NHL unveils branding for 10th Winter Classic
/Today the NHL revealed the logos that will represent the 2018 NHL Winter Classic. The outdoor game will take place Jan. 1 at Citi Field in New York, home of the MLB's Mets, between the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres.
The logo makes two references the fact that this year's game marks a decade since the league started the Winter Classic with the Sabres hosting at Ralph Wilson Stadium. There's a blue ribbon across the top that says "10th anniversary" and the whole mark is build over a gold "X" — the Roman numeral for 10.
Also revealed were the individual team marks that the Rangers and Sabres will use.
The Rangers will use a red "N.Y." over a silhouette of their traditional shield. The shield can be navy blue or white depending upon the background color.
The Sabres, meanwhile, will use an updated edition of their original mark — that means royal blue and no silver outlines. It also features a subtle "NY" at the bottom between the hilts of the swords. In addition, there's a new secondary mark with a gold version of the buffalo from the primary mark and "Sabres" within the silhouette.
While I don't think either team's marks are based on anything from their histories, they do have a very retro feel to them.
Once again, the NHL hired Fanbrandz to create the Winter Classic identity and you can read more about the inspiration for the design on their website.