Ranking VHL Team Branding

[sadie 940]

In this media spot I will break down which teams, in my opinion, have the best design in the VHL. I will consider mostly logos but also a little bit team names/what my idea of a jersey would look like. Whatever jersey is depicted is close to how I imagine them to be. Just because a team is ranked badly doesn't mean I think it's bad, just that I am more attached to otherAll rankings are obviously 102% arbitrary.

 

1. Prague Phantoms 

Prague has far and away the best branding in the league in my eyes. It might simply be because I like the colors purple, blue, and pink so much but I think the Phantoms' logo is legitimately the most creative; partially due to its unique shape and partially because I really like the white text popping and the fade inwards from the sky blue to a pair of pink eyes staring out from the center. The alliteration in the name Prague Phantoms makes it also one of the best names across the VHL. I imagine the Phantoms with a very dark jersey scheme with black everywhere, letting the bright blue and pink highlights stand out as much as they can.

 

Design rank: 1st

Name rank: 2nd

 

2. HC Davos Dynamo 

Purple is clearly the best color and whoever decided to pick Davos' color scheme way back in the day was correct. I also love that they made the sensible decision to include mountains as a theme (which makes sense for Davos, Switzerland) and it looks so good as a round logo. I envision Davos having different mountain texture on their jersey outside of their logo and white sleeve tips that could symbolize the icy peaks of the Alps. Davos, similarly to Prague, has an alliterative name and adding HC before the beginning makes it sound a lot better to me, maybe because I watch soccer- anyways alliteration >.

 

 

Design rank: 2nd

Name rank: 3rd

 

3. Moscow Menace 

As someone who generally dislikes yellow as a color, I find myself surprised at how much I like Moscow's whole design. Their name, the Menace, is amazing in my opinion and it just gives them an intimidating feeling even when just reading their name. Their name is backed up by an imposing logo with a large three pronged crown. It fits so well as a huge jersey logo and that's how I see it looking on one. It seems to suit them very well and the white of the logo jumps out nicely against darker background.

 

 

Design rank: 6th 

Name rank: 1st

 

4. Malmo Nighthawks 

Malmo pulls off what is already a beautiful logo even more beautifully with this jersey. Neon stripes line the sleevs and the green of the nighthawk on the chest is the main event here. The choice to include yellow in the logo was a good one, and while it can be extremely hard to mix yellow and green and make it look good (looking at you Green Bay Packers) using them as accents and not as a base is a much better decision here. On an ideal Malmo jersey, I'd say that the numbers are also yellow as well as any font or numbers on the helmet to more evenly balance the two colors in their scheme. As for the name, first of all- Malmo is just an awesome city name. Nighthawks are an even better team name and the potential for amazing promotion and advertisement of the team is enhanced by the symbol they've chosen. 

 

Design rank: 3rd

Name rank: 8th

 

5. Riga Reign 

The Reign have one of the most underrated logos in the league, or at least I am under the impression that it is underrated. The old Reign logo is one I am certainly not a fan of but the new rebrand (whenever it may have happened) was a great choice. Again, many organizations don't manage to pull off orange very well (I'M LOOKING AT YOU CLEVELAND BROWNS) but that is probably influenced greatly by my dislike of orange. The colors in the mane are good, but the thing I like most about it is the touch of blue in the lion's crown. I think the jersey should similarly reflect it with just a massive amount of orange and the smallest stripe of blue. Riga Reign is another great name; both words start with R and it rolls off the tongue.

 

Design rank: 5th

Name rank: 4th

 

6. D.C. Dragons 

D.C. has a beautifully designed logo which incorporates a dragon curling its tail around the white text "Dragons". This is one of the logos with the most care and detail visible and the subtle yellow underbelly of the dragon stays under the red dominated area enough so it doesn't stick out sorely. I thought a much more minimal approach with the jersey was best here as it feels like a Detroit Red Wings-esque vibe. With too much going on, the beauty of the logo might be lost a bit. D.C. Dragons is YET AGAIN a name that alliterates. I imagine it is excellent for fans to chant and also picking a dragon for your brand is an automatic W.

 

 

Design rank: 4th

Name rank: 6th

 

7. Helsinki Titans 

Helsinki is a team who did not overwhelm me with their logo colours fast but their simplicity and design grew on me fast. Using the light blue, especially in moderation against a much darker background, was a great opportunity. The name Helsinki Titans is also in my opinion one of the very best names in the league. With my judgment inaffected by points scoring or something like that, it is probably thebest sounding not alliterative name.

 

 

Design rank: 10th

Name rank: 5th

 

8. Chicago Phoenix 

If the Phoenix's logo were focused centrally around any other vibrant color, they would be even higher on this list. I love  the design of the reddening of the bird the closer to the center of it you go. The white text that reads Phoenix is one of the most eyecatching team nameplates we see throughout the VHL and the use of black is minimal, limited to just the central line on the sleeves/bottom and the outlines of the logo. The name Phoenix is a great one, taking a beautiful word with the meaning of rebirth and new beginnings and running with the concept- a yellow phoenix spreading its wings at the beginning of its journey.

 

 

Design rank: 7th

Name rank: 12th

 

9. Warsaw Predators 

Warsaw selected complementary colors as their color scheme, with sky blue and orange as their hues of choice. The Predators have chosen to go with a more faded look on their jersey- lighter shade of orange then shown in their logo. I like this decision a lot and think it makes the jersey stand out more among the many darker VHL jerseys. The name Predators is shared with its NHL counterpart and implies strength and superiority over the other teams.

 

 

Design rank: 8th

Name rank: 11th

 

10: Calgary Wranglers 

I came across a San Diego Gulls jersey that they released for their disco night and wanted to fit it into the VHL somehow because I loved the design. While this jersey is not in keeping with what you might expect from the Wranglers (probably just straight red and silver), I think this is a really good jersey for them because the base color still matches the primary logo color. The stripes or pink and yellow set it apart from other jerseys around the league and with gear like this, no wonder they're the powerhouse they are. The Wranglers' logo is a horse head coming out of a horseshoe and it appears imposing but for me it is also a bit less colorful than I would probably use ideally. It is a solid logo, that, with the right elements around it, becomes much much better. I must admit the name Wranglers is not one I would have chosen just simply because I don't like the beginning of the word as much as others. However, it makes so much sense because, you know, Calgary Wranglers the AHL team for the Flames.

 

 

Design rank: 9th

Name rank: 14th

 

11. Vancouver Wolves 

Teams with silver color schemes can end up with beautiful, beautiful logos. Vancouver, while they used a design featuring a shield, and a fairly square one at that, has succeeded in creating one. The contrast between the lighter and darker shades of silver really makes this jersey much better and while it is a simplistic design, only using variation on the sleeves, rather than the main area of the jersey. Naming Vancouver after the robust wolf population around it is a good. choice because, while I feel the mascot concept is somewhat common, it fits the area.

 

 

Design rank: 13th

Name rank: 7th

 

12. Los Angeles Stars 

As far as using different colors, Los Angeles didn't really give a lot to work with on a jersey. The black and silver look is one I like, but I can't help wanting more from this. Perhaps the star or some outlines could be a bright and popping color? I enjoy how large the logo can be on a jersey and it definitely will draw attention just for its size. Naming Los Angeles the Stars is also kind of a no brainer.

 

 

Design rank: 11th

Name rank: 16th

 

13. Toronto Legion 

Toronto made the adventurous choice to go all in on light blue for their logo. While I am a huge fan of blue, I don't love it in Toronto's logo because of how bright it is. Black/dark blue outline, if used, would be very appropriate here and make the look more striking. But these blue jerseys look pretty good regardless in my eyes. The Legion is another impressive name- again one that gives you a good mental image when you see their name on the schedule. 

 

 

Design rank: 12th

Name rank: 13th

 

14. London United 

London did the thing where they use the country's flag (see New York Americans). This is basically New York's logo in my eyes but a bit better because of the details. Adding in the crossed swords and the silhouette of Tower Bridge in the distance adds a lot to this and despite the shield logo which I don't like too much the use of space inside and outside it redeems it a bit. I also don't mind the name United as it suggests togetherness and teamwork, both qualities a hockey team should display.

 

 

Design rank: 14th

Name rank: 9th

 

15. Seattle Bears 

Seattle incorporated a concerning amount of beige into their logo if I am being honest. I do like the bear design and the claw marks that appear in the Bears logo. It is a jersey and logo that I won't get too excited for because it doesn't involve my personal favorite colors or designs but it is solid. Bears are pretty common in the Pacific Northwest (I think) so it is a good name choice for Seattle. It is also one that isn't shared with another major organization based there. Having a bear as a mascot is a definite plus for branding.

 

 

Design rank: 15th

Name rank: 10th

 

16. New York Americans 

New York boasts a shield logo- something that is quite generic throughout many sports. There are ways to make a shield work, just as there are ways to make anything work, to make things great, but that is not what I think happened here. Stripes are the only thing really worth noting inside the shield and while I like the stars above the logo, it isn't enough to just cancel out the plain text and lines. I feel also that blue/red color schemes are pretty common (not necessarily bad) and also this reminds me of the New York Rangers which probably subconciously affected my feelings on this. Also Americans is simply restating the country that New York is in. There aren't great ways to depict Americans either other than the flag without getting into stereotypes (or just putting the average person with no American indication).

 

 

Design rank: 16th

Name rank: 15th

 

I am NOT saying any of these are badly made and I definitely don't want to offend the creators of the branding for these teams (whoever they may be). All of this is art and something I appreciate about the VHL. 

 

Word Count: 2079

 

claiming for weeks 5/2, 12/2, 26/2, 26/2, 5/3

Edited February 13, 2023 by sadie

[Daniel Janser 2,215]

10 minutes ago, sadie said:

Phantoms' logo is legitimately the most creative

 

When I joined the SBA (Sim Basketball league) this was sticking out like a sore thumb...

 

 

Quote

HC before the beginning makes it sound a lot better to me

A possible reason for that could be that HC Davos is a real life club and Switzerland's record champion (31 cups). Alas they dress in blue/yellow and have a very boring logo.

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2023 by Daniel Janser

[Alex 3,248]

*insert image of @Ahma’s davos jersey here*
 

also putting fake purple above Davos is a travesty, other than that amazing job!

[Ahma 1,444]

Davos should be #1

 

 

[v.2 1,411]

I think Toronto is due for an upgrade mainly because the dimensions are weird af for graphic designs

[Ahma 1,444]

[thadthrasher 1,692]

@sadie while your words about New York hurt, I did want to say that we featured your Media Spot on the VHL Twitter account!
 

 

[sadie 940]

claim for week 12/2

 

(2 of 4)

[sadie 940]

claim for week 26/2

 

(3 of 4)

Edited February 13, 2023 by sadie

[sadie 940]

claim for week 5/3

 

(4 of 4)