Thursday: Another Outsider's Perspective - The Finale

Hey guys, welcome back to this odd week at HJC.

Another non concept related post today, and how fitting is it that we still have this series going on? So here it is, the finale (unless you guys request for more, then maybe we can reconsider). This last week will be the second set of post expansion teams. (All logo images from sportslogos.net)

Hartford Whalers

"This is possibly one of my favourite logos that have ever been presented in the NHL. Starting from the knockout effect used in the H right in the centre of the logo, which curves up to suit the shape of a whale’s tail. The only possible aspect that bothers me about the tail is that the curve is not 100% smooth, but the fix is easy. Lastly, the letter ‘W’ dominates the bottom of the logo, but not enough that it doesn’t ruin the knockout effect. The colours harmonize each other, the geometry is close to perfect— all the aspects of a successful logo."

Winnipeg Jets (1979-90)

"The use of direction is very prominent in this logo. This can be seen in the use of similar angles in the jet, the hockey stick, and ‘Jets’ lettering. Even when it’s curves, the city’s name mimics the overarching circular shapes that are used in the background, and the knockout on the Avro Arrow. The letters used are obviously custom made and come from a style of that era… the only problem is legibility, especially on the word ‘Winnipeg’. The red colour on the blue background not only gives off a sense of visual vibration, but is also squished around the most signifiant and difficult to distinguish letters, like the ‘W’ and ‘G’."

Québec Nordiques

"I’ve always thought the Nordiques logo looked like the Canadian version of the Republican elephant … without the stars. Whether it was intentional or not, it still looks like an elephant at first glance, which doesn’t reflect the team. If the logo was trying to depict the letter ’N’, it’s definitely not clear and could be improved to suit this purpose. In regards to more technical aspects of the logo, there is no reason for the inner white stroke to the right to randomly change in thickness."

Winnipeg Jets (1990-96)

"Similar to the other Jets logo, direction is greatly used. One new change is the lack of emphasis in the use of circles, which is now only used in the background. The word ‘Winnipeg’ is now much more clear and plays off the hockey stick at the top. The Avro Arrow is also much more abstract than its previous version and doesn’t look as randomly placed either. There seems to be another subtle element: a white streak across the letters, possibly created from the jet’s contrail. Another new feature is the use of drop shadows, which can be carefully seen under the jet and also around the edge of the circle."

Minnesota North Stars / Dallas Stars

"The Minnesota North Stars / Dallas Stars take on very classic shapes and fonts and combine them into one logo. Starting with the font, which appears as an oblique Helvetica, is spanning across the logo. A few indications that it could indeed be Helvetica includes the curved junction (the right leg) of the letter R, and the perfect horizontal terminals. The text can be kerned a bit more, like the ’S’ and ’T’ at the beginning of the word. In regards to shapes, a typical five pointed star is the centre of attention. What makes this logo unique is that not only is the top point used as a letter, but it also hints at the ‘North’ direction, which is included in the team name."

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

"I’ve always been fascinated by the Mighty Ducks’ logo. It has its own unique identity that stands out amongst all the logos out there. Despite being iconic, the logo still gives off a ‘cartoonish’ sense compared to all the other teams. There isn’t really a way to ‘improve’ the logo due to its distinct style and feel, which could easily be tarnished when played around with. If this logo could be modernized, I would suggest keeping it flat in style like the other logos in the series. This would help take away its ‘cartoonish’ feel, but also be interesting to see how it blends in if it was copying the same logo fashion of this era."

Atlanta Thrashers

"A feature that I’ve always loved about the Thrashers logo is the use of analogous colours. They definitely give a sense of dimension that no other NHL team logo has. The dynamism and action is very much alive in the colours, direction, and angles used in the logo. Even when viewed at a small scale, the logo’s colours are still very noticeable and further give it a unique visual boost."

Phoenix Coyotes

"If there’s one distinct theme I noticed in this series, it’s that almost all these logos have taken an extremely geometric approach. This is a great example of how much representation the Coyotes have fit with a few shapes and colours. Despite the effort, the logo is still not working on various levels. Firstly, there are too many colours that are unsuited for this logo, such as the extremely accented purple. Secondly, the random segmentation of the logo has too many layers and turns, that in the end, it’s just not worth remembering as a brand. Finally, it’s messy and seems more like a collage of shapes than a unified logo. Overall, this logo is not a terrible illustration, but it is not suitable for a brand logo, which is not supposed to be this complex."

And that's the end of it! Huge thanks to my friend, Rana, for reviewing these for us for 8 whole weeks, it's much appreciated. 

Now if you guys will excuse me, I'll be on my way to go grab the new Pens jersey. I'll update the post later with some pics.

*Update* A few pics of the new jersey, I love it.