In preparation for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 100th anniversary, the team decided to change it’s logo for the 2016-17 season and beyond and unveiled their new logo on Tuesday. The decision to change their logo came after years of flirtation with throwback uniforms and even toying with the idea of using blue and silver together.

Gone is the current blue-and-white leaf that’s been in use (with a few slight alterations) since 1970 and in its place is a new leaf that looks similar to the one the team wore on their jerseys from 1963-67. The leaf that was used from 1963-67 had 35 points,the new one has 31. There are 17 veins on the new leaf, the 1963-67 leaf had 18. The symbolism behind the numbers is as follows. The 31 points on the leaf are for 1931, the year the Maple Leafs first hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup and their first year in Maple Leaf Gardens, their home from 1931-99. The 17 veins are for 1917 when they first came on the scene as the Toronto Arenas. Thirteen of those veins above the wordmark are for the 13 Stanley Cup championships the team has won. This is done in similar fashion to the New York Islanders having four stripes on the Y of their logo representing their four Stanley Cup championships.

Inside the veins of the leaf is the city name TORONTO written in an arched block script font and MAPLE LEAFS below it in a straight block script font. 

“We wanted to get back to our roots,” Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a press release, “We are committed to restoring the Maple Leafs to a proud and prominent place.”

The uniforms the logos will be perched on will be unveiled sometime before the new season in 2016-17.

While I didn’t mind the current logo, I love this one. I love that this franchise wants to turn the corner and do whatever they can to bring their team and their brand back to where it once was. This team hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967 and if changing their identity a little can get fans excited for the future,I’m all for it.

Thumbs Up!