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karey · 07-25-2023, 06:13 PM

Branding History

One of my favourite aspects upon returning to the SHL after a 3-year hiatus was the continued representation of many of my various designs throughout the site. From custom signatures for members with long-retired players to avatars and gifs, the area that fills me with the most pride is my logo and branding contributions. It all began with a concept for the Seattle Riot , a brand that now resides in distant memory. While the logo was never officially adopted, its warm reception inspired a challenge to design new logos for the SHL. That's when I decided to explore refreshing the Detroit logo.

Frustrated with the initial logo's width, I submitted a logo in the LR to test the waters. This logo was born out of boredom during an internetless plane trip from Vancouver to Calgary for a friend's wedding. To my surprise, it was an instant hit, quickly becoming the new Detroit brand.

The pleasure of rebranding the Edmonton Blizzard followed —an initial logo I despised due to its low resolution and not being unique to the league. I proposed a refreshing new look for this iconic team. My journey continued as I worked with Manhattan to rework their Rage logo and collaborated with Joe and NOLA on their brand-new Spectors team. Finally, having made my way around the league, I received a DM from @Evok.

Evok had been given the green light to spearhead a new SMJHL team in an expansion effort. It quickly became evident league-wide that Evok, a Quebecois herself, was planning to utilize the 18,000-capacity area already built for her new team in Quebec City, Quebec. Despite its proximity to Montreal, the appetite for a team in the area made this an obvious and celebrated decision. Evok's determination didn't stop there; she was focused on creating a culture and a team that would not only represent Quebec but also celebrate its people and history.

And thus, the Quebec City Citadelles were born, a name blending the city's rich history and its significance in shaping Canada's military heritage, all while upholding the team's values of strength and unity.

Evok's Vision:
The City: “There was no doubt in my mind, when i choose to apply for a SMJHL team, that it would be in the Quebec Province. I was not sure exactly which city, as there's many great city in the province, such as Gatineau, Montreal, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and so on. I was inclined to pick my (almost) hometown, Montreal, but knew of it's history in the SMJHL. On one hand, i wanted to see Montreal in the big league, and on the other, i wanted a fresh start. I wanted a city that never had a SMJHL franchise and something that could easily be located on a map. Quebec City was the perfect choice. It's the capital of the province, home to 500,000 people and ready to enter the league.”

The Name

“Quebec City holds a lot of history and inspiration for a team name. There's, however, a name that always resonated to me and that's the first i proposed during my application. Quebec City has the oldest military installation in Canada, situated atop Cap Diamant. Adjoining the Plains of Abraham, it's part of the fortification of Quebec. The Citadelle of Quebec is a National Historic site of Canada and was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1985. It's by reviewing Quebec City History that the name struck. The Quebec City Citadelles. I understand it's the name of a team that existed in the AHL. I'm not going to claim it's totally unique, but it won't be a first time in the SHL that a name already existed in the past or currently exist.”

The Brand

Evok and I began discussing the team's logo, and she was clear about one thing: the snowy owl would represent the brand. The snowy owl holds significant cultural importance to Quebec, standing as a majestic and iconic symbol of the province's heritage. It is prominently featured in Quebecois art, literature, and folklore.

And that's all I needed to know. With the snowy owl as our emblem, we set out on a journey to create a team that would honor Quebec's rich heritage and build a future united in strength and pride.

Inspiration

[Image: 35808258-Snowy_Landing-1200x800.jpg]

[Image: 35808258-Snowy_Landing-1200x800.jpg]

[Image: musee-royal-22e-regiment-01.jpg]

Concepts

Using the shape of the Citadelle and merging it with a snowy owl in flight. There were many discussions about what the colours should be. The initial idea was Blue and Yellow but I found that it resembled Edmonton too closely (even though Colorado stole that identity and made it magically their own). Next, we were set on Red and Blue but eventually found that a bright pink not only stood out but balanced the historical legacy of the team with a modern refresh.

[Image: Screenshot_2023-07-25_at_3.12.17_PM.png?...eight=1188]

[Image: Screenshot_2023-07-25_at_3.12.17_PM.png?...eight=1188]

[Image: Screen_Shot_2020-06-13_at_11.25.52_PM.png]

Final Look:
[Image: S6VKait.png]

The Legacy
The vision of Evok and the hope from my contributions have come to fruition. The Quebec City Citadelles have successfully become an iconic team, with an iconic name, colour scheme, and logo. They have won 2 Four Star Cups, led the league in points twice, and have just seen countless players enter the SHL, including a first-overall selection this year.

*CptSquall* · 07-27-2023, 12:36 PM

Approved, +5 TPE to @karey

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