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Portland ECHL Team Unveils Name-the-Team Finalists


KittSmith_95

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So Portland dropped a Name-The-Team contest for their ECHL team.... the names aren't bad, but still. 

 

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Portland, ME – August 17 – Portland Hockey LLC announced that it narrowed down the more than 3800 entries to the Final Five.  Voting for the name the team contest started on July 20 and ended Monday, August 14.  The winner of whichever name is selected will win 4 pack of season tickets to the inaugural season, a team signed jersey and partake in the ceremonial puck drop on opening night.  In the case of multiple submissions, Portland Hockey LLC picked a submission at random.

The Final Five team names, were revealed in a video Portland Hockey LLC released featuring Casco Bay Youth Hockey players and recorded at William B. Troubh Ice Arena.  The Final Five team names are Mariners, Watchmen, Wild Blueberries, Lumberjacks and Puffins.  You can vote for your Final Five favorite at PortlandMaineHockey.com

“We got just what I was hoping for, and that’s a lot of interest in the new team, and suggestions circling around Maine” says Adam Goldberg, VP of Business Operations for Portland Hockey LLC.  “We are looking forward to hearing the fans’ thoughts on the top 5 names as we work towards naming the team next month.”

The Maine Mariners, submitted by David C. s of Scarborough, was founded in 1977 and played in Portland from 1977 – 1992.  The Mariners are the only franchise in league history to win the Calder Cup in their first two seasons (1977–78, 1978–79) and at the time were the only team to ever capture the Calder Cup during their inaugural season.

Watchmen, submitted by Bill C.  of Biddeford, pays tribute to 65 historical lighthouses still standing and spread out along 5,000 miles of coastline, inlets and islands, Maine is commonly referred to as The Lighthouse State.  The Watchmen keep an eye on the coast which boasts the 4th most mileage in the country.

The Wild Blueberries, submitted by Bill S. of Portland, is the official berry of the state.  Maine accounts for 10% of all blueberries grown in North America and Coastal Maine boasts the largest production of blueberries.

Lumberjacks, submitted by Chris B.  of Millinocket, was selected as a Final Five name because 90% of Maine is covered by forest which is the most by any state and logging plays an economic impact in the state of Maine.

Finally, Puffins submitted by Jessica Y.  of Wells  is a Final Five name because Maine’s ocean islands provide the only nesting sites for Atlantic Puffins and Maine is historically the southern edge of their breeding range.

 

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I like Lumberjacks. Puffins could be fun, if handled right.

 

I would only want Watchmen as an Islanders affiliate.

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1 hour ago, OMMF said:

If Lumberjacks does win, there are some dormant logos waiting to be repurposed:

 

 

PortlandLumberjax.JPG

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Deliberately misspelled nicknames, in an attempt to be edgy/cool, was a dumb trend. I hope it stays dead.

Thunder Bay Lynx - International Hockey Association (2 seasons, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2018 Xtreme Cup Champions)Houston Armadillos - Major League Hockey (2 seasons, 2016-18) | Minnesota Muskies - North American Basketball Association (1 season, 2017-2018) | Louisville Thoroughbreds - United League of Baseball (1 season, 2017, 2017 United Cup Champions) | Las Vegas Thunderbirds - International Basketball League (1 season, 2016-17, 2017 Champions) 

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Mariners makes the most sense, as it fits with Portland's maritime history and harkens back to the AHL team of the same name.

After that, I'd go with Puffins. It's a unique name that ties into Portland's coastal location and would lend itself to an attractive logo.

Lumberjacks, while fitting for Maine overall, doesn't really speak to the Portland market's maritime culture.

Wild Blueberies is just plain asinine.

As for Watchmen, if the team wants to adopt a name that will serve as a tribute to the 65 historical lighthouses in Maine, it should opt for Beacons.

That said, if the team does end up selecting Watchmen, I want the franchise's first player to be sent to the penalty box to turn to the off-ice official serving as the attendant and say, "I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with ME!"    

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I think a lot will come down to whether the team uses Maine or Portland in it's name. The Maine Mariners is a classic name (with a fantastic logo) that would be a solid choice...Portland Mariners just doesn't have the same ring to it. Similarly, Portland Puffins has a great alliteration and could be a really fun minor league identity. 

 

I'd be super happy with either option, but of the two I'd like to see the ownership try something new with the Puffins (they're really striking birds and could make for a great AA affiliate of the Penguins). 

 

The Lumberjacks and Watchmen are fine, but lack the history or character of the Mariners and Puffins. I agree with another poster that if the idea was to honor the lighthouses of Maine then Beacons would make way more sense. As it stands I feel like Watchmen would just result in a bunch of references to the graphic novel (as this thread has demonstrated).

 

The only name from the list that I am dead set against is Wild Blueberries. It's just too damn cumbersome and goofy. Even Blueberries or Blues (Wild Blues?) would be better options in my mind. Here's hoping the ownership just threw this one in to get a rise from people...

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