0044: Redeeming the Whale

Yesterday, we got a little taste. Today, the full meal. This morning's double-feature marks the start of Minor League Week. For the next few days we'll be enjoying concepts for minor pro teams, which often tend to get overshadowed by the NHL on this page.

As you can see, we're kicking things off with the Connecticut Whale, one of the teams most in need of a complete redesign. Their current look is an absolute joke and I cannot say it enough. And as jokes go, you realize just how not-funny it is when you see what Mike Ivall has come up with. His identity is the perfect mix between the old Hartford Whalers and the Whale's previous identity — the Wolf Pack. Overall, this is one of my all-time favorite concepts.

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Now, then. I'm an adult and I realize it's unreasonable to think the Whale would simply scrap entirely the new brand they're trying to establish. Maybe something a little less dramatic would get the job done. To that end, may I recommend Ryan Haslett's concept? I can't say I'm a fan of the logo or the striping, but at least it aspires to better days in Hartford.