EHC Olten, the Swiss ice hockey club founded in 1934 and based in the town of Olten in the canton of Solothurn, unveiled a comprehensive rebranding in May 2026. The new visual identity, launched under the motto “Alte Liebe, neue Schiene” (Old Love, New Track), replaced the “Powermouse” mascot logo that had defined the club since 1993. The redesign was implemented by the Olten-based branding agency Schmid+Wolf as part of the club’s “Strategy 2030” initiative. [1] [2]
Design and History
The current EHC Olten logo returns to the three fir trees as its central element, a symbol the club had featured prominently in earlier logos. The trees reference the geography of the region: the town of Olten, located at the southern foot of the Jura mountains, carries the fir trees in its coat of arms in reference to the three surrounding hills, Born, Säli and Engelberg. [1]
The logo also incorporates vertical lines inspired by the plough of old locomotives, which can also be read as railway tracks. This railway symbolism reflects Olten’s status as the most important junction in the Swiss rail network since the mid-19th century, a character the club says matches its values of fast, combative ice hockey, resilience and honest, down-to-earth work. [1] [2]
The logo retains the diamond (Raute) shape familiar to EHC Olten fans, with its corner points serving as a recurring graphic element throughout the new design. The club’s traditional green and white colours remain dominant, while black is newly weighted more strongly and the previous yellow accent has been removed from the brand. [1]
The Powermouse era began in 1993, when the club adopted the mascot as its logo. The decision to retire the mascot was announced in May 2025 as part of the Strategy 2030 plan, with the rebranding scheduled for completion by the 2026/27 season. [3] [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The redesign was guided by a comprehensive fan survey, which showed clearly that EHC Olten supporters wanted no animal in the logo and instead favoured the fir trees as the most prominent element. The agency Schmid+Wolf describes the new corporate design as translating the club’s strategy into a powerful symbolism, moving the brand away from a folkloristic image toward a sporty-regional identity. [1] [2] [5]
The new black accent colour, internally referred to as “Industrial Black,” is described by the agency as giving the identity a reduced, modern character. The abbreviation EHCO, established as a brand, is used as the wordmark in the logo. [2] [1]
Typography and Design
The rebranding includes a new house typeface used across the club’s communications. The logo itself features the EHCO abbreviation as its wordmark, set in the new typography. The club states that the new typeface and lettering give the identity a reduced, modern character. [1]
The new identity was rolled out across all communication channels, including a new website, physical advertising materials, and eventually new merchandise and jerseys. The team wears the new logo along with the coat of arms of the canton of Solothurn on its jerseys. [2] [6]
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