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NHL Team Name Origins: Eastern Conference

By Alyssa Naimoli

Feb 7, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; The NHL logo on the back of a Colorado Avalanche helmet in a game against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2015; Saint Paul, MN, USA; The NHL logo on the back of a Colorado Avalanche helmet in a game against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. The Minnesota Wild beat the Colorado Avalanche 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /
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NHL Team Name Origins: Buffalo Sabres center Sam Reinhart (23) celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with left wing Matt Moulson (26) in the third period at BB&T Center. The Sabres won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /

Fan-Vote Done Right

Back in 1969, the named owners of the Buffalo franchise Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox wanted to give their team a unique name and logo they could manage. Knox wanted to avoid the common Buffalo team name at the time, “Bison”, and decided to run a fan-vote.

The fan-vote brought in a variety of good ideas but the winner came from a Toronto filmmaker Harry Cole and the Buffalo Sabres were introduced. A sabre is a “heavy cavalry sword with a curved blade and a single cutting edge.

Owner Knox III stated that a sabre could be used “in offense or defense” which could be an accurate team name. The team decided to stick with the Canadian spelling as opposed to the American “saber” to keep it unique and to tie in the high number of expected Canadian fans.

Hence, the Buffalo Sabres were born. The Buffalo Sabres have had an original and beloved name ever since.

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NHL Team Name Origins: /

A Storm Was Brewing

The Hartford Whalers were relocated in 1997 and found a new home in Raleigh, North Carolina. The new Carolina franchise needed a new name and owner Peter Karamanos Jr. was ready to think.

Instead of turning to a fan-vote, Karamanos turned to the weather instead. The name “Hurricanes” came as a result of the storms that often hit the Carolinas. Thus, the Carolina Hurricanes is born.

The Hurricanes’ name set up a team for wild and blustery play, striking suddenly and in big bursts. The name turned out to be the perfect label for a new hockey club in the perfect market for a new home.

The Carolina Hurricanes took the NHL by storm, much like their namesake.

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