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What if the NHL absorbed 8 teams from the WHA? A Hockey Week Alternate History - Sportslogos page NHL 2015


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Loved the idea of the Pioneers good work I also loved the concept of the Carolina Racers Nice job, what would there affiliates be? Like AHL and ECHL?

Did not even consider it, though the AHL stayed rather independent of the NHL in their identities until recently. The whole idea of AHL teams having the same colors and similar logos is a new thing. There also isn't any archive of the history of AHL jerseys, so this would be rather difficult to do with the level of research and historical accuracy that I like to maintain.

I'll respect any opinion that you can defend.

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1997 The Nashville Pioneers

2003-07

As everything gets darker in the NHL, and vintage becomes cool and a fauxback is introduced.

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I've always wanted a Sepia-toned team...seemed like a cool idea and this was my chance to try it. I don't expect this one to be as popular, but hey, not everything can be a winner.

...Really nice looking set of sweaters. Love the brown.

Great job on the colour scheme.

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True was just throwing it out there for you

Of all the follow-up ideas I've heard so far, this is my favorite. Maybe I'll try some minor league identities related to the current teams. It's not a history, but it'll reflect the modern league then.

There really does need to be more wrapup anyway.

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The Birmingham Bulls

The NHL has always tried to court the Southern United States. There is plenty of money there in plenty of big, and always growing cities. However, there is a lack of hockey culture, they did not grow up skating on frozen ponds, and ice time is at a premium...unlike other sports, one cannot just go out and play as a kid. Even street hockey requires equipment, at least sticks and nets, and that's not including goalies, or roller skates, or any of the other upgrades that make the street game closer to the real game.

But the NHL continues to try.

Last Year of the WHA

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1979-82

The Birmingham Bulls are brought into the league after just three years in their home city, the youngest of the added teams. They are hardly established, but they will make a go of it. They have an instant rivalry with the Atlanta Flames, who sees a lot more revenue thanks to the Dixie Showdown every few weeks. Atlanta will last a few years longer thanks to this, not moving until 1984 (not 1980 like in our timeline).

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1984 - Calgary Bulls

Birmingham is simply not a hockey city. The experiment was a failure and the NHL was quick to let this one go. Neither team in the south is doing well, and Birmingham does not have what it takes to support a major league franchise, especially hockey. They pick up roots and move to Calgary, without so much as a logo change. They appeal to the rural farming communities of Alberta who know the importance of taking a team by the horns.

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1984-1987

The Bulls immediately realized that there were too many blue teams around. Between the Oilers and Jets, the Canadian Midwest was nothing but blue. So the Bulls swap the colors of their road uniform. It's popular, it works.

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1987-95

The Calgary Bulls realize their logo is stale and looks terrible. They unveil a new logo, something a bit more new-age and more respectable. It's considered an upgrade, the bull is a lot more fierce, but still retains the undetailed style of the original. He looks as though he's ready to fight, rather than merely charging. The bull also breaks out of the circle, turning it into a C for the city of Calgary. (this is a lot like the Penguins' change in 1993, though this predates it by a few years)

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I'll respect any opinion that you can defend.

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1995-97

Many teams are looking to a new third jersey, the Bulls decide to go with their idea full-time. The Bull fully sheds the C, and it takes up a huge bit of the jersey for an artistic flourish as Big C races down the ice. (I wanted something completely outside the box, like Calgary did with the broken-stripe from 1995-2000, but this is a little more extreme, so it doesn't last as long.)

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1997-2000

The idea is toned down considerably for a new, modern jersey set.

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2000-2004

A third jersey is introduced, bringing blue back to the Bulls. The Oilers had gone much darker, the Jets were gone, and the Canucks, though in blue again, were also wearing navy blue.

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2004-07

The Bulls, riding high on the popularity of their blue jerseys, decide to go truly retro with the NHL Vintage collection. They would continue to wear the jersey, minus the patch, until the Edge switchover

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2007-Present

It looked as though the Bulls were truly settled into their look and, if anything, would be going retro in the near future. They were going full circle. until, that is, Reebok came in and screwed up everything. They introduced a new set of jerseys that, while very popular, did not meet up to the promises made with panels fitting seamlessly and stripes continuing as part of "a larger uniform set" blah blah reebok. However, Calgarians are stubborn, and they love their team. Despite the massive complaints of every jersey board like this one, they stubbornly refuse to change, and nothing says they will be anytime soon.

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This was among the first I did and is admittedly a bit sloppy. Not one of those teams where I wanted to invent a new look or use a concept idea I had lying around (like I did with Nashville), this one was being as pragmatic as possible. Did it work? You tell me.

With the Bulls beating the Flames to Calgary, where will Atlanta move to?

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Atlanta should move to Winnipeg

I see what you did here ;)

Seriously, I'm guessing ATL moves to Indy...the fans are hockey-crazy, but the Flames' owner will actually know what he's doing.

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2003-04

The NHL Vintage Series is sweeping the league, and the Seals don't want to be left out. This is their big chance to claim their former history and spread around that, yes, they're one of the old boys in this old boys club.

Many of you are probably wondering why not use the 1972-74 jerseys, which match the colors of the team? As I found in research, the split between Charley O'Finley and the NHL was much less than amicable, so much so that the NHL switched the jerseys to the teal and yellow just to eliminate every remnant of his time with the league. The NHL strongly encouraged this set rather than the green/gold with white skates.

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Despite repeated messages from me trying to point this out for years, this website has an inaccurate depiction of the old Seals script logo (the font is almost completely wrong), and consequently the teal (Pacific blue) and gold uniform your retro uniform is based on is inaccurate, as well. Here is a photo of the original jersey.1119118368_4cd8c0173b_b.jpg

Use the rules of heraldry for more effective sports logos! i.e. keep it simple, use good contrast...

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The Atlanta Flames

In our own history, the Atlanta Flames moved north to Calgary in 1980, taking their name, their jerseys, and their style very much intact. They still use the old logo as the alternate captain's A, for crying out loud, how many teams integrate an old look like that? especially from another city?

The Flames have also never changed their logo. Oh sure, it gets a new color every so often, a color that goes big for a few years and then fades away as people called for the old look back, but the logo is very much intact and the jerseys change around it.

I've kept those ideas for this franchise, because they have the same ownership that Calgary has in our history. That is very much reflected.

1980-84

The Atlanta Flames are doing rather well with their Dixie rivals the Birmingham Bulls close by, but once they leave, the team realizes that the city is not there to support them, and finances are wearing thin on a very fair-weather sports city.

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1984 The Florida Flames

The Flames, to everyone's surprise, move further south. The Slap Shot logic of retirement communities begging for hockey certainly seems to be the thought, but the Flames ownership realizes that Tampa, Florida is a great sports city that has some very northern tastes and likes a good team. They try to leave the city of Atlanta on good terms and expect to keep some residual fandom, but they have every intent of cornering the entire southern market on hockey.Youth teams, investing in new rinks, and quality local minor league teams will be a focus on the Florida Flames as they gain a foothold in the Sunshine State.

Why the Flames? It's Florida...it's HOT!

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1984-86

The transition to Florida is little more than changing the crest on the front of the jersey.

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1986-87

The stripes on the home jersey change to match the road jersey

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1987-93

The stripes don't hold up well on television, they revert back to the old stripes, sans shoulder yoke. The NHL is looking to expand and the Flames insist that the Florida market is theirs and sharing it would kill off the team. The impact of the Birmingham Bulls leaving has clearly left an impact on the Flames ownership. Meanwhile, the arena sells out most night and they have one of the most unique goal songs in the league: Feeling Hot Hot Hot by the Merrymen!

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1993-95

It's the roaring 90s! Radical! The Flames mix things up by adding "hot blue" to their color scheme. What color flame burns hottest? Hot blue Florida Flames burn hottest! Some traditionalists hate it, but it's just an accent color. how bad could it be?

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1995-96

The team moves to a more aggressive, modern striping pattern.

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To Be Continued...

I'll respect any opinion that you can defend.

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1996-2001

It was inevitable, the hot blue third jersey. Everyone knew it was coming, it was the late 90s, after all, and anything for the Flames to make a buck. It's surprisingly popular, and the blue specks in the seats make the arena mean the team is "turning up the heat".

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2001-07

The team decides to be a bit more careful with their brand and cuts the third jersey loose.

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2007-10

Unsurprisingly, the Edge jerseys are pushed on the Flames and ruin the good thing they have going.

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2010-Present

The Florida Flames drop their Edge jerseys in favor of a more timeless, traditional look. it's a huge hit throughout the league and it looks as though the Flames will keep this look for a good long time.

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With the Flames in Tampa Bay and insisting they not add another Florida team, AND there's already the Seals in San Jose, where will the 1991 expansion go to?

I'll respect any opinion that you can defend.

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