Düsseldorfer EG, commonly abbreviated as DEG, is an ice hockey club based in Düsseldorf, Germany, competing in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). The club was founded on November 8, 1935 as Düsseldorfer Eislauf-Gemeinschaft.[1] Its traditional club colors are red and yellow.[2]
Design and History
The DEG visual identity centers on the lion, a heraldic symbol drawn from the city of Düsseldorf’s coat of arms. The Düsseldorf city crest features the Bergisch Lion, a red, double-tailed lion holding an anchor, symbolizing the city’s location on the Rhine.[3] The lion has long been a fixture in the club’s emblem, and it remains the prominent figure in the current DEG logo.[4]
The most significant visual change in the club’s history came in 2002. On March 1 of that year, the club was renamed DEG Metro Stars after its main sponsor, the Metro retail group.[5] The new identity replaced the traditional lion with a star emblem featuring the Metro wordmark, while the lion was relegated to a small corner of the design.[1] This star served as the official club crest from 2002 until 2012.[5]
In 2012, the club reversed course. Following a financial rescue and restructuring, the DEG brought back its old logo, described at the time as “the old and at the same time new logo” of the ice hockey club.[6] The Metro star was removed from the arena facade and replaced with the traditional mark.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The lion in the DEG logo is directly tied to Düsseldorf’s civic heraldry. The Bergisch Lion has been the heraldic animal of the city since the 14th century, when it appeared on the seal of the city founder, Count Adolf V of Berg.[7] The club’s use of the lion connects its identity to the city’s historical emblem.
The lion’s prominence in the DEG identity was demonstrated in February 2020, when the club and its rival Kölner Haie both removed their heraldic animals from their logos for a derby match to raise awareness for endangered species. The DEG played with a special jersey on which the lion was absent from the logo.[4]
In October 2020, for the club’s 85th anniversary, the DEG presented new home, away, and alternate jerseys in red, yellow, and green respectively. All three jerseys featured various logos from the club’s history, with the Bergisch Lion prominently displayed on the front and an “85” marking on the collar.[8]
Typography and Design
For the 2024/25 season, the DEG introduced a new black home jersey, a departure from the traditional red. The club stated that its logo “shines in a new, dynamic black-red look, combining tradition with a modern twist.”[9] The jersey also featured the Düsseldorf city coat of arms at the collar.[9]
On the club’s jerseys, the DEG logo has been positioned in different places over the years. In one recent design, the logo was moved to the chest, with the Düsseldorf lion and the slogan “Im Herzen Eins” (One at Heart) placed below the main sponsor’s logo.[10]
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