SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 26: Kyle Dubas Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs talks on the phone as President Brendan Shanahan looks on during the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Toronto Maple Leafs have unveiled a new logo for the first time in over 45 years, in anticipation of their centennial season.
The logo was released by the team Tuesday night and is a fresh take on the “classic Maple Leaf” emblem of Toronto teams from the 1940s and 60s. It will become the team’s official crest starting in the 2016-2017 season.
“As an organization, we wanted to get back to our roots, when Conn Smythe first changed the team logo to the Maple Leaf in 1927,” Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. “Inspired by the badge that he and his fellow Canadian soldiers wore during World War I, Smythe wanted his team to wear the badge with ‘honour, pride and courage.’ This is our goal for the next chapter in Leafs history.”
This is the Leafs’ fifth logo change since 1927, and the first change of any kind since 1970.
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The logo has subtle hints to commemorate the franchise’s best moments. The leaf has 31 points, which is a nod to the Maple Leaf Gardens’ opening in 1931. It also has 17 veins to symbolize the 1917 founding of the franchise, and thirteen of those veins are at the top of the crest to commemorate the club’s 13 Stanley Cup championships.
The Toronto Marlies, the team’s AHL affiliate, will also adopt the new crest along with the club’s own historic crown, in keeping with past traditions.
Caption: SUNRISE, FL – JUNE 26: Kyle Dubas Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs talks on the phone as President Brendan Shanahan looks on during the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center on June 26, 2015 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The new logo is on the right:
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