The 2007/2008 regular season is underway and the Leafs play their first game on Wednesday night against our good buddies from Ottawa Kanata. Since I was waxing nostalgic about the old Blue Jays logo yesterday, I thought I'd kick off this NHL season by ranking the current NHL team logos from best to worst.
The opinions expressed are strictly those of Toronto Mike. Reader discretion is advised.
1 - Toronto Maple Leafs
- Lengendary iconic symbol
- Solid blue and white
- God's team
2 - Chicago Blackhawks
- Named after the 333rd Machine Gun Battalion of the 86th Infantry Division during World War I
- A classic beaut
- The best logo not belonging to God's team
3 - Montreal Canadiens
- Historic rivals, but a great logo
- Classic red, white and bleu
- Drenched in success (argh!)
4 - New York Rangers
- Another original six, another great logo
- More clasic red, white and blue
- Conn Smythe's chip on the shoulder
5 - Detroit Red Wings
- Another oldie but goldie
- The big red machine
- Motor city wheels of steel
6 - Dallas Stars
- Simple, but smart
- My favourite of the newbies
- It's good to be green
7 - St. Louis Blues
- Another simple but smart logo
- Named for the W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues"
- Blue is best
8 - Boston Bruins
- My least favourite of the original six
- Still a great logo
- Looks great in the video for "Courage"
9 - Calgary Flames
- This logo was so strong, it survived a move from Atlanta
- From the Civil War to the Battle of Alberta
- Simple, but slick and timeless
10 - Philadelphia Flyers
- Not much of a nickname, but a good colour scheme
- 70s succcess gives integrity to the brand
- If the Flyers were to change this logo, we'd all go ape-shit
11 - Edmonton Oilers
- Memories of glory days
- Check out the web 2.0 mirror effect on the font
- As a young man, this was my favourite team, for obvious reasons
12 - Minnesota Wild
- The only non-Leafs paraphernalia I own is a Wild tee shirt
- Fantastic colour scheme
- Collegiate look and feel for additional coolness
13 - New Jersey Devils
- Simple and practical
- It just works
- Not a logo you want to face in the playoffs
14 - Atlanta Thrashers
- Of all the Johnny-come-lately teams, this is the best logo
- This bird is pretty intimidating, for a bird
- Not bad for the middle of the pack
15 - Colorado Avalanche
- Sakic, Forsberg and Roy will make a logo look better than it is
- Nice colours, recognizable icon
- I miss the Nordiques
16 - Florida Panthers
- This panther looks tough, but could he take on the thrasher?
- 14 years of life and only the rats are scared
- Otherwise not particularly memorable
17 - Pittsburgh Penguins
- I think this one is living on fumes of better times
- Likely got it's name because they play in the Igloo
- It's a freakin' cartoon penguin, Crosby oughta sue
18 - Tampa Bay Lightning
- There are worse logos than this one
- Lightning is pretty scary
- The font is pretty weak
19 - Ottawa Senators
- Yes I dislike this team, but that's not why they're ranked this low
- For proof of the above, check out who's #3
- The logo is okay, but not particularly inspiring or memorable or special
20 - San Jose Sharks
- Rode the teal wave to popularity in the early 90s
- The original shark was black, much better
- Still scarier than a seal
21 - Vancouver Canucks
- This franchise changes their logo so often, it's hard to get used to one
- This orca logo is a blatant ad for Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment and that's pretty gross
- Bring back the stick!
22 - Carolina Hurricanes
- Hurricanes are scary, but maybe a little too scary
- This logo isn't bad, but it's a bit busy... just try doodling it during history
- I miss the Whalers
23 - Columbus Blue Jackets
- What's so civil about war anyway?
- If you didn't know who this logo belonged to, would you guess it in a million years?
- Oh say can you see...
24 - Los Angeles Kings
- Should we be afraid of this scary looking crown?
- Went from looking like the Lakers to looking like the Raiders to looking like crap
- It's a crown, only one thing is less intimidating than a crown...
25 - Anaheim Ducks
- Less intimidating than a crown
- A huge improvement over the old Mighty Ducks logo
- Your Stanley Cup champions, ladies and gentlemen
26 - New York Islanders
- I know this will anger those who came of age in the late 70s, but I call it like I see it
- Not only a weak logo, but a weak nickname
- Still better than that fisherman
27 - Phoenix Coyotes
- A dog with fleas
- Not even the Great One can give this logo or franchise hope
- I miss the Jets
28 - Washington Capitals
- What is this?
- Uninspired, unspectacular, uninteresting
- No kid on the planet living outside of Washington is going to want a Capitals jersey this Christmas
29 - Buffalo Sabres
- Sorry Buffalo, but I hate this new logo
- Who decided on this colour scheme? Is that still a buffalo?
- It doesn't get much worse than this
30 - Nashville Predators
- What the hell is this thing?
- This franchise was a mistake and this logo was a mistake
- Fittingly named after a fossil
