The Maine Mariners are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL based in Portland, Maine, playing home games at Cross Insurance Arena. The franchise adopted the Mariners name, which had previously been used by an American Hockey League team in Portland from 1977 to 1992, when the new ECHL club was announced in September 2017.[1]
Design and History
The Maine Mariners revealed their primary logo and color scheme at a press conference at Cross Insurance Arena on November 29, 2017.[2] The logo was designed by Big Room Studios, a Portland, Maine-based creative firm that was selected in October 2017 to create the team’s primary and secondary logos.[3] Tim Mateosian, founder of Big Room Studios, said the firm was excited to work alongside the Mariners on the design.[3]
The primary mark combines a white and silver “M” trimmed in blue with a trident shaped like an “E,” so the two elements together form “ME,” the postal abbreviation for Maine.[2] The team’s colors were described as a nod to “the salty blue sea and the luscious forestry that covers much of the state.”[2] The color scheme marked a departure from the black and orange worn by the original AHL Mariners teams in Portland.[4]
Designers from Big Room Studios said the logo was inspired by the old look while giving the new team a distinct identity.[4] The original AHL Mariners logo, a block “M” with a ship’s steering wheel, has been incorporated into the modern team’s branding as a secondary mark, including on the right shoulder patch of the blue and white jerseys and on alternate jerseys.[5][6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The team has documented several hidden elements within the primary logo:[7]
- The Lighthouse: Maine is home to 65 historical lighthouses along its shore, structures that help guide mariners to safety.[2]
- The Dirigo Star: Dirigo is the state motto, Latin for “I lead.” The star appears within the logo.[2]
- ME: The “M” and trident form “ME,” the abbreviation for Maine.[2]
- Pine Tree: The center spear of the trident features small evergreens, paying homage to Maine’s nickname, the Pine Tree State.[2]
Danny Briere, the team’s vice president of hockey operations at the time of the reveal, said the organization worked with Big Room Studios “to create a strong representation of Maine.”[2]
Typography and Design
The primary logo pairs a stylized “M” with a trident that forms the letter “E.” The trident includes green highlights, and the “M” is rendered in white and silver trimmed in blue.[8] The team’s official colors are blue, green, and silver.[2] The inaugural jerseys, unveiled in June 2018, featured the primary logo on the chest of each uniform.[5]
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