NHL Hockey Team Logos and Their Meanings (Updated 2024)

Whether you’re a hockey fan or not, you can appreciate team logos from a design standpoint. NHL logos are unique and show designers how to create meaningful emblems for clients. Hockey fans can tell you the meaning behind logos and why they’ve changed over the years, adding additional insight.

The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in 1917 in Montreal, Canada. At first, there were four teams, all based in Canada. Later, a fifth team came into the mix. They played their first games in December of that year. By the 1920s, the NHL opened their membership to U.S. teams, adding the Boston Bruins in 1925. The Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Cougars and New York Rangers joined a year later. 

Over the past century plus, various team logos have come and gone, names changed and tweaks happened. Today’s logos are a bit different from the originals to reflect changing times and digital marketing efforts. As teams come into their own or take on new roles, expect tweaks but the overall concept tends to remain the same.

Designers can learn a lot by studying sports logos for layout and functionality. Improve your logo designs by studying NFL logos as well as NHL logos. Expand into basketball and business logos as you need additional examples.

Designerly spent time looking at current NHL logos and narrowing down the options to the best of the best. Here are the ones we think stand out from the crowd and what you can learn from each:

The Best NHL Logos

One thing about NHL logos is that they are quite varied. Some utilize the team mascot, others the letter of the city where the team is based and some use words with emblems. The variety of logos shows just how creative you can get with logo design. Each logo has a special meaning and history behind it.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins was the first U.S. team to join the NHL. The vivid yellow and black reflects the team colors. It also provides high contrast to make the outlined letter B stand out. The spokes on the gold wheel are also black to set them off. Boston’s nickname is “The Hub,” so the appearance of a network surrounding the B highlights the city where the team resides.

The latest logo was redesigned in 2007 and has remained the same except for minor tweaks here and there. The original logo on the uniforms was a B with brown spokes. Over the years, designers changed to black to make the details pop. 

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs keep their logo simple and to the point. Since Canada is known for maple leafs, the emblem makes sense for a Canadian hockey team. You’d normally expect a crimson colored leaf to represent Canada, but the deep blue contrasts nicely with the word mark inside the outline of the leaf.

Note that the font is a simple sans serif with a heavy, evenly distributed weight to the letters. The logo is easy to read from a distance or at a game. The team wore white sweaters and a green maple leaf initially, but quickly changed their team colors to white and blue. Founder and coach Conn Smythe stated the blue stood for Canada’s beautiful bright skies and the white for snow. 

Designers should note the simplicity of the design and why it stands the test of time. The emblem is one most people recognize as Canadian. The colors have a subtle psychological impact. 

Anaheim Ducks

Moving to the Pacific coast, the Anaheim Ducks have quite an interesting logo that works perfectly for a hockey team. A modern version of the letter D, the logo almost appears to be in motion. The curve of the letter is elongated, making more of an oval shape as though the letter is preparing to fly down the hockey rink toward victory. Since movement on the ice rink is rapid, the idea of creating a logo in motion matches the sport perfectly.

The white and orange accents follow the curves, adding a three-dimensional look. The entire logo gets a light gray outline to make it pop against any background. Team jerseys match the overall look of the design, adding brand recognition to the Anaheim Ducks franchise.

Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets’ logo uses a unique layering effect to give the hint of the red Canadian maple leaf with a modern interpretation of a jet airplane. The logo has almost a military look to it with the gray, navy blue and red color scheme. The jet could also be seen a a rocket, indicating power and speed.

The Jets were originally accepted into the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1971. However, the WHA was eventually combined with the NHL and became part of the franchise. The Jets are a team that moved from one area to another through a purchase, considered various names and settled on the Jets. The Thrashers name and logo were kept by the original owners in Atlanta. 

The name, logo and marketing details are all fairly new when compared to teams refining their look over a century. However, it is unique and modern looking, making it stand out from the other logos in the NHL. If you’re looking for inspiration for trendy designs, this is a good one to consider.

St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues may be a team people don’t follow as closely as the Bruins or the Jets, but their logo is worth mentioning. This solid midwestern hockey team stands out for their style and color combination. The musical symbol is easily recognizable and ties into the team name and what their city is known for.  

Formed in 1967, the Blues are part of the NHL expansion. They are named after a song by W.C. Handy titled “Saint Louis Blues.” At first, their color palette featured a lighter blue. In 1984, they darkened the blue. As they tried different team uniform designs, they added and removed things before settling on the current simple musical note design. 

The logo often appears as just the note, but sometimes includes words. The simplicity of the design ties perfectly to the team name and image, giving a nod to their heritage. When you’re designing with a symbol and no words, make sure the target audience understands the significance of the emblem.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning is a team affectionately called The Bolts by fans. The team is a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. Tampa is the home base for players on the team. The Lightning is another team formed as an expansion in 1990. Their late start hasn’t slowed them down any. They hold three Stanley Cup championships for 2004, 2020 and 2021.

Their name ties into Tampa’s nickname of the “Lightning Capital of North America.” By 2010, the team logo and Jersey’s were in the colors blue, black and white. Since the beginning, their logo has been a lightning bolt inside a circle, but it has changed slightly through the years.

The original logo featured a three-dimensional lightning bolt inside a gray circle with a blue outer ring. The words “Tampa Bay Lightning” appeared in a decorative font. By 2007, they added some blue to the outer edge of the bolt and changed the text to a single line that read “Tampa Bay” in a sans serif font. In 2011, the logo got another redesign, which the team has kept since. It is a dark blue circle with a white center and a blue lightning bolt down the middle.

If you look closely, you’ll see a white edge on the bolt that makes it pop. The lesson you can learn from this logo is to find a specific emblem that defines the business and stick with it.

More NHL Logos

The five logos above are just a handful of some of the interesting designs put out by teams in the NHL. Pay attention to the history of each logo as you enjoy the next season. Why do designers choose the colors, images and accents they do? By studying logos, you’ll come up with ideas for your designs that stand out from any other professional artist.