The Future Is Generic

If you were asked what animal the logo to the left is supposed to represent, I feel like some people would respond with "cat". Maybe there would be a few "fox" responses in there, and I wouldn't rule out that "bat" might get mentioned as well. Of all of the responses, "fox" would be closest to reality, but that's the shoulder logo that will be worn on the new alternate jersey introduced by the OHL's Sudbury Wolves! Yes, it's supposed to be a wolf, but I feel like this logo fits nicely on this new jersey that Sudbury will wear this season because the entire jersey feels generic and boring. If one was re-designing a team based on those generic logos found in EA Sports' NHL Hockey franchise, this would achieve that generic feeling that those logos have, but it should be a clear message that the Sudbury Wolves may want to look elsewhere for future new jersey designs.

Some may say that there aren't a lot of options when it comes to a name like "Wolves" when coming up with an alternate logo. We've seen teams like the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves miss on a number of logos while teams like the AHL's Chicago Wolves have stayed true to their original look over their franchise's history. Sudbury Wolves fans fall into that latter group - fiercely proud of the long-serving logo of the Wolves, so one would guess that the Wolves franchise would build around that, right?

Apparently not. The above jersey is what the Wolves will wear as an alternate for the 2023-24 season. As you can see, there's no traditional Wolves logo anywhere to be found on these uniforms, but there is a whole lot of "meh".

That wordmark across the chest is a big case of "why" when there are literally hundreds of things they could have done with their logo. I guess the future is less about logos and more about wordmarks in Sudbury, but this feels like a big miss by the Wolves. I don't understand why teams who work tirelessly to have people associate a good time with their brand opt to move away from those brands and logos when they introduce something new. In any case, based on the "GOOD or DUMB" scale, the logo redesign gets a solid "DUMB".

Beyond that, there's nothing that really catches one's attention with this design. The traditional hockey stripes are good, but unremarkable. The shoulder yoke is good, but seen before. The colours are nothing new, but nothing really memorable either. The shoulder logo is altogether forgettable. I don't understand what the goal was if this is end result in this exercise, but the Wolves can claim they have an alternate jersey for this season. I just don't think I'd be making that claim if I were running the Wolves' organization.

If the future of the Sudbury Wolves look like the jerseys above, it doesn't appear to be very exciting or memorable. And while I realize that one can't judge the future of a franchise off the design of a jersey, selling merchandise helps boost that future. I don't see many of these jerseys being sold outside of hardcore fans, and that's a shame for a club that's been part of the OHL since 1972. Unless the Wolves catch fire on the ice, I wouldn't expect these jerseys to fly off the shelves.

What say you, readers - good, bad, or indifferent? Leave your comments below and we can discuss this alternate look!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!