Well, we'll just have to see if it's new. According to St. Petersburg Times Lightning beat writer Damian Cristodero mentioned the other day in the paper that the Bolts will be unveiling a "modernization" of the logo "some time this summer." No word yet on when, but I'm pretty excited.
I understand there won't be sweeping changes. Minor upgrades is what "modernization" sounds like to me. And that's fine. Just make them count. I'll have the updates here.
Grabbed this from the Philadelphia Flyers' official web site. They're taking orders for the team's new Rbk EDGE jerseys. The jerseys will be unveiled on September 16. So if you're a Philly fan, go ahead and get your $200 order in for a product you've never seen — and won't get to until the day it arrives at your door. I'm assuming there won't be any glaring changes to the uniforms since they're taking orders prior to the unveiling.
Either that or it's a really ugly design and they'll be taking in a lot of suckers.
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The Aesthetics
Don't we just love those Original Six matches? We have a combined total of 31 letters embedded in these two logos. How much worse can it get? There's no reason to spell out your team name all over a logo that is supposed to serve as a symbolic replacement for said name. I like the use of multiple colors in the Rangers logo but it's the unique maple leaf silhouette that at least gives us some graphical representation of the team name. They'll take the point.
Maple Leafs
The Nickname
If we're sticking with the whole park ranger interpretation — which is lame, I know — then its the Ranger who is in charge of protecting the Maple trees and their Leafs.
Rangers
The Analysis
Neither logo makes a real effort at city recognition but each has been in those cities for nearly a century. It's not that I hate old logos or those which have been around for many years. That's a big part of what hockey is today. These two logos are some of the most recognizable in all of sports. But that doesn't mean that graphically we still have to live in the early 20th century. Make a few upgrades to show us that these teams exist in 2007. A good example is the Bruins. Ward off staleness, folks. Now when it comes down to it, the Leafs logo takes this point for unique lettering and a very cool maple leaf outline. (Shut up! Did the Maple Leafs really just get a win?)
Maple Leafs
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The Aesthetics
Yikes! The similarities here are rather glaring and not at all good. Both logos spell out the entire team name and use a single letter to create what would otherwise be a decent logo. The "D" in Ducks creates a webbed foot. The "A" in Stars creates the top point in a star. It's actually almost impressive. And then there's the unique colors. But in this case, it's the horrible horizontal proportions of the Ducks logo that loses it this point.
Stars
The Nickname
Giant. Flaming. Ball of fire. Nothing stands a chance against a Star, especially not a little quacking Duck.
Stars
The Analysis
Because both logos are guilty of it, we're going to have to look past all the letters in these two logos. Now, despite being introduced in the last season of the Minnesota North Stars' tenure, the Stars logo has a rather Lonestar State feel to it — perfect for Dallas. The Ducks are in the process of rebranding the team, not too difficult a task now that the club has a Stanley Cup championship under its belt. Still, if it's going to succeed in this competition, a better logo will be required. The Ducks get swept once again.
Stars
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The Aesthetics
Here, both teams have rather generic names both logos are letter-based — one a "C" and the other a "P." And there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I'm all for it. I'm also all for the use of color, which is rather lacking in the Flyers logo. A single small circle of orange doesn't exactly spread around the color. Like I've said, I like the third jersey logo a little better.
Canadiens
The Nickname
I'm not sure how a battle between a Canadien and a Flyer would go down, but if we say a Flyer is a bird, those are nasty little pooping machines and no one is safe when they are airborne.
Flyers
The Analysis
One thing I should've mentioned in the Aesthetics section is the attractive simplicity of these two logos. There's not a lot of annoying detail here, just plain old great logos. And they're similar in a lot of ways. In fact, both are division leaders at the moment. But ultimately, it's the use of color, the subtle "H" and the Flyers logo's need for an upgrade that insures the victory for the Canadiens.
Canadiens
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The Aesthetics
Brick red and burgundy. Not your common logo colors, but they make for some strong, cool-looking logos. And both logos represent the team name well. You've got a howling Coyote on one side and an avalanche falling down a mountain shaped like an "A" on the other. Who to choose? So I'm going to look at it from a classic perspective. I see the Avs with the same logo in 50 years. The Coyotes? Not so much.
Avalanche
The Nickname
I don't think Coyotes live in the mountains or even cold climates, but if one found himself amidst an Avalanche, it would surely do him in.
Avalanche
The Analysis
Neither logo goes out of its way to represent the home town. The Avalanche logo comes closest with the snow-capped mountain but that just means the team was named well. The Coyotes take care of Phoenix with a reference on the shoulder patch but this competition doesn't take that into account. So as you can see, this also is a very difficult point to award. For the subtle puck and clever use of the team's initial, this point goes the way of the Avs.
Avalanche
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