BY ROB MACNEIL



sportsnet.ca

Ever wanted to know how your favourite, or least favourite, NHL team got its name? Well wonder no more as sportsnet.ca has the answers.

Anaheim Ducks

After Disney had a monster movie hit in 1992 with The Mighty Ducks starring Emilio Estevez, the NHL looked to capitalize on the popularity by awarding a franchise to Disney in 1993. The club was called the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim complete with the same logo from the film. When Disney sold the team in 2005, the team name was changed to Anaheim Ducks.

Atlanta Thrashers

“Thrashers” had actually been runner-up to “Flames” for Atlanta’s first NHL team, which moved to Calgary in 1980. Owner Ted Turner christened his 1997 expansion team after the state bird of Georgia, the brown thrasher.

Boston Bruins

When grocery store tycoon Charles Adams brought a franchise to Boston, he asked his GM Art Ross to come up with a nickname. The team colours the same as his grocery store chain, brown and yellow, while name had to reflect an untamed animal displaying speed, agility, and cunning. Eventually, Ross came up with “Bruins”, an Old English word used for brown bears in classic folk-tales.

Buffalo Sabres

Owners Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox wanted the nickname for their new team to be unique. In 1970, the brothers sponsored a name-the-team contest and chose Sabres. Seymour felt a sabre was a weapon carried by a leader and that it was swift and strong on offence as well as defence.

Calgary Flames

The Flames played in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980 and their nickname was a reference to the city being burned to the ground during the Civil War. When the team moved, new owner Nelson Skalbania decided that ‘Flames’ would be a good fit for an oil town like Calgary, and the flaming ‘A’ logo was replaced by a ‘C’.

Carolina Hurricanes

It was announced in March, 1997 that the Hartford Whalers would move to Carolina in time for the start of the season in October. As a result of the tight timeline, owner Peter Karmanos, Jr. named the team himself rather than hold a contest. The club was named for the storm system that frequently hit the area.

Chicago Blackhawks

Owner Frederic McLaughlin named the team in 1926 after the 86th Infantry Division, the “Black Hawk division” he served in during World War I.

Colorado Avalanche

Denver’s previous hockey team left to become the New Jersey Devils in 1982, and by the time the Quebec Nordiques were to replace them, the city’s new MLB team had already claimed the moniker. Avalanche eventually won out over Black Bears, Outlaws, Storm, Wranglers, Renegades, Rapids, and Cougars.

Columbus Blue Jackets

When a name-the-team contest was held, over 14,000 entries were received. The name came down to two, ‘Blue Jackets’ and ‘Justice’. The former was chosen to celebrate the Civil War history in the state of Ohio and Columbus. Ohio contributed more residents to the Union Army than any other state, including William Tecumseh Sherman (who led the burning of Atlanta), Ulysses S. Grant, Philip Sheridan, and George Custer. Dallas Stars

The Minnesota North Stars relocated to Texas in 1993, and since Texas is the Lone Star State, ‘North’ was simply dropped. Detroit Red Wings

James Norris purchased the Detroit Falcons in 1932 and renamed the club after an amateur hockey club he once played for, the Montreal Winged Wheelers. He chose a winged wheel as the team’s logo, to reflect Detroit being the centre of the emerging automobile industry. Edmonton Oilers

Original owner Bill Hunter previously owned a junior club called the Oil Kings in the 1950s and 1960s, with Oilers being a popular nickname for the team. When he founded a franchise in the World Hockey Association in 1972, he named the club Oilers and kept the name when the team joined the NHL in 1979. Florida Panthers

Franchise owner, and Blockbuster Video owner, Wayne Huizenaga picked the name because he wanted to draw attention to the Panther, as the native wildcat of Florida was endangered at the time. Los Angeles Kings

Owner Jack Kent Cooke chose Kings as the team nickname from entries submitted in a fan contest. He apparently wanted his club to take on “an air of royalty” with the team wearing the same colours as the NBA franchise Cooke owned, the Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota Wild

In 1998, Wild was chosen as a tribute to the state’s wildlife and outdoors reputation. It was chosen from a group of six finalists, beating out the Blue Ox, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, White Bears, and Freeze.

Montreal Canadiens

In 1909, John Ambrose O’Brien created the Club de Hockey Canadien, which translated simply means Canadian Hockey Club. Ambrose wanted his team to appeal to Montreal’s francophone population and is often referred to as “The Habs” or “Les Habs,” an abbreviation of “Les Habitants.” The H in the logo stands for “hockey” — though it is often mistakenly thought to mean “Habitants.” Nashville Predators

In 1971 Nashville, a nine-inch fang belonging to a saber-toothed tiger was discovered during the construction of an office building. When it was time to name the franchise, three choices were presented, Ice Tigers, Fury and Attack. Owner Craig Leipold then added his own submission to the vote, Predators. Once the contest closed, Predators ended up being the successful pick. New Jersey Devils

The club needed a new nickname after the Colorado Rockies relocated to New Jersey in 1982, with the Devils being chosen in a newspaper contest. Other finalists included Americans, Blades, Coastals, Colonials, Gulls, Jaguars, Meadowlanders, and Meadowlarks. The nickname is based on a legend about a creature, which lived in the woods of New Jersey and was known as the Jersey Devil. New York Islanders

The name Islanders finished third behind the Mets and Empires when New York was deciding on a team name for their MLB expansion franchise in 1961. Eleven years later, Islanders was selected as the nickname for New York’s new hockey team. The name came as a surprise as the club was widely expected to take the Long Island Ducks name used by an Eastern Hockey League franchise. New York Rangers

In 1925, Madison Square Garden president G.I. ‘Tex’ Rickard decided he wanted his own NHL team and was awarded one in 1926. Local fans and media at the time started referring to the team as “Tex’s Rangers” and the name stuck. Ottawa Senators

When Ottawa was awarded an expansion franchise in 1991, the new owners decided to reclaim their successful past. Founded in 1883, the original team won 11 Stanley Cups and was the popular, if not obvious, choice for the reincarnated club. Philadelphia Flyers

The team sponsored a name-the-team contest in 1966 after Ed Snider brought an NHL team to the City of Brotherly Love in 1966. Thousands of ballots were entered, with more than 100 people suggesting Flyers, a name originally put forth by Snider’s sister. The top prize was an RCA 21″ color television, with two season tickets for both the second- and third-prize winners, and a pair of single-game tickets for the next 100 winners. Phoenix Coyotes

Coyotes was the winner in a name-the-team contest after the Winnipeg Jets relocated in 1996. Over 10,000 entries were submitted, with Scorpions finishing second.