Seattle NHL Brand Discussion

[SFGiants58]

31 minutes ago, M4One said:

 

And when Vancouver joins Seattle in their glorious returns to the NBA, the Memphis Grizzlies must drop the name and return all that history to the Vancouver Grizzlies.  It is the proper thing to do.  Then, Memphis can officially change their name to the Memphis Express.  

 

Nah. They’re Memphis’ team now, with more success than they’ve ever had in Vancouver. Express is a terrible name. 

[Ridleylash]

56 minutes ago, Dolphins Dynasty said:

No red and black, in any form. That's a really overused color scheme, especially in this league.

What teams use red and black as their primary colors in the NHL aside from the Hawks, Flames, Canes and Sens? A color scheme shouldn't be dumped purely because another team uses it, that's why you use different shades to look distinct.

 

Hell, I'd argue blue is far more overused then red in the NHL. Tampa, Columbus, Toronto, Vancouver, Colorado, Winnipeg and St. Louis all use blue as a primary color in their schemes. Tampa and Toronto even use similar shades. And that's not even counting use of it as a secondary color, which adds Montreal, Edmonton and Washington to the list.

[M4One]

42 minutes ago, SFGiants58 said:

 

Nah. They’re Memphis’ team now, with more success than they’ve ever had in Vancouver. Express is a terrible name. 

 

Just kidding around.  If Vancouver ever gets a NBA team again, I would like to slap anyone who even suggests they get the name back.  It is cursed.  Memphis can keep it.  Express is what Memphis wanted to rename the team to when Vancouver relocated, but was rejected for being a corporate name.  Considering the times, I wonder if Memphis tried again, would the league would say no now?

[~Bear]

I hope Seattle picks a color scheme that isn’t being used right now. This is a major reason I feel Vegas’s design worked so well was because it was unique. Seattle should try and do something similar; maybe use light blue and/or brown, two colors basically unused in the current NHL. 

[Dynasty]

1 hour ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

What teams use red and black as their primary colors in the NHL aside from the Hawks, Flames, Canes and Sens? A color scheme shouldn't be dumped purely because another team uses it, that's why you use different shades to look distinct.

 

Hell, I'd argue blue is far more overused then red in the NHL. Tampa, Columbus, Toronto, Vancouver, Colorado, Winnipeg and St. Louis all use blue as a primary color in their schemes. Tampa and Toronto even use similar shades. And that's not even counting use of it as a secondary color, which adds Montreal, Edmonton and Washington to the list.

 

I have little issue with a team using a single color that is used excessively, so long as their second color provides more variety and helps them stand out. All of the blue teams you listed (outside of Tampa Bay and Toronto), have variety. Teams such as the Avalanche and Blue Jackets technically both use red and blue, but both use it vice-versa... and yes, the different shades do help them contrast. I agree with you in that instance.

 

Seattle is a new, upcoming franchise that has a chance to stand out and make themselves unique. Having distinct characteristics would be good for their brand. How exactly can a team with a red and black color scheme adjust their shades to stand out from the other four teams that use it? And mind you, FOUR is a lot. Black is black and the only way I see them differentiating themselves with red is with... I don't know, pink? You could do deep red, like the Miami Heat, but that's just not very 'Seattle' IMO. Regardless, I would still considered them as just another red and black team.

 

Seattle can market and build a better brand around something that isn't completely already in use. Red and black, in almost any instance, would just be lame.

[Ridleylash]

26 minutes ago, Dolphins Dynasty said:

Seattle is a new, upcoming franchise that has a chance to stand out and make themselves unique. Having distinct characteristics would be good for their brand. How exactly can a team with a red and black color scheme adjust their shades to stand out from the other four teams that use it? And mind you, FOUR is a lot. Black is black and the only way I see them differentiating themselves with red is with... I don't know, pink? You could do deep red, like the Miami Heat, but that's just not very 'Seattle' IMO. Regardless, I would still considered them as just another red and black team.

 

Seattle can market and build a better brand around something that isn't completely already in use. Red and black, in almost any instance, would just be lame.

Salmon is a shade of red that's also basically unused in the NHL and is mightily distinct from the bright red the rest of those teams use, so I don't really see why it'd be such an issue. I'd get it if it were the same shade of red, but there's plenty of unused shades that would work with Seattle.

 

I wouldn't want Seattle to just copy Chicago's colors, for example; but diverse color choice just to have diverse colors from the rest of the league is a recipe for hideous jerseys. Red and black is overused maybe, but that's because it's a combo that works in many different applications. It may be kinda bland, but I'd rather a team look bland then look garish.

[Chromatic]

1 hour ago, M4One said:

 

Just kidding around.  If Vancouver ever gets a NBA team again, I would like to slap anyone who even suggests they get the name back.  It is cursed.  Memphis can keep it.  Express is what Memphis wanted to rename the team to when Vancouver relocated, but was rejected for being a corporate name.  Considering the times, I wonder if Memphis tried again, would the league would say no now?

I'm impartial to the name 'Grizzlies' but if Vancouver ever gets a team again I demand the return of that sweet teal, black, red and bronze colour scheme.

[Brian in Boston]

Seattle Sockeyes...

RED GREEN BLACK SILVER

 

or

RED OCHRE SLATE BLUE BLACK WHITE

 

Call it a day.

 

[IceCap]

5 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

go with the site’s colour scheme of red, a soft foam green, and black. 

Something like this...

 

[VancouverFan69]

14 hours ago, M4One said:

 

Just kidding around.  If Vancouver ever gets a NBA team again, I would like to slap anyone who even suggests they get the name back.  It is cursed.  Memphis can keep it.  Express is what Memphis wanted to rename the team to when Vancouver relocated, but was rejected for being a corporate name.  Considering the times, I wonder if Memphis tried again, would the league would say no now?

 

12 hours ago, Chromatic said:

I'm impartial to the name 'Grizzlies' but if Vancouver ever gets a team again I demand the return of that sweet teal, black, red and bronze colour scheme.

Chromatic, HIGH FIVE. Couldn't agree more. As a matter of fact, 'Dragons' would be perfect for a new Vancouver NBA team considering the city's large Chinese and Asian population. I think the Grizzlies' old Vancouver colours would suit the 'Dragons' quite nicely.

 

It's why I hope Seattle's NHL team doesn't pick those colours.

[VancouverFan69]

12 hours ago, Brian in Boston said:

Seattle Sockeyes...

RED GREEN BLACK SILVER

 

or

RED OCHRE SLATE BLUE BLACK WHITE

 

Call it a day.

 

 

That looks beautiful. Make green the primary colour, though. A nice tribute to the Metropolitans, Totems and Seattle's sockeye industry all rolled into one.

[spartacat_12]

13 hours ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

I wouldn't want Seattle to just copy Chicago's colors, for example; but diverse color choice just to have diverse colors from the rest of the league is a recipe for hideous jerseys. Red and black is overused maybe, but that's because it's a combo that works in many different applications. It may be kinda bland, but I'd rather a team look bland then look garish.

 

I think it is safe to assume that the Seattle group is looking to Vegas as the model for their expansion franchise, and when deciding on the branding of the eventual Golden Knights Bill Foley specifically chose grey as the primary colour because it was unique. Obviously the team name selection process wasn't very smooth for Vegas, but other than that I think they knocked the branding out of the park. Seattle should be trying to do the same.

 

Having a distinct colour scheme & having nice uniforms are not mutually exclusive. An organization's goal should be to have good looking uniforms AND a distinct, unique look that allows them to stand out. The last thing you want is to end up like MLB, where almost half the teams use some variation of blue & red.

[HecEdHooligan]

On 5/25/2019 at 5:56 PM, Cosmic said:

Maybe the Seattle NHL owners will eventually realize that they're going to be sharing an arena with any hypothetical Sonics team, and sharing a color scheme wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. 

 

A SoDo basketball arena is still a possibility.

 

Also, 

 

That said, please Basketball Gods when we get our team back it’s SuperSonics and Green & Yellow not Green, Red with Yellow.

[uniformity]

On 5/25/2019 at 2:30 PM, DastardlyRidleylash said:

I'm pretty much certain their first third jersey is going to be a Metropolitans throwback, at the very least, given how much the ownership group is pushing the Metropolitans in their marketing. Maybe Vancouver can dig out their Millionares alts and we can see a Metropolitans/Millionares Stadium Series at some point, which could be really nice.

I agree they are heavy on the Metropolitan branding but if they are talking about building a rivalry with the Canucks they need to go back to Seattles long history playing against the Canucks and wear Totems jerseys. The uniforms that those two teams wore in the 50s and 60s are head and shoulders above anything that the Metropolitans and Millionaires ever wore. Not even bloody close. The Mets and Millionaires uniforms are gaudy as hell. It would be nearly as bad as the Canadiens barber pole throwbacks. Common sense is surely needed here.

 

[DDR]

I don't understand people who think "Sockeyes" is dumb but support "Kraken(s)."

[uniformity]

On 5/26/2019 at 8:35 PM, Ice_Cap said:

Something like this...

 

I believe this is what they may go with. It would translate the Metropolitans palette well and could also work with various Totems  uniforms.

[Ridleylash]

13 minutes ago, DDR said:

I don't understand people who think "Sockeyes" is dumb but support "Kraken(s)."

It's because they think "Release the Kraken" is a super funny thing for fans to say at games and Scandinavian populace means choosing what is basically an ECHL name.

[Ark]

21 minutes ago, HecEdHooligan said:

 

Also, 

 

That said, please Basketball Gods when we get our team back it’s SuperSonics and Green & Yellow not Green, Red with Yellow.

 

I love the 90s Sonics uniforms.

 

[SFGiants58]

10 hours ago, uniformity said:

I agree they are heavy on the Metropolitan branding but if they are talking about building a rivalry with the Canucks they need to go back to Seattles long history playing against the Canucks and wear Totems jerseys.

 

Again, the team should ask for tribal permission before even thinking about the Totems.

 

Quote

The uniforms that those two teams wore in the 50s and 60s are head and shoulders above anything that the Metropolitans and Millionaires ever wore. Not even bloody close. The Mets and Millionaires uniforms are gaudy as hell. It would be nearly as bad as the Canadiens barber pole throwbacks. Common sense is surely needed here.

 

 

I don't think that this is particularly gaudy:

 

...but your are right about the Metropolitans. This would be a PITA for any color-blind fan.

 

 

Ottawa has made simplified barberpole designs look decent, so I assume Seattle can do the same.

 

 

Also, your point about the Canadiens' barberpole is inaccurate. The Millionaires/Metropolitans never wore something that repugnant.

 

 

Quote

 

The Totems' jersey is OK (but once again, needs tribal permission), but that Canucks jersey is exceptionally bland. If the Canucks want an appropriate third for the rivalry, why not this?

 

 

They're decent enough, but I wouldn't put them "leagues above" the Millionaires/Mets. 

[Ridleylash]

4 hours ago, SFGiants58 said:

Again, the team should ask for tribal permission before even thinking about the Totems.

And even then, I'd argue "Totems" is just not a great NHL name. Not only is it not really at all culturally relevant to the area's Native population (the Native tribes of Washington never had totem poles, those that were brought in were poached from up north by settlers), it's just really bland as a name in general; what makes "Seattle Totems" a really good professional team name? It's kinda just bland. A totem is a giant wooden pillar with carvings on it, that kinda doesn't feel like the best idea to use as an NHL name. If we wanna argue history, "Metropolitans" is at least historically extremely significant due to being the first American team to ever win the Stanley Cup, but even that won't fly because of the Metropolitan Division.

 

You can do a lot more merchandising and hype around a name like Sockeyes then Totems at a national level. You can easily make a cutesy salmon mascot named like Sammy or Socky or something and it'd fit perfectly in with the rest of the NHL mascots while fitting the team name. And for another, salmon are extremely relevant to Natives of the PNW, but totem poles are not. It'd be like making a Native-themed Arizona team and calling them something completely unrelated to Natives of the region, like Wendigoes or Yetis something. It's just dumb.

 

It's the same reason I don't like "Kraken" as a name; it's not really culturally relevant to Washington as a state and Seattle as a city, plus "Kraken" is the same thing as "Wild", and I think everyone hates the non-plurality of the Wild's name already. We don't need another non-plural name.

 

4 hours ago, SFGiants58 said:

Ottawa has made simplified barberpole designs look decent, so I assume Seattle can do the same.

I expect Seattle to do something similar, and maybe make a full-out recreation for a Stadium Series game or something; that'd make the most sense.