Report: Leafs Will Have New Logo, Jerseys Starting 2016-2017

According to a report by Chris Creamer of SportsLogos.net, the Maple Leafs are going for a full re-brand ahead of next year to celebrate their 2016-2017 centennial season in the NHL.  According to Creamer, not only will the redesign include new jerseys, but a new logo.  More details past the jump.

As Creamer notes, the new logo is certainly a significant branding move for the franchise.  The Leafs, after all, have had a number of logos throughout their rich history, but they’ve had their current logo for the past 45 years.

So what would a new logo look like?  Can we expect a throwback to the glory days of the 1960s?  Could it be something we’ve never seen before?  Apparently, it’s going to be a mix of both:

Okay cool, but what exactly does that mean?  Creamer speculates the possibility of the Leafs going with a version of their current logo that excludes the wordmark, as we’ve seen via the Leafs social media accounts throughout the season:

That said, Creamer also notes there’s nothing definitive that says that is going to be the Leafs’ new main logo.  As he speculates, it could just be the Leafs trying to distance themselves from their current logo.

I’ll say this: I’m not a huge fan of that design as the Leafs new logo.  I feel like they could do better.  The Leafs had a pair of really nice logos in the 1960s (both of which we’ve seen on the Leafs’ two most recent third jerseys), and I think I’d prefer something like that to the proposal above.

The Toronto Furies and their logo is another that comes to mind.  As you can see in the picture below, their logo has that nice blend of the future and the past in it.  If the Leafs’ new logo had a similar style, I’d be pretty excited.

But there is one thing I like about the current Leafs logo sans wordmark: the hats would be unreal.  Just think of those beautiful Jays hats, only in Leafs colors.

In any event, it’ll be incredibly interesting to see what the Leafs come up with if they are in fact going for a full re-brand ahead of next season.  Part of me is sad because I love the current Leafs jerseys.  But I, like most fans, get pretty excited about the prospects and possibilities of a new look to an old team.  Hopefully the team keeps the tradition going that we’ve seen with other Toronto sports teams such as the Blue Jays, Raptors, Furies, and Argos in coming up with a new look that works.