Since the beginning of the 1996-97 season at Joe Louis Arena and continuing into Little Caesars Arena, center ice at the home of the Detroit Red Wings has featured the legendary Winged Wheel with “Hockeytown” draped across it.
It appears as though the team has decided to turn the page on that.
New photos have emerged from the newly installed ice surface at Little Caesars Arena, and while the Winged Wheel remains, “Hockeytown” is no longer written over it.
No updates from the #RedWings on the HOCKEYTOWN script missing at Little Caesars Arena https://t.co/nSGDVj11a2
— Chris Zadorozny 🇺🇦 (@Zads77) August 24, 2018
In a team statement that was released, the Red Wings indeed confirmed they were moving on from that moniker.
“The ice surface has been installed at Little Caesars Arena in preparation for the 2018-19 Detroit Red Wings season. At center ice, we will debut a fresh, new look: the Winged Wheel, one of the most iconic logos in professional sports, will be prominently featured. Also, in the coming days, several new initiatives that celebrate the fans and passion of Hockeytown are scheduled to be announced,” the statement read.
The moniker was originally filed for trademark in 1995 and officially registered in June of 1998. It was renewed in January of 2009 for 10 years, meaning that the renewal will officially expire in 2019. However, the team has evidently decided to make the change now.
There’s no word on whether or not the Hockeytown Cafe in downtown Detroit will be changing names along with the new-look center ice.
Is this an appropriate change, or would you prefer the logo to remain the same as it has for 20 years now?
