The best model is the one that the Kraken/Firebirds seem to be taking. Have inversed colours based on a consistent theme. Allows for originality while closely tying them to the parent brand.
I grew up in Trenton, NJ, it used to be home of the Trenton Titans of the ECHL. When they became the Devils’ farm team, they changed their name too the Trenton Devils. Upon the name change, attendance dropped. Trenton, NJ is where the Philadelphia and NY markets meet; Flyers’ and Rangers’ fans in the area immediately stopped going. Sharing a name with the parent club works only if the locals are all fans of the parent club. Which is why Providence Bruins works, but not the Bridgeport Islanders, as there are Ranger fans in the area.
I'm a Trenton-born South Jersey guy and I have to say - you are so right about that! I'm a Flyers fan myself, but Trenton isn't exclusive to any one fan base. The Titans name seemed to get that no matter who the parent team really was. Calling them the Devils was a bad move in my opinion. I now live nearby Hershey Bears and even though they are a Caps affiliate, you get fans of the Pens, Flyers and Caps coming in, because the Bears feel like everyone's team here.
For some extra history from a Rochester native, the Amerks started as the affiliate team for the Habs far before the Sabres existed, thus the name Americans, an American affiliate for La Canadiens.
The wolves' logo withstands the test of time. Its logo itself owned up to expectations as it won 2 Turner Cups and 2 Calder Cups during their time in hockey. Grant Mulvey was the mastermind behind this logo and extract details on it and i applaud for his hard work.
Springfield fan here. I do not taking for granted that we have our own unique branding instead of the Springfield Blues or something. Having our own identity makes it so easy to love this team as an LA Kings fan
I've become a big fan of the teams that have an identity related but not the same. The best example IMO being the Coyotes/Roadrunners and Golden Knights/Silver Knights. Otherwise I strongly prefer individual identity to same naming, although the Abbotsford Canucks dark jersey might be in my top 5 active jerseys in the whole sport right now.
I know it is hard to balance tradition and major league affiliations, but making a profit at the minor league level is so challenging for teams. So long as the cost of the rebrand isn't too high, it is necessary to continue to create fan excitement and drive merchandise sales.
I very much dislike the shoulder patches that have the NHL parent club logo on them. In the ECHL, the Wheeling Nailers have one of my favorite logos, but the Pens logo on the shoulders (and even the copying of the jersey colours) is brutal. I love it when a team is their own.
I used to think they were like a requirement, but to my knowledge the Wolves haven't ever had their affiliate on their jerseys. Other independent (not owned by the parent club) teams like the Griffins and Monsters do though.
GREENSBORO GARGOYLES COMIN AT CHA, i love seeing my hometown get a new minor league team and would have loved going to games as a kid with my brother or dad.
Love how you mentioned the IceCaps. They were huge here for the few years they were the Jets and Canadiens affiliate. We’re on our 5th rendition of a team now. Hopefully this one stays longterm!
This is my favourite channel on RUclips. Something for which you are not praised enough, is your voice over work. The way you lay your voice down really complements the editing and adds a lot to the videos. Just absolute quality all over the place. Much love from Brussels, Belgium!
Edmonton needs to take the condors out of Bakersfield. Place is an ashtray of a town compared to other places in California or anywhere else close to Edmonton. Imagine training your entire life getting drafted by the oilers and just to be put in Bakersfield with nothing to do haha
@@sandycheeks9342 its like reliving the good ol days. when i was five i had an uncle that worked at the nearby AFB and got tickets to the blazers games. when i got back into hockey 15 years later, i dug up my old jerseys and a game puck from back then and i can proudly say, they are my most prized possessions. though its sad to see big time hockey go like what edmonton did to the barons, its still fun to relive memories of old. now we have the tulsa oilers and the NA3HL team that used to be called the blazers and now the ice hawks, but its still a satisfying sight to see hockey in OKC is still thriving on its own.
@@bigounce7201 I know what you mean. I follow the Ice Hawks, haven't been to a game yet but hopefully next season (I know this one is in full swing) they'll have the team fleshed out more, have some more official look to them. I don't mind junior hockey, but I have hard time believing their games will match the intensity and overall atmosphere of the Blazers games of our youth. I really don't wanna sound like the old crones that hated on the Barons because "iT's NoT tHe BlAzErS".
Apparently, according to San Jose Barracuda fans, they're getting a new logo next year, Stockton is getting a new jersey (I'm thinking its gonna be Calgary's), and I heard that Ontario might be changing it up. I'm still waiting for Tucson to just adopt the Kachina full-time, like the Yotes, and I'm waiting for Anaheim/San Diego to get a new brand. Also, heyyyyyy, thanks for the shout out of my Condors! For a while, there were rumors of us becoming the Oilers (which, admittedly, would've worked, because Bakersfield is known for being an oil and agriculture city, much like Edmonton), but then the Condors name won out, keeping a name that, like you said, has been with us since 1997. I still think that we should've adopted the Barons jersey. I also *DESPISE* Colorado's whole set. They should've kept the jerseys they had before their current set. Also, Milwaukee and Manitoba might have my two favorite color schemes in the league. The light blue mixed with dark blue... It's just gorgeous.
Thanks for including my bronze knights concept lol. made that a few years back just fooling around - never thought I would see it on here. Great video! keep it up
Thanks Sam! I'm so glad you got to see it here. I couldn't find a way to get in touch with you after I came across your concept, but I was happy to be able to share it here. Worked perfectly.
It’s always blown my mind that there’s an AHL team branded as “Chicago” but they’re not the Blackhawks’ affiliate. The Wolves even play less than 30 minutes away from United Center!
It’s still sad that the Norfolk Admirals were forced to ‘relocate’ and were relegated to the ECHL. Admirals games in the years during and after their Calder Cup run were amazing.
Very enjoyable video thank you. As an Erie otters fan would love to see a series of videos depicting uniforms in the leagues making up the OHL. Thanks keep up the good work.
"This was an organizational initiative...blah blah blah...legitimizing our franchise...blah blah blah". Just a load of corporate double-speak. He might as well have been talking about a bag of chips.
Springfield fan here. Awesome video thanks for also providing the history of some teams that shaped the lives of alot of hockey fans. I miss the river rats, lock monsters, ice cats, and beast of new haven (best logo maybe ever btw). I think teams should have their own identity but maybe adopt color schemes instead of being just the same team name. Ahl affiliations tend to bounce around alot over time. I miss those fun team names of the 90s and 2000s and wish we could find happy mediums
Agreed. As a Royals fan it’s been interesting to see the slow change from LA Kings branding to Flyers branding. I just hope they don’t fully get rid of the Lion logo.
Love that you talked about the Abbotsford Canucks as not only is that my home team, I actually work for the team (just a low level employee on the guest services team but I still love it) the games are so much fun and I love our logo using Johnny Canuck, Still part of the Canucks brand overall, but our own thing too. Interesting note, the "Stockton Heat" no longer exists as that name anymore, not sure what all changed within the team when they switched to being the Calgary Wranglers but the farm team for Calgary Flames is now the Calgary Wranglers and the "Stockton Heat" team no longer exists. Fun fact Calgary Wranglers is one of our biggest rivals over in Abbotsford. The Calgary Flames and Calgary Wranglers have super similar logos now, same design basically just different letters.
As a Syracuse, native we don't recognize the "Ducks era." It was an absolutely horrible couple of years. So bad in fact both teams decided to part ways early. I'll never forget the sounds and chants of "Holick you suck" for most of the second season. He was the coach My favorite mascot of ours would be the original Crunch Man. I was there the night they debuted the new one. The opening was amazing the old Gorilla was "called home" and then the new Crunch Man came down from the ceiling. The new one just does not feel "right" it is too human-like. But seeing all four out there was awesome sight and memory for sure. The original parent team was actually the Canucks before the switch to CBJ.
Love your channel! Please do a history on the Canucks looks / almost looks from over the years . Arthur griffiths probably has some good insight . Keep it up! 👍
Fun note with the moose is the numbers. When they first came back to wpg they just took the jets font, fans (rightfully) threw a fit and demanded the antler font back. Similar to the bolts pants.
One of my absolute favorite AHL logos would be the former Binghamton Whalers. Take one of the best logos in all of hockey and simply turn it sideways. It is just perfect.
As a Canadiens fan, I was really happy with the Laval Rocket branding. I enjoy that they leaned into the Canadiens history, but also gave the team a seperate identity. The uniforms, while using the same colours, are very different, and I think that was a fantastic approach. I do appreciate the unique and individual style of some teams (Hershey, Rochester) there's also something to be said about turning on a game and knowing immediately who the teams are affiliated with. If someone stumbles across a silver knights vs rocket game, they'll know the affiliations immediately, without being named after their NHL clubs.
So proud to be a fan of the Milwaukee Admirals, where it's proven that a franchise can have its own unique identity, but still have a strong, long-time affiliation.
As an Ads fan, you couldn’t have said it any better than that. I seriously hope they become an NHL team in the future. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid and hey, they were supposed to be one back in the 90’s had the league not screwed us over.
Not entirely true that Milwaukee never tried to follow a NHL affiliate. There was a short time in the 80s when they were a Quebec affiliate (possibly the first time they affiliated). They still kept their main crest, but they wore the fleur's at the hemline. Eventually they replaced it with the iconic anchor stripe.... which I don't understand how they never brought it back.
Yet another great video right on time for dinner over here. I have to say: I love these super dramatic openings. That music and your narration make it seem like we’re about to head off to war instead of talking about hockey branding :D The new Bridgeport logo and name are just simply boring. I get that some people might have felt that especially the original logo was dated but at least it had personality. That new design looks like Boston and the Islanders had a kid. Which is a terrifying thought… But generally speaking I’m actually fine with the AHL and NHL team sharing a name. I like the show of connection. Of course that works best when it is the original name of the AHL team and it hasn’t been renamed, moved and reaffiliated 500 times. Then it can feel like a kinda desperate move to bring around that feeling of connection. What I really love and wish the AHL teams would do more often is go for the obscure part of the branding. Like I actually love that Abbotsford went for that logo! There is so much branding and design history with most of the NHL teams, bring back something cool! But maybe my favorite kind of branding is when they do something related to each other or mirroring each other. I know a few people joke about the gold / silver / bronze thing but I’m the kind of moron who would actually love it. Or give me something like „Lighters“ to go with the Heat and Flames. It’s silly but also kinda satisfying to me. I already talked about how much I love the kraken / firebird designs and their connection. It’s still absolutely beautiful to me. But I also enjoy the very original, independent brands. They are most definitely children of their times and maybe a bit whacky and wild but that also makes them wonderful! And good for them for staying true to themselves. I’m sure in modern times that’s not necessarily an easy thing to do if you might have a NHL team breathing down your neck. But hey, if it’s iconic and good and whackily wonderful, why change it? Thanks so much for another great video! They are always entertaining and interesting and I always learn so many new things! And the quality just keeps on being spectacular!
Fun fact about the Hershey Bears When they were originally founded they were actually called the “Hershey bars” as a nod to its owner the Hershey company who specializes in chocolate making
Having the league's offices and not having a team would have been a bad look for Springfield and the AHL. Glad that a new team was able to set up shop here before we had a season without hockey. The team looks great, plays great, and is so fun to watch.
I like own identity via City/Nickname but aligning with the parent club via color and design. Bridgeport Sound Tigers using blue and orange color scheme if the Islanders. Or the Utica Comets using my Devils' color scheme. That is, until the affiliation changes. Gosh, I've never given this much thought to the AHL except when everyone on the Devils gets hurt!
I think the Kraken and Firebirds did what all teams should do. Have the template the same but everything else different with a nod to the NHL team. Teams that have the same exact colours and pretty much the same jersey with a diff logo is just lame.
Two years on - Sadly, Vegas' ECHL affiliate is not the Bronze Knights, nor from Reno. They are instead the Knight Monsters out of Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Which means that yes, the Golden Knights corporate organization continues to be disappointing.
If I was in charge of a minor league team's identity, I know any decision I made would have to be good for the team's bottom line, but... I imagine geography is a big factor in whether to adopt a parent club's colors/logo style or create your own. Most of the AHL teams are near their parent club, so seeing an echo of the NHL team's style is probably a welcome sight. But if your local ECHL team is wearing the colors and styles of your NHL rival, or of a team 1500 miles away, that NHL connection becomes weak--or even unwanted--and I'm sure it becomes way easier to justify creating a unique identity.
The Barracuda are moving to their own arena next season, Solar4America Ice at San Jose, it's supposed to hold just over 4,000 fans. With 6 total sheets of ice. They claim it's going to be the biggest single roof ice facility east of the Mississippi
I went to an Ontario Reign game and they actually have a banner for the AHL Monarchs winning the Calder Cup right before moving. I can't think of another team with a banner for another city's franchise.
As a sharks fan I absolutely hate how the barracuda are in San Jose. Don’t get me wrong I love the cuda and go to their games very often but the thing is since the sharks are here and tickets are only like $30 more than a cuda ticket nobody goes to cuda games. Prime time weekend games can have maybe 100-200 people show up it’s so pathetic. I was hoping they’d move to like Oakland San Francisco or Sacramento so they ca. have their own fan base and not be in the shadow of the sharks. Each of those 3 cities I named are only at most 2 hours away from San Jose easy for call ups but far enough to have their own fan base. Now they’re building their own arena in San Jose they’re gonna be stuck getting a pathetic turn out for their games forever now
More teams need to be like the Chicago Wolves and Hershey Bears and have their own identity, with NHL teams not hampering with them or making them copy their jerseys or colors Looking at you Iowa Wild
Same here went to games form 2000 grew up a condors fan and still finds it awesome we are in the AHL although I don’t like the oilers being our affiliate as I’m a kings fan but still a condor fan for life
Losing the rats man was the saddest day for the capital region. They took our hockey away, and now we have to go to Utica. I'm a Rangers fan too, but god the River rats
The change of Bridgeport from the Sound Tigers to just Islanders is so infuriating and unnecessary. I don’t know a single person who liked the rebranding
Amazing production value, as always. The Bridgeport Islanders logo looks like something from a video game Create-a-Team template. So bland and uninspired.
Haha, yeah so much to cover, so little time. Truthfully, they're not that different though, right? Same template with colors applied in a slightly different way.
@@icethetics I suppose I just felt like they managed to be different enough in the boundaries of a brand hierarchy. And thanks for not showing those alternate yellow jerseys the monsters wore for like a year. Those were truly horrific.
It always bugs me that so many professional teams in the AHL settle with such bad logos. Bridgeport and and SJ Barracuda are so effortless and too overmade, respectively, and so many logos are more of an illustration/drawing instead of a logo.
That's where our river rats went? Charlotte? 😢 Well at least the Devils bought the Utica Comets. I'm happy with that, but we had the river rats forever
Ive always hated AHL clubs reusing NHL names/logos. Just Boring. Why not Bridgeport Bridges or something more creative involving bridges... they connect islands to mainland. Plus. BRIDGEport. I could see synergy like flames & the Heat.
Bridgeport’s rebrand is the definition of corporate over community.
Hard to argue with that.
The best model is the one that the Kraken/Firebirds seem to be taking. Have inversed colours based on a consistent theme. Allows for originality while closely tying them to the parent brand.
And that Firebird is just so awesome looking.
Agreed, it should be similar, but not identical. Like I know I would love for the Devil's affiliate to be the Demons.
@@JuanSilva-ym9pf Just missing something in the middle. Great logo, but it looks unfinished.
@@hollowmade at first I thought they should fill that space with maybe their initials CV, but then it would look too jumbled.
@@billbaker3357what about imps?
I grew up in Trenton, NJ, it used to be home of the Trenton Titans of the ECHL. When they became the Devils’ farm team, they changed their name too the Trenton Devils. Upon the name change, attendance dropped. Trenton, NJ is where the Philadelphia and NY markets meet; Flyers’ and Rangers’ fans in the area immediately stopped going. Sharing a name with the parent club works only if the locals are all fans of the parent club. Which is why Providence Bruins works, but not the Bridgeport Islanders, as there are Ranger fans in the area.
I'm a Trenton-born South Jersey guy and I have to say - you are so right about that!
I'm a Flyers fan myself, but Trenton isn't exclusive to any one fan base.
The Titans name seemed to get that no matter who the parent team really was.
Calling them the Devils was a bad move in my opinion.
I now live nearby Hershey Bears and even though they are a Caps affiliate, you get fans of the Pens, Flyers and Caps coming in, because the Bears feel like everyone's team here.
For some extra history from a Rochester native, the Amerks started as the affiliate team for the Habs far before the Sabres existed, thus the name Americans, an American affiliate for La Canadiens.
Ah, I never knew that one! Interesting.
The wolves' logo withstands the test of time. Its logo itself owned up to expectations as it won 2 Turner Cups and 2 Calder Cups during their time in hockey.
Grant Mulvey was the mastermind behind this logo and extract details on it and i applaud for his hard work.
LET'S GO WOLVES
I’ve always liked how Grand Rapids and Colorado have their own identities, and an alternate that pays tribute to their parent club
Springfield fan here. I do not taking for granted that we have our own unique branding instead of the Springfield Blues or something. Having our own identity makes it so easy to love this team as an LA Kings fan
Let's go T-Birds
I miss the Worcester Ice Cats!
Now that you've pointed out the spoke on the Providence Bruins I can't un-see it every time I look at the logo.
Yeah, sorry about that. 😬
The Henderson Silver Knights logo looks like a light switch cover to me.
I've become a big fan of the teams that have an identity related but not the same. The best example IMO being the Coyotes/Roadrunners and Golden Knights/Silver Knights. Otherwise I strongly prefer individual identity to same naming, although the Abbotsford Canucks dark jersey might be in my top 5 active jerseys in the whole sport right now.
I know it is hard to balance tradition and major league affiliations, but making a profit at the minor league level is so challenging for teams. So long as the cost of the rebrand isn't too high, it is necessary to continue to create fan excitement and drive merchandise sales.
I very much dislike the shoulder patches that have the NHL parent club logo on them. In the ECHL, the Wheeling Nailers have one of my favorite logos, but the Pens logo on the shoulders (and even the copying of the jersey colours) is brutal. I love it when a team is their own.
I agree it takes away from each team's individuality
I used to think they were like a requirement, but to my knowledge the Wolves haven't ever had their affiliate on their jerseys. Other independent (not owned by the parent club) teams like the Griffins and Monsters do though.
GREENSBORO GARGOYLES COMIN AT CHA, i love seeing my hometown get a new minor league team and would have loved going to games as a kid with my brother or dad.
Sound tigers fan here, most fans hate the new name. Everyone loved the name and logo. Wish they’d go back but it’ll never happen.
Love how you mentioned the IceCaps. They were huge here for the few years they were the Jets and Canadiens affiliate. We’re on our 5th rendition of a team now. Hopefully this one stays longterm!
Growlers have a great brand too!
@@icethetics some of the cleanest jerseys and logos in the ECHL
This is my favourite channel on RUclips.
Something for which you are not praised enough, is your voice over work. The way you lay your voice down really complements the editing and adds a lot to the videos. Just absolute quality all over the place.
Much love from Brussels, Belgium!
Thank you for the compliments!
While I can appreciate the Condors' promotion... really wish the ECHL did an equal swap and gave OKC a club. I miss live pro hockey 😞
Edmonton needs to take the condors out of Bakersfield. Place is an ashtray of a town compared to other places in California or anywhere else close to Edmonton. Imagine training your entire life getting drafted by the oilers and just to be put in Bakersfield with nothing to do haha
As a Wichita Thunder fan, I miss the old Blazers vs Thunder rivalry. Hopefully they can get a ECHL team in the future.
@@thunderfan23 you and me both. The CHL rivalries of old were the best. The Thunder, the Topeka Scarecrows, The Memphis RiverQueens...
@@sandycheeks9342 its like reliving the good ol days. when i was five i had an uncle that worked at the nearby AFB and got tickets to the blazers games. when i got back into hockey 15 years later, i dug up my old jerseys and a game puck from back then and i can proudly say, they are my most prized possessions. though its sad to see big time hockey go like what edmonton did to the barons, its still fun to relive memories of old. now we have the tulsa oilers and the NA3HL team that used to be called the blazers and now the ice hawks, but its still a satisfying sight to see hockey in OKC is still thriving on its own.
@@bigounce7201 I know what you mean. I follow the Ice Hawks, haven't been to a game yet but hopefully next season (I know this one is in full swing) they'll have the team fleshed out more, have some more official look to them. I don't mind junior hockey, but I have hard time believing their games will match the intensity and overall atmosphere of the Blazers games of our youth. I really don't wanna sound like the old crones that hated on the Barons because "iT's NoT tHe BlAzErS".
Apparently, according to San Jose Barracuda fans, they're getting a new logo next year, Stockton is getting a new jersey (I'm thinking its gonna be Calgary's), and I heard that Ontario might be changing it up.
I'm still waiting for Tucson to just adopt the Kachina full-time, like the Yotes, and I'm waiting for Anaheim/San Diego to get a new brand.
Also, heyyyyyy, thanks for the shout out of my Condors! For a while, there were rumors of us becoming the Oilers (which, admittedly, would've worked, because Bakersfield is known for being an oil and agriculture city, much like Edmonton), but then the Condors name won out, keeping a name that, like you said, has been with us since 1997. I still think that we should've adopted the Barons jersey.
I also *DESPISE* Colorado's whole set. They should've kept the jerseys they had before their current set.
Also, Milwaukee and Manitoba might have my two favorite color schemes in the league. The light blue mixed with dark blue... It's just gorgeous.
no way man. I love the gulls current brand!
@@StevexOwnz it's more I want Anaheim to go back to teal and eggplant, and I want the Gulls to follow.
Saw the first ever Colorado Eagles game and been a fan since! Proud to see what they have done and keep their identity!
Thanks for including my bronze knights concept lol. made that a few years back just fooling around - never thought I would see it on here. Great video! keep it up
Thanks Sam! I'm so glad you got to see it here. I couldn't find a way to get in touch with you after I came across your concept, but I was happy to be able to share it here. Worked perfectly.
It’s always blown my mind that there’s an AHL team branded as “Chicago” but they’re not the Blackhawks’ affiliate. The Wolves even play less than 30 minutes away from United Center!
It’s still sad that the Norfolk Admirals were forced to ‘relocate’ and were relegated to the ECHL. Admirals games in the years during and after their Calder Cup run were amazing.
I hate it, games aren’t as much fun anymore.
Very enjoyable video thank you. As an Erie otters fan would love to see a series of videos depicting uniforms in the leagues making up the OHL. Thanks keep up the good work.
Always happy to hear my hometown Hershey Bears get some love :)
Die hard bears Fan. I feel so blessed to have grown up close to the Bears. Having a historic team like that is so awesome.
Fear the ROAR!
excellent as always (though i think you need some more chill background music... i feel like i'm going into friggin battle here lol)
Suit up! 😅
I was a Sound Tigers ticket holder. Everyone was furious when NYI made that move. It'll always be the Sound To us.
Bridgeport's rebrand was awful and unneeded.
I agree completely. Even if they didn't want the Sound Tigers anymore, why not do something else that still represents the city?
As a CT native I can tell you nobody is happy about it
Amen. One of the worst rebrands I have ever heard of.
I mean the sound tigers was such a cool name for a team that losing it to be named after their parent company is a fucking disgrace
"This was an organizational initiative...blah blah blah...legitimizing our franchise...blah blah blah". Just a load of corporate double-speak. He might as well have been talking about a bag of chips.
The Springfield Thunderbirds have uniforms that are more eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing than most NHL teams imo
Springfield fan here. Awesome video thanks for also providing the history of some teams that shaped the lives of alot of hockey fans. I miss the river rats, lock monsters, ice cats, and beast of new haven (best logo maybe ever btw). I think teams should have their own identity but maybe adopt color schemes instead of being just the same team name. Ahl affiliations tend to bounce around alot over time. I miss those fun team names of the 90s and 2000s and wish we could find happy mediums
WE STILL CALL THEM THE SOUND TIGERS!
Good video! You should do a similar video on the ECHL
Agreed. As a Royals fan it’s been interesting to see the slow change from LA Kings branding to Flyers branding. I just hope they don’t fully get rid of the Lion logo.
Love that you talked about the Abbotsford Canucks as not only is that my home team, I actually work for the team (just a low level employee on the guest services team but I still love it) the games are so much fun and I love our logo using Johnny Canuck, Still part of the Canucks brand overall, but our own thing too.
Interesting note, the "Stockton Heat" no longer exists as that name anymore, not sure what all changed within the team when they switched to being the Calgary Wranglers but the farm team for Calgary Flames is now the Calgary Wranglers and the "Stockton Heat" team no longer exists. Fun fact Calgary Wranglers is one of our biggest rivals over in Abbotsford. The Calgary Flames and Calgary Wranglers have super similar logos now, same design basically just different letters.
What an amazing video! Awesome work my friend!
Thank you for the kind words!
As a Syracuse, native we don't recognize the "Ducks era." It was an absolutely horrible couple of years. So bad in fact both teams decided to part ways early. I'll never forget the sounds and chants of "Holick you suck" for most of the second season. He was the coach My favorite mascot of ours would be the original Crunch Man. I was there the night they debuted the new one. The opening was amazing the old Gorilla was "called home" and then the new Crunch Man came down from the ceiling. The new one just does not feel "right" it is too human-like. But seeing all four out there was awesome sight and memory for sure. The original parent team was actually the Canucks before the switch to CBJ.
Can confirm the Ducks hate. We like to call it the Dark Ages in my household.
Danke!
Love your channel! Please do a history on the Canucks looks / almost looks from over the years . Arthur griffiths probably has some good insight .
Keep it up! 👍
Fun note with the moose is the numbers. When they first came back to wpg they just took the jets font, fans (rightfully) threw a fit and demanded the antler font back. Similar to the bolts pants.
Fans like myself are still throwing a fit about the Moose just going with Jets colors. I want that beautiful green back.
True story!
One of my absolute favorite AHL logos would be the former Binghamton Whalers. Take one of the best logos in all of hockey and simply turn it sideways. It is just perfect.
Excellent overview of AHL logo design!
Thanks Paul!
The AHL Peoria logo was so good
I love it too I think it's awesome they pretty much brought it back for sphl
So glad I found this channel
As a Canadiens fan, I was really happy with the Laval Rocket branding. I enjoy that they leaned into the Canadiens history, but also gave the team a seperate identity. The uniforms, while using the same colours, are very different, and I think that was a fantastic approach. I do appreciate the unique and individual style of some teams (Hershey, Rochester) there's also something to be said about turning on a game and knowing immediately who the teams are affiliated with. If someone stumbles across a silver knights vs rocket game, they'll know the affiliations immediately, without being named after their NHL clubs.
So proud to be a fan of the Milwaukee Admirals, where it's proven that a franchise can have its own unique identity, but still have a strong, long-time affiliation.
As an Ads fan, you couldn’t have said it any better than that. I seriously hope they become an NHL team in the future. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid and hey, they were supposed to be one back in the 90’s had the league not screwed us over.
Your videos are so creative. Keep it up! 👍
Not entirely true that Milwaukee never tried to follow a NHL affiliate. There was a short time in the 80s when they were a Quebec affiliate (possibly the first time they affiliated). They still kept their main crest, but they wore the fleur's at the hemline. Eventually they replaced it with the iconic anchor stripe.... which I don't understand how they never brought it back.
I hope to see the Reno bronze knights
Manchester Monarchs fan here, its a real shame ontario took our team but i cant deny their logo is pretty nice. Just miss the purple our team had.
Same, I always loved the Monarchs' look.
Yet another great video right on time for dinner over here. I have to say: I love these super dramatic openings. That music and your narration make it seem like we’re about to head off to war instead of talking about hockey branding :D
The new Bridgeport logo and name are just simply boring. I get that some people might have felt that especially the original logo was dated but at least it had personality. That new design looks like Boston and the Islanders had a kid. Which is a terrifying thought…
But generally speaking I’m actually fine with the AHL and NHL team sharing a name. I like the show of connection. Of course that works best when it is the original name of the AHL team and it hasn’t been renamed, moved and reaffiliated 500 times. Then it can feel like a kinda desperate move to bring around that feeling of connection.
What I really love and wish the AHL teams would do more often is go for the obscure part of the branding. Like I actually love that Abbotsford went for that logo! There is so much branding and design history with most of the NHL teams, bring back something cool!
But maybe my favorite kind of branding is when they do something related to each other or mirroring each other. I know a few people joke about the gold / silver / bronze thing but I’m the kind of moron who would actually love it. Or give me something like „Lighters“ to go with the Heat and Flames. It’s silly but also kinda satisfying to me.
I already talked about how much I love the kraken / firebird designs and their connection. It’s still absolutely beautiful to me.
But I also enjoy the very original, independent brands. They are most definitely children of their times and maybe a bit whacky and wild but that also makes them wonderful! And good for them for staying true to themselves. I’m sure in modern times that’s not necessarily an easy thing to do if you might have a NHL team breathing down your neck.
But hey, if it’s iconic and good and whackily wonderful, why change it?
Thanks so much for another great video! They are always entertaining and interesting and I always learn so many new things! And the quality just keeps on being spectacular!
Thanks for all the kind words, as always!
Holy shit this was a spectacular video. I love this stuff
awesome video!
really learned alot!
I love going to AHL games! always go to reign or gulls games when I can since I live so cal!
Fun fact about the Hershey Bears
When they were originally founded they were actually called the “Hershey bars” as a nod to its owner the Hershey company who specializes in chocolate making
Having the league's offices and not having a team would have been a bad look for Springfield and the AHL. Glad that a new team was able to set up shop here before we had a season without hockey. The team looks great, plays great, and is so fun to watch.
I like own identity via City/Nickname but aligning with the parent club via color and design. Bridgeport Sound Tigers using blue and orange color scheme if the Islanders. Or the Utica Comets using my Devils' color scheme. That is, until the affiliation changes. Gosh, I've never given this much thought to the AHL except when everyone on the Devils gets hurt!
I love the wolves logo and Skates the mascot. The wolves represent toughness grit and winning.
I think the Kraken and Firebirds did what all teams should do. Have the template the same but everything else different with a nod to the NHL team. Teams that have the same exact colours and pretty much the same jersey with a diff logo is just lame.
agreed. I love the rockford ice hogs logo and brand, but I hate their jerseys..
@@StevexOwnz That logo doesn’t go well with such a bland jersey template, that’s for sure.
I’m surprised that you didn’t touch on the Wolf Pack’s few years as the Connecticut Whale.
I miss the Cleveland Barons shark logo
RIP Saint John Flames, had the coolest AHL logo ever.
I used to go to Sound Tigers games and their first jerseys were the best jerseys imo and they had the best name which represented the city
Two years on - Sadly, Vegas' ECHL affiliate is not the Bronze Knights, nor from Reno. They are instead the Knight Monsters out of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Which means that yes, the Golden Knights corporate organization continues to be disappointing.
haha yep, but hilariously close though! 😅
St. John’s was also affiliated with Montreal for a few years
If I was in charge of a minor league team's identity, I know any decision I made would have to be good for the team's bottom line, but... I imagine geography is a big factor in whether to adopt a parent club's colors/logo style or create your own. Most of the AHL teams are near their parent club, so seeing an echo of the NHL team's style is probably a welcome sight. But if your local ECHL team is wearing the colors and styles of your NHL rival, or of a team 1500 miles away, that NHL connection becomes weak--or even unwanted--and I'm sure it becomes way easier to justify creating a unique identity.
Another great video!
Admirals have only had one NHL affiliate, the Nashville Predators.
Not quite. The Ads have been around a lot longer than the Preds. One commenter even pointed out they were once affiliated with the Quebec Nordiques.
@@icethetics ah. They’ve been Preds affiliate since they moved to the AHL
I love the new Springfield Hockey team. Springfield Thunderbirds Franchise have been amazing. LETS GO TBIRDS
Hell yeah. Thanks for pronouncing Newfoundland correctly!
😅 haha! I’m a big fan of Come From Away. So though I’ve never been there, I’ve heard it said so many times.
I know this video was a month ago but if you got time I would love to see a ECHL video
It’s a ways down my list, but it is on my list.
@@icethetics I feel like it would take knowing some teams either relocated or overall shut down
The Barracuda are moving to their own arena next season, Solar4America Ice at San Jose, it's supposed to hold just over 4,000 fans. With 6 total sheets of ice. They claim it's going to be the biggest single roof ice facility east of the Mississippi
RIP Monarchs :(
I went to an Ontario Reign game and they actually have a banner for the AHL Monarchs winning the Calder Cup right before moving. I can't think of another team with a banner for another city's franchise.
Minor league teams should try & have their own look, but nothing wrong with somehow combining that with a reference to their NHL affiliate
Frankly it's a pity that the Buffalo affiliates don't use one of the team's inside jokes: Goats, Banana Slugs or Katanas.
I remember as a kid a friend of mind bought a Adirondack Red Wings jersey because they were the same as Detroit. And they were cheaper
I'm a huge fan of when an AHL team can have similarities to their parent club while still having their own identity.
As a sharks fan I absolutely hate how the barracuda are in San Jose. Don’t get me wrong I love the cuda and go to their games very often but the thing is since the sharks are here and tickets are only like $30 more than a cuda ticket nobody goes to cuda games. Prime time weekend games can have maybe 100-200 people show up it’s so pathetic. I was hoping they’d move to like Oakland San Francisco or Sacramento so they ca. have their own fan base and not be in the shadow of the sharks. Each of those 3 cities I named are only at most 2 hours away from San Jose easy for call ups but far enough to have their own fan base. Now they’re building their own arena in San Jose they’re gonna be stuck getting a pathetic turn out for their games forever now
I miss the Phantoms being in Philly so much
More teams need to be like the Chicago Wolves and Hershey Bears and have their own identity, with NHL teams not hampering with them or making them copy their jerseys or colors
Looking at you Iowa Wild
Those old River Rats and Checkers logos are so sick. Wish they didn’t change them.
Hartford did revert back to putting there logo on the jersey rather then the rangers style
great content
2022-23 Coachella Valley Firebirds
2022-23 Calgary Wranglers
Phantoms have the best logo in the AHL
I disagree, look at the Wolves/Admirals
Yeah Bakersfield Condor all the way born and raised their
Same here went to games form 2000 grew up a condors fan and still finds it awesome we are in the AHL although I don’t like the oilers being our affiliate as I’m a kings fan but still a condor fan for life
I wish none of them would follow parent clubs I think they need to be completely independent when it comes too branding
im sorry yall skipped over the GRAND RAPIDS JERSEYS FOR WHATTTTTT
So much to talk about, so little time. Solid jerseys in Grand Rapids for sure!
I dunno, Milwaukee has had a team longer than their NHL parent team.
Losing the rats man was the saddest day for the capital region. They took our hockey away, and now we have to go to Utica. I'm a Rangers fan too, but god the River rats
The change of Bridgeport from the Sound Tigers to just Islanders is so infuriating and unnecessary. I don’t know a single person who liked the rebranding
Dope shit
My poor Binghamton Senators... and Devils... and Rangers... and Whalers :(
Amazing production value, as always.
The Bridgeport Islanders logo looks like something from a video game Create-a-Team template. So bland and uninspired.
The Canucks began as a minor league team in the 50s. So it was more of a call back to that. Not really that surprising especially when you live here.
You really did the Texas Stars dirty by not showing how different their jerseys are
Haha, yeah so much to cover, so little time. Truthfully, they're not that different though, right? Same template with colors applied in a slightly different way.
@@icethetics I suppose I just felt like they managed to be different enough in the boundaries of a brand hierarchy.
And thanks for not showing those alternate yellow jerseys the monsters wore for like a year. Those were truly horrific.
@@Rockman_Halo great now I remembered those existed.
It always bugs me that so many professional teams in the AHL settle with such bad logos. Bridgeport and and SJ Barracuda are so effortless and too overmade, respectively, and so many logos are more of an illustration/drawing instead of a logo.
Miss my Houston Aeros
The players on Laval better comb their hair like the rocket, tape their sticks like the rocket and tie their skates like him too lol
Chicago wolves 🐺🔥
Aeros to the wild was a fucking crime
I really wish the Calgary hitmen can promote to the AHL.
best name ever.
That's where our river rats went? Charlotte? 😢 Well at least the Devils bought the Utica Comets. I'm happy with that, but we had the river rats forever
Ive always hated AHL clubs reusing NHL names/logos. Just Boring. Why not Bridgeport Bridges or something more creative involving bridges... they connect islands to mainland. Plus. BRIDGEport. I could see synergy like flames & the Heat.