Vancouver Canucks logo

[rmered]

The Vancouver Canucks are my hockey team.

A legacy of living there during what we loosely call The Tom Renney/Mike Keenan Era.

Now it appears the Canucks are due for a new logo.

And I was furiously drawing the All Stars jersey onto St Patty's hockey template.

And then it hit me.

There's nothing left for them to adopt as a Canuck logo.

Let's face it, when we think of Canada, it's the Maple Leaf.

Strike 1. The Maple Leaf belongs to someone else.

OK, the Lumberjack style Canuck.

Strike 2. The Lumberjack theme now belongs to the minor league Giants.

It's getting like Maxwell Smart.

Would you believe, the Moose. Now there's a Canadian emblem if ever there was one.

Strike 3. Their minor league team has the best Moose logo in sports. (Thanks to Sterling84)

OK, how about the Bear? That's as Canadian as apologising.

Strike 4. Bad news Bears left for Memphis quite a few years ago. And got a better logo when they got there.

So now we've not only struck out, we're thrown out of the game.

What logo typifies the name Canuck, that's not a stick and rink kids drawing, not a flying skate and not a whale?

Surely not a Beaver, or a Mountie?

It's got me stuffed.

[spyboy1]

I've always thought if the Capitals can be represented by an Eagle, then why can't the Canucks be represented by a Beaver?

Here's some old concepts I did using the Bemidji State logo to illustrate my idea.

[Gothamite]

I don't see how a junior hockey team really impacts what an NHL club decides to do, particularly if that NHL club is reclaiming an old logo.

Is the WHA really that big in Vancouver?

[Brian in Boston]

I don't see how a junior hockey team really impacts what an NHL club decides to do, particularly if that NHL club is reclaiming an old logo.

It completely depends upon the strength of the junior team's brand. A major professional sports franchise most likely wouldn't want to be seen as poaching the strong brand of an existing junior or minor-league team... particularly in the same marketplace.

The Vancouver Giants logo obviously resonates with consumers, as the team has enjoyed strong souvenir sales since entering the Western Hockey League. For what it's worth, when California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently visited the City of Vancouver, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan presented him with a Giants jersey... not a Canucks sweater. No doubt, that had much to do with the Giants having just played host to - and capturing - Canadian junior hockey's Memorial Cup. Which, of course, likely adds to the fact that the Vancouver Giants' brand strength is at an all-time high.

Is the WHA really that big in Vancouver?

The Giants have averaged 6,672 fans per game since joining the Western Hockey League in 2001-02. The club's seasonal attendance averages have been:

2001-02: 5,800 (4th in WHL; 6th in all of CHL)

2002-03: 5,084 (6th in WHL; 11th in all of CHL)

2003-04: 4,956 (8th in WHL; 13th in all of CHL)

2004-05: 8,400 (2nd in WHL; 4th in all of CHL)

2005-06: 7,037 (2nd in WHL; 6th in all of CHL)

2006-07: 8,759 (2nd in WHL; 4th in all of CHL)

The Giants' 2006-07 numbers would have represented the top home attendance average in the AHL, ECHL, UHL, SPHL, USHL and NAHL, and been the #2 club in the OHL and QMJHL.

[Corvus]

I don't see how a junior hockey team really impacts what an NHL club decides to do, particularly if that NHL club is reclaiming an old logo.

Is the WHA really that big in Vancouver?

Well, its not an enormous thing, but the Giants are very successful. And they just hosted, and won, the most successful Memorial Cup of all times in terms of attendance. They didn't just break the attendance records, they vaporised them. The Canuck's being eliminated from the play offs likely helped that somewhat though. As well, Canuck's tickets being much more expensive then the Giants works in the Giants favour. When I go to Giants games, there are a lot of families and young people there that simply wouldn't be able to afford to go to an NHL game. There's also a fair amount of people who just like going to games in the Pacific Coliseum, the Canuck's old home, where the Giants play.

As for the Canuck's logo, all indications are that it will be a modified Orca next year. Which is fine with me. Orca's are a local creature to the region, and according to the CEO of the Canucks and Orca Bay, when the final paperwork is done for Aquilini assuming full control of the club and arena, the Orca Bay name will probably be changed. That should probably help mitigate the "corporate whale" complaints.

Moose or Beaver really would just be hokey sterotypes that I'm glad they'll avoid. Moose don't even exist in the Vancouver area. Beaver may, but its hardly a great logo for a sports team IMO. Its not an animal I'd associate with the city of province's identity.

Edit:

There's always the Vancouver Millionaire's V:

[SHaMROCK]

I don't see how a junior hockey team really impacts what an NHL club decides to do, particularly if that NHL club is reclaiming an old logo.

Is the WHA really that big in Vancouver?

Well, its not an enormous thing, but the Giants are very successful. And they just hosted, and won, the most successful Memorial Cup of all times in terms of attendance. They didn't just break the attendance records, they vaporised them. The Canuck's being eliminated from the play offs likely helped that somewhat though. As well, Canuck's tickets being much more expensive then the Giants works in the Giants favour. When I go to Giants games, there are a lot of families and young people there that simply wouldn't be able to afford to go to an NHL game. There's also a fair amount of people who just like going to games in the Pacific Coliseum, the Canuck's old home, where the Giants play.

As for the Canuck's logo, all indications are that it will be a modified Orca next year. Which is fine with me. Orca's are a local creature to the region, and according to the CEO of the Canucks and Orca Bay, when the final paperwork is done for Aquilini assuming full control of the club and arena, the Orca Bay name will probably be changed. That should probably help mitigate the "corporate whale" complaints.

Moose or Beaver really would just be hokey sterotypes that I'm glad they'll avoid. Moose don't even exist in the Vancouver area. Beaver may, but its hardly a great logo for a sports team IMO. Its not an animal I'd associate with the city of province's identity.

Maybe Vacouver could make a logo out of some other hockey equipment!! They've done sticks, rinks, skates, how about a goalie mask, or a helmet, or a visor, or maybe a roll of hockey tape. The possobilities are endless, how about a jock strap?

[OMMF]

I don't see how a junior hockey team really impacts what an NHL club decides to do, particularly if that NHL club is reclaiming an old logo.

Is the WHA really that big in Vancouver?

No, but the WHL is.

[winghaz]

I'd really like to see the Canucks go with a Johnny Canuck logo. Three reasons: 1, It goes with the name; 2, It's part of Canadian culture that isn't well known in America, and something worth bragging about in Canada; 3, IT GOES WITH THE NAME.

[DDR]

When I was in like 5th grade we had an assignment to write to somebody famous and request an autography or something. I don't know why this was an assignment. Public schoools. Anyway, I wrote to Pavel Bure, my favorite hockey player. I received an autography, some merchandise and some information on Pavel and the Canucks. The literature mentioned something about being named after Johnny Canuck, but not the lumberjack version. They referred to JC as a fictional WWII-era national symbol, in the vein of the United States' Uncle Sam. With that said, this would open them up to any number of logos involving that version of JC and things associated with him and that era in Canadian history (first thought: things like an old bomber plane, for example).

Or, they could go with my proposal of using a the Hart Foundation's "skull-in-pink-triangle" logo.

[LogoHound]

how about a goalie mask, or a helmet, or a visor, or maybe a roll of hockey tape. The possobilities are endless, how about a jock strap?

Any one of those would be better than what they have lined up.

[MVP]

Just put Roberto Luongo's face on it. He IS their team.

[rmered]

When I was in like 5th grade we had an assignment to write to somebody famous and request an autography or something. I don't know why this was an assignment. Public schoools. Anyway, I wrote to Pavel Bure, my favorite hockey player. I received an autography, some merchandise and some information on Pavel and the Canucks. The literature mentioned something about being named after Johnny Canuck, but not the lumberjack version. They referred to JC as a fictional WWII-era national symbol, in the vein of the United States' Uncle Sam. With that said, this would open them up to any number of logos involving that version of JC and things associated with him and that era in Canadian history (first thought: things like an old bomber plane, for example).

Or, they could go with my proposal of using a the Hart Foundation's "skull-in-pink-triangle" logo.

So something like this?

So long as they don't make the pilot a bear or a chimp or a bird they might get away with it.

[LogoHound]

So something like this?

So long as they don't make the pilot a bear or a chimp or a bird they might get away with it.

Now that's the original JC. Nice.

[nwtrailtrekker]

really all they need is something that represents vancouver well, not neccesarily all of canada. how bout a NW native style orca? wow thats genius but the vancouver fans seem to hate it just cause the company its owned by is Orca Bay.

ok ok so change is evident.

well how about something with...umm..mountains (it is vancouver), blue and green (cause we must remember the days when the franchise was mediocre at best, not to mention retro is cool at this moment), and a maple leaf someplace (to be like every other canadian team in the history of the world.

there. it doesnt compare to their orca logo as of current, but, if thats what fans want...

[rmered]

So something like this?

So long as they don't make the pilot a bear or a chimp or a bird they might get away with it.

Now that's the original JC. Nice.

I should state up front I didn't draw the pilot, it is from a company logo I found on botw.

But the idea could work if they do something similar.

[DDR]

You know, I wasn't sure how this would look on a sweater until I saw it in the concepts forum. And I actually do like it. Kudos. Now, I'm gonna go post the exact same comment in that forum and inch my way to 500 and a member title.

[Jarred Revolver]

I just hope we get the vintage colours WITH the V's on the arms!

[HedleyLamarr]

What logo typifies the name Canuck, that's not a stick and rink kids drawing, not a flying skate and not a whale?

Surely not a Beaver, or a Mountie?

It's got me stuffed.

"Let me help you with that".....

Hmm, how about some hoser drinking a beer and eating doughnuts?

[ReginaCanuck]

I'm a Canucks fan, and let me first say that I like the current logo. I think the stick-in-rink is the worst of their logos so far, followed by the skate and the orca. But, if they must change logos, I only hope they don't go with a lumberjack theme. Every concept I see using a lumberjack logo looks really cheesy.

With a name like Canucks, I think they're better off with a logo that represents the region (like the current one), rather than something that kind of represents the name, if you think of it in a certain way.

I'm not getting my hopes up too high, but I am looking forward to the unveiling, whenever that may be.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Or, they could go with my proposal of using a the Hart Foundation's "skull-in-pink-triangle" logo.

Not quite the same, but pretty close, right?