From the Anaheim Ducks' return to the Mighty Ducks Era, to the Pittsburgh Penguins' return to their classic skating penguin, we visit the top five NHL rebrands of the quarter-century.
There's always a risk in rebranding, as any NHL franchise is well aware.
Done poorly, and it has fans yearning for the look that once was. But done right, and a rebrand is a fresh start that can attract new fans, bring older fans back and spark the change toward better times.
A good rebrand can include a brand-new logo, fresh new colors, or simply going back to a classic style that fans beloved.
Here are our choices for the five best NHL rebrands of the past quarter-century.
5. Anaheim Ducks (2024)
One of the most recent rebrands also looks like one of the best.
The Anaheim Ducks took their plain duck foot logo and black jerseys that they had worn for almost two decades and brought back their beloved Mighty Ducks logo from the ‘90s.
They combined their classic logo from the start of their franchise, now with bright orange as the primary jersey colour and black accents instead of purple and teal.
With young prospects like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke looking like the new faces of the franchise, the Ducks might be back with a brand-new identity in orange.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs (2016)
The Toronto Maple Leafs are the only Original Six team to make significant permanent changes to their logo in recent years.
In 2016, the Leafs had had only one playoff appearance in the past 11 years, and it was time for a change.
They rebranded their logo from the blocky maple leaf with few points to a modern version of the classic maple leaf they had worn during their dominant era with four Stanley Cups in the ‘60s.
Even though the Leafs haven’t won any Stanley Cups since the rebrand, the team has been able to pay tribute to its history and has been a consistent playoff team since the rebrand, winning its first playoff round since 2004 in 2023.
3. Buffalo Sabres (2021)
The Buffalo Sabres have changed their logo and colors a lot during their history, and not all of them have come with a positive response from the fans.
In 2010, the Sabres brought back their classic logo with a blue-gold buffalo and crossed swords, but with the navy and yellow they had worn with their previous ‘slug’ logo.
The fans demanded that the team return to its original royal blue jerseys, and in 2021, the team finally listened.
Although the team hasn’t seen much success since the rebrand (Sabres currently have a 14-year playoff drought), their classic royal blue and yellow jerseys are one of the best in the league, and it was an important step for their fans to feel heard.
2. Los Angeles Kings (2024)
Another recent rebrand has been one of the best with the Los Angeles Kings going throwback to their ‘Chevy’ logo that they wore during the Wayne Gretzky era.
After almost three decades of mediocre logos and controversial design choices, the Kings finally decided it was time to return to the logo that saw some of the franchise's best years.
They made modern design updates to the logo, and the rebrand was well received by older and newer fans alike.
This throwback could be what the Kings need to start a new era of success ever since their dominance in the early 2010s ended.
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (2002)
In 2002, the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to rebrand from the ‘Robo-Penguin,’ which they had introduced a decade earlier.
They brought back the skating penguin that was beloved by fans, although with a much duller gold than what the team wore when they won back-to-back Cups in ‘91 and ‘92.
This rebrand happened during a time when the team was struggling financially and aimed to usher in a new era of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It worked, as the team drafted their second saviour after Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby , in 2005, and the Penguins would go on to win three cups in '09, '16, and '17, and make the playoffs in 16 straight seasons starting in 2007.
Then, at the start of the 2016-17 season, the Penguins brought nostalgia back with the brighter gold they wore in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, and to match the other sports teams in the city, the Steelers and Pirates.
The Penguins' rebrand in 2002 brought new life to the team and has been part of some of the best moments in the franchise's history.
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