Buckle Up! NHL Unveils 2020 Winter Classic Logo in Dallas

The 2020 NHL Winter Classic logo was unveiled this afternoon via an article on NHL.com about an hour before a press conference regarding the event.

Designed by Fanbrandz out of New Jersey, the logo is based off of a belt buckle, a fashion accessory traditionally associated with Texans, cowboys, and Texan cowboys.

“As you start going through this process, we collectively brainstorm and discuss, ‘What makes the most sense for this event, this location, without being too whimsical?'”, said Paul Conway, the NHL’s VP of creative services to NHL.com. “You want to be careful not to be too predictable on a certain level. You want to make sure it comes across and feels like it’s part of the Winter Classic brand, yet still feel unique. But everything certainly takes form and takes root in that early development.”

Showing up the National Football League and its jewel event, the Super Bowl, the NHL once again schools on how to apply a templated design to a single event but still make it seem fresh from year-to-year. They do the same with their annual draft.

As you can see in the graphic above, it’s clear that these logos all belong to the same event, to the same league, they’re all part of the same family, but they each feel different enough that the individual logos can stand apart on their own.

The 2020 NHL Winter Classic will be held at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas on January 1, 2020 between the host Stars and the Nashville Predators; it’s the first Winter Classic to be played south (or west) of St. Louis and the first outdoor game by either the Preds and Stars franchises.

Complete NHL Winter Classic Logo History (2008-2019)