Vancouver’s professional lacrosse team has a new name and logo, the team’s new owners announced this afternoon.
Known as the Stealth since their days in San Jose beginning in 2002 and continuing on with the name in Everett, Washington from 2009-2013, the Western Canadian National Lacrosse League team decided it was finally time for a name all their own for the 2019 season.
Introducing, the Vancouver Warriors.
“In choosing the name, we wanted to land on an identity that honoured the legacy of lacrosse in our province,” said Jeff Stipec, COO of Canucks Sports & Entertainment, the team’s new ownership group, in the official press release. “It was also important for us to have a name that incited feelings of strength and excitement to accompany the dynamic atmosphere at NLL games.”
“The First Nations people have played the game for centuries, and as the sport evolved, so did its purpose”, read an explanation on the official team site. “It became a stage of strength and glory, where the noble would showcase their unprecedented athletic prowess. The bravest would be deemed protectors of their people, their communities — and remembered in Indigenous tales, respectfully, as Warriors.”
The logo itself is a shield, “an unbreakable symbol of togetherness and community” and contains three forged stripes in gold and “bone” white to form a V/W monogram – the three lines represent athleticism, protection, and strength, traits embodied by the traditional warriors of the Vancouver region. At the top of the logo is the North Star, which can be found each night atop the skies of Vancouver.
“Bone” white, gold, and “Night Sky” black are the official team colours.
The Warriors mark the third team name to represent Vancouver in the National Lacrosse League, the first franchise was the Ravens who played in the B.C. city for a handful of seasons from 2001-04, the Stealth came into town in 2014 before rebranding this afternoon as the Warriors for 2019.
Vancouver will play their first game as the Warriors on December 8th at Rogers Arena in Vancouver against the Toronto Rock.
