Reign, Thunder first to unveil new branding for 2015-16 season
/Two teams impacted by the creation of the AHL's new Pacific Division — one from the AHL, one from the ECHL — unveiled new logos today which will be used starting this fall.
The Ontario Reign will have a new logo and uniforms as they graduate from the ECHL to the AHL next season. And the look is a familiar one.
The new logo is a modern twist on the one worn by their owner and NHL affiliate, the Los Angeles Kings, from 1988 to 1998 — during the Wayne Gretzky era.
But instead of a silver base, the logo is set on black, so as to emulate the Kings' current primary logo.
Also revealed today were the Reign's new uniforms, which — apart from the crest — are identical to those of their parent club. Classic AHL cop-out.
So, gone are the blue and orange that gave this franchise its own unique identity. The homogenization of minor league hockey continues.
What do you think of the Reign's new look?
In case you're wondering, I believe the Manchester Monarchs plan to carry over their existing branding as they transition to the ECHL.
Today's other unveiling caught me by surprise. The Calgary Flames' new ECHL franchise will move to Glens Falls, N.Y. next season and be renamed the Adirondack Thunder.
The team will play as the Stockton Thunder through the rest of this season, at which point the AHL's Adirondack Flames will take over that market. That team's name has yet to be announced.
Along with the name reveal this afternoon came the franchise's new logo — an adaptation of the Stockton version. The colors and typeset have been altered, but the viking character remains mostly unchanged.
The uniforms have not yet been unveiled. But my guess is they go the easy route with the Flames template — just like the A-Flames did.
Have any strong feelings about the Thunder or Reign you'd like to share? Please comment away.