Toronto Maple Leafs to get new logo for 2016-2017 season

[Dexter Morgan]

[uniformity]

On 2016-02-03 at 0:03 PM, the admiral said:

 

This will be sold outside Grateful Dead concerts for the next year.

 

The Dead died with Jerry Garcia in 1995. i think you mean Phish concerts.

[uniformity]

The Leafs primary uniforms need to have their classic 2 stripe pattern. It's their brand. Northwestern stripes are generic on the Leafs. Tradition should be the first thing they think of for the primary set. They can still play around with 3rd and special uniforms if they want something different.

[vman]

49 minutes ago, uniformity said:

The Leafs primary uniforms need to have their classic 2 stripe pattern. It's their brand. Northwestern stripes are generic on the Leafs. Tradition should be the first thing they think of for the primary set. They can still play around with 3rd and special uniforms if they want something different.

I've never been a fan of the two thin stripes - they look too dainty. I'd much prefer the multi-stripe onslaught of the late 20's-30's, or at least the single tri-stripe band of the '67 jersey. They're just as much a part of Leafs' tradition and better looking aesthetically.

[Davey]

 

Because I want to join in on the fun on the "idea" of what the Leafs Uniforms will look like, here is my take :
 

Spoiler

 

May not be the greatest but, with Shanny talking about Conn Smythe, this was my initial thought on what direction the Leafs may go. 

Either way like the logo, the uniforms will probably have a meaning/tradition regarding the Maple Leafs.

 

 

[mcj882000]

Throughout this whole thing, it blew my mind to realize that the Kabel Leaf, when it's retired this summer, will have been in use for 46 years! Somewhere around half of the team's existence as the Maple Leafs has been with that logo. Heck, I don't even like calling it the Ballard Leaf 'cause it's actually been their logo longer after his death than it was when he was owner.

[Chewbacca]

Now that I have seen the new logo, I must say, this is the best logo the Leafs have ever had. I just cannot believe that in 2016, an original six team could take an old logo, tweak it, and make it even better than anything before it. I'm not sure if everyone will agree with me on that but I think their new logo is fantastic. As an Original Six team with a truly classic look, after almost 50 years, the Leafs are finally back. I honestly don't understand why people wanted the Leafs to dramatically modernize. If any other original Six team modernized, there would be riots and a public outcry. As far as I'm concerned, they should have something classic. I have never liked the Leaf's current jersey, and I have always thought, even growing up, that the Ballard Leaf was a boring logo, and lacking of that classic charm the other Original Six logos have. 

[chcarlson23]

12 hours ago, Morgo said:

I don't think so...  The current jersey doesn't have that texture on the collar.  First team I saw use it was the Habs last year

The Minnesota Wild have used that texture on collars since the current home started out as the third in 2003 and the current green alt has it too. The Habs just started to use it this year. 

[DAKINS24]

On 02/02/2016 at 5:21 PM, CreamSoda said:

 

You honestly make no sense...

 

The Jays went from their original logo, to a very modern look, then went back to their original logo with some modern tweaks.

 

The Leafs are DOING THE EXACT SAME THING and you can't seem to grasp that.

You just can't seem to understand what I'm saying.  

 

You just cannot compare the Jays and Leaf logo evolutions.  They don't follow the same path, at all.

 

The Jays made huge changes to the logo over the years, both in style and colours, getting worse and worse over the years.  Then, they decided to fix a HUGE error in judgement, and righted the ship, going back and evolving the original logo, like they should have done after the first restyle.  The Leafs have just slowly moved forward, adjusting the logo of the leaf to fit the times, getting more modern as it changed.  I wanted that to continue. 

 

Then, all of a sudden they are jumping backward to a single point in time, taking one logo from the past tweaking it a little tiny bit, and centring the lettering.  That's fantastic, they fixed the problems with the original logo from that time frame.  No offence to the designer, it does look fantastic,I love it as a logo on it's own, as a remake of my favourite logo of the franchise.

 

However, it's still a remake, and it's still stepping backwards, when it should have keep it's forward evolution.

 

That was my point.

[DAKINS24]

On 02/02/2016 at 4:59 PM, uniguy22 said:

Celebrating all eras of the Leaf logo would look like the monstrosity below. It's never a good idea to combine logos. Improving/updating one logo is a much better idea. 

 

 

 

There are ways to combine different eras of the logo without literally fitting pieces together.

[CreamSoda]

3 minutes ago, DAKINS24 said:

You just can't seem to understand what I'm saying.  

 

You just cannot compare the Jays and Leaf logo evolutions.  They don't follow the same path, at all.

 

The Jays made huge changes to the logo over the years, both in style and colours, getting worse and worse over the years.  Then, they decided to fix a HUGE error in judgement, and righted the ship, going back and evolving the original logo, like they should have done after the first restyle.  The Leafs have just slowly moved forward, adjusting the logo of the leaf to fit the times, getting more modern as it changed.  I wanted that to continue. 

 

Then, all of a sudden they are jumping backward to a single point in time, taking one logo from the past tweaking it a little tiny bit, and centring the lettering.  That's fantastic, they fixed the problems with the original logo from that time frame.  No offence to the designer, it does look fantastic,I love it as a logo on it's own, as a remake of my favourite logo of the franchise.

 

However, it's still a remake, and it's still stepping backwards, when it should have keep it's forward evolution.

 

That was my point.

 

 

How did the Jays not step backwards...  Dude it is the same thing.  Both teams went back in their history, adopted the logo with some minor tweaks and called it the new primary.  

 

I have no idea why you can't see that.  The Jays logo is from 1977, not 2012.  It just has very minor tweaks to it.  Sounds a hell of a lot like the Maple Leafs new logo....

[sparkychewbarky]

A while ago, to preserve some sense of blue and white pride, I separated Leafs ownership from 'the team'.

For the sake of my own Leaf-sanity, I see them now as two separate entities.

So, I LOVE my Leafs, while at the same time, I DESPISE Leafs' post-1967 ownership for what they've done to this historic franchise.

It hurts me to see how MLS&E has turned the once proud and mighty Maple Leafs into an on-going joke.

 

MLS&E has grossly mismanaged our loyalty, and has financed its empire on the backs of our hockey passion.

I'm all for business profiting while delivering a good product or service, but the fatcats at MLS&E have failed to deliver what their fans deserve...

A consistently winning hockey team.

They've prospered because they have the NHL monopoly in the world's largest hockey market,

and they've ridden the coat-tails of a glorious past that they've had absolutely nothing to do with.

 

I've even wondered at times, if the Leafs' playoffs absence was entirely a bad thing for MLS&E.

It allowed for the Toronto spotlight to be focused entirely on their up-and-coming Raptors brand.

...A bit of a conflict of interest, IMO.

 

This "new" logo is a nice vintage logo. (good work on that, MEANS)...

Nothing more-nothing less.

For me, it's just another example of this ownership's habit of reaching into a long-gone glorious past, whenever it needs a feel-good moment,

because, heaven knows, they've created very few F.G.M.'s over the past 50 years.

(Hey...MLS&E! Here's a novel idea!...How about creating some NEW feel-good success for us fans?!)

This utilization of an old logo is like trotting-out poor old Johnny Bower for the umpteenth time.

 

IceCap...you mentioned that...

"to the vast majority of the Leafs' fanbase...The Ballard logo couldn't have been ditched fast enough.".

Really? You know this how?

I have my ear pretty close to the ground when it comes to all things hockey,

and I've heard no hue and cry for the abolition of the current logo.

In fact, for many Leafs' fans, the block-leaf logo has been the mark of many of their childhood hockey heroes...

Sittler, McDonald, Salming, Clark, Gilmore, Sundin, Motor City Smitty...

She (the block-Leaf logo) has been with us through the darkest times, and it's no fault of her own that she doesn't have more success associated with her angular shape.

I think that she, at least, deserves a Stanley Cup ring before we ditch her like an old girlfriend for something new (something old? I don't know. I'm confused.)

 

This bally-hoo over a new logo was much to do about nothing. It's not new.

We've seen this logo before and just recently, on the Leafs' 1998-2011 Alts, according to the CC archives.

This newest version only differs by having the right amount of veins. (that's so lame)

At least Ballard's group had the balls to come up with something progressive.

 

For those of you who LOVE this "new" logo, MLS&E apparently already has stuff out there for you to buy.

So, open up your wallets and fill yer drawers!

Poor old MLS&E could really use some more of your hard-earned Leafs' money to help fund their new roof-canopy, on their BMO field for their soccer team!

Giddy-up!!

 

Hey, maybe the Leafs' fans should counter this 100th anniversary fluff with their own..."50th Anniversary of Futility" logo...

 

 

 

 

[vman]

10 hours ago, Davey said:

 

Because I want to join in on the fun on the "idea" of what the Leafs Uniforms will look like, here is my take :
 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

May not be the greatest but, with Shanny talking about Conn Smythe, this was my initial thought on what direction the Leafs may go. 

Either way like the logo, the uniforms will probably have a meaning/tradition regarding the Maple Leafs.

 

 

 

That's pretty much 100% what I'd like to see, either that, or new blue and white versions of the 1930 jersey with the striped yoke.  
 

45 minutes ago, sparky chewbarky said:

IceCap...you mentioned that...

"to the vast majority of the Leafs' fanbase...The Ballard logo couldn't have been ditched fast enough.".

Really? You know this how?

I have my ear pretty close to the ground when it comes to all things hockey,

and I've heard no hue and cry for the abolition of the current logo.

In fact, for many Leafs' fans, the block-leaf logo has been the mark of many of their childhood hockey heroes...

Sittler, McDonald, Salming, Clark, Gilmore, Sundin, Motor City Smitty...

She (the block-Leaf logo) has been with us through the darkest times, and it's no fault of her own that she doesn't have more success associated with her angular shape.

 

 

This. I don't know a single person who dislikes the Ballard logo or was in a particular hurry to have the team dump it. That's definitely not the consensus point of view of "the vast majority of the Leafs' fanbase". 

[CreamSoda]

1 hour ago, sparky chewbarky said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Damn, that leaf is perfect..

 

The Maple Leafs should have used that as a base for their new logo

[uniguy22]

I really like the new logo, but damn that logo Sparky posted is perfect. I would love to see some form of the Toronto Maple Leafs wordmark on that Leaf. 

[IceCap]

10 hours ago, DAKINS24 said:

However, it's still a remake, and it's still stepping backwards, when it should have keep it's forward evolution.

 

9 hours ago, sparky chewbarky said:

At least Ballard's group had the balls to come up with something progressive.

You're both using faulty logic when you assume that "new," "modern," and "progressive" design means "evolved," thereby assuming that "classic," "old," and "traditional" design means "less evolved" or "devolved."

It also shows a lack of understanding as to what "evolution" actually is, and why you cannot use the term here. Evolution has nothing to do with subjective judgement. It's objective improvement. Take the material they made hockey sweaters out of in 1955 compared to what they made hockey sweaters out of in 1995 and then 2015. That's evolution. Not the designs, but the materials and manufacturing techniques.

Design is, ultimately, subjective. "Newer," "modern," and "progressive" design is not objectively better than design grounded in more "classic" or "traditional aesthetics. What one person prefers over something else is ultimately a matter of personal opinion. It's just that you two, and many other fans of "progressive" design, like to claim that your taste is "evolved." It's not. You just like something different. Quit the navel gazing.

 

In terms of the Leafs? This is a team that's as old as the league itself, with roots dating back further (the whole thing with the Blueshirts franchise). This team should look traditional. They should have a classic look. That the Ballard leaf managed to hang around as long as it did is rather sad when you think about it. The only team older than the Leafs has had the same general look for generations. The Leafs jumped on board a 1970s design trend and let it be the centrepiece of their identity for nearly fifty years. Shameful on the Leafs' part.

There's nothing wrong with "progressive" and "modern" design in the NHL, but what works for some teams doesn't work for others. The Leafs are a team that should be embracing their traditions. And they finally are again. Go gush over Nashville's guitar string numbers and chromed sabre-tooth tiger if you want something "evolutionary" [sic].

 

9 hours ago, sparky chewbarky said:

In fact, for many Leafs' fans, the block-leaf logo has been the mark of many of their childhood hockey heroes...

Sittler, McDonald, Salming, Clark, Gilmore, Sundin, Motor City Smitty...

She (the block-Leaf logo) has been with us through the darkest times, and it's no fault of her own that she doesn't have more success associated with her angular shape.

I think that she, at least, deserves a Stanley Cup ring before we ditch her like an old girlfriend for something new (something old? I don't know. I'm confused.)

You do realise you're able to look back fondly on past heroes and still not like the uniforms, right? Clark, Gilmore, and Sundin will always hold a special place in my heart as the stars of the Leafs in my early fandom but Jeeze. I still think the Kabel number/name fonts, silver outlines, and terrible TML logo were bad.

As for the Ballard logo...logos aren't people. They don't "deserve" anything. Logos are symbols, and symbols are symbolic. What is the Ballard leaf symbolic of? Ultimately? A half-century Cup drought, the nadir of Leafs hockey, and the ownership of Harold Ballard. None of which should be immortalized.

 

9 hours ago, sparky chewbarky said:

IceCap...you mentioned that...

"to the vast majority of the Leafs' fanbase...The Ballard logo couldn't have been ditched fast enough.".

Really? You know this how?

I have my ear pretty close to the ground when it comes to all things hockey,

and I've heard no hue and cry for the abolition of the current logo.

 

9 hours ago, vman said:

This. I don't know a single person who dislikes the Ballard logo or was in a particular hurry to have the team dump it. That's definitely not the consensus point of view of "the vast majority of the Leafs' fanbase". 

How do I know this? Talking to people

You have your ear pretty close to the ground when it comes to hockey, eh? Well you're not the only one sparky.

And from my experiences over the years? Most people probably just don't care to be perfectly honest. At the end of the day? I doubt most people will even notice the change. People like us who care about this sort of thing are the minority and always have been.

Those I've spoken to who do have an opinion? All prefer the older pre-1967 logos. Most students I see wearing Leafs gear opt for throwback stuff these days anyway. If I see an eleven pointed Leafs logo? Nine times out of ten it's the 1967 Leafs logo. The Ballard leaf has been around a long time. And it doesn't have the success associated with it to elevate it to "timeless" status. It had run its course. Add in the negative stigma from the Cup drought and Ballard's tenure? It was time for it to go. Probably a decade ago to be perfectly honest.

 

9 hours ago, sparky chewbarky said:

A while ago, to preserve some sense of blue and white pride, I separated Leafs ownership from 'the team'.

For the sake of my own Leaf-sanity, I see them now as two separate entities.

So, I LOVE my Leafs, while at the same time, I DESPISE Leafs' post-1967 ownership for what they've done to this historic franchise.

It hurts me to see how MLS&E has turned the once proud and mighty Maple Leafs into an on-going joke.

 

MLS&E has grossly mismanaged our loyalty, and has financed its empire on the backs of our hockey passion.

I'm all for business profiting while delivering a good product or service, but the fatcats at MLS&E have failed to deliver what their fans deserve...

A consistently winning hockey team.

They've prospered because they have the NHL monopoly in the world's largest hockey market,

and they've ridden the coat-tails of a glorious past that they've had absolutely nothing to do with.

 

I've even wondered at times, if the Leafs' playoffs absence was entirely a bad thing for MLS&E.

It allowed for the Toronto spotlight to be focused entirely on their up-and-coming Raptors brand.

...A bit of a conflict of interest, IMO.

 

This "new" logo is a nice vintage logo. (good work on that, MEANS)...

Nothing more-nothing less.

For me, it's just another example of this ownership's habit of reaching into a long-gone glorious past, whenever it needs a feel-good moment,

because, heaven knows, they've created very few F.G.M.'s over the past 50 years.

(Hey...MLS&E! Here's a novel idea!...How about creating some NEW feel-good success for us fans?!)

This utilization of an old logo is like trotting-out poor old Johnny Bower for the umpteenth time.

You know it is possible for MLSE to design a new logo while also trying to build a competitive hockey team, right?

Your attitude towards MLSE never ceases to amaze me. It's also the sort of attitude you find all over Leafs fan forums. And it's why I no longer frequent them.

 

You may ask yourself how any Leafs fan can go to bat for MLSE. Well I'm not going to bat for them. I've been critical of their management of the team for years, and will remain critical until they start to prove that they're capable of building a winning team.

You though? You take MLSE criticism to new, and nonsensical, levels. They're not mustache twirling billionaire super villains looking to screw the Leafs fanbase out of their hard earned money. They're a giant corporate entity sadly flailing around because it's got too many heads to actually build said winning team. I'm not defending MLSE at all. I just find your characterization of the company to be comically absurd.

 

9 hours ago, sparky chewbarky said:

For those of you who LOVE this "new" logo, MLS&E apparently already has stuff out there for you to buy.

So, open up you wallets and fill yer drawers!

Poor old MLS&E could really use some more of your hard-earned Leafs' money to help fund their new roof-canopy, on their BMO field for their soccer team!

Giddy-up!!

I'll be buying a new sweater because I like the new logo. A company I have brand loyalty to is putting out a new product I like. So I reward them with my purchase. Welcome to the free market.

[Morgan33]

7 hours ago, CreamSoda said:

Damn, that leaf is perfect..

 

The Maple Leafs should have used that as a base for their new logo

 

This Leaf is so inferior to what was released this Tuesday, it's ridiculous.

[CreamSoda]

5 minutes ago, Morgo said:

 

This Leaf is so inferior to what was released this Tuesday, it's ridiculous.

 

The shape of the leaf is 100X better than what they released...

 

I am not talking about the extra fluff and ice texture, the outline of the leaf is perfect.

[sparkychewbarky]

7 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

You're both using faulty logic when you assume that "new," "modern," and "progressive" design means "evolved," thereby assuming that "classic," "old," and "traditional" design means "less evolved" or "devolved."

 

I guess we're using faulty logic if your assumptions on what we're assuming are correct... but that would be pretty presumptuous of you.

 

7 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

Design is, ultimately, subjective.

 

Right.

You like the new logo... I'm not fussy on it. There's no right or wrong.

 

7 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

You do realise you're able to look back fondly on past heroes and still not like the uniforms, right?

 

You do realize that some fans like a uniform or logo BECAUSE of the players that wore them, right?

 

7 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

How do I know this? Talking to people

 

Oh, then...that makes it official.

 

7 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

You know it is possible for MLSE to design a new logo while also trying to build a competitive hockey team, right?

 

Actually, I don't, because, when you think of it...MLS&E has done neither, right?

 

7 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

They're a giant corporate entity sadly flailing around because it's got too many heads to actually build said winning team.

 

So, we're singing the same tune but with different lyrics.

 

7 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

I'll be buying a new sweater because I like the new logo. A company I have brand loyalty to is putting out a new product I like. So I reward them with my purchase.

 

That's nice IceCap.

I'll reward them with a purchase when they make the playoffs again.

(I spit that "shiny thing" hook a while ago).

 

[WavePunter]

34 minutes ago, CreamSoda said:

 

The shape of the leaf is 100X better than what they released...

 

I am not talking about the extra fluff and ice texture, the outline of the leaf is perfect.

I agree.. Clean up the silhouette of it by smoothing some lines and reducing unnecessary edges, and you have a realistically-shaped leaf that appears more "modern" than the obvious faux-back logo they just released.. They released a strong logo, but had to backtrack to do it.. I'm not against what they did, or the new logo at all, but I think they could've easily created a beauty from scratch, rather than tweaking a vintage throwback logo.. This "we want Stanley" leaf is an amazing shape, evenly weighted, well balanced, full figured silhouette that could translate well to a traditional, simple uniform, one-color team like the leafs, and work well in any application