Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind the NHL's Names, Logos, and Uniforms

by Chris Creamer, Todd Radom, Lanny McDonald (Foreword)

An in-depth look into the origins of how each NHL team was named, received their logo and design, with interviews by those responsible. Written by those most knowledgeable, you'll learn why every hockey team to every play in the National Hockey League looks the way it does.

Nothing unites or divides a random assortment of strangers quite like the hockey team for which they cheer. The passion they hold within them for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Boston Bruins allows them to look past any differences which would have otherwise disrupted a perfectly fine Thanksgiving dinner and channels it into a powerful, shared admiration for their team.

We decorate our lives with their logos, stock our wardrobe with their jerseys, and, in some cases, even tattoo our bodies with their iconography and colors. They’re so ingrained in our lives we don’t even think to ask ourselves why Los Angeles celebrates royalty; why Buffalo cheers for not one, but two massive cavalry swords; or why the Broadway Blueshirts named themselves for a law enforcement agency in Texas (or why they even wear blue shirts, for that matter).

All that and more is explored in Fabric of the Game , authored by two of the sports world’s leading experts in team branding and Chris Creamer and Todd Radom. Tapping into their vast knowledge of the whys and hows, Creamer and Radom explore and share the origin stories behind these and more, talking directly to those involved in the decision processes and designs of the National Hockey League’s team names, logos, and uniforms, pouring through historical accounts to find and deliver the answers to these questions. Learn more about the historied Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, as well as the lost but not forgotten Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques, all the way to the lesser-known Kansas City Scouts and Philadelphia Quakers. Whichever team you pledge allegiance, Fabric of the Game covers them in-depth with research and knowledge for any hockey fan to enjoy.

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Nonfiction, History

280 pages, Hardcover

Published November 3, 2020

Reviews

[Phil Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolute joy for jersey nerds. Would have liked to have seen more visuals of logos and uniforms, but the stories for each team are intriguing and satisfying.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

In FABRIC OF THE GAME, Chris Creamer and Todd Radom provide a brief overview of each NHL team as well as how they came to their name and the evolution of their on-ice look.

As a self-proclaimed jersey and sports logo geek, I jumped at the chance to grab this when I discovered it. FABRIC OF THE GAME contains a sizeable amount of both hockey history and trivia (the Pittsburgh Penguins once considering the name "The Pussycats" had me laughing out loud) that would satisfy both hardcore and casual fans alike.

Want to know the alternate names considered for just about every NHL franchise? This book has you covered. Want to know what went into selecting club colors and logos? It's all here. What about alternate names and the results of "name the team" letter writing campaigns (it seems like almost every franchise considered "The Blades" - a name that has never come to fruition). You got it.

The only thing it doesn't have are enough photos. Even if they are only subtle differences, each team has a rich history of uniforms that have been either tweaked or outright redesigned over the years and while the pictures contained within are great, there simply aren't enough of them.

I can't say I was disappointed overall, despite my complaint above, as the authors worked hard to uncover a treasure trove of information here. This is very much a coffee table book and not one most people will sit down and read from cover to cover (well, maybe except me), so be prepared if you do decide to do that, that some of the subject matter may wash over you as each team section is very much laid out the same.

[David Hallstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sports fans have emotional attachments to their favorite teams and to their teams’ logos. No sport has more classic uniforms and logos than does baseball. But no sport has more classic and fun uniforms and logos than does hockey. Two top sport designers, Chris Creamer and Todd Radom, have combined to present the authoritative guide to the name, logo and uniform of 47 NHL teams, including the 2021 expansion Seattle Kraken.

You can learn which franchise had a logo designed by a teenager, which ones had logos designed by owners or family members, which ones brought in professional designers, which franchises changed course once their announced names were rejected by their fans and which franchise’s first GM hated the team name so much the home and road uniforms bore only the city name for their inaugural season.

If like me you can remember the Kansas City Scouts but not their uniforms, Creamer and Radom have you covered. If you are looking for a guide to the California Seals/Cleveland Barons/Minnesota North Stars/San Jose Sharks/Dallas Stars mashup, Radom has created a “family” tree (p. 71).
The Boston Bruins original colors were brown and yellow? Check. The Detroit Red Wings logo is a variation of the Montreal Wanderers (first winner of the Stanley Cup)? Check. The New York Americans changed their name to the Brooklyn Americans (while still playing at MSG)? Check.
I could go on and on but will not give away all of the spoilers.

This is a fascinating read and, as should be expected from two designers, a beautifully designed book filled with pictures of original sweaters in the Hall of Fame, rich color photographs and original illustrations.

This is an all-around enjoyable read and a book I will return to many times over the years as I memorize the rich history of the league and the look of the league.

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-researched, informative, interesting, and aesthetically-pleasing book. I am much more educated on the history of the NHL, its franchises, and their logos and uniforms than I was before. Overall, I found this book to be an excellent resource that I read cover-to-cover.

My only critique is that I think it could have been formatted better. Instead of organizing it in alphabetical order, perhaps Creamer and Radom should have put it in chronological order by date of each franchise's founding. In the current alphabetical format, readers sometimes learn about the various iterations of a team out of chronological order. A chronological format would keep better historical continuity and context. When treated as a coffee table book, this critique doesn't matter as much, though.

[Lewis M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a frequent visitor to Chris Creamers site over the years looking at logos and uniforms. This book doesn't do justice to the work that his site has archived. There are too few pictures in many cases (not one Las Vegas Knights jersey?) and sometimes a sad representation of the jerseys that are available to see. The stories are clever in some cases although it is hard to see why some teams made it in with their own chapter (Hamilton Tigers) and others merely fold into the main team page (Toronto Arenas and St. Pats fall within the Leafs).

I so wanted to get more out of this book, but I will have to settle for the site.

[Terry Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-researched exploration of North America professional hockey's logos and uniforms. Some of the stories of team origins and the design process are simply priceless. Each team's visual history is accompanied with some excellent photos. I often wished for more images and illustrations, so that is the sole shortcoming of this book.

[Barry Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have liked more photos

[Jared Postal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creamer’s and Radom’s “Fabric of The Game” is about the origins of all names, logos, and uniforms for all the teams in the NHL. The authors go into extensive detail describing the thought process behind each team’s unique identity from the beginning of the league’s existence all the way to the present time. There is no better book that brings together history about every NHL team and tells the story of why their appearance is the way that it is.

The authors' purpose of the book was very evident, they wanted to inform all hockey lovers about the history of their favorite team’s presence. Every team has its own unique logo, colors, and appearance. This book clearly outlines the design process of every team and how their uniforms have evolved over time. This book is most definitely targeted towards any NHL fan or those who share an interest in the sport of hockey. It unites all hockey fans together as every NHL team that has ever existed is mentioned in the book. The greatest value of the book is that it goes into the exquisite detail of the history of each franchise sharing the meaning behind the team’s identities. The facts are extremely accurate as Creamer is an expert in sports logos and uniforms and is made evident by the superior way he explained each team. This book was a fascinating read and it most definitely held my attention. There were constant photos and sketches provided throughout the book which showed the development of the logo and branding of each team. This kept me intrigued and made everything all the easier to understand since there were photos to go along with the explanation and analysis. The photos also made the pages pop with bright-colored uniforms shown to admire.

I think this book would be enjoyed by most people and especially by any sports fan. It provides knowledge about the sport of hockey diving while sharing facts about jerseys and logos that you would have never thought of. While reading this book I learned more than I could have ever imagined. I consider myself very knowledgeable about the history of the NHL, but I did not know a lot of the meaning behind every team’s name, logo, and uniform. It was all extremely captivating and as someone who hates reading, I could not take my eyes off the page. This is a book that I am happy I now own as it is something to read time and time again. I will most definitely be revisiting this read. The authors did an outstanding job of making this an enjoyable read and I would love to see some of their other works. While I am sure no other book could have me interested, since this was about hockey, I am sure it is worth looking into some of their other sports-related content. My favorite part of the book was the section about my favorite hockey team the Washington Capitals. While I already knew most of the content in this section, it was nice to relearn it all while looking at the images of their logo and jersey progression.

All in all, this was a great read and I highly recommend this book to any die-hard hockey fan or avid sports fan. People are calling this the best hockey book of all time and I would not hesitate to agree. Getting to see all the colorful photos of the jerseys alone makes the purchase worthwhile. Along with that is an immense amount of hockey history and knowledge about each team cumulated into one awesome book.

[Michael P · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm part of a subset of sports fans who are into the appreciation of sports uniforms and logos. This book is proving to be a must-have for that group, especially those who are big hockey fans.

"Fabric of the Game" covers the evolution of hockey uniforms in the NHL, going team-by-team (including defunct franchises), explaining each franchise's sartorial history. Actually, it starts out with the teams' history on the ice, followed by the processes by which the team name was selected, and then, of course, how the team's on-ice look developed over the years.

The book is authored by a couple of people well-known in the sports logo realm: Chris Creamer is the creator and operator of sportslogos.net, a logo encyclopedia and news site; and Todd Radom, is a well-know designer of logos and uniforms for major- and minor-league teams.

This book is a little different because it's not the kind you necessarily read all the way through (although I did do that for this review), but more of a reference book where you can jump around the chapters to find out any information.

The copy inside is very informative and there are plenty of good photos, pretty much all of which have a good view of a team's hockey "sweater" and the logo on it. There are also good artist's renderings of some of the old-time sweaters of which real photos are scarce. On a few occasions, there are even prototype logos during the development process that the respective team didn't use.

There were a few spots in the book where an additional photo might have been a good idea when certain jersey or logo ideas were described in the copy, but overall Creamer and Radom do an excellent job of explaining the thinking behind the visual identity of every NHL team past, present and even future (yes, the new Seattle Kraken are included). And the visually stimulated reader will also enjoy the collage of hockey sweaters on the cover and the front and back inside covers.

In short, this is a must for the fan who enjoys the team's look as much as its performance.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book for true hockey fans, especially those with an interest in names and logos. Non hockey fans will quickly bog down in the individual team’s history, especially when it comes to colors , logos, and names. Where did your hockey team come from, why does the team logo resonate, or not, with fans, and what is the history of why your team has the name it wears on its Jersey. Hockey, as in most sports, has shifted locations, names, logos, and the history of each is fascinating. This is a coffee table book, and even true fans may find themselves reading only sections about their favorite or best known teams. It’s worth the time to read, as some of the trivia provided for each team, can be laugh out loud funny. My only negative is that there aren’t enough photos. There are lots of good photos for each team, but there is such varied looks in logos, colors, and names that aren’t shown in pictures.

If you only want to know about your team or specific teams, the book layout makes it easy. Each team is covered in alphabetical order by the team location starting with the Aneheim Mighty Ducks through the Winnipeg Jets. In this progression, you will find teams who only existed for short times, were relocated, or changed in other ways. Fun and fascinating, a hockey fan, or curious reader, will enjoy this book.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does include a brief history of every NHL team, current and past, which is interesting. The cover might lead you to believe you will see all, or most, of the team sweaters through the years, but you would be wrong. Lots of them are just described by the authors. I guess they couldn't find the time to either track down a photo or sketch, or didn't want to share their fee to pay to have a graphics person create them. The book is written at about a 4th grade level, with the occasional lame attempt to be clever. Again, I'm guessing they didn't want to pay for an editor. Maybe half the photos are captioned with who is in them. I can't even guess why you wouldn't identify the players. All in all, this book was a disappointment. Definitely glad I got it from the library and didn't spend my own money on it.

[Alex Baron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have wanted a book like this to exist for several years now and I am very happy that it now does. I was even working on my own book draft, primarily focused on the naming of NHL teams. I think that this book does an excellent job of telling the stories of NHL teams and their identities. There were a few things I wished they included, namely more pictures or better views of logos. No mention of Vancouver’s Johnny Canuck logo and no image of pucky the whale for Hartford as an example. They also didn’t mention the current debate surrounding the Blackhawks name and logo regarding cultural appropriation, which I think is a glaring omission. Otherwise I think this book is great for any sports fan that loves reading about team names and logos.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I have wanted a book like this to exist for several years now. Every sport should have one. It dives into the history and visual identities of every single NHL team to ever exist, even those that were defunct after only 1 year (sorry, Cleveland). I found out a few things that go in to design of uniforms, whether it was a reason for particular colors or subtle additions to a logo. I thought the potential/rejected names for each team was particularly funny (Hello, Washington Watergate Bugs). I wish the book included more visuals on some of the earlier uniforms teams used that did not survive.

[Glen House · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book for my son and I to read together. He is so into NHL team uniforms and asks questions about the teams all of the time. I saw this and knew it would be a fun read for us. We would read a chapter a night over a few months time. The book does a really nice job of telling the history of all present and past NHL teams. It goes into detail about how the teams were created, a little of their history, and the history of their names, logos, and uniforms. Each chapter is somewhat repetitive, but interesting nonetheless. If you are an NHL fan or a fan of uniforms and team history, you should check this book out.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those books that I read a little bit at bedtime every once in a while, perfect for that. Hockey jerseys, sorry sweaters, are my favorite sports uniform type and this was a gift from a friend who knew that. Overall, I liked it but as many others have said; but it could have used some more photos or logos. Sometimes a bit too much snark or cutesy nicknames for some logos as well. But I like it and would recommend it for any hockey fan who is interested in learning how teams got their names, logos and color schemes.

[Trevor Raichura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and entertaining. Nice pictures and graphics. It would have been better with a little more consistency from team to team. Perhaps it was hard to get the same types of graphics for each team, but some of them really lacked. Some had written descriptions of uniforms (or logos) that could not be viewed in the book. That was too bad. Also, the Leafs got the most attention (10 pages) for what it's worth. Kind of makes sense but that is not enough to satisfy the world of Leafs haters out there, haha.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book for the Hockey fan. History of the teams, their sweaters, their beginnings, how the teams were named, and random player information. It even covers now defunct teams. There are some cool facts throughout the book that are new to me. Lots of great photos although many of them do not list who the player is so if you are a casual fan, you probably have no clue who they are. That said there should have been more photos of the sweaters. A little inconsistent on the amount of coverage of each team.

[Zach Schiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting book that's more of a coffee table book than a sit-down-and-read this book. Not nearly enough photos - they spend a whole section on the Cleveland Barons' intricate logo, and then show one picture where you can't even see the crest of the jersey to tell what they logo is. So much white space in the book is wasted when they talk about all these jerseys and then you can't even see what they mean.

And every team, at one point or another, had people wanting to name them the Blades.

[Аркула · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great read for every NHL fan, from casuals to hardcores, full of interesting stories, facts and photos. Its very well researched and goes in detail not just about the current NHL franchises, but every team that has ever played in the league. The authors did a great job, the only objection I have is the somewhat repetitive way of writing about every team (but that is justifiable by the concept of the book) and a lack of even more photos - I think the book of this type needed a greater amount of them.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is an in-depth look at every team in NHL history and their uniform styles. A quick summary of the team's history is followed by the origin of the name and then the design choices behind the logo and jerseys. They do a great job of covering the specifics (noting the designers when possible), and give good coverage to the older defunct teams as well. It is heavy on text though, and while there are plenty of images to demonstrate things, more would certainly have been welcome.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm partial to history and hockey, so I enjoyed reading this book very much. As the cliche goes, you learn something new every day, and reading this book I continued to learn about the history of the game of hockey and its teams past and present. A must read for the passionate history and hockey fan.

[Scott Eggerding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun read! Not only a history of sweaters, but really a history of the business of the league from expansion to moving to new markets. I even ordered a replica sweater from the St Louis Eagles.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book. A very interesting premise and very well executed.

One thing that I would offer as a criticism or correction for future printings is the it is the Stanley Cup Final. Not Finals. Made me cringe everytime I read 'Finals'.

[Jacob Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very formulaic and surface level writing. Was hoping for a more comprehensive historical deep dive.

Barely includes picture examples of a lot of the jerseys and logos and the pictures that are included are bizarre.

[Jeffrey Birk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and found out a few things that go in to design of uniforms, whether it was a reason for particular colors or subtle additions to a logo. I wish the book included more pictures.

[lois eibl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great history of the uniforms and teams of the NHL.

[brick · Rating 3 out of 5]

could’ve used more pictures but i know a lot more about the NHL than i did before reading this so

[Brett Thurbon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book, lots of information I never knew! Highly recommended to anyone who follows Ice Hockey!

[Avrysports · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love at how deep the book goes into the histories of every NHL team's logo and brand.

[Andrew Wight · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cool visual history of the NHL but the team-specific articles aren’t the most exciting reads. Definitely a good book for a coffee table or something.