The NHL shield went from orange to silver — an homage to hockey’s greatest trophy.

The NHL’s logo is a shield containing the block letters “NHL” set at an angle across a diagonal, sash-like stripe. The current mark dates to a 2005 redesign, unveiled when the league returned from the 2004–05 lockout: it kept the historic shield shape but shifted the dominant colour from orange to a modern silver/gunmetal with black, tilted and given a metallic frame. Per the NHL’s own release, the silver is a deliberate homage to the sterling silver of the Stanley Cup. The previous mark — a black shield with orange “NHL” lettering — had been standardised back in 1946, while the shield shape traces to the founding era. (The wordmark’s typeface is undocumented; and the metallic silver is a gradient, not a flat swatch, so any hex — black, ~#A2AAAD silver — is approximate.)

The NHL was founded on 26 November 1917 in Montreal, succeeding the National Hockey Association. Its greatest symbol isn’t the shield, though — it’s the Stanley Cup, the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes in North America, and one that predates the league by about 25 years: it was donated by Governor General Lord Stanley in 1892 and first awarded in 1893, so it is emphatically not an NHL invention. The league today has 32 teams; the celebrated “Original Six” era (1942–1967) featured the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Bruins, Red Wings, Blackhawks and Rangers (though only two of them are actual NHL charter members, so “Original Six” is really a nickname for that era). The NHL is an association of member clubs run by a Commissioner — Gary Bettman, the league’s first-ever commissioner, since 1993.

The NHL lives in black and silver. Click a swatch to copy the hex.

The NHL’s modern palette is black and silver/metallic — sleek, premium and cool, with the silver explicitly referencing the Stanley Cup’s sterling silver (a lovely, meaningful choice). Historically the league was black and orange, and that orange survives as a heritage nod. The metallic silver-and-black reads as tough, modern and prestigious, matching a fast, hard-hitting sport and its gleaming trophy. The honest caveat: the NHL doesn’t publish an official flat hex for the metallic silver (it’s a gradient/gunmetal), so treat any values — black around #000000, silver around #A2AAAD — as approximate. The black-and-silver shield is the ownable core, tied directly to the Cup.

The lesson is a palette rooted in a meaningful reference. The NHL’s silver isn’t arbitrary — it deliberately evokes the Stanley Cup, tying the league’s modern identity to its most sacred symbol. For designers, it’s a reminder that colour can carry meaning and heritage: choosing a silver that references the sport’s greatest trophy gives the palette depth and story. The takeaways: root a palette in a meaningful reference where you can (the Cup’s silver); use tone and finish (metallic, gunmetal) to signal premium, modern positioning; and treat specific hexes as approximate when the brand colour is a gradient rather than a flat swatch.

The wordmark is a sporty, angular sans — speed and edge.

The NHL’s angular, sporty wordmark — the “NHL” tilted across the shield’s diagonal — conveys speed, motion and edge, exactly matching the fastest of the major team sports. The italic-like slant suggests forward momentum (a puck flying, a skater accelerating), and the strong, modern letterforms read as tough and dynamic. Set in the silver-and-black shield, the wordmark feels premium and athletic at once. The 2005 redesign modernised the whole mark for a contemporary, TV-friendly look while keeping the historic shield shape. (Because the exact face is undocumented, the honest description is “a sporty, angular sans,” not a named font.) The typography behaves like the sport: fast, sharp and full of motion — a wordmark built for a game of speed.

The NHL’s identity honours a trophy older than the NHL itself.

The NHL is a lesson in honouring heritage that predates the brand. The league’s modern silver shield deliberately references the Stanley Cup — a trophy that is older than the NHL itself (1892 vs. 1917) and is regarded as the most storied prize in the sport. By tying its identity to the Cup, the NHL connects itself to more than a century of hockey history, much of it predating the league, and signals reverence for the game’s traditions. It’s a smart move: the Cup carries far more emotional weight than any logo, so linking the brand’s silver to it borrows that gravity and meaning.

For designers and brand-builders, the NHL offers a clear takeaway: a brand can draw strength from heritage larger and older than itself. The lessons: tying your identity to a revered, pre-existing symbol (the Stanley Cup) can lend your brand depth, meaning and emotional weight; a considered colour choice (silver referencing the Cup) makes the connection tangible; and modernising a heritage mark (the 2005 shield) can keep it contemporary without severing its roots. It’s also a reminder to keep the history precise — the current shield is a 2005 redesign, the league was founded in 1917 in Montreal, the Stanley Cup dates to 1892 and predates the NHL, and “Original Six” is a nickname for the 1942–67 era, not the six founding franchises. The NHL turned its logo’s silver into a tribute to a trophy older than the league — proof that honouring deep heritage can enrich a brand’s identity.

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