AIK IF is the ice hockey department of the Stockholm-based multi-sport club Allmänna Idrottsklubben (AIK). The team competes in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier professional league, and plays its home games at Hovet in Stockholm [1]. Like the club’s other departments, AIK IF uses the shared AIK club crest rather than a separate hockey-specific emblem.
Design and History
The AIK club crest dates back to 1898, when the club’s board announced a competition to create a new and more unique club emblem. The competition was won by Fritz Carlsson (later Carling), an active club member who became Swedish champion for AIK in both football and athletics [2]. When Carling designed the mark, he drew inspiration from the Swedish flag [3].
The version of the crest that served as the basis for the modern mark was introduced on 4 May 1975, when the football team wore a new version of the club emblem on their shirts during an Allsvenskan match against Norrköping at Råsunda. The change was prompted by the introduction of new plastic emblems [2]. This 1975 version remained in use through the 2000s [2].
In 2022, AIK updated the crest. The new version is a refinement of the 1975 original rather than a redesign. AIK stated that the previous original had details that were too fragile for print, difficult to see on a small screen, and featured some illogical execution of line widths and spacing. The club’s goal was to create a crest that fits modern requirements while remaining as close as possible to the 1975 original [4].
Meaning and Symbolism
The crest features a shield with the initials A.I.K displayed diagonally across the front, with a castle-like structure at the top of the shield [5]. The mark includes a sun motif, whose rays emanate from the center of the sun and are evenly distributed [4]. The deep blue color of the crest is also found in the Swedish flag [3].
Typography and Design
The 2022 update included several specific refinements to the crest’s construction. Tower elements were adjusted to have the same line width, roundings and spacing, starting from a circular grid that gives all parts the same perspective. The typography of the year was changed to a typeface called AIK Numbers, which uses the same numerals fine-tuned by the font experts at Familjen. Letters and spaces in the AIK wordmark were also fine-tuned, and the scrollwork was adjusted to appear more teardrop shaped rather than angular [4].
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