How Every NHL Team Got Its Name & Identity!

An NHL franchise’s name and identity means absolutely everything. The name, colors, jerseys and overall feeling that fans will associate with their favorite team. As the new Utah Hockey Club is now finding out, getting this right is crucial. Today, we take a look at how other teams across the NHL approached this daunting challenge.
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[@CosMooMk]

No oilers logo on the thumbnail is crazy

[@Robothian]

Made alberta all Calgary... God damn Calgary!

[@KKmaatalous]

and a few other logos are missing..

[@CosMooMk]

@KKmaatalous Oh I noticed, im just an oilers fan. Buddy thinks Alberta is run by Calgary. Pfft, everything about Calgary is a dumpster fire. Edmonton has 4 more Stanley cups, like...

[@KKmaatalous]

@@CosMooMkI just mentioned that a few other teams are also missing👍 just wondering why couldn't tag all the teams?😄

[@CosMooMk]

@@KKmaatalous oh exactly! I don't see Boston

[@thruma91]

Some of this information is wrong. Like the Rangers name for example, it was not a nod to a baseball team. It was a nod to the Texas Rangers state police. The black hawks name was not just about the restaurant, it was for the unit named for Cheif Black Hawk, hence the logo. The bruins store wasn't black and gold, it was brown and gold. They later changed to black. This is a fun video, but I'm curious about the research.

[@rvictolo]

You saved me the time of writing this, lol. Especially since I'm a Rangers fan. The Rangers were the reason that The NY Americans went defunct. The Americans didn't have an arena of their own, and shared MSG with the Rangers. When they wanted a new home, they needed a unanimous vote from the other six teams. The Rangers voted against. This led to the 54 year curse that finally ended with a Stanley Cup win in 1994.

[@Hal-yc9jd]

@@rvictoloHow long is the current curse gonna last? Another 54?

[@Hal-yc9jd]

@@rvictoloY’all suck that’s it. No curse, you’ve just been beaten so many years in a row it helps soften the blow to call it a curse

[@woodencoasterfan]

Something to add to the video is that the yellow triangle in the Penguin’s logo is in reference to the shape of downtown Pittsburgh. Also, the yellow and black colors are also used by Pittsburgh’s other professional sports teams as well.

[@AllyStrikesBack]

Given that Utah is known as the Beehive State, I'd call the team Utah Swarm.

[@RickNBacker]

I usually don't like gimmicky team names that don't end in an S, but I like this.

[@GizmoBeach]

@@RickNBacker The Utah Swarms. 🐝🐝🐝

[@ICanDraw12]

if the utah team is named either the powder, yeti, or ice, then i give up watching hockey

[@Swisba]

im down for the outlaws not gonna lie hahaha

[@JustinRivera-iq9ss]

Utah Grizzlies

[@rileyholden-zc9ip]

​@@Swisba I hope for venom or blizzard

[@brandonjoseph6167]

I’m sure you won’t be missed

[@brandonjoseph6167]

@@JustinRivera-iq9ssthat’s their NBA team I’m pretty sure

[@Dcarnys]

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA WOLFPACK?!?!?!

[@cehamlet89]

As a Tar Heel fan, I nearly threw up when he said that

[@GoodShepherd32]

Came here to point this out lol

[@Dystopia1111]

Man, I love the UNC Blue Devils! As you can tell, I've been a Bagskateball fan for years.

[@jakez199456]

@@Dystopia1111 Can't forget the Duke Tar Heels as well

[@Dystopia1111]

As a Tampa area native (Bradenton), Phil Esposito named the Lightning perfectly. Those summer late day thunderstorms light the sky up. You just hope and pray the power (the AC) stays on Phil still does radio for Lightning home games to this day. Absolute legend as a player, even more so for building a hockey franchise in a place where it almost never gets below freezing

[@dw7704]

The New York Rangers did get the name from Tex’s Rangers, but it wasn’t the baseball team. The baseball team didn’t exist until (a quick Google search shows) after the 1971 season when the moved from Washington, DC. The Texas Rangers are a law enforcement agency that predates the NHL. They have a long history that would require a video of its own, so i am keeping it simple. The Lone Ranger is so named as he was a Texas Ranger. Then there’s the old show -Walker, Texas Ranger. It wasn’t about the baseball team I let other stuff slide as well

[@andrewthompson6453]

the name was coined by the press, it was a play on words with the founders name "Tex Rickard" so they nicknamed the team "Tex's Ranger" after obviously the police division in Texas

[@dw7704]

@@andrewthompson6453 That’s what I have read, some sources say it was Tex or someone he knew. It’s something I let slide. As well, Tex was not the owner of the Americans, he ran Madison Square Gardens

[@provincialfish]

I came to the comments to say exactly the same about the baseball team not existing. I'm glad you beat me to it. It blows my mind that we have easy access to unlimited information, but people don't bother taking a minute to check facts at all and just spout whatever nonsense they've "heard" or "think". Sorry for the rant, I know it's just a sports video.

[@Ninjollie]

@@provincialfishi came to the comments to write this and then when i saw it i was gonna write what you wrote but i guess i cant

[@andrewthompson6453]

@@dw7704 i never said owner, i said founder

[@LordBitememan]

San Jose president: "We're going to hold a contest to name the team!" San Jose fans pick a name. San Jose president: "And you all picked wrong!"

[@mariovaccarella6854]

Great Video. I saw another one of these, but, I liked this one a bit better

[@DeadCardinal]

All of the “most popular” suggestions for the Utah teams stink so bad. I get why they’re going with Utah Hockey Club Ownership should definitely try to do some legal gymnastics so they can be Utah Raptors (there’s teams across the big four that share team names, Rangers, Cardinals, Giants, Panthers to name a few)

[@GizmoBeach]

I want to hear about the unpopular suggestions...I bet they're WAY more interesting than the Utah Blizzard.

[@Luke-ou6wh]

Those names coexisted before the legal rights played a factor, and Utah Elks is the best option imo

[@SupaBuma]

As a South Florida native and like the Igloo to the Penguins, I affectionately call the arena that the Panthers play in, the Catbox. I'll be there tomorrow for game 3 of the ECF. GO CATS!

[@choppergunner8650]

GO CATS!!!!! WE'RE IN THIS FOR THE CUP

[@RickNBacker]

Lucky thing they're a good team, otherwise it'd be the Litterbox...

[@SupaBuma]

@@RickNBacker lol same difference.. because in the 2000's is why I named it like that. In Zito we trust.

[@BlueShoeMagoo]

Colorado was almost named the Rocky Mountain Xtreme. SUPER duper 90’s influence back then.

[@Lcngopher]

The bruins were originally brown and yellow but later changed to black and yellow

[@Savukala]

Ah yeah the penguins playing in an igloo totally makes sense since they are only separated by whatever distance it is from the arctic to antarctic 😂

[@pilotamurorei]

vegas golden SHOWERS

[@dmitryponomarev3441]

🤣

[@MrMpa31]

I would suggest some more research before redoing this video

[@dw7704]

I mentioned the same thing Most of the errors in previous videos are minor compared to this one. I appreciate the effort, but more research/fact checking is needed I realize it can be a lot of time and work to create a KZbin video, so I get that, but if this were done with some additional research, it could be a very good video.

[@provincialfish]

Maple leaves were on every incarnation of the Canadian Red Ensign flag, in the bottom section of the shield. You put it on the screen. The maple leaf was the Canadian symbol long before the current flag. Its on countless Canadian buildings, coins, documents and songs that predate the hockey team.

[@dw7704]

That was another thing I noticed Especially when, as you indicated it was shown in the video

[@subman721]

12:33 HOLD UP RIGHT THERE BUDDY!!! THE NEW YORK RANGERS NAME, IS NOT A NOD TO THE TEXAS RANGERS BASEBALL TEAM!!! If you think it is, you know nothing about hockey or baseball. In order for the New York Rangers name to be a nod to the Texas Rangers baseball team, the Texas Rangers baseball team would’ve had to been founded before the New York Rangers, and they weren’t. The New York Rangers were founded in 1926, while the Texas Rangers were founded as the Washington Senators in 1961. In 1972, They moved to the Dallas area, and became the Texas Rangers, almost 50 years after the New York Rangers were founded.

[@MinnesotaArcticBlast]

Love all the team names most of them fit with the location. Yes some names might be odd but baseball has two teams named after socks

[@slvr2732]

When the Vegas expansion was first announced I really wanted them to be the Vegas Blackjacks. They probably would've been called the BJs by everyone else so I get why that didn't stick.

[@subman721]

I wanted the Vegas Gamblers, and the goal song to be The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers.

[@RickNBacker]

Well there's the Blue Jackets and I don't think they're being called the BJ's.

[@slvr2732]

@@RickNBacker Fair point, that never occurred to me. I'd say today that Vegas and Columbus have wildly different reputations so who knows how it would be, but that's all speculation.

[@petrab8415]

Winnipeg Jets named after the New York Jets is the most interesting name for me. Blackhawks named after a military unit the coolest.

[@Scott-vk4jv]

The purple the Lakers and then Kings was referred to as “Forum blue.” Jack Kent Cooke apparently was not a fan on the word purple.

[@user-dq4ik4kc2c]

You can say that the Flames kept their name in Calgary because of the Canadian Wildfires in Calgary

[@KWally]

Missed the Avs owner trying to call his team the Rocky Mountain Xtreme, they even had logos done up. The league veto'd it though.

[@GoodShepherd32]

Tex's Rangers was not a nod to the baseball team. It didn't exist yet. It was a nod to the law enforcement group Texas Rangers.

[@AndrewSmith-vr8kd]

While the Atlanta Flames represent the Civil War burning of the city, the Flames moved to Calgary shortly after the city was awarded the 1988 Winter Olympics. Since the Olympic flame is symbolic of the games, the name was retained.

[@Slickshapiro13]

The Denver team was once named the Rockies in their previous foray into the NHL .. you dropped the puck on that factoid

[@martharunstheworld]

The Texas Rangers baseball team was established in 1961, so maybe THAT team was a nod to the hockey team, not the other way around. TONS of errors in this videos.

[@dw7704]

Well the franchise was established in 61 as the Washington Senators, they moved and became the Rangers after the 71 season But the point you make is still valid. The New York Rangers’ team name has nothing to do with the baseball team Several comments have been posted to that effect It’s probably the most egregious error

[@martharunstheworld]

@@dw7704 Forgot about the Senators.

[@dw7704]

@@martharunstheworld no big deal, the point is still valid

[@olmrgosh1128]

Don’t forget there was the Vancouver millionaires that won the Stanley cup in 1915 season

[@dw7704]

The Mighty Ducks original movie uniforms were not used for the team They had a different colour set and logo The movies later adopted the team’s look

[@TheGraveyardDog]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video; however, I would like to point out that the VERY FIRST logo the Columbus Blue Jackets had wasn’t shown. The “C” shaped Ohio flag swooping around a star was the second one. 😉

[@leviklynstra8975]

Imagine if we got the San José "Rubber Puckies" 😂

[@kevinstull8552]

Utah Wendigos

[@mitchellorr3717]

as a Dallas fan anything other than Stars wouldn't really do it

[@Nathanthecanuck]

I wish San Jose chose rubber puckies

[@LeighMet]

Rickard didn't buy the Tigers that was Bill Dywer who was the bootlegger.

[@texvonkwiatkowski2140]

Let me explain it as an commercial expert. All the finale names for the UTAH team have more or less nothing to do with hockey and its purpose. Yeti? We are not in the Himalians, Venom? Have never seen a snake on ice, Maomouth? Is it a team from the stones age? Outlaws? This might have fit to the old Flyers days with Schulz and Clarke. Ice??? Yes, of course they are playing on it but what does it say about the state and the team???? What is important to mention. The team is working as a team, they are symbolysing the attitude and the mentality of this state and this is only possible if you do it a s a newbie in the league as a SWARM to overrun opponents in regard to attitude and commitment. There is only one name realistic and I hope Mr. Owner might see that the same way. The UTAH SWARM

[@dw7704]

The Flames don’t have nothing to with Calgary? That’s inaccurate The Alberta Oil and gas industry is a big part of the city’s economy When the Flames moved there was enormous support to keep the name to reflect the oil & gas wells that could be seen all around southern Alberta. The natural gas wells have Flames. Please do some research There are good things about these videos, or I would just stop watching But it gets annoying with all lack of research.

[@miikamessi]

Lol

[@Slickshapiro13]

Kings went to black and silver because of the Los Angeles Raiders

[@creativehen]

Glad we're just gonna ignore the caps and bruins in the thumbnail lol

[@drloomis1031]

Why do Blackhawks own Missouri in the Thumbnail? The blues are there? Same with RedWings in Chicago

[@otmgi3865]

How TF did mugwumps not win? The Utah Mugwumps. Utah McTeamName

[@andrewthompson6453]

damn the true origin of the Blackhawks name was quite a let down, I was always lead to believe it was after and to honour the Blackhawk Tribe and war chief in the Illinois region

[@josephreilly6328]

Long Island Ducks. The original use.

[@Hoovie9596]

No oilers on the thumbnail pic

[@MiniBoi2]

In the thumbnail th st louis bluise arent even in missouri...

[@Vanhelsing8900]

Think you meant to say North Carolina State Wolfpack 😅

[@lusiouse]

Detroit red wings best logo in all of sports 👍absolute truth

[@francoisgaudreault8047]

Little correction : The 'Canadiens' name is not just because of the french spelling, it's because back in '09, the french-canadians were called Canadians or Canadiens while the anglophone were just called English.

[@canadianmtb2575]

Utah fighting mormons

[@irvinepoker3187]

where tf the oiler's?

[@long-black-vietnamese-man]

utah skinwalkers

[@kohaku2910]

YUHHHH

[@cassidydascomb6133]

Yeti yeti yeti

[@eddardmulligan]

The Sabres will now and forever be the Flying Zeppelins and the Sharks will now and forever be the Rubber Puckies.

[@andrewthompson6453]

New York got another NHL team so that the WHA couldn't buy a team on the island so they couldn't compete with the NHL

[@blackberrythorns]

did you really just have a thumbnail with only the united states and nhl teams? then you talk about identity and show lord stanley's cup. americans...

[@user-en6fd9fb7f]

UTAH LAKERS

[@SaveznaRepublikaJugoslavija]

Edmonton Oilers is fairly obvious

[@UFCMania155]

Ya the Oilers should be in the thumbnail instead of the flaming turds lol

[@albertapeet]

Your map on the thumbnail would suggest that Alberta has no Oilers team , just the shitty Flames. I didn’t come to watch your video , just to point out you have obviously no clue .

[@lesevesel2898]

The Red Wings naming history is accurate.

[@UFCMania155]

How do you have the flames in the thumbnail when the Oilers are by far a way more popular team in Alberta? 🤣

[@Bruins_for_life]

first

[@otmgi3865]

The Utah Mormons. The Salt Lake Sinners. Bonneville Bible Humpers. The Desert Skaters. The MOAB Vipers.

[@hyper_nov4]

This is AI generated

[@hardlylouie6621]

Salt Lake Soakers is what it should be.

[@Wonkt]

Where da oilers

[@gachaasz]

“americans” is a dumb team name impinge naming your nhl team after the country its in thats idiotic especially if there’s a e in it bc it’s french I single being French goofy ah

[@4yut2pc]

Montreal canadiens