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

[Dynasty]

This may take some time for me to get use to as I really liked the old one for it's symmetry and simplicity. I'm still not a fan of "TORONTO" being arched while "MAPLE LEAFS" is not and the text is kinda dull for my taste. Granted, I'm a fan of the details and what they represent (even if the reasons for it are utterly ridiculous). Here's hoping the uniforms are a plus.

[uniformity]

4 minutes ago, Lights Out said:

I wouldn't call the Ballard leaf "modern for the sake of modern." It was simple, crisp, classic and iconic. There's a reason it lasted for almost 50 years with only minor tweaks here and there. The new leaf looks like a bloated and wrinkly mess by comparison.

That logo lasted for almost 50 years because it was in place for a quarter century while Ballard was alive. It's easy to see how the Leafs' incredibly loyal fanbase grew attached with that much time invested.

[IceCap]

5 minutes ago, Lights Out said:

I wouldn't call the Ballard leaf "modern for the sake of modern." It was simple, crisp, classic and iconic. There's a reason it lasted for almost 50 years with only minor tweaks here and there. The new leaf looks like a bloated and wrinkly mess by comparison.

Pardon? The whole thing, from the overly sterile and blocky leaf to the Kabel font screams "1970s future." Which just means "dated" today. All the romanticism about Toronto coming into its own in the 1970s isn't going to change that. The Leafs shouldn't let Quebec language laws dictate their logo choices.

 

You're not a Leafs fan. Ok. I'm not asking you to instantly "get" why Harold Ballard and everything associated with his tenure as owner is something most Leafs fans want to forget. I only ask that you acknowledge that to the vast majority of the Leafs fanbase? The Ballard leaf couldn't have been ditched fast enough.

 

As for the new logo looking like a mess...please. The team dumped a gimmicky font and a sterile leaf. Nothing short of a modern design would make you happy. And you know what? This isn't the team to play that game with. 

[-kj]

My reaction: Meh.  All the "everything Ballard is awful" aside, I think I prefer the Ballard leaf to this one.

[Lights Out]

14 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

Pardon? The whole thing, from the overly sterile and blocky leaf to the Kabel font screams "1970s future." Which just means "dated" today. All the romanticism about Toronto coming into its own in the 1970s isn't going to change that. The Leafs shouldn't let Quebec language laws dictate their logo choices.

 

You're not a Leafs fan. Ok. I'm not asking you to instantly "get" why Harold Ballard and everything associated with his tenure as owner is something most Leafs fans want to forget. I only ask that you acknowledge that to the vast majority of the Leafs fanbase? The Ballard leaf couldn't have been ditched fast enough.

 

As for the new logo looking like a mess...please. The team dumped a gimmicky font and a sterile leaf. Nothing short of a modern design would make you happy. And you know what? This isn't the team to play that game with. 

I'm a Clippers and Chargers fan. Believe me, I understand what it's like to root for teams with horrible owners. Doesn't mean I'd like to see the Chargers get rid of the lightning bolts on the helmets, jerseys and pants just because the team has continued to wear them under Gene Klein and the Spanos family's ownership.

 

I would have been happy with just a change of font on the leaf and maybe tweaking the shape to be more like this. Point is, they didn't need that drastic of a change. I'm not a Leafs fan, I don't expect all Leafs fans to agree with me. But my personal opinion is that the Ballard leaf simply looked better and more pleasing to the eye than this one does.

[Chromatic]

It's perfect.

[uniformity]

I'm not a Leafs fan. I have never liked their uniforms post 1967. Maybe it's a little ironic considering I was born in TO and loved blue and white when I was a kid but I digress. I didnt grow up in Ontario. I have no attachment to the Ballard logo at all. It never looked like a classic to me. I've always thought that it looked dated and out of place among other logos in the NHL. The Leafs are a special case in terms of branding and logos. They finally did the right thing bringing back the past and I think it's going to be almost universally received.

[IceCap]

11 minutes ago, Lights Out said:

I'm a Clippers and Chargers fan. Believe me, I understand what it's like to root for teams with horrible owners. Doesn't mean I'd like to see the Chargers get rid of the lightning bolts on the jerseys and pants just because the team has worn them under Gene Klein and the Spanos family's ownership.

The Chargers comparison doesn't really work. The lightning bolt look has been there since day one, and has endured through multiple ownership changes.

The Clippers though? The team did exactly what we're talking about. They ditched a logo was widely recognized as representing the tenure of an extremely unpopular past owner.

 

13 minutes ago, Lights Out said:

I would have been happy with just a change of font on the leaf and maybe tweaking the shape to be more like this. Point is, they didn't need that drastic of a change. I'm not a Leafs fan, I don't expect all Leafs fans to agree with me. But my personal opinion is that the Ballard leaf simply looked better and more pleasing to the eye than this one does.

Well personal opinions are just that, and I respect yours This isn't me trying to change your mind. I'm just going to try and explain why I dislike the Ballard leaf logo beyond the Harold Ballard connection.

It's been stylized just a step too far. The leaf logo you linked to was adopted in 1967 to celebrate Canada's centennial of self-government. It's based on the maple leaf at the centre of the current Canadian flag, which was only two years old at the time. That leaf design is already stylized, but not so much that the meaning is lost. It still looks enough like a maple leaf. The Ballard leaf though? It takes a design that's already abstract and pushes it a step further. To me? It barely resembles a maple leaf at all. At best it's a maple leaf-esque shape done in 70's futuristic styling. The Kabel type is certainly the most 70s aspect of the whole thing, but the design just feels too stylized and abstract in its own right. It's the maple leaf graphical equivalent of this...

 

[Frylock]

1 hour ago, BigBubba said:

 

 

Good gravy... WAY too much of the "this thing represents such-and-such" going on. It's a Maple Leaf. We GET it. We don't need REASONS.

 

Aesthetically, it's beautiful. I still think the kerning in "MAPLE" needs to be tightened up a little more, but overall, a solid A.

[Gothamite]

2 hours ago, nash61 said:

According to TSN: 13 veins in top half for 13 Cups, 17 veins total for 1917, year the franchise was founded.

 

31 points on Leaf for 1931, the year Maple Leaf Gardens was built.

 

I love the new logo, but this marketing-speak is really stupid.   1917 is worth remembering, but the number of Cups, presuming you won't win any more?  The opening of an arena you abandoned for a newer, shinier one?

 

Just say you liked the way it looked with 31 points and 13 veins. 

[uniformity]

what are the records like for teams that honour their past glory in their logos? I can think of a couple; the Oilers mechanical spawn logo and the Islanders 4 tape stripes. Seems like a bad idea indeed.

[FiddySicks]

Oh man, that really is just about perfect. I was hoping they'd go in this direction, but didn't really think they would. I've always disliked the Ballard leaf and think the leaf with more points has so much more charm. The tweaks they made to it are just the icing in the cake. Stellar work from the Leafs. 

[Fresno St. Alum]

2 hours ago, Orgo said:

 

 

The shape of merch to come.

I like that, I like that! I think getting into nhl hockey this year was a good idea. However I always have watched every olympic hockey game that was on since '88. 

[The_Admiral]

It's a very good update, but I appreciated the simplicity of the Ballard leaf. It just needed a more stately font. This is still good, just not where I would have gone.

[wildwing64]

I also really liked the Ballard Leaf. Putting aside the bad history it's associated with, it's a simple and clean design in its own right and it worked well for the Leafs, especially paired with the simple, traditional uniforms they wear.

 

Having said that, this new logo is a fantastic update to the Leafs identity. It draws from the past while maintaining a relatively clean look like the Ballard Leaf. I'm glad they went this route instead of outright using an old version of it.

 

Great job, Means!

[charger77]

So this is the logo that I'll finally see the Leafs win the Stanley Cup with!

[The_Admiral]

 

This is my favorite Leafs uniform. Ballard leaf with traditional striping, classic leaf on the shoulders, traditional numbers, and that unique thicker/rounded-off block lettering.

[AHcreative]

It's great waking up and seeing perfection like this. Awesome job by the Leafs. 

[habsfan1]

An actual maple leaf that you can pick off from a tree has many points. The ballard leaf is more symbolic to the Canadian flag. The new logo makes perfect sense + everything to the very last detail they got it right.

 

The now old Maple Leafs logo is what I've always known, during Habs/Leafs games. I can see why they brought it in, in the 70s. But I can also see that it's a product of it's time.

[Proc]

I love the new Leafs logo.  I think it's a nice blend of old and new, and really gives a great nod to the past.  Toronto is a great city and Leafs fans are super passionate. I've been to a few games and dig the atmosphere.  That being said, i am a Red Wings fan, so I have to dislike the Leafs.  LOL  ;-)