Hershey Bears Celebrate 80 Years With Special Logo

The oldest team in the American Hockey League is getting set to celebrate a Giant milestone.

Based out of Hershey, Penn. since 1938 the Hershey Bears, named as an homage to an earlier local team known as the Hershey (Chocolate) B’ars (d’ya get it?), are about to enter their 80th consecutive season in, what now has long been known as the AHL. The unveiling comes 79 years to the day that the team signed on to join the International-American Hockey League on June 28, 1938.

“We feel this logo celebrates our past, and gets us ready for the excitement 2017-18 will bring,” Bears’ VP of Hockey Operations Bryan Helmer said in the official release. “We look forward to seeing our passionate fan base join us for our historic 80th Anniversary Season”.

The logo, like their primary set released in 2012, was designed by Pennsylvania’s Joe Bosack. Bosack has since taken the college scene by storm, responsible for most of the great logos to come out of the NCAA in recent years such as several Final Four and other tournament marks, Austin Peay, Cal State Northridge, UNCW Seahawks, as well as the Murray State Racers, a Creamer Award finalist in 2014.

“It’s a real thrill to work with such an iconic brand and storied franchise. Eighty seasons is an incredible accomplishment and I’m excited to have played a small role in this milestone,” Bosack told SportsLogos.Net. “The logo was specifically crafted to complement the Bears primary brand identity that we created in 2013. I’m very proud of that work and being able to carry the brand through this historic season is a great honour.”

The Hershey Bears will kick off their 80th season this October with their home opener scheduled for the 14th. The Bears will be hosting the AHL’s annual outdoor game known as the AHL Outdoor Classic at Hersheypark Stadium against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on January 28, 2018. The logo the Bears will be using for that game, also being developed by Bosack, is expected to be unveiled shortly.