Hockey is one of the most popular sports in Canada and the US. The sport attracts people of all ages, which means there’s a large audience for customizing hockey gear. In case you’re curious, here’s a list of all the different NHL team logos and a brief description of what they mean:
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Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are the most popular NHL team in Canada (and one of the most popular sports teams anywhere), so it’s no surprise that they’ve inspired many customizations. The green and white colors represent the Laurentian mountains and the St. Lawrence River, and the team’s mascot is Pabst, a cartoon bear with a beer glass in place of a head. The logo itself is a stylized ‘H’ in the Canadian national flag, which stands for ‘Hockey’.
The logo, as well as the uniform, were designed by Alexey Petrushka. The H logo was initially created as a banner in 1921 and has been used by the team ever since. The team’s original captain’s uniform consisted of a sweater, vest, and tie, which were designed by Elmo Halbrooks and feature a stylized ‘H’ on the chest. In 1932, the team changed their uniform to a white uniform, featuring a green ‘H.’ This uniform was inspired by the green and white nature of the team’s logo and colors. The modernized version of the uniform, which the team still wears today, was designed by Pierre Trudeau in 1968 and feature a maple leaf on the chest. Other than the uniforms, the team’s traditional gear includes their famous green hockey jackets and pants, which were designed by Clarence Hood in 1921 and make famous the phrase ‘Le Hockey Night In Canada,’ which is still said today after a match. The team’s modern jerseys are modeled after the original uniform, but feature a modernized look. The home jerseys feature the team’s traditional colors in green and white and feature a white hockey stick on the chest. The away jerseys are identical to the home jerseys, but feature a green hockey stick on the chest. Additionally, the team has used a wide variety of alternate uniforms throughout their history, many of which were inspired by famous historical events such as the War of 1812 and the First World War.
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are the second most popular NHL team in the US, so it should come as no surprise that they’ve inspired many designs and trends in hockey. The team, which is based in New York City, was originally called the ‘Metros’ when they entered the league in 1926. The name was changed to the ‘Rangers’ in 1933 and became the city’s affiliate in the NHL. The modernized version of the uniform, which the team still wears today, was designed by Frank Fredrickson in 1943 and feature the team’s traditional colors in red, white, and blue. The modernized uniform is similar to that of the Chicago Blackhawks, although the Rangers’ logo is designed with a star instead of a sun. The home jerseys are red, white, and blue, and feature a white star on the chest. The away jerseys are identical to the home jerseys but feature a white circle on the chest instead of a star. The original ‘Metros’ uniform, which was modeled after the Italian flag, was designed by Arthur Sherwood and are still used as the team’s alternate uniform. The team has also used a wide array of alternate uniforms throughout their history. Some of these were designed by ordinary fans, while others were created by famous designers. One of the more memorable alternate uniforms was the ‘Hockey Hosers’ designed by Elmo Halbrooks and feature a pair of ice skates on either side of a hockey stick.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the most popular NHL teams in the US and Canada, and the popularity of the team has inspired many different clothing and equipment items. The modernized version of the uniform, which the team still wears today, was designed by Frank Fredrickson in 1943 and feature the team’s traditional colors in red, white, and blue. The only difference between this version of the uniform and the design worn in the 1980s is the chest badge, which has been moved from the top right to the bottom left chest. The home jerseys are red, white, and blue and feature a white circle on the chest. The away jerseys are identical to the home jerseys but feature a red circle on the chest. The modernized version of the ‘Hawks’ uniforms were later updated by Frank Fredrickson in the 1950s and 1960s, and feature two stars on the chest instead of one. The most memorable uniform in the history of the team is the so-called ‘Budgie smugglers,’ which were designed by a fan named Budgie Miller and feature a budgie—yes, the small bird that hops around the city—on the chest. The Budgie Smugglers were first used during the 1957-1958 season.
Other than the uniforms, the team has used a wide variety of alternate uniforms throughout their history. Some of these were designed by ordinary fans, while others were created by famous designers. One of the more memorable alternate uniforms was the ‘Flea Circus’ designed by Bernie Schwarcz and feature a pair of circus elephants on each side of a hockey stick. Another memorable uniform is the ‘White Shoes’ designed by Rudy Plattner and are still worn by the team as their alternate uniform.
First Toronto Maple Leafs
The First Toronto Maple Leafs were founded in 1917 and were the first NHL team to don the famous red, white and blue colors. Like many other teams, the Leafs have used a variety of uniforms over the years, but the majority of these have been designed by ordinary fans and have not been approved by the team itself. The team, which is now based in Mississauga, Ontario, has never truly been a fashion outfit and has never really cared too much about what they wear on the ice. The uniforms, however, have always been a subject of fascination for many hockey fans. As mentioned before, many of the unis were designed by ordinary fans and have not been approved by the team itself. One of the more memorable unis is the ‘Leafs Froggy Doggie’ designed by Arthur Sherwood and feature a dog with leafs for ears wearing a leaf costume. This was not approved by the team, but the dog-eared uni still makes for great conversation pieces today. The uniform was inspired by Sherwood’s own dog, which had the same ears as the uniform.
King’s Row
The King’s Row were one of the original eight NHL teams and were the first to adopt a completely vertical marketing approach. The Row’s popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s led to the creation of many different variants of the uniform, the majority of which were inspired by British royalty and heritage. The original uniform, which is still worn today, was designed by Frank Fredrickson and feature the team’s traditional colors in red, white, and blue. The modernized version of the uniform, which the team still wears today, was designed by Fredrickson in the 1950s. The home jerseys are red, white, and blue, and feature the British flag on the chest. The away jerseys are identical to the home jerseys but feature the Union Jack on the chest. One of the more memorable alternate uniforms is the ‘Rockingham’ uniform. The uniform, which is still used today, was inspired by Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. It was designed by the wife of then-NHL commissioner Frank Fredrickson and features the queen’s head on the front in a royal blue hat surrounded by diamonds and other jewels.
Other than the uniforms, the team has also used a wide array of alternate uniforms throughout their history. Some of these were designed by ordinary fans, while others were created by famous designers. One of the more memorable alternate unis was the ‘Rainbow Sherpa’ designed by George Sherwood and feature a sherpa—that is, a native Alaskan thicket climber—on the chest.
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are one of the most popular and historic teams in the NHL and have inspired many different items of clothing and equipment. The team, which is famous for their masks, has used a variety of different faces over the years, but the majority of these have been inspired by British royalty. The logos, like many other teams in the NHL, were designed by an ordinary fan and have not been formally approved by the team. One of the more memorable logos is the red nose logo designed by an Irishman named Dan Dugan. The regular suit is still worn by the team, but has been updated with the addition of a pocket on the inside of the jacket. Another memorable logo is the trilogies logo designed by a fan named Charlie Russell. The orange and black colors of the logo were inspired by the colors of the Royal Arms of England.