The Maple Leafs will reportedly "sport a redesigned symbol and uniform" for the '16-17 NHL season, according to Ben Spurr of the TORONTO STAR. A SportsLogos.net report yesterday cited sources as saying that the team "will have an 'entirely new' logo and jersey next year." It would mark the "first time" since '70 that the club has made "substantial changes to its iconic crest." The makeover would "coincide with celebrations of the team’s 100th anniversary." An MLSE spokesperson "would neither confirm nor deny the report." SportsLogos.net's Chris Creamer said that he "doesn't know what the new logo will look like, but his sources have told him it will be a 'blend of the past, the present and the future'" (TORONTO STAR, 12/14). In Toronto, Kevin McGran reports the Maple Leafs are "believed to be considering using eight of their historic logos at some point next season, including a green Toronto St. Patricks jersey," a nod to the team's identity from '19-27. MLSE Senior Dir of Communications Dave Haggith said, "Centennial plans will be announced in the New Year" (TORONTO STAR, 12/14).
FASHION STATEMENT: CBSSPORTS.com's Chris Peters wrote the current Maple Leafs uniforms are "some of the best in the league probably because of their mostly basic look with that iconic Toronto blue." But the Leafs have "never won a Stanley Cup in their current uniforms, or even in their current logo," so "perhaps it is time to move on anyway." Additionally, the possible repositioning of the brand "comes just ahead of the NHL's first year with Adidas as its official jersey provider" (CBSSPORTS.com, 12/13).
