Ranking the Best NHL Logos (2024)
By
Richard Janvrin
Contributor Updated: 06 September 2024
Richard Janvrin Contributor
Richard has been writing about sports since he was a teenager. Still, his first professional role came in 2015, covering all things NFL and fantasy football-related. From there, in December 2018, he started in the sports betting industry, covering sportsbook reviews before arriving to where he is today.
The Best NHL Logos (2024)
The NHL has existed since 1917, and during that time, many teams have come and gone, as have their logos. These logos are used to easily identify teams, especially when we’re on NHL betting sites looking to wager on our favorite teams.
Below, I will reveal my favorites as of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Continue reading to see the best NHL logos in the sport today.
US South
The 2024 NHL season concluded with a team from the south, the Florida Panthers, winning the Stanley Cup. Learn where they sit among my NHL logos ranked.
Florida Panthers
The worst of these NHL logos is the Panthers.
How can a team so talented—that will likely win the 2023-24 Stanley Cup (up 3-2 at the time of this writing) have this as their logo? This is the crest for some teams fighting against relegation in the Premier League.
This is hockey. Make the panther in the logo look a bit more fierce.
Dallas Stars
The D is somewhat nice with the bold/italic look, but the star behind it and that terrible green color make it unappealing. I’m sure there could be a more gritty/bold design that would fit much better.
Carolina Hurricanes
It’s not bad, as it’s meant to look like a hurricane on a meteorology report, but it’s a bit too stale and “timid.” It could benefit from an overhaul that makes the hurricane look far more aggressive. There have been some redesigns circulating, and somehow, they’re all worse and look like a baseball team with the appearance of the Cleveland Guardians.
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes are done for after this season, but the Kachina logo that came after the coyote head looked great. It’s one of the most unique in the sport, and the linework of the outline of the coyote made it pop.
Tampa Bay Lightning
This logo is certainly a bit minimalistic, but the lightning bolt is simple. In Florida, it has a tendency to rain randomly and have thunder and lightning storms, so it makes sense. Perhaps making it a bit more “metallic” looking would help spice it up more.
Nashville Predators
Atop the best NHL logos list is the Predators. That saber-tooth tiger is by far the most aggressive symbol and logo in the sport. Those teeth are gigantic without being too much. If you showed this lineup of logos to any young kid, they’d flock to this one because of how awesome it looks. It symbolizes hockey in a way that showcases the aggression and fierceness of the sport.
Ranking NHL logos is not an easy task, but this one was immediate write-in for the No. 1 spot.
US East
The East has numerous NHL teams that have been successful over the years. The most recent team to win the Stanley Cup was the Washington Capitals in 2018. I’ll continue ranking NHL logos below.
Washington Capitals
It’s just the name of the team with the “t” in “Capitals” as a hockey stick and three stars. I get it’s meant to represent the three primary markets in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., but a casual fan may think it’s their number of Stanley Cup wins, but they only have one from the 2017-18 season.
New York Islanders
The color scheme for this one is cool, but there’s really not a whole lot going on with it. The Long Island outline makes sense, but honestly, I like the 1995 logo. It really stands out, but I understand why it failed. I think implementing a more imposing fisherman would make this one pop.
New York Rangers
Another classic logo, I can immediately identify this one, but a redesign could be a welcomed change. I’m not sure how it would be implemented, but honoring the Twin Towers would be incredible. I understand not wanting to showcase a constant reminder of those terrible events.
Philadelphia Flyers
You know, I’ve seen the Flyers logo for years, but I could never really figure out what it was meant to be. It’s meant to be a “P,” which I got, but the four wings don’t have any meaning to it, and it’s meant to look like a puck. It’s in the middle of my list because it’s OK, and I’m not really sure what I’d do differently.
New Jersey Devils
I’ve always liked this logo a lot. The devil horns at the top and how they combined for an “NJ” are clever and timeless looking. The circle around it also makes it pop out more. For me, a Hanya mask-like redesign would look incredible, but unlikely to ever happen.
Buffalo Sabres
I don’t dislike this one, as the sabre swords in the logo look cool, but it definitely feels a bit forced with the buffalo in between them. I’d almost suggest something whacky, like a buffalo with sabres for horns.
Pittsburgh Penguins
A penguin skating with a stick? Sold. Simple, old-school looking, and easily communicates the name of the team. The penguin also has a serious-looking disposition, which helps.
Boston Bruins
I’m from the New England area, so this logo is engrained in my psyche. I’ve seen so many businesses around me emulate this logo for their own branding. It’s another timeless logo, and the “B” with the eight spokes is something I’ll always be able to identify. I think changing the eight spokes to six for their number of Stanley Cup wins would be a fun change, though.
Canada
The NHL has seven teams based in Canada, and we almost saw one, the Edmonton Oilers, pull off a massive comeback in the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals. They were down 3-0, came back to tie 3-3, but lost in Game 7. See where they rank among all NHL logos in the region.
Calgary Flames
This looks like Calgary asked Guy Fieri to design their logo for them. This is something I would’ve seen on “Pimp My Ride” on MTV in 2004 or some bad graffiti under a bridge. Surely there’s an artist out there that can renovate this one? In ranking NHL logos, this is the second-worst.
Winnipeg Jets
It resembles a jet landing on a pad with a Canadian leaf underneath it. A far better logo could involve the jet flying at a top speed to emulate the speed and ferocity of hockey. This logo looks bland and somewhat like a presidential seal on an official government document from the United States.
Toronto Maple Leafs
A legendary logo, no doubt; I think what makes this logo a bit bland to me is the font of the letter on the leaf. I understand the blue aesthetic for sure. Perhaps something more minimal so it doesn’t look stuffed with letters would be better? Maybe the leaf is a bit more legitimate in terms of size? I’m not sure. The logo from 1967-1970 looked solid.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers text with that running colors look makes sense because of the name of the team, but the orange oil drop doesn’t make a ton of sense to me.
Edmonton is the center of the petroleum industry in Canada, so paying homage to that makes sense.
This redesign I found on TikTok looks awesome, as the main outline is an “O.”
Montreal Canadiens
I didn’t understand what the “H” was for the longest time, but I finally learned it’s meant to be for “hockey.” It’s a highly discernible logo, but it’s too simplistic for me. I almost wonder what it would look like without the “H,” but it may look like a baseball team logo.
This one is in a tough spot.
Ottawa Senators
This one also has tails and I’m not sure why, but the head of the Roman general is pretty cool. However, I don’t understand the reference for Ottawa though. Nonetheless, the “O” within the logo and the figure is aesthetically pleasing.
Vancouver Canucks
I know the word “Canuck” is meant to be a slang word for a Canadian, but I’m unsure how an orca whale breaking out of ice signifies that.
Nonetheless, it looks awesome coming out of the ice with an aggressive facial expression while creating a “C.”
US West
The West Coast teams have some of the coolest NHL logos. The Vegas Golden Knights won the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals. See which teams in this region possess my favorite logos.
Seattle Kraken
The “S” logo makes this look like an AA baseball team for the Seattle Mariners.
They could turn this logo into the “S” we all drew for no reason in middle school, and it would be far more appealing.
A team that debuted in 2021 should have something far better.
Anaheim Ducks
The Mighty Ducks-looking logo was better, but the new one has some character. The logo is meant to look like a duck footprint while also being a D. I know I’m in the minority of liking this logo, but it’s a fun follow-up to the Mighty Ducks logo.
San Jose Sharks
The shark in this logo looks mean and the fact that he’s biting a hockey stick in half looks fierce. Removing the triangles in the upper-right and below the shark would make it slightly more minimal, but this logo shows a lot of character. Ranking NHL logos is never easy, but this one was a quick pick of mine for the top 10.
Colorado Avalanche
Every time I see this logo on a jersey, I want to buy one for myself, and I’m not even a fan of the team. The “A” is bold with a unique reddish color, and the avalanche swirling around it and the light colors contrast the “A” quite well.
Los Angeles Kings
There’s something about using a combination of letters and icons to communicate a team name that speaks to me. This one is on a bold-looking shield with “LA” for Los Angeles and a crown for a king. The shield can also be a reference to the king’s bodyguards or something protective and imposing.
It’s an incredibly appealing logo.
Vegas Golden Knights
Another logo with a shield, this one has no text, and it doesn’t need to. Of all NHL logos without text, this is top-tier. It’s a knight’s helmet painted gold. However, my only small critique is that it looks more like bronze than gold. For symbolism purposes, bronze typically represents third place, and gold is for first place, so changing the color to a straight gold would be better.
Nonetheless, this logo communicates the name of the team without needing any text to do so. It’s well done.
US Midwest
The Detroit Red Wings were established in 1926 and have since won 11 Stanley Cup Finals. See where they and other Midwest teams rank among the best NHL logos.
Columbus Blue Jackets
It’s another star for some reason and a red, white, and blue banner. I think a logo that better represents the former Shawnee leader Blue Jacket Weyapiersenwah would be way more interesting and provide some additional Ohio history.
This just doesn’t seem to fit the name of the team whatsoever.
Chicago Blackhawks
Another classic, the Blackhawks logo, looks incredible on a jersey, but the Native American head is something I’m so used to seeing that it’s just kind of “fine” to me.
Minnesota Wild
This logo is awesome. The depiction of what’s meant to be a “wild” animal with the forest and the sun overlooking it. The state doesn’t have an official animal, so leaving the animal up for interpretation makes it even more intriguing. There’s somehow so much going on in this logo without it being too much or unappealing.
Detroit Red Wings
If you were to Google “NHL logos ranked”, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one was at the top of the list.
Simply a timeless logo with a reference to the automobile industry, and the wings here actually make sense, unlike other logos. You could convince me to put this even higher on the list of the best NHL logos. An excellent logo.
St. Louis Blues
As a musician myself, seeing this logo is always a treat. The music note is meant to be a 64th note and used to honor St. Louis being founded in 1764. Also, the royal blue color and the yellow outline really make it pop out on a jersey of any color. Phenomenal symbolism and one of the coolest NHL logos.
