10 Of The Best Logos Outside Of The NHL

When we talk about the greatest logos in the world of hockey, some of the best ones are not always in the NHL. Last week, we were introduced to the logo of the ECHL’s Trois-Rivières Lions. 

A logo that saw a Lion’s head combined with the fleur de lis. The logo was met with overwhelming praise and it’s one of several in Minor Pro and Junior Hockey are among the best in the game. In this piece, I’ll take a look at some others that I feel are a step above others. 

Quad City Storm, Southern Professional Hockey League 

A team known as the Storm probably could have been able to get by with a logo of simply some dark clouds and lightning. I’m very thankful that’s not the case here. 

The choice to have the logo of Quad City’s current hockey team be an angry tornado is next-level creativity. Even better, the storm is missing a tooth and has a stick made out of lightning! I would love to know how a hockey-playing tornado developed teeth and also had a tooth checked out of its mouth. Quad City deserves full marks for giving quite a bit of personality to the logo. 

Winnipeg ICE, Western Hockey League

The ICE franchise, be it in Edmonton, Kootenay or Winnipeg has always deserved credit for their branding by using an unconventional creature in the form of a Yeti way back in 1996. 

The Yeti has been the primary logo of the Ice along with mountains ever since Day 1. Today, the Winnipeg Ice’s logo has combined the mountain into the top of the Yeti’s head, which adds a little more ferocity to the logo. Oh, and the fact it’s screaming helps.

Quebec Remparts, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 

In the case of some logos, simple is better and that couldn’t be more true for the case of the Remparts. The depiction of a city wall that surrounds the western end of Old Quebec’s Upper Town has stood the test of time. The logo has had some slight tweaks but the 1960s era logo that is now inside a roundel has to be one of the best in the QMJHL. 

Newfoundland Growlers, ECHL

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that we didn’t get a chance to see the Newfoundland Growlers as the team’s operations are currently suspended. 

The Newfoundland dog is known as generally a good-tempered breed, but kudos to the franchise for giving it an intimidating look.

Iowa Heartlanders, ECHL

The Trois-Rivières Lions are not the only ones who’ve been turning heads with their logos as newcomers to the ECHL for 2021-22. The choice of a very majestic buck as a logo with yellow antlers is one of the more unique animal choices among pro hockey teams today. When it comes to animal logos, who said every color involved in the animal has to be authentic to real life? 

Milton Menace, Ontario Junior Hockey League 

Going back to the theme of intimidation, the Menace absolutely hit the nail on the head when it comes to it. With a name like Menace, you’d almost expect from the jump that the team would go heavy into its use of black for the logo. The hooded person with copper eyes as the only true break from black in the angle of a scowl shows that this team is not here for anything more than a tough night of hockey. 

Edmonton Oil Kings, Western Hockey League 

When the WHL returned to Edmonton in 2006, so did the Oil Kings name and logo and it was the best decision that could have been made. The crown of the Oil Kings like the Quebec Rempart logo has had a few tweaks to it but for the most part, hasn’t been altered too much. The crown with the jewels hasn’t felt outdated even though its roots date back to the 1950s.  

Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL

A polar bear is not usually an animal you’d think of for a relaxed logo but in Orlando, they completely flipped the script. A polar bear with sunglasses has the be one of the quirkiest portrayals of a bear in sports. This is a bear that’s ready for a quick game of roller hockey in the Florida heat and I’d pick the bear on my team. Like most Florida-based teams, the Solar Bears choice of bright colors like orange, seafoam green, and sunrise gold reflect the area much better than dark colors. 

Syracuse Crunch, American Hockey League 

Syracuse’s logo with the name has to be one of the best mixes in all of hockey. With a name like Crunch, you have to portray a level of power and Crunchman (seriously, that’s his name) standing over a wordmark that he’s most likely cracked himself brings that in the branding. 

Crunchman in a blue and white outfit with a cape also harkens back to images of classic superheroes that were the protectors of the world in vintage comics and television series. 

Jokerit, Kontinental Hockey League 

Excellence when it comes to logos in hockey is not exclusive to North America. Jokerit of the KHL’s look has stayed the same for decades and you can’t mistake what team this is. 

The winking joker in red and yellow rightly gives off an element of comedy but the color scheme is one of the cleanest in hockey. Jokerit’s logo could last for another 20 to 30 years and not in the least feel like a dated look.