Rethink the Muskies logo

January 10, 2019 · 0 Comments

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There are many big problems in the world and this rant is about the logo of a amateur hockey team.

This is not a big problem, but it annoys me. I now live in the Boston area of the USA but I grew up in Shelburne, Ontario, Canada. My Mom still lives in Shelburne.

Hockey was big in Shelburne and probably still is. When I was a kid, the town men’s hockey team was a big deal. On Friday nights during the 1960s the arena would be filled as the townspeople came out to watch the Shelburne team play other local teams.

Games against Honeywood were especially a big deal. Shelburne usually had a good team as did Honeywood. My Dad played hockey for the Shelburne team in the 1950s and later was the coach. I only was a volunteer ticket taker for a time. I remember when the team chose the name “Muskies” sometime in the 1960s. They would be known as the Shelburne Muskies. I recently looked up how the Shelburne Muskies were doing in the WOAA Senior AA league. I was pleased to see that they still have a competitive team, but I was taken aback by the team’s logo – a fish (presumably a muskellunge) holding a hockey stick!

My recollection from the time that the Shelburne hockey team adopted the name “Muskies” was that it was based on the famed northern Musk Ox. The Musk Ox always exudes strength and teamwork. When Musk Ox are challenged they will work together to form a circular defensive team that will withstand any attack. These are the qualities of any great team. On the other hand, a muskellunge is a loner – not a team player. Check out the image of the Musk Ox in their defensive circle. Very impressive!

I think that somewhere along the line, the original thinking about the Muskies name was forgotten. Somebody must have thought that it was about the fish instead of the animal.

I have not lived in Shelburne in years and I do not know anyone associated with the hockey team, but hopefully somebody might read this rant might know such a person. I think that the team should rethink its logo and correct this image error and get a logo much better suited to a good hockey team.

Steve McKelvie