Welcome to Hockey By Design!

Or, more succinctly, welcome to HbD!

Yes, another blog. But this one’s different. Well, okay, it’s similar in some ways to the millions of blogs out there, but this one is specifically focused on the use of graphic design (or, visual engineering, if you will) in the National Hockey League.

Why is such a blog necessary? Because there’s not really another blog like it that I could find in my search for something similar. And if it does exist, it’s well hidden and, as such, probably not worth following.

But there’s more to it than that. Out of the major North American sports, only hockey prominently displays the team’s logo front and centre on the jersey. Baseball? Nope, merely stylized text. Football? Nope, it’s small and on the helmets, the numbers being prominent. Basketball? Nope, like baseball, it’s stylized text. So, hockey holds a unique position in having a focus on the team logo, and having their jerseys and other marketing collateral focus on their logo, so that a unique departure point for hockey.

But it’s not just all about the team logo. There’s a variety of other logos, patches, goalie masks and of course, jerseys to talk about. And then there’s the whole marketing side of hockey, like websites, ticket designs, etc, etc.

To start things off, we’ll be counting down the best team logos in the league, from #30 to #1. So, please check back early and often, or sign up to get new posts automatically. And follow HbD on Twitter!

And again, welcome to the world of design, NHL-style.