Edmonton Oilers
Much like Michael Jordan took the Chicago Bulls logo to a new level in the ’90s, Wayne Gretzky helped put the Edmonton Oilers logo on the map.
The Oilers logo hasn’t really changed since the team was founded in the WHA in the early ’70s. It’s always been some form of a circle with an oil drop at the top and the Oilers lettering spilling down. Except for the early 2000s when they introduced some grey meteor oil. What the heck was that thing?
In the 80s, the Oilers logo became iconic because you couldn’t watch the NHL playoffs without seeing it. Every year, Gretzky and company were there. And they weren’t there for a round or two. They were there until the very end. Google “Stanley Cup in the 1980s” and click on images. It’s nothing but photos of the Oilers and Islanders. So why aren’t the Islanders on this list when their logo is pretty iconic as well? Because the Islanders have been just mediocre in the last ten years.
Not the Oilers. They’ve been bad. Lottery pick bad.
If nothing else, you have to credit the Oilers. They 100 percent subscribe to the “either be the best or be the worst” theory. They don’t have time to sneak into the playoffs year after year just to get eliminated in the first round like the Minnesota Wild. They’re raising the Cup or up first at the draft.
This has allowed them to keep their logo in the spotlight since their inception. Well done, Edmonton.