Ugly NHL Logos: Ink Master Judges Weigh In

NHL logos — or sport logos in general — are not an easy design. Do you go for the super-simple like the Calgary Flames — flames adorning a “C” for Calgary? Do you go a little more cerebral such as the Columbus Blue Jackets — a flag swooping around a star? (You have to really think about it to figure out what the logo means. Actually, I’m not sure I understand.)

Logos and tattoos have a lot in common. Both should be well-designed with clean lines. It’s also imperative that they read from far away. There should also be at least a little bit of deeper meaning behind the logos.

Since logos and tattoos have so many similar design elements, we here at Mile High Sticking asked the renowned judges of Spike TV’s Ink Master to judge some of the NHL logos multi-millionaire hockey players display on their chests every night.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the show, Chris Nuñez and Oliver Peck are renowned tattoo artists. Dave Navarro is the guitarist of Jane’s Addiction and an expert at getting tattoos. No telling if any of them are hockey fans, but they certainly had a lot to say about the NHL logos.

Quick note — they love the Colorado Avalanche logo. They like the graphic representation of an avalanche swirling around the “A” for Avalanche ending in a hockey puck. They even felt the oval satellite added good balance to the overall design. However, this is about ugly NHL logos, so let’s move on.