The Hockey News Is Ranking The NHL Logos From 30 to 1

[elocomotive]

Dissenting opinion: “To me, fourth isn’t high enough for the Winged Wheel. It passes every logo test imaginable. It’s beautiful, with intricate artistic detail on the wing and wheel, yet it’s somehow simple and uncluttered, too. It even ties to the Motor City’s roots. And if you don’t like judging the logo on its look, it passes the sentimental test. It’s as old-school and iconic as it gets. A top-two symbol in the NHL in my books.” – Matt Larkin

I agree with this as to why Detroit should be #1.

Blackhawks are going to be #1. A floating human head is just not "the best" in my book.

Blues at #3 is cool.

 

[forty_three]

I agree with this as to why Detroit should be #1.

Blackhawks are going to be #1. A floating human head is just not "the best" in my book.

Blues at #3 is cool.

You don't know that for sure.

 

[Swamp Dragon]

That is an attractive logo. No dissenting opinions in the article, either, it seems. I've always been a fan of the color combination, too, and it lends itself to a clean, simply stylish uniform. I'm fine with it being this high, though I'd put some other logos ahead of it (like the Wings' logo, which is really quite beautiful).

But this means the Coyotes have a top two logo, and that's nonsense.

Actually it is a pretty good logo I just don't expect the team to be called the Coyotes for long

 

[IndyAndy]

I agree with this as to why Detroit should be #1.

Blackhawks are going to be #1. A floating human head is just not "the best" in my book.

Blues at #3 is cool.

You don't know that for sure.

Yeah - and that's what we're all afraid of at this point.

So; who here thinks that the Coyotes current logo actually deserves to make the top spot?

... Anyone? ... Anyone?

 

[KennyBanyeah]

Yeah - and that's what we're all afraid of at this point.

So; who here thinks that the Coyotes current logo actually deserves to make the top spot?

... Anyone? ... Anyone?

Maybe the voters were still thinking of the Coyotes old logo. You know the one they had for so long.

This one:

 

[IPostedWhat]

No. 2: Chicago Blackhawks

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Just Kidding!!!!
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No. 2: Arizona Coyotes

We’re nearing the end of our NHL logo rankings, which are the result of a seven-person THN panel who discussed and debated each logo. Rather than judge by longevity and rank the Original 6 teams 1-6, we tried to look at the designs again for the first time.

Coming in at No. 2: The Arizona Coyotes.

For sure, some people are going to hate this selection. We’ve already seen the comments about the “roadkill” logo, but we couldn’t disagree more.

The Coyotes logo, which is a massive improvement on their original, is a nice-looking canine with a sun-dried color combination you don’t see every day. For me, I like the Coyotes logo for the same reasons I like the UConn Huskies logo: it’s just a good looking animal. The Coyotes design isn’t a cartoon, or one that looks soft and too happy for its own good. The howling Coyote is a sophisticated design that also sits nice on the jersey with smooth colors. Some will wonder how we ranked it No. 2 in the NHL – I’ll wonder how others don’t see the beauty in it. So goes the logo ranking process.

HISTORY OF THE COYOTES LOGO
The Coyotes didn’t start in the desert, as the Coyotes, or even in the NHL. This team has its roots in Winnipeg and the WHA.

The Winnipeg Jets were one of the founding franchises in the WHA, a rival upstart to the NHL, and would become a powerhouse in that league. The first big splash the team ever made was signing Bobby Hull away from the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, making him the first player to earn a $1 million contract.

In 1972-73, the first year of the WHA, the Jets lost in the Avco Cup final to the New England Whalers.

The first primary logo ever used by the team isn’t the one we equate to the original Jets, but this design of a red circle with a hockey player and a jet taking off in the distance. The team would continue to use these colors, but this logo stood as the team’s main image for only its first two years of existence.

In 1974-75, the Jets primary logo became what we all recognize today – and it’s the one the team enjoyed its greatest successes with. During this time, the Jets were one of the first professional North American hockey teams to turn its focus towards Europe to find talent. Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg were among the first impact players the team added and this collection of talent led the Jets to a string of winning seasons.

In 1976, Winnipeg won its first Avco Cup and would return to the final in each of the next three seasons, winning the championship twice more. In 1979, they became the last champions the WHA ever had, beating the Edmonton Oilers in six games. The following season, the league folded and some of its teams jumped to the NHL. The Jets were one of those teams.

Winnipeg would continue to use the main blue image as their primary logo until 1990, when it was changed to a white logo. The jet, which used to be flying up towards the sky, was now a simplified design that flew level. Kind of fitting, considering the Jets’ best days were behind them.

The Jets used this logo as their primary design for the last six seasons they were in Winnipeg. The team reached the playoffs in three of those years, but didn’t get past the first round. In their final game in Manitoba, the Jets lost Game 6 to the Detroit Red Wings in front of a sold out crowd. After 1995-96, the original Winnipeg franchise was no more, as it picked up and moved south, changing the name, logo and colors to something completely different.

A name the team contest resulted in “Coyotes” becoming the new moniker for the team that relocated to the Arizona desert. They moved away from the red white and blue colors of the Jets and came up with a mash of multi-colors to make up one of the NHL’s ugliest logos of all time. The Picasso Coyote, which came at the peak of logo experimentation, was a running joke from Day 1 and was unlike anything that came before it. Somehow, this logo lasted seven seasons before the team decided it was a good idea to clean up the look. Even worse, they used this as a third jersey. Wow.

The Coyotes reached the playoffs five times in the seven seasons they used this logo, but continued Winnipeg’s run of bad Stanley Cup playoff luck by not getting out of the first round. This franchise now hadn’t reached Round 2 since 1987, a run of futility that would continue until 2012.

Finally, we get to the good one. In 2003-04, the Coyotes introduced a much cleaner, less experimental design to represent the team – and it’s a wonderful look. The color scheme was simplified to a brick and tan and the logo is way less busy than the hectic design that came before it. Though the team had tons of relocation speculation swirling around it, the desert version of this franchise also found its greatest success with this logo, finally breaking out in the 2012 playoffs and reaching the Western Conference final. However, they haven’t returned to the playoffs since.

We’re fans of this logo because we think it looks sharp. The colors and design are nice and clean, yet not overly simplistic and certainly not cartoonish. It’s an artistic design that also, literally, flashes its teeth. Wonderful combination.

Dissenting opinion: “This is a perfectly good logo. It looks like what it’s supposed to look like, which, sadly, is more than many NHL teams can say about their logos. The howling Coyote has a good intimidation factor, and the design has some artistic flair. That said, this looks a bit new age for my taste. I’d thus have it closer to 10th. The interesting question is: am I subconsciously biased against this image, simply because it’s relatively new? Food for thought.” – Matt Larkin

 

[forty_three]

The interesting question is: am I subconsciously biased against this image, simply because it’s relatively new?

No, you are against it because it in no way relates to hockey, tells nothing of the location of the team and is essentially a beheaded dog that's been hit by a truck.

And the colors suck. No Coyote is Magenta.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

No, you are against it because it in no way relates to hockey, tells nothing of the location of the team and is essentially a beheaded dog that's been hit by a truck.

And the colors suck. No Coyote is Magenta.

Close enough?

 

[Comeds]

I admit I like the Coyote's logo. No way it should be anywhere near this high though.

 

[Darkstone42]

No, you are against it because it in no way relates to hockey, tells nothing of the location of the team and is essentially a beheaded dog that's been hit by a truck.

And the colors suck. No Coyote is Magenta.

I don't know if it was intentional, but the logo's orientation is reminiscent of the view of Picacho Peak, a nearby mountain and state park, so even if they didn't intend it, there is a relation to the team's location.

 

[dare2be]

...and aren't coyotes found in the desert, which is a relation to the team's location?

 

[Darkstone42]

...and aren't coyotes found in the desert, which is a relation to the team's location?

They do live here. Sometimes we can hear them while we're playing softball.

 

[pixburgher66]

I like the Coyotes logo too...but it's not #2 good. I'd put it in the top 15 or so.

 

[DragonfromTO]

No, you are against it because it in no way relates to hockey, tells nothing of the location of the team and is essentially a beheaded dog that's been hit by a truck.

And the colors suck. No Coyote is Magenta.

Unlike a big indian head, a maple leaf or a flaming "C", amirite?

 

[mattola]

They do live here. Sometimes we can hear them while we're playing softball.

i read that as

"They do live here. Sometimes we can hear them while they're playing softball"

 

[DragonfromTO]

i read that as

"They do live here. Sometimes we can hear them while they're playing softball"

"Are you blind? He was owoooooooooooooooooaht!!!!!"

 

[IPostedWhat]

"They do live here. Sometimes we can hear them while they're playing softball"

 

[forty_three]

I don't know if it was intentional, but the logo's orientation is reminiscent of the view of Picacho Peak, a nearby mountain and state park, so even if they didn't intend it, there is a relation to the team's location.

That looks nothing like Pikachu

...and aren't coyotes found in the desert, which is a relation to the team's location?

Yes, hence the name. But wouldn't ya think that the logo could have something either related to hockey OR Arizona rather than just be a dead dog.

They do live here. Sometimes we can hear them while we're playing softball.

You can also see tumbleweeds in the upper concourses during hockey games!

Unlike a big indian head, a maple leaf or a flaming "C", amirite?

I would think successful logos ties in *either* something about the location or something about hockey. That flaming "C" probably has something to do with the name of the city, the Leaf has something to do with a country or something, and that Indian head has red marks on his face. He is clearly a goalie.


I think a huge portion of the favor shown to this logo is the fact that it's better than the last one. But honestly, that is not hard at all. Anyone with an 8 box of crayons could have done better than that first one.

 

[Darkstone42]

I like the Coyotes logo too...but it's not #2 good. I'd put it in the top 15 or so.

Oh yeah, it's not the second best logo in the NHL, it's not even top 5, but I think it's definitely top half and makes a decent case at top 10.

I really love the sharp lines. That style of art appeals to me.

 

[Slimpikins]

So the Sharks logo is too cartoon like but the Coyotes logo is the second best in the league? It's a good thing they put together an expert panel to come up with this.