THN.com's AHL Logo Rankings
2008-08-04 00:39:14
The American League boasts an interesting mixture of illustrious and new-school franchises, which means the logos are all over the map.
Since this is the second-best league in North America (perhaps the world), looking sharp is obviously a priority and the teams that had the freedom to sport unique names (Rivermen, Rampage) were able to pull off some nice crests.
Teams which sidle up to their NHL parent clubs are more hamstrung, which is why the Baby Penguins and P-Bruins find themselves further down the rankings; it’s hard to find originality in a conscripted name.
Nonetheless, there are some real gems in the AHL, many of which rival the NHL in terms of impact and cool factor.
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 AHL logo as part of our tournament to discover the fans' choice for the top logo in hockey.
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RK.
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LOGO
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TEAM
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THE SCOOP
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1
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 |
Rochester |
The minor league classic. Red, white and blue, stars and stripes, it all works perfectly. |
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2
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San Antonio
Rampage |
An upgrade to the uninspired original bull, the new Rampage logo is original and crisp. |
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3
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Milwaukee
Admirals |
Never mind that the black and light blue color scheme is awesome, Milwaukee’s ship is captained by a skeleton. |
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4
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Houston
Aeros |
The Aeros used to go with a modern jet fighter, but the new retro bomber is a good fit as well. |
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5
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Bridgeport
Sound Tigers |
The jagged tiger has a nice color to it and looks fantastic on a jersey or hat. |
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6
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Norfolk
Admirals |
This is a competitive league for admirals, but using the ship that fires pucks is pretty neat. |
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7
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Peoria
Rivermen |
He’s steering the ship, looking mean and chewing on a puck; now that’s a riverman. |
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8
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Springfield
Falcons |
A sharp falcon with an original look to it. The Iron Maiden-esque font helps, too. |
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9
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Toronto
Marlies |
Some might say it’s even better than the current Maple Leafs logo – certainly has more dynamics to it. |
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10
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Grand Rapids
Griffins |
A good-looking griffin with a simple logo scheme puts Grand Rapids in the vaunted top 10. |
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11
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Manitoba
Moose |
Better than the original cartoonish moose, the new guy looks sharp. |
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12
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Lowell
Devils |
The full devil with the pitchfork/hockey stick is a nice accompaniment to the New Jersey-inspired ‘L.’ |
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13
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Lake Erie
Monsters |
Trading on the team’s lake monster theme, this emerging creature definitely wins creativity points. |
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14
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Hamilton
Bulldogs |
There’s a lot of bulldogs out there. Hamilton’s is inoffensive enough. |
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15
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Iowa
Chops |
The name is ridiculous, but the logo works because it’s simple and forceful. |
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16
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Rockford
IceHogs |
It’s fun and cartoony, but is it even the best pig in the ‘A’? |
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17
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Portland
Pirates |
There’s a pretty high standard for pirate logos around here. Portland passes, but doesn’t dazzle. |
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18
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Hershey
Bears |
Better known for their old jerseys, the Bears’ logo is middle-of-the-road. |
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19
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Manchester
Monarchs |
Following the Kings’ lead, the Monarchs have a “King of the Jungle” motif. Not bad, but not great. |
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20
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Philadelphia
Phantoms |
I know it’s a phantom, but this thing needs some more facial features. |
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21
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WB/Scranton
Penguins |
Much like Binghamton, the WB penguin looks like he’s on steroids. |
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22
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Providence
Bruins |
Can’t go wrong with the spoked circle, but it’s not going to win any originality points. |
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23
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Chicago
Wolves |
Aggressive, yes. But this wolf is just a little too off-putting for our tastes. |
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24
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Hartford
Wolf Pack |
An OK wolf as wolves go, but when do wolves ever go near water? |
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25
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Albany
River Rats |
Love the name, but the drawing itself is a little amateurish. |
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26
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Worcester
Sharks |
It’s just the old Sharks logo. |
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27
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Binghamton
Senators |
Too much chin on that Sen. Plus, he looks tougher than the Ottawa senator. You can’t be showing up your boss. |
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28
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Syracuse
Crunch |
Our THN panel just wasn’t feelin’ the albino gorilla. |
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29
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Quad City
Flames |
A flaming ‘Q’ would have sufficed; adding on a flaming ‘C’ is just weird looking. |
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.
Tony Rockwell (Posted 2008-09-02 18:37:34)
I think these rankings need to be done again. San antonio, millwaukee and iowa are only clipp art images you would find off a word proccessing software. these 3 should be the bottom three. quad city should be in the middle of the pack. the qc describes the location alot better then a q would alone.
jason wasco (Posted 2008-09-01 11:51:07)
i actually work at their arena and i always said that the penquin looks like hes ready to kill someone roid rage maybe...lol
tjack (Posted 2008-08-23 11:19:36)
Chicago's logo is great. Way better than a chop or a hog.
Matt Keller (Posted 2008-08-15 15:44:22)
I like the Chicago Wolves logo. Not just because I live there.
Mike J (Posted 2008-08-14 12:33:45)
The Rochester Americans logo might be the best logo outside of the NHL - just brilliant. There are many other fine logos in this bunch: the Rampage, the Aeros (gritty, powerful, classic - awesome!), the Sound Tigers - great logo - but what's a Sound Tiger? Do they hunt sounds? What does a sound tiger sound like? Do they sound different if you add more water? Are they financially sound tigers?
The Marlies logo is pretty good, as are the WBS Penguins - I like that the Penguin is not completely contained by the circle he's in...too tall. The Providence Bruins "P" is great - a small twist on the pro club logo that looks good - and it doesn't stamp a big "L" on its players like the Lowell logo does. Iowa chops is a pretty mean looking pig. Lake Erie is outstanding. The Chicago Wolves logo looks almost great - its pretty good, just something missing - just a small change. Almost great!
The Lake Erie Monster is pretty good.
Mike J (Posted 2008-08-14 11:58:23)
No, there's nothing wrong with the QC Quad City logo.
It just looks like the "Q" in Quad City is "boning" the "C" from behind (that's about as polite as I could put it). Weird, yeah.
That was my initial impression, and I still can't shake it. (And I like the Calgary Flames' "C" as a logo.)
Brian Kerhin (Posted 2008-08-13 13:37:53)
I don't like the new Admirals logo at all. It looks like a 5th grader drew it! The very old skating Admiral was cheesy, but the most recent version - which just the head of the captain - was better.
knickknack7450 (Posted 2008-08-10 16:30:43)
Haha, Iowa Chops, thats my towns teams lame team. Go Iowa Energy of the NBA D-League!
SteveO (Posted 2008-08-10 10:59:47)
Why is it that every AHL team feels the need to have the head, or upper torso, of a animal or person, as part of their logo? I'm sick of logos where something is growling or scowling at me... if its supposed to be tough or intimidating, its not. The Amerks logo is a CLASSIC. Toronto, Providence, Worcester and QC at least pay homage to their parent clubs (not my favorite, but I understand it). The rest of them are cookie cutter and interchangeable. Its like the entire league uses the same marketing firm for designing their logos.
Scott Hayes (Posted 2008-08-08 16:46:40)
Randall, AHL logos are irrelevant? You must be a fringe fan with no respect for the history of the game in North America. And to Mike I can only say, I feel sorry for you. AHL fans knew your NHL stars long before you ever heard their name. I've had many great experiences sharing a beer with the likes of Ray Sheppard, Marty Biron and Derek Roy when they played in the AHL. The NHL is great when you can afford an occasional game, but I can watch the stars of tomorrow play their hearts out for $20/night including the beer! You should give it a try. And if you really want a hockey experience, try a NCAA game!
James Sheehy (Posted 2008-08-07 18:10:13)
no love for the manitoba moose?
Brian S. (Posted 2008-08-06 14:07:25)
I also like Marlies and Monarchs a lot
Brian S. (Posted 2008-08-06 14:06:16)
I actually think Lowell > NJD that all the people on the NHL comment section seem to think is so great. and the "QC" ranks only a little lower for me than the Calgary Flames... which is not very high.
Admirals is clearly the best, followed by Houston (I have a 90's Houston Aeros jersey someone got for me as a Christmas present one year since it was so cool, even though I have no interest in the team)
Lee Ashton (Posted 2008-08-06 13:33:13)
Chicago and Toronto have great logos. How about Tampa Bay? The nickname and logo are pretty cool. I like Rochester the best in the AHL. Hershey lacks creativity, probably due to boring people in management. The Florida Everblades is perfect for THEIR nickname and location. Thanks for hosting a great contest and soliciting fan opinions.
Walter (Posted 2008-08-06 10:37:03)
Wilkes-Barre Scranton should be much higher, what an awsome logo.
MJ81677 (Posted 2008-08-06 09:54:51)
Boooooo!!!! The B-Sens logo is awesome....top five at least
DStrope (Posted 2008-08-05 20:43:13)
Binghamton and Syracuse are embarrassing!!!!! and I go see them play every so often
jan (Posted 2008-08-05 14:31:45)
no matter where I go, if I'm wearing an item with the Rochester Americans logo, people always ask about it, and their reactions are always positive. Lots of their jerseys were sold after 9-11.
Josh Lewis (Posted 2008-08-05 11:53:58)
If I didn't know better, I'd say these rankings are in reverse order. Chicago, Albany, Manchester and Hamilton should all be in the top 10. Heck, the Wolves' logo has been called the best in all of hockey, let alone the AHL.
Both Admirals logos are horrible and San Antonio's isn't very good either.
TMC (Posted 2008-08-05 11:21:14)
It is really nice to see the Sound Tigers so high on the list, their logo is great. :)
Vladimir (Posted 2008-08-05 09:04:37)
I would rather have my team win the Calder Cup than this popularity contest.
Oh wait, they did.
pavel (Posted 2008-08-04 21:51:24)
The HartfordWolf Pack is actually a tribute to the US Navy Submarine Service. The unofficial home to the US submarine force is in nearby Groton, CT. The logo is inspired by the USS Sea Wolf SSN 21 homeported in Groton.
Steve (Posted 2008-08-04 21:17:52)
One almost-all-encompassing gripe about AHL logos: Why do they have to have a hockey stick or puck in the logo? Am I to believe that I wouldn't know I'm watching hockey if a piece of sport-specific equipment isn't on the logo? If I'm at a game, I think the ice rink would be a pretty big hint that it's hockey I'm watching.
Seems that this is rampant in minor league baseball as well - cartoonish drawings and equipment in the logo. Just makes it goofy, and keeps me from buying merchandise. They all look like Disney logos for children's teams.
Louis Lapointe (Posted 2008-08-04 19:45:13)
I think the Lake Erie Monsters is one of the best logos that has come up in hockey in the past 5 years. Really cool looking.
greg (Posted 2008-08-04 15:55:51)
my mistake, I didn't know the flames were the Quad City flames until I read it again, I thought it was just a city that started with a Q. Still too much though.
greg (Posted 2008-08-04 15:54:23)
I like AHL logos that incorporate the NHL affiliate logo into the design, even to the point of using the same design, but changing whatever needs to be changed (ie: the letter). The flaming Q alone would've fit perfectly into what an AHL logo should be in my opinion. I actually agree with something thn writes. I agree the C is not only too much for the logo, but also doesn't make sense.
Mike (Posted 2008-08-04 13:31:56)
The Marlies logo is hands-down the best looking logo in this bunch of cartoon designs. Wow, all I can say is I'm glad I've never been to an AHL game, I couldn't respect myself in the morning after that.
Keith (Posted 2008-08-04 12:19:17)
Took 14 years to get fed up with the old champ Wolves, eh?
Does need a little polishing: at the time of introduction we were all saying how classic it was. I voted Milwaukee, albeit when I first saw it I thought it was from a water park sign.
Terry Proctor (Posted 2008-08-04 12:17:58)
The Rochester Americans logo goes back to 1956 when the franchise was founded. And this proud logo has graced the front of the team's sweaters since 1959, except for a two-year period in 1970 and 1971 when the team was forced to wear a stylized version of then-parent Vancouver's "stick-in-a-rink" logo. Rochester fans hated the circular logo with two hockey sticks forming an "A." When a group of Rochester businessmen bought the franchise back from the Canucks organization in the summer of 1972 one of the first things they did (after hiring Don Cherry as Coach/GM) was to restore the Amerks' sheild to its rightful place on the front of the sweaters. Long may it wave there!
Randall Buschmann (Posted 2008-08-04 11:43:33)
You know that things are going slow in hockey world when the top publisher rolls out the AHL logo rankings.
Liz (Posted 2008-08-04 11:09:13)
Come on, how could you rate Milwaukee's cartoon-y skeleton above Norfolk's battleship? (Norfolk's pre-battleship logo was even better, but that's a rant for another time.) The Milwaukee Admirals should change their name, anyway - they're named after an appliance company! In Norfolk, we have actual admirals in town.
Mark (Posted 2008-08-04 09:34:13)
C'mon THN... Wolfpack, as in a group of hunter submarines made famous in WWII. Hence the wolf in the water. Very fitting for a team in Connecticut!
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