The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Ontario, Canada, with member teams also located in the United States. The league’s visual identity is built around a stylized “OHL” wordmark that has remained in continuous use since the early 1980s.
Design and History
The OHL adopted its current name prior to the 1981-82 season, having previously operated as the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) since 1974. The league’s logo was introduced in 1981, coinciding with the adoption of the Ontario Hockey League name. The mark features the capital letters “OHL” rendered in a stylized, horizontal format that suggests speed and motion. The design also incorporates a water theme, a natural reference for an organization based in Ontario, a province bordered by the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay. The horizontal strokes in the lettering help convey the fast-paced, dynamic atmosphere of hockey competition. The logo has remained in use since 1981, making it one of the longest-standing league marks in Canadian junior hockey. [1] [2]
Prior to the current mark, the league’s predecessors used different visual identities. A 1949-era logo featured the letters “OHA” on a black circle with two crossed hockey sticks in the background. When the organization became the OMJHL in 1974, a new logo was introduced featuring a shield shape with crossed hockey sticks, using a palette of black, white, and bright red. [2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 1981 logo is driven by two dominant concepts: “speed” and “water.” The speed concept is reflected in the horizontal strokes of the lettering, which make the “OHL” appear to be moving at high velocity, capturing the intensity of hockey play. The water concept acknowledges Ontario’s geography, which includes numerous large natural bodies of water from Hudson Bay to the Great Lakes. [2]
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