This is a pretty passionate subject for me, probably one that I could argue over for the rest of my life so I decided to finally make a series of posts. Lets start with the NHL aka the National Hockey League. Who has the best and worst logo and why is the question, if you want to join the argument, here is a list of logos.
I will be doing the best NHL logos in a different post and we will go through a few other sports as well.
TOP 5 WORST NHL LOGOS
#5 Washington Capitals
Let me point out a few things before I start explaining the problems I have with it. First off, not a boring font, not a great font but hey i’m actually alright with the ITA situation with the stick and connections its making. Now step away from it and stare, what is it? I want to sell merchandise for my hockey team and make something special for the city that will support it. What is this though? a love for a font and i’m adding a hockey stick because hey its hockey?? It honestly looks like a rushed college graphic designers homework assignment that was turned in without a passion or connection with the sport. An agency maybe doesn’t even care for the sport? could that be what happened here? I’m not going to question the 3 stars or the color scheme but seriously if I was from DC i’d just sort of feel bummed out by this.
#4 Winnipeg Jets
I’ll start off with 2 nice things to say, first off nice work on fitting in the Canadian maple leaf and second i’m happier with this than their old logo which isn’t saying something that nice.
Okay now, i’m into an icon that represents an organization but that has to be a pretty low effort in the jet icon world. Also, why so literal with the leaf and the jet? I also have a problem with its something hard to get excited over, as a fan i’m already excited about the team why not add some cherries on the top for the people of Winnipeg? its like a vague statement without any effort for surprise. I mean this city JUST got their hockey team back and they revealed that…the city was in tears announcing they got their team back and a designer turned in a C- / D+ effort, you give a graduate design class this project and 2 to 3 students in each school across the continent would turn in hands down better executions for a team in 2015 that has the word jet in its name.
#3 Columbus Blue Jackets
Ooooooooooh boy, now we get into the portion of the list where the pros column gets a little thin. We have a star with a flag whizzing across the front like a Miss America ID ribbon strap. You want generic? here is something pretty generic. You already made the average sports fan happy by using colors that most people would wear and I guess the patriotic angle works BUT who made this rule on why things need to look 3D and more importantly angled and tilted?? I completely understand its better than their old logo which is a ribbon cutting disaster but if you’re building a city from scratch to fall in love with hockey then this 2nd step forward on the logo front is full of hesitation and conservative ideas, someone with an imagination needs to step in and start working with them, they aren’t a lost cause.
#2 Vancouver Canucks
My beloved Canucks, my first sports team that I completely adored. I never was a fan when this logo came around in the past and in the present because I was pretty much a fan only in the 90s during the Pavel Bure era. Some people might argue with me that I just like a simple logo, this…I don’t know… who let this out in the public? I’m sure more than one person is in the decision making of a logo out in public, I don’t think there was much thinking going on. Again with the fascination with the hockey stick, we understand one is used to play them sport but putting over a hockey rink and saying thats your cities logo…no, no you can’t turn that in. Its almost frightening that adults were in charge and approved this.
#1 Anaheim Ducks
Well well well, look how far you’ve read into this rant, i’m surprised you stuck around.
Look at this logo… maybe blow it up full screen i’ll wait… and gaze at the glory of it and imagine the confused faces across the country when they saw this the first time.
Its a D for Duck THAT. IS. MAYBE? A BACKWARDS DUCK FOOT?? or a chubby boomerang that would never work because of the surface area and die-cuts. Maybe a shield!?..no, no its not, its just a copper D that was abused in illustrator by a Mountain Dew loving bro. I can’t wrap my head around it and I don’t expect anyone else too either especially anyone in California that showed up to the unveiling of this logo. You go from team colors of teal and purple with a duck mask into this batman weapon made of Taco Bell ingredients.
“You go from team colors of teal and purple with a duck mask into this batman weapon made of Taco Bell ingredients.”
Such a great statement.
Thanks for the laugh! I really enjoyed this post.
@ERIC
Glad you appreciated it. The grammar is loose haha but I stand by my statements.
I’ll be nice during the Top 5 Best NHL logos
This website is no longer what it was, specifically when it comes to music. I went from loving the selection of music and learning about new artists to really disliking most of the selects. This happened as more people started posting and this is not intended to be plain rude or offensive, our taste just doesn’t match anymore and I felt I should voice it. Perhaps I am the only one that feels this way. Also the playlist has not been updated for such a long time. A year? perhaps? just my 2 cents…
As a Vancouverite who also came into my NHL love during the Linden / Bure era, I’m so torn.
I love that logo for the nostalgia, But i don’t think anything has topped that red/orange hockey skate.
“its just a copper D that was abused in illustrator by a Mountain Dew loving bro”
Abused in Illustrator…PERFECT!
Looking forward to the rest of this series!
It’s easy to rant and tear apart bad work.
It’s gotta be tough to make a team called the Ducks look good, or intimidating, like they’re going for.
Maybe the Pittsburgh logo kind of works because the muscular Penguin is inherently ridiculous, so it balances out.
Also, I appreciate that they just tried to take the 80s Capitals “logo” and make it more Tron-like, after the worst-ever Eagle thing in the 90s.
Great post, this is fun.
@Tim
It should be critiqued and talked about and compared to other logos surrounding it, I don’t see any problem with that. Bad work should be pointed out and talked about openly. You’ll see in my post on Top 5 Best NHL logos and I’ll explain why they work and these don’t effort wise.
@John
Was I suppose to do the same thing forever?
This blog is going on 8 years and we don’t have huge google ads and 15 second commercials. It’ll ebb and flow over the years like it always has.
The Canucks have a serious identity crisis going on. You never know what they are going to skate out in. The stick thing? The whale thing? The bearded guy thing?
Really surprised you left the Fish Sticks off of this one. Although you had to draw the line somewhere – there are so many bad ones.
Loved this post. Thanks for the biting sarcasm. Appreciate your opinion, curious what you would have to say about the 90s Canucks logo. Can’t wait to read your top logos!
@Rob
I sort of love/hate the fish sticks guy. I wasn’t into the color choice but also I sort of want to support an image like that over the hockey stick over Long Island.
@Joshua
Funny you ask, first off for YEARS I thought it was a landscape of a cliff, I support it because its a unique take on the skate instead of clip art.
Agree that the Anaheim Ducks logo is pretty awful…
Just some perspective: I’m pretty sure that the letter D in this logo actually represents the “flying wing” offensive play that was made famous by the movie “Mighty Ducks”. It’s actually a perfect marriage of sorts—terrible movie and equally terrible logo. They can have each other.
Oilers logo is definitely going to be on the best list. Just gotta be.
Blues logo FTW.
I’d love to see what will.i.am would do with some of these hah
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I wish the Capitals would just use their secondary logo (The W-shaped eagle) as their primary. The current primary is supposed to be an update on their original logo to acompnay when their switch from the black/blue/gold color scheme of the 90s back to the origianl red/white/blue, but it just falls flat. Sigh.
@Sean
I agree on the W shaped eagle, I could see fitting in the gold somehow now. I understand less colors sometimes but at this point if you want to sell more merch and have a better looking brand anything else should be considered
While I really hate the capitals logo the three stars at the top are are a reference to the cities flag, not that it really makes it better but just in case anyone does decide to question it.
The Hurricanes logo 100% needs to be on here. If you look closely at the shapes they are a disaster. Far worse than the Blue Jackets logo which is at least made well.
Columbus Bluejackets- Not a hockey fan but am formerly Ohioan. That’s the Ohio flag whizzing across the star. Yeah it’s hideous but no one asked my opinion sadly.
this is the first i’ve noticed the Canucks symbol as i’m from australia and don’t follow hockey. but this symbol is cool. its a big C that dominates the shape of a hockey field via the white space of their chosen weapon. you’re a bozo if you can’t appreciate the depth of simplicity of the white north.
Lmao i have THE sabe bate for triste logos and wont THE old back