NHL Team Name Origins: Eastern Conference
NHL Team Name Origins: A Two-Part Series to Explain How Certain Clubs Went About Picking a Name, Starting in the Eastern Conference
The Vegas Golden Knights have finally announced their name as the newest NHL franchise. Has Vegas’ recent news sparked your curiosity regarding the origins of other team names?
The name ‘Golden Knights’ was in homage to team owner Bill Foley’s military history. Foley has stated that knights are the symbol of ‘warrior class’ and that knights never give up and always stick together.
The term ‘Knights’ was a staple in Vegas’ nickname for Foley, who used this to brand Vegas with an original team name: the Vegas Golden Knights.
In this two-part series, we’ll go over the origin story of every NHL team name, starting with the Eastern Conference. Every fan-vote and every silly story that impacted a team name will be covered here.
The Colors Before the Name
The Original Six Boston-franchise began it’s roots in 1924. Boston franchise owner Charles F. Adams was determined to bring hockey to Boston and as soon as the NHL awarded him a franchise in November of 1924, he began crafting his team.
Adams’s first move was hiring new general manager Art Ross and had the front office help him decide on a team name. However, the front office had no say in the decision of the team’s colors. Adams wanted the team colors to be brown and gold to match his grocery store chain.
From there, the front office searched for the perfect name to match the colors already assigned to the franchise. The front office and Ross eventually decided on the old English term for a brown bear: bruin. The term ‘Bruin’ as a brown bear originated in a medieval European children’s fable named “History of Reynard the Fox.”
Adams loved the name; he wanted the team name to represent a team with speed, agility, and power.
The Boston Bruins was officially set in stone.
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.
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.
Patriotic Origins for Columbus
Back in 1997, Columbus gave Ohio the opportunity to help name the team through a questionnaire. The future team was asking the citizens of Ohio what they believed Ohio stood for. After looking through thousands of entries, Columbus learned that many people stood behind the names Blue Jackets and Justice.
The name ‘Blue Jackets’ stuck with the Columbus franchise because of how interesting and intriguing the name was; the nickname was loaded with Ohio history and pride.
The term ‘Blue Jackets’ refers to the blue coats worn by the Union Army during the Civil War. Ohio contributed the most of all states to the Union Army by sending the most soldiers and manufacturing the army’s blue coats locally in Columbus.
Thus, the Columbus Blue Jackets were born. From the moment Columbus received their team name, they began crafting the perfect franchise to show state pride and patriotism.
Just Like The Winged-Wheelers
James Norris purchased the Detroit Falcons in 1932 and decided a name-change was in order. Norris looked to his past to find just the right name for his new team.
Norris decided on the “Red Wings” in homage to the Montreal Hockey Club he once played for, the Winged-Wheelers. The Red Wings logo would then be a winged wheel in honor of Detroit’s emerging automobile industry.
The Detroit Red Wings were finally introduced. The new name was perfectly symbolic of a speedy and solid team.
The Stalking, Striking Florida Panther
The Florida Panthers joined the NHL in 1993 in an expansion that brought hockey down to Miami, Florida. When creating the Florida franchise, president Bill Torrey wanted a name that could merge something native to Florida with the right kind of hockey momentum.
Subsequently, the Florida Panthers joined the league. The Florida Panther is an endangered cougar subspecies that lurks in the forests and swamps of Southern Florida.
When Torrey revealed the team’s name, he told a reporter that: “A panther, for your information, is the quickest striking of all cats. Hopefully, that’s how we will be on the ice.”
The Florida Panthers was the best name for the new Miami-based team.
Ready For Rivalries
The Canadiens were founded in 1909 by John Ambrose O’Brien as a charter member of the National Hockey Association, later the National Hockey League.
From the start, O’Brien wanted a name that would rival the city’s already established team, The Wanderers. O’Brien turned to Montreal’s french-speaking population to create this rivalry.
As a result, the Montreal Canadiens were founded. The team’s nickname, “The Habs,” is an abbreviation of “Les Habitants” which was the name for the early settlers of New France.
The Canadiens exceeded their rivals but gained a few others as they became the strong team they are today.
According to Legend..
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The Colorado Rockies relocated to New Jersey in 1982; since New Jersey isn’t necessarily known for their mountains, the team was in search of a new name. The new franchise turned to a newspaper contest to find the best name for the new team.
The contest resulted in a variety of possible names including: “Blades,” “Meadowlanders” and the ultimate champion, “Devils.”
The term “Devils” wasn’t inspired by a red man with a pitchfork but the the legend of the “Jersey Devil” that is said to be hidden in the woods of the Garden State. The Jersey Devil is said to be a mysterious and mischievous beast hidden in the woods of the Pine Barrens.
The elusive animal was the perfect fit for a new team that wanted to dominate on the ice by mysterious force and pay homage to its new home. Therefore, the legacy of the New Jersey Devils will live just as long as its namesake story.
A Fan-Vote (From The MLB)
Hockey came to Long Island in 1972 when the New York Islanders joined the NHL. The new franchise was in search of the perfect name for the new team.
The Long Island franchise turned to a fan vote for the team’s name but the vote was not their own. In 1961, the New York Major League Baseball franchise held a name-the-team contest. The name “Islanders” finished third behind “Mets and “Empires.”
The New York Islanders would later use the name for the Long Island-based hockey team. Though the Isles no longer reside on Long Island, they haven’t left their island roots yet.
Tex’s Rangers
Tex Rickard, a boxing promoter, and builder of MSG III, wanted his own hockey team to rival New York’s team at the time, the Americans. Rickard was awarded the team in 1926 and was ready to get his hockey team together.
Rickard’s team was instantly nicknamed ‘Tex’s Rangers’ by friends. The reference came from the paramilitary forces in Texas during the 1830s. The nickname stuck and the New York Rangers were born.
While the Rangers have lost their initial rivals, they picked up a few more in the metropolitan area as the NHL continued to expand.
The Break Is Over
The original Ottawa Senators were founded in 1883 and was a reference to Ottawa being Canada’s capital city. After losing the original team for a hiatus of 60 years, the Ottawa Senators were reborn.
The Ottawa Senators returned in 1992 and haven’t left since. The significance of the name only grew when it gave homage to the original team.
The Senators have gone on to receive many achievements since 1992. Ottawa’s chase for the Stanley Cup continues.
The Philly Flyers Has a Ring To It
Ed Snider, the vice president of the Philadelphia Eagles at the time, brought hockey back to Philly in 1966. In search of a new name, the Philadelphia franchise turned to a name-the-team contest.
It is reported that Snider’s sister, Phyllis, suggested the name ‘Flyers.’ Snider and his sister both agreed that the name ‘Flyers’ had great flow with Philadelphia and that it would be the perfect fit.
The Philadelphia Flyers were then introduced. Besides the name not having any specific significance, Philly joined the NHL with a clever and fun name.
Penguins Live In Igloos
The Pittsburgh Penguins joined the NHL in 1967. Despite running a name-the-team contest, Pittsburgh’s team name did not come as the result of fan submissions.
Partial team owner Jack McGregor’s wife Carol was responsible for the Penguin’s beloved team name. McGregor’s wife told the story of the team name origins; she said that she was thinking of words with ‘P’ and upon learning that the Civic Arena’s nickname was the “Big Igloo,” she decided upon ‘Penguins’.
As it turned out, more than 700 of the 26,000 contest entries were for the “Pittsburgh Penguins.” The name ‘Penguins’ seemed like a fit for a home team playing in the igloo.
Lightning Strikes In Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Lightning joined the NHL in 1992 during an expansion. Though the team didn’t formally join the NHL until 1992, the team had its name much earlier than that.
Tampa franchise owner and then-president of the Tampa Bay Hockey Group, Phil Esposito decided that he would name his future hockey team after a thunderstorm. Esposito decided on “The Lightning” for a few reasons.
First, lightning and the storms it came with are natural characteristics of Tampa Bay. And second, Esposito believed that lighting accurately described the speed and excitement of a hockey game.
The Bolts were given the perfect name for when hockey came to Tampa Bay. The Lightning still take the ice at Amalie Arena with the same speed and spontaneity of their namesake.
A Nod To Roots
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When Conn Smythe purchased the Toronto hockey team in 1927 he knew that his first job was changing the team’s name. Originally the St.Patricks, the team would be given a new name to represent its new ownership and new era of play.
Smythe decided on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Though no one specific reason has been confirmed, Smythe’s choice of “Maple Leafs” has a few possible reasons behind it. First, Smythe fought for the Maple Leaf Regiment during World War I and, second, there was a former Toronto hockey team named the East Maple Leafs.
Whether Smythe chose the name in nod to his own roots or to Toronto’s hockey roots, the Toronto Maple Leafs received a fitting name for their new era. Now, the Maple Leafs are considered one of the most traditional and classy teams in the NHL.
Next: An Early Look at the Playoff Picture
Capitalizing The Team Name With A Fan-Vote
Hockey was brought to Washington D.C in 1974 during an NHL expansion. The Washington franchise owner Abe Pollin turned to a fan vote to name the new team.
After the fan vote was conducted, Pollin chose the best and most suitable name from the contest: the Washington Capitals. Similar to the Ottawa Senators, Washington’s team name honors the country’s capital.
The Capitals completed their country pride with their patriotic jerseys. Now, the Capitals have the perfect brand for a team set in the nation’s capital.