Feb 15, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere (53) battle for the puck at Scotiabank Saddledome. Flames won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
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The Calgary Flames were established in 1972, as the Atlanta Flames. The team relocated to Calgary in 1980 and were the third team to represent the city. Previously, Calgary hosted the Tigers (1921-1927) and the Cowboys (1975-1977). Since their existence, the Flames have won two Presidents’ Trophies, for being the league’s top regular season team, and have claimed five division championships. In all, nine people associated with the Flames have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

That sounds like some decent accomplishments, right? Well, in a span of 45 years, it really isn’t a lot. Being that they are the third team to call Calgary home, could the city be a curse to National Hockey League franchises? One thing is for sure, and it is that the team’s logo isn’t doing them any favors. The Flames’ original logo ran from the 1980/81 season, until the 1994/95 season. The franchise revamped their logo and failed to improve the overall look. Let’s do what we do best, and analyze the two Calgary Flames logos.

(image courtesy of sportslogos.net)

As you can see in their original look, it was a poor design. The logo is a large, red letter “C” with the left side made up of flames. The flames burst out into to the left, with multiple legs of fire. The logo is outlined in yellow, attempting to accent the overall look. This might have been sufficient in the 1980s, but with today’s technology and advances in graphic design, it isn’t really cutting it. The team must have realized this, and made up their minds to change up their logo for the start of the 1994/95 season. Let’s see how they did.

(image courtesy of sportslogos.net)

Well, ladies and gentleman, they did not get this one right. The franchise chose to stick with the large, red letter “C” image. The font of the letter was somewhat changed, but was insignificant to the overall appearance. The largest change to note is the addition of the black outlining. The original yellow outline was kept, and a thin layer of black pencil lining was added to the outermost layer. Really, not a large change.

When looking at some of the other logos throughout the National Hockey League, like the Anaheim Ducks or the newly founded Vegas Golden Knights, you really start to wonder what the Flames were thinking. While I have always been a fan of, and have constantly advised to, simple logo designs, there still has to be an aura of interest around any team’s logo. It is the entire representation of your franchise. It is printed on hats, jerseys, t-shirts, and tons of other merchandise. It gets plastered everywhere! It should be something that the fans and the franchise can be proud of.

 

*This content originally featured on awesomesportslogos.com.

 

[Blake]

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