the agency to create a logo for the new Carolina Hurricanes — or was it "Hurricane"?

A definite candidate for one of the ugliest logos and jersey sets I have ever seen. Anyone who hates our current logo should be relieved that it could have been so much worse.

Click to read more...

 

[Brock Ness Monster]

I gotta say, I don't hate it.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Good lord. That is just horrendous.

edit: I like that there was at least a good-faith effort to keep the Whalers legacy alive. But good god, those uniforms would have been an eyesore. Also, I would have absolutely hated the decision to go with a singular "Hurricane" team name. Everything about this concept screams "bad 90s concept".

 

[tarheelhockey]

If you check out Part 1 of that Icethetics series, the same designer also came up with the Kings' "Burger King" look and this proposed third jersey set for the Flyers:

 

[VAcaniac]

Some people just try to hard. Less is more.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Posted to the main board along with the proposed Flyers designs.

 

[Unsustainable]

I like the logo.

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

I don't even... what is it?

 

[Joe McGrath]

I'm going to be honest with you, if those were the jerseys I might not be a fan of this team. I was 12 and looking for one last straw to leave the franchise and that might have been it.

 

[Novacane]

That logo actually looks okay in my eyes. They forced the CH in it but it's not that bad. Now the jerseys? Very glad those didn't see the light of day.

 

[Unsustainable]

I stumbled upon this:

 

[nobuddy]

Want.

 

[Finnish Jerk Train]

Want.

I can't tell if that's supposed to be for the Checkers or Hurricanes.

 

[Francis10]

That logo actually looks okay in my eyes. They forced the CH in it but it's not that bad. Now the jerseys? Very glad those didn't see the light of day.

Looks alright by me....some different colors would make the logo look much better. It is actually probably a step up from our current logo.....

 

[Hornswaggle]

Yeah I don't know, I kind of like that logo. I'd have to see it in action to really form an opinion but I think it looks a lot less "cartoony" than our current one.

 

[nobuddy]

I can't tell if that's supposed to be for the Checkers or Hurricanes.

Definitely Canes. NHL embroidery and the H in the crest. Not sure why the Checkers logo is on the shoulders.

 

[Buenos Necas]

Yikes, the logo is interesting, albeit a bit too busy for my tastes, but that jersey set is horrendous.

Funny how he got his first big work with designing the Patriots logo, and then produced largely awful (the CBJ one is alright) concepts after that. I guess it's partly a product of the time period and also the NHL's push for "bold" ideas and colors.

 

[Francis10]

Carolina Hurricanes logo ranked worst logo in NHL.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/nhl-logo-rankings-no-30-carolina-hurricanes/

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Want.

Put down the meth and step away SLOWLY.

As for Loh's design, blech. Colors and logo are both horrid and I find his comments about hoping 'Deep Down' the logo could just be used as a Whalers logo struck me as being more than a little slimy.

 

[Unsustainable]

It should be LaRose riding a raptor waiving a hurricane warning flag.

 

[Highest Boss]

Carolina Hurricanes logo ranked worst logo in NHL.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/nhl-logo-rankings-no-30-carolina-hurricanes/

Are the Whalers the most romanticized former team in pro sports? Dont get me wrong, that was a solid logo. It drives me crazy that almost 20 years later the canes are still getting crap for it from just about everyone.

Here is the last half of that article about the Hurricanes logo taking out everything not related to the Hurricanes logo:

HISTORY OF THE HURRICANES LOGO

The Hurricanes decided to go with a bird’s eye view of a hurricane, which looks like an eye to some and a toilet flushing to others.

 

[Joe McGrath]

The logo sucks. We all know that. It's a weather pattern. When they named the team they obviously didn't take any consideration into how they would visually represent themselves. It's hard to make a logo for a natural disaster and you can't really have a CH intertwined logo in the NHL without ripping off the Canadiens. So basically you get what the weather channel uses to represent a hurricane.

 

[Unsustainable]

 

[TheBigKahuna]

I actually like the black jersey with the mast on it!

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Are the Whalers the most romanticized former team in pro sports? Dont get me wrong, that was a solid logo. It drives me crazy that almost 20 years later the canes are still getting crap for it from just about everyone.

Here is the last half of that article about the Hurricanes logo taking out everything not related to the Hurricanes logo:

Now that Winnipeg has a team, yes. The entire team stank of a level of mediocrity that the Canes can't even dream of. Cooperalls, a team theme song that sounded like it belonged as the soundtrack to a public access channel, a stadium in a shopping mall whose roof collapsed due to snow, miniscule crowds...Everything about the Whalers was amateur hour but the sports hipsters out there love to spin revisionist yarns of how beloved the Whalers were until that mean 'ole Karmanos went and stole their team away to a state where people confused the Olympias resurfacing the rink for a tractor pull.