Wear It Again

The Vancouver Canucks announced last week that they'll wear the logo to the left on March 2 at home against the Minnesota Wild on a night where it has been designated as First Nations Celebration. With the rich history on the west coast of Indigenous Peoples, this celebration makes complete sense. Jay Odjick, the cousin of the late Gino Odjick, designed the logo for the night, and I have to say that it's far better than anything the Canucks have worn in recent memory. Whether it's the orca logo or the stick-in-rink logo, this Indigenous logo is infinitely better. What would it take to have the Canucks wear this logo as an alternate logo at the very least?

From the Canucks' website,

"The jersey will feature a Thunderbird crest in Algonquin design, representing the strong and powerful protector that Gino was, with a lightning bolt at its heart to symbolize Gino’s passion. The wings of the Thunderbird will include Coastal Salish design inspiration to honour the First Nations communities of Vancouver and the surrounding areas.

"The jersey will also feature Medicine Wheel shoulder patches, which represent the interconnectedness and balance of all elements of life, with eight feathers to represent the eight seasons Gino played as a Canuck."

It should be noted that there are at least 18 different distinct cultures of the Indigenous Peoples who live on the west coast. Those Peoples include the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Gitxsan, Haisla, Heiltsuk, Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka), Nuxalk (Bella Coola), Wuikinuxv (Owekeeno), Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka), Makah, Coast Salish, Quileute-Chimakum, Willapa, Kwalhioqua, Tillamook, Chinook, and the Da'naxda'xw Nation. There are distinct cultural differences between these Peoples, and having the Canucks draw upon the Coastal Salish design for the logo is a great reflection of that community's culture.

While Vancouver falls into the Coast Salish territory, I feel like the Canucks could be wearing this logo and jersey more often than one night per year. Perhaps they can alter their current logos annually to reflect these cultures and Peoples as some, such as the Makah and the Tsimshian, have distinct ties to whale imagery in their histories. If the Canucks were looking to push merchandise, having Indigenous deisgners such as Jay Odjick alter their logos to reflect the various Indigenous Peoples in the province would certainly add to the bottom line when they look this good.

On top of that, the proceeds from this year's sales of the First Nations Collection "will go to Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations youth programs", and that's a fantastic way to get Indigenous youth involved in a number of causes. If hockey is one of those things, the Canucks should be proud to partner with programs in those First Nations communities, and it may lead to more amazing British Columbia-born, Indigenous players like Carey Price finding their way to the bright lights of the NHL!

I never understood why the NHL talks about inclusiveness, but only dedicates one night of inclusiveness to the very groups they want to attract to the game. Whether it be their Pride jerseys or their Black History jerseys or the various jerseys made by teams like the South Asian jerseys worn by the Jets or the Indigenous jerseys worn by the Canucks, wearing these jerseys at least once per month would go a great deal further in showing that the NHL is willing to be an ally of all marginalized cultures in the sport of hockey.

Honestly, seeing the Canucks wearing the logo at the top of this article might prompt me to wear Canucks merchandise as opposed to just passing by their rather bland logos. The Odjick-designed logo has great local Indigenous images, it has "Canucks" in it, and it looks more intimidating than the lame orca. I'm normally not one to celebrate the intimidation factor, but this logo looks like it's there to win.

What I want to see in the NHL is never likely to happen, but a great logo shouldn't be used once and retired forever. Jay Odjick brought the intensity in his Indigenous design, and I have a feeling his late cousin would be very proud that the team he once skated for will wear it on their chests. The least the Canucks could do it wear it a little more often than once to show the Indigenous communities in British Columbia that they're a part of the team.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!