Hockey Canada returns to iconic logo

After celebrating its centennial, Hockey Canada looks ahead to the future by going back to its past

It’s as familiar a sight to Canadian hockey fans as Marie-Philip Poulin coming through in the clutch and Jonathan Toews wearing a gold medal around his neck.

The Hockey Canada logo: a skater seemingly breaking through the maple leaf while simultaneously wearing that symbol of national pride on his back.

The logo sat out the 2014-15 season, as last year marked Hockey Canada’s 100th anniversary, a milestone that received special recognition as the organization took a look back.

But with a century of history celebrated it’s now time to look ahead – by bringing back a piece of the past.

”The transition back to the traditional logo almost feels like a rebirth,” says Mark Halliday, vice-president of marketing and communications for Hockey Canada. “Hockey Canada had a lot of pride living under the 100th anniversary logo for the past 12 months as we celebrated the last century. Returning to the traditional logo turns our attention to the future of the game.”

That includes increasing participation in the game, ensuring everyone playing has the best possible experience and supporting athletes competing for Canada around the world.

Up first is Canada’s National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, which will look to win its eighth straight gold at the U18 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup in August. The logo returns to home ice in the fall, when three Canadian teams will proudly sport it at the 2015 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, B.C.

“We look forward to engaging all Canadians in our great game,” says Halliday, “whether that be on the ice, as a volunteer, watching in person or on television, or with a piece of Hockey Canada merchandise carrying the traditional Hockey Canada logo.”

And while the year-long celebration for Hockey Canada’s first 100 years may be over, its legacy lives on in an emblem of its own.

“The 100th anniversary was a celebration of our national passion for all Canadians,” says Halliday. “It was important for Hockey Canada to mark the 100th anniversary with a commemorative logo that left fans of the game a lasting memento of the celebration.”

More than 700,000 players and officials adorned their helmets with a sticker bearing the logo, which was also embedded on a celebratory pin. A special sweater was unveiled for the year and worn by all of Hockey Canada’s national teams. Four of them – the National Men’s Summer Under-18 Team, National Junior Team, National Women’s Development Team and National Men’s Team – accessorized the jersey with a gold medal.

One hundred volunteers received personalized jerseys, as well as logo-emblazoned blazers, as Canadian Tire Hero of Play recipients. Honourees were recognized for their behind-the-scenes contributions at the grassroots level at each stop along the Century Tour, a 20,000-square-foot caravan that spent 267 days travelling coast to coast to coast celebrating the game. The legacy of the tour lives on in Edmonton, the contents of the caravan now housed in a Canadian Tire store.

Also carrying on is the school program created specifically for the anniversary. Covering kindergarten through Grade 6 and encompassing seven subject areas, more than 250 lesson plans used hockey as a point of reference for teaching everything from sequencing to synonyms.

“I think the education program was a huge success,” says Dean McIntosh, senior director of events and properties for Hockey Canada. “It was an opportunity for us to get in the mainstream school system and deliver hockey as programming. That’s going to be a significant legacy that that information will live and be a program that year to year will grow itself.”

Officially licensed merchandise is available in Hockey Canada’s online shop. You can also find it at Sport Chek, Canadian Tire and Pro Hockey Life, with new styles bearing the iconic logo for the 2015-16 season in stores later this summer.