Winning Nations

Over the weekend, polls closed and the eight nations that will be represented in the inaugural season of the IceHL World were revealed! It's now time to name and brand our the new franchises.

Moving forward, the teams will be separated into two divisions of four each so that name nominations and design contests are more manageable.

Division A

• Canada
• Russia
• Sweden
• Japan

Division B

• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Switzerland
• Greece

For those wondering, these will not necessarily be the divisional breakdowns when the teams begin play in the fall. They are simply based on the eight nation groups we started this process with.

The name nomination process begins today with Division A. Please read the submission rules before posting your suggestions.

Save the Armada?

Because Canada was selected in Group 1, we now have the option of transferring the Quebec Armada branding to this franchise. That's the first thing we will decide here.

Vote in the poll to the right. Should a majority of voters decide to keep the Armada name, we will only continue with the naming process for the other three teams in Division A.

However, please continue to suggest names for the Canadian team in case the vote goes the other way. Remember, only Ottawa and Toronto are eligible locations for this team.

Name Submission Rules

The following guidelines will help this process go smoothly:

• Name nominations will be accepted in the comments area of this post.
• Suggest names for ONLY the 4 teams in Div. A (Canada, Russia, Sweden, Japan).
• Include a CITY and NICKNAME (ex.: Montreal Canadiens or New York Rangers). Stick to the larger cities in each country.
• Team names should be in English. Names in local languages may be considered but an English translation must be provided.
• Enter only ONE team name per comment and a maximum of 3 nominations per user. (You may elaborate on your name idea within that comment.) Other users may then "vote up" your suggestion if they like it.
• Vote up names you like by clicking the "heart" button that appears in the upper right corner of the comment when your cursor hovers over it.
• AVOID DUPLICATES. Read through what's been suggested before you post.
• If you wish to comment on someone else's suggestion, do it only by replying to their original comment. (Use the "reply" button that appears when your cursor hovers over it.)

The reason for the comment restrictions is to keep this page manageable. Comments will get out of control during the week if we don't have a few limitations. I will be monitoring the page and deleting extraneous comments as needed to keep things organized.

Voting Process

Just as with the Hawaiian team, we will use brackets to determine the each team's name. We will have a bracket of 8 names for each team. It's important you use the "heart" button on the names you like so I know which ones you guys most want to see included in the brackets.

Restrictions

You may NOT nominate a nickname if it is or has been used by:

• any current or past IceHL team;
• any current or past NHL team or any WHA team;
• any current AHL, ECHL, NFL, MLB or NBA team;
• or any European hockey or KHL team.

A quick Google search goes a long way. Make sure your idea is not already in use elsewhere.

In addition, names that are vulgar, make any direct pop culture references or serve only to be silly will be removed. Repetitive distractions may get you blocked from posting future comments anywhere on the website. If you're not here to help improve the league, your participation is not necessary.

I will also remove any other name nominations that are deemed to be unacceptable.

Submissions end May 16

One last note to bear in mind. Don't try so hard to find a name that "means something." In the past, some people have tried so hard to do that, they lose perspective on the fact that we're branding a hockey team. It should be something fans would want to scream at a game.

And most important... BE CREATIVE!

Summary

This week, submit names only for Division A teams:

• Canada — Ottawa or Toronto ONLY
• Russia — Moscow or St. Petersburg
• Sweden — Stockholm
• Japan — Tokyo or Osaka

If you have any questions, please ask!