Leafs to get new logo, uniform next season
Hockey traditionalists, man your battle stations.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to have a new look for the 2016-17 hockey season according to logo and uniform expert Chris Creamer of SportsLogos.net. One of the NHL’s oldest franchises will be celebrating its centennial over the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, and will be altering its primary logo and jerseys according to the report.
TSN’s Rick Westhead also reported on the coming jersey change:
The Leafs will have new uniforms next season (many fans will like the changes) but move won’t be a huge $ maker. NHL teams live/die from tix
— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) December 13, 2015
The Maple Leafs logo has evolved and changed over the years, but it has been essentially the same since 1987-88 and largely similar since 1970-71. Here’s a look at the evolution via SportsLogos:
New #Leafs logo replaces one in use since 1970; 45 years, no cups. Not the best era. More: https://t.co/8IAqiPQIY8 pic.twitter.com/p3tGSgJdON
— Chris Creamer (@sportslogosnet) December 13, 2015
The team has not confirmed anything about the logo yet, but told Sportsnet.ca that they will be unveiling centennial plans in the new year.
Creamer suggested the team may already be hinting at what’s to come. Drastic changes are not expected, but one of the constants throughout the logo’s existence has been the word mark inside it. That might be one of the changes made, though that is still unconfirmed. As Creamer notes, the team has been using a blank Maple Leaf on its social media channels off and on this year. That includes their current Twitter avatar.
If there’s one thing people get really fired up about, though, it’s the jerseys. What those are expected to look like remain unknown. The current Leafs threads are some of the best in the league probably because of their mostly basic look with that iconic Toronto blue. Creamer also reported that multiple throwback jerseys are expected to be worn throughout the centennial season.
When you consider that the team has never won a Stanley Cup in their current uniforms, or even in their current logo, perhaps it is time to move on anyway.
Additionally, this possible repositioning of the brand in Toronto comes just ahead of the NHL’s first year with Adidas as its official jersey provider. The last time the league rolled out a new jersey provider, many teams altered their uniforms as well. So the Maple Leafs could only be the beginning. Adidas, which owns current jersey manufacturer Reebok, takes over in 2017-18.
The team has to know that massive changes are probably not going to be well received, but if they’re looking to rebuild their image, as they’ve already started rebuilding their roster, a new logo and uniform might make a lot of sense, too. As long as they don’t screw it up, that is.
Will the Toronto Maple Leafs alter their logo? (USATSI)
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