Pittsburgh Penguins Logo PNG
The team’s identity is strongly associated with the arctic bird because it is present in the name and the logo. The artists tried to emphasize the peculiarity of the Pittsburgh Penguins logo, so the hockey club always had a penguin on the emblem. Moreover, the penguin is directly associated with the cold region and ice.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Brand overview
| Founded: | 1967 |
| Founder: | Fenway Sports Group |
| Headquarters: |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Website: | nhl.com |
In 1897, the first amateur hockey team appeared in Pittsburgh, USA, and after that, the first synthetic ice was created, which had no analogs for a long time in North America. However, the legendary Pittsburgh penguin was born only in 1967, after the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 clubs. The Pittsburgh Hornets from the AHL were among the recruits who entered the elite. The team owners decided that with the change of status, it was time to change the name. “Hornet was a team from the lower league. We knew that we would not get the best players in the draft expansion, so we did not want to continue to be considered a collection of the AHL level”, recalls Peter Blok.
The new name should have started with “P,” like Pittsburgh. It was invented by the wife of one of the investors, Carol MacGregor. It turned out that the locals dubbed “Civic Arena” with the word “igloo” for the dome-shaped roof. The word means the Eskimo’s pack. And then she had an idea: the igloo – the ice – the penguins.
Simultaneously, the same name was proposed by 700 people out of 26,000 who took part in the contest from the publication of the Post-Gazette. Artist Gessner was paid $ 1500 to develop six possible variants of the Pittsburgh Penguins logo. And soon, designers add to the emblem of the club a running penguin, which in the ’90s was changed to a penguin- a “postage stamp,” but then returned.
Pittsburgh Penguins performed in a blue and white uniform at the top of its existence but later came to the white club colors gold and black. They are similar to the coloring of Pirates, the hockey team of Pittsburgh of the early XX century, and they took the colors of the local police uniform. These colors are also on the flag of the city. The same tones are on the coat of arms of British Minister William Pitt Elder, after whom Pittsburgh is named. The “golden triangle” symbolizes the city with its skyscrapers, shopping and office centers, theaters, and bridges. So the golden color of the Pittsburgh Penguins emblem is important. Boston hockey team Bruins, which players wear the same color, is still angry with “penguins”: it should be only their colors.
Meaning and History
In 1968, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, became a hometown for a new ice hockey franchise named the Pittsburg Penguins as part of the NHL expansion from six to twelve teams. Seven skating penguin logos (excluding 1992-2002) make up a unique collection that the Pittsburgh Penguins have built over the years. Another significant element is the mysterious yellow triangle, which is present on all emblems, without exception. The Antarctic bird has evolved from funny to focused. The designers tried to convey her natural character – assertive character, dedication, and ability to withstand huge loads even on ice.
What is Pittsburgh Penguins?
This is the official name of the hockey team, which in narrow circles is known as Pens. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a regular member of the NHL’s Metropolitan Division and a five-time Stanley Cup winner. The club has existed since 1967 and now plays at the PPG Paints Arena.
1967 – 1968
The original logo debuted in 1968. It featured a penguin wearing white gloves and a scarf, and black skates. It was holding a hockey stick in its wings. The image was imposed over a yellow triangle, placed inside a white circle with a blue-scripted “Pittsburgh Penguins” wordmark. Bob Gessner designed the Pittsburgh Penguins logo in 1967. The artist was paid $ 1,500 for providing the club with its first logo.
1968 – 1972
The second club logo was a slight modification of the previous one. The penguin lost the scarf and took on a fiercer visage to symbolize the team’s fighting mood. The penguin’s image on skates and the yellow triangle became smaller, while the navy blue circle was widened. The team name appeared within the circle, yet the font of the wordmark in white was changed to a more classic one.
1972 – 1992
The new logo was unveiled in 1973. The navy blue circle and the team name within the design vanished. The penguin over a yellow triangle remained much the same as its predecessor: it was still wearing black skates and holding a hockey stick.
1992 – 1999
Following new trends, the franchise logo got a bold, minimalistic, and abstract look. It was a postage-stamp penguin era. The focal point of the logo was the penguin, and the yellow triangle blended into one picture. One side of the triangle was painted yellow; the other was drawn in black and white stripes. They were separated by a white line that smoothly flew into the penguin’s head.
1999 – 2002
Significant changes in the Pittsburgh Penguins logo did not happen, only a slight adjustment of the color tone.
2002 – 2016
In 2003, the team expressed a desire to return to the original skating penguin, yet with slight changes. The triangle returned to the Penguins, although instead of yellow, they opted for another shade, Vegas Gold. The old-school skating penguin with a hockey stick looked like in 1973.
2016 – today
In 2016, the franchise presented a new Pittsburgh Penguins logo to celebrate its original logo’s semicentennial anniversary.
Bob Gessner designed the earliest version. Today’s emblem is its artistic rethinking because, in the process of transformation, the bird has become more athletic. This was facilitated by just one stroke – an inverted oval. Therefore, in the first version, the penguin is ordinary – fat, emphasizing the lower body area, and in the modern version – pumped up and broad-shouldered.
The anthropomorphic character is depicted against the background of a triangle. He holds a hockey stick in impromptu gloved hands, imitating running on an ice field during a match. The bird has skated on its feet, on which it seems to slide forward. All these are hockey paraphernalia because the designer was tasked with conveying it in the logo from the very beginning.
Font and Colors
In the earliest versions, there is a circle that resembles a classic rondel in structure. In 1972, the developers removed it, leaving only an inverted isosceles triangle. Then in 1992, the team redesigned and ordered a new logo from Vance Wright Adams and Associates. The result of the collaboration was an extraordinary logo consisting of a triangle combined with a penguin.
One side of the geometric shape resembled the open wing of a bird, which acquired realistic features. But twenty-eight years later, the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to return to the old image created at the dawn of his sports career. The rest of the time, the changes concerned the only color.
There is no inscription in the emblem itself – it is used separately. The top word is in sans-serif capital letters; the bottom word is in lower-case serifs.
The team palette consists of three colors, each of which has its place in the logo. It is Pittsburgh yellow (it is designed individually), white and black.
Pittsburgh Penguins color codes
| Pittsburgh Gold | Hex color: | #ffb81c |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 255 184 28 | |
| CMYK: | 0 28 89 0 | |
| Pantone: | PMS 1235 C |
| Black | Hex color: | #010101 |
|---|---|---|
| RGB: | 1 1 1 | |
| CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
| Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |
What does the Pittsburgh Penguins logo mean?
The team’s logo depicts its mascot – a penguin. He is depicted on skates, with gloves and a hockey stick to demonstrate his connection to hockey. In the background is an inverted yellow triangle. This element symbolizes the stately architecture of Pittsburgh – tall buildings and bridges.
Why did the Penguins change their logo?
The ice hockey club underwent a redesign in 2016. So its owners celebrated the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and at the same time, returned the traditional yellow color to the logo.
When did the Pittsburgh Penguins change colors?
The team adopted the black and gold palette in January 1980. Before that, she used completely different colors: white and blue, which prevailed in sportswear.
What does the triangle mean on the Pittsburgh Penguins jersey?
This element of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ identity is a tribute to the Golden Triangle. This is the name of the city center where the hockey team is based.
