THN.com's ECHL Logo Rankings

Naturally, the ECHL doesn’t have as deep a history as the NHL or AHL, but that doesn’t mean the league can’t churn out some cool emblems. In fact, because many of the teams reside in “non-traditional hockey markets,” the ECHL boasts many unique team names and logos which are fun for fans who may be getting into the game for the first time.

A modern look runs through most of the league’s crests, though there still manages to be a lot of creativity. From Idaho’s mountain range to Wheeling’s scary mask, the ECHL has it all, including, unfortunately, a lot of bear mascots. All in all, however, there’s a lot to choose from here.

The Toledo Walleye was not included since the team will not play until the 2009-10 season.

Over the month of August, THN will rank the logos of 16 North American leagues. Click HERE to go to THN's Logo Rankings Central page and click HERE to vote for your top ECHL logo as part of our tournament to discover the fans' choice for the top logo in hockey.

THN'S ECHL LOGO RANKINGS

RK.	LOGO	TEAM	THE SCOOP
1		Florida Everblades	The play on words is clever, the gator is solid and he even has skate laces on his snout.
2		Dayton Bombers	It might just be lettering, but you can’t argue with the way this one pops.
3		South Carolina Stingrays	A big upgrade from the silly stingray of old, this two-tone entry is very slick.
4		Wheeling Nailers	The serial-killer motif is cool, and the mask and nails is simple enough for young fans to draw, a key element of fun.
5		Gwinnett Gladiators	Bold, aggressive and it looks good on either a jersey or a hat.
6		Ontario Reign	The dragon and shield combo proves to be a great start for this expansion team.
7		Bakersfield Condors	A condor is a great name for a team and having it perched on a stick is a nice touch.
8		Elmira Jackals	Similar to Augusta, Elmira comes in with a nice modern mascot rendering.
9		Victoria Salmon Kings	Slightly goofy, yes, but this logo is completely original and fun.
10		Johnstown Chiefs	Simplicity can sometimes win the day and the arrowhead does it for us.
11		Augusta Lynx	Golf pun aside, the Lynx do it without lettering and have a nice original mascot (but what’s up with the eyes? There are no pupils!).
12		Utah Grizzlies	Fiercest of the legion of bears out there, you wouldn’t want to tangle with this grizzly.
13		Las Vegas Wranglers	Points for having the wrangler riding a bull while brandishing a stick.
14		Idaho Steelheads	Yeah, it’s just a mountain range, but there’s something powerful about this simple design.
15		Alaska Aces	Too many bears in this league.
16		Fresno Falcons	Another example of a standard sports motif; it’s a good falcon, but not a great one.
17		Stockton Thunder	The template for ECHL logos, there’s nothing wrong with it, but nothing spectacular, either.
18		Charlotte Checkers	A sharp re-working of the team’s old cartoony mascot, it still falls into the generic bear trap.
19		Cincinnati Cyclones	The lettering really sinks this cyclone, which is middling to begin with.
20		Mississippi Sea Wolves	Has a little bear to him. Either way, a little too fuzzy for our tastes.
21		Reading Royals	The poor man’s Manchester Monarchs. And ironically, not even the prime affiliate of the L.A. Kings anymore.
22		Phoenix Roadrunners	Sure, roadrunners are naturally skinny, but can’t you make him somewhat intimidating?
23		Trenton Devils	We know New Jersey made you change your name from the Titans, but not even having your own logo is tough.

Over the next two months, THN.com will leave the voting on the best logos up to you, the reader. To vote for your favorite, click HERE.