Toronto Maple Leafs Logo

Toronto Maple Leafs LogoToronto Maple Leafs Logo PNG

The Toronto Maple Leafs logo accurately reflects the history and evolution of the brand, paying homage to its more than a century-old history and significant events. The logo of the Canadian hockey club Toronto Maple Leafs reflects the team’s national identity.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Brand overview

Founded:1917
Founder:Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Headquarters:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Website:nhl.com

Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the “original six” NHL teams, is a hockey club located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 13-time Stanley Cup champions play in the Atlantic Division of the NHL’s Eastern Conference. Founded nearly a hundred years ago, Toronto Maple Leafs has changed its name four times, holding the record for the most name changes.

Toronto slowly stepped onto the competitive hockey rink. Thus, the first professional hockey team from Ville-Rena was the “Toronto Blueshirts,” founded in 1911. The team played in the National Hockey Association (NHA). In the 1913-14 season, the Blueshirts became Stanley Cup champions. The club was managed by the notorious Edward Livingston, who annoyed other NHA team owners, who were greatly irritated by his business methods. In 1917, the “Toronto Blueshirts” joined the NHL on the condition of severing ties with Livingston. The club was taken under the wing of Mutual Street Arena, so the locals began to call the team Arenas. A year later, the team officially adopted this name. In its first season, the franchise entered the NHL under the name “Toronto Arenas.” In 1919, new owners changed the club’s name to “Toronto St. Patricks.” The name could hint at the nationality of the owners: Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

One of the most dramatic turns in the history of the “Toronto” franchise occurred in 1927 when Conn Smythe bought the team with wooden spoons. Serving as the general manager of the “New York Rangers,” Smythe was fired even before the Rangers played a single game in the regular season. Returning to Toronto, the promising Smythe managed to raise $160,000 to purchase the underdog.

Conn Smythe was a Canadian businessman and sportsman. In 1965, the NHL commemorated his enormous contribution to hockey by establishing the “Conn Smythe Trophy” – an annual award for the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs. His first task as the new owner was to change the name to “Toronto Maple Leafs.” There were many reasons for such a change. First, “Maple Leafs” is a very symbolic and patriotic name, as the Canadian flag features a stylized maple leaf.

Second, Toronto was long ago the hometown of the “East Maple Leafs.” History has it that Smythe named his new team in memory of the team he once scouted.

Third, the franchise was named in honor of the Royal Regiment of Canada, an infantry regiment in Toronto, which wore a regimental badge with a maple leaf.

Carlton the Bear, an anthropomorphic polar bear, is the official mascot of the “Toronto Maple Leafs.”

Meaning and History

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo History

During World War I, Canadian soldiers wore a symbol of their homeland on their military badges – a maple leaf. The owner of the “Toronto Maple Leafs,” Conn Smythe, who served in the artillery during World War I, wanted his team to wear this logo with honor, pride, and courage.

Fourteen logos accurately reflect the history of the franchise and the evolution of its name. Changes in the club’s visual identity convey important events in its career. The rebranding was associated with renaming. The team began its sports journey as Toronto Arenas, then became Toronto St. Patricks, and only later received its modern name, under which the Maple Leaf Center still stands.

What is Toronto Maple Leafs?

It is a Canadian NHL team, officially called the hockey club “Toronto Maple Leafs.” It has existed since 1917 and is currently a member of the Atlantic Division. It is known as one of the few league participants to survive the cutback during the Great Depression. The “Toronto Maple Leafs” play their home games at the Scotiabank Arena.

1917

Toronto Arenas Logo 1917

The team’s first name was “Toronto Arenas,” and its main logo was as plain as day. It featured a capital blue letter “T,” denoting the city of Toronto.

1918 – 1919

Toronto Arenas Logo 1918-1919

The new logo of the “Toronto Arenas” was updated: the word “Arenas” was highlighted in dark blue behind the letter “T.”

1919 – 1922

Toronto St. Patricks Logo 1919-1922

Since the team was renamed “Toronto St. Patricks” in 1920, the main color of the club’s palette became green. The third logo of Toronto St. Patricks included the city’s name with a green inscription, placed above the letter “StPats.”

1922 – 1925

Toronto St. Patricks Logo 1922-1925

From 1922 to 1925, the team’s emblem looked like a green pill-shaped background with the white inscription “St. Pats” inside.

1925 – 1926

Toronto St. Patricks Logo 1925-1926

The 1926 emblem returned to the 1920 logo. It featured the words “Toronto” and “St. Pats” at the top and bottom. Both words were written in a lighter green shade.

1926 – 1927

Toronto St. Patricks Logo 1926-1927

In 1927, the franchise was acquired by Conn Smythe, and the “Toronto Maple Leafs” era began. Their original logo included a green maple leaf resembling a tree and the team’s name written in white font.

1927 – 1938

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo 1927-1938

Over the next ten years, the team’s primary color changed from green to blue. This was a return to the origins. Overall, the emblem remained identical to the previous one. The only change was the color of the maple leaf.

1938 – 1963

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo 1938-1963

The eighth logo of the “Toronto Maple Leafs” served the team for a long time. The concept remained the same: a blue maple leaf with the inscription “Toronto Maple Leafs” in white inside. However, this maple leaf had a different shape and white veins.

1963 – 1967

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo 1963-1967

In 1964, the logo’s designers added a few details, trying to make it more realistic and three-dimensional. Now, the logo depicted a blue maple leaf with white veins and a white inner outline. The logotype, its color, and design remained unchanged.

1967 – 1970

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo 1967-1970

In 1968, the “Leafs” logo underwent significant changes. The previous “Leafs” crest was replaced with a solid 11-point maple leaf, identical to the maple leaf on the Canadian flag. The new logo looked more minimalist, with a new silhouette and sharper edges.

1971 – 1982

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo 1971-1982

The 1971 “Toronto Maple Leafs” emblem had even sharper edges than its predecessor. The maple leaf itself looked simpler. The font of the “Toronto Maple Leafs” inscription was changed to a bolder one.

1982 – 1987

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo 1982-1987

1987 – 2016

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo 1987-2016

The “Toronto Maple Leafs” emblem still represented a textual emblem in the form of a dark blue maple leaf. The blue color became darker and deeper. The team’s full name was written in white on top of the leaf.

2016 – today

Toronto Maple Leafs Logo 2016-Present

On February 2, 2016, officials introduced a new logo – the emblem of the Toronto Maple Leafs – for the 2016-2017 season in honor of the franchise. The logo was inspired by the iconic crest worn from the 1940s to the 1960s but also combines both completely new and time-tested features. This version has no contour lines, but the shape, color, size, structure, and veins are identical. The distinctive ribbed edges indicate that it is a maple leaf. It was first approved in 1926 by Conn Smythe. He, along with soldiers from Canada, wore it during World War I.

The return to the origins of the symbolism is associated with the club’s centennial, which was celebrated in 2017. In the current version, the number of ribs and veins on the leaf is very important. They testify to important historical events associated with it. Thirty-one points protruding along the edges symbolize 1931, and the 31st point refers to the opening of Maple Leaf Gardens. The 13 upper stripes symbolize the team’s 13 Stanley Cup titles. And another 17 (13 upper + 4 lower) are dedicated to the year the team was founded – 1917.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Interesting Facts

The Toronto Maple Leafs are a famous hockey team that started in 1917. A few names have known them, but they’ve been the Maple Leafs since 1927. Here’s what makes them special:

  1. Names: They were first called the Toronto Arenas, then the Toronto St. Patricks, and finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  2. Stanley Cups: The Penguins have won the Stanley Cup 13 times, a lot, but the last time was in 1967.
  3. Maple Leaf Gardens: They played there from 1931 to 1999. It’s a famous place for hockey. Then they moved to the Air Canada Centre, now called Scotiabank Arena.
  4. Number 99: No Maple Leafs player has ever worn number 99 because it was retired across the league to honor Wayne Gretzky.
  5. Team Colors: Their colors are blue and white, chosen to represent Canadian skies and snow.
  6. Famous Players: Many great Maple Leafs players, like Tim Horton and Mats Sundin, are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
  7. Original Six: They’re one of the “Original Six” teams that were part of the NHL from 1942 to 1967.
  8. Big Rivalries: They have big rivalries, especially with the Montreal Canadiens and the Ottawa Senators.
  9. Retired Numbers: The team has retired several numbers to honor its best players, like Bill Barilko and Ace Bailey’s numbers 5 and 6.
  10. Helping Out: They do a lot for the community, especially for kids and youth, focusing on health and education.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a long and important history in hockey and are important to Canadian sports.

Font and Colors

Toronto Maple Leafs emblem

The earliest logo sketches are simple and clear. They represent a large letter, “T,” and indicate the club’s location – the city of Toronto. From 1917 to 1927, they were purely textual. Then came the legendary maple leaf, which underwent several transformations. Designers changed its size, shape, and style and imbued it with various meanings. The image, most similar to the modern one, was approved in 1938. It differs only in the indentations – in the current version, they are more expressive and sharp.

Toronto Maple Leafs symbol

The textual part has always played a huge role in the team’s visual identity, so the management never removed the inscription from the logo. In the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs logos, there are five types of fonts. All of them (except for the 1927-1938 version) are smooth, sans serif, grotesque. The color palette is simple and consists only of blue and white.

Toronto Maple Leafs color codes

BlueHex color:#00205b
RGB:0 32 91
CMYK:100 85 5 36
Pantone:PMS 281 C

FAQ

What is the motto of the “Toronto Maple Leafs”?

The old motto of the team was: Play right. Play fast. Then it was replaced by the phrase It’s a privilege, not a right, which the players first saw on the locker room wall in 2018. It is a tribute to Johnny Bower.

Why did the “Toronto Maple Leafs” change their logo?

The hockey club changed the design of the logo in 2016 in honor of its centennial. Additional serrations were added to the silhouette of the maple leaf. Now, their number (31) symbolizes 1931, the year Maple Leaf Gardens was opened.

When did the “Leafs” change their logo?

The last time the “Toronto Maple Leafs” logo was changed was in 2016, shortly before the hockey team’s centennial.

What color is the “Toronto Maple Leafs” home jersey?

The hockey players’ home jerseys are painted dark blue. The number, base of the leaf, and decorative lines are white.