The Saskatchewan Rush are a professional box lacrosse team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, competing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The franchise relocated from Edmonton in 2015 and began play as the Saskatchewan Rush for the 2016 season [1]. In September 2023, the club unveiled a completely new visual identity, its first major overhaul since the move from Edmonton [2].
Design and History
The current primary logo, introduced for the 2023/24 NLL season, features a bison head in green and black inside a black hexagon [2]. The bison head is roughly shaped like a lacrosse stick head, with the webbing of the stick forming part of the design [3]. The team retained its previous black, green and white color scheme with the new logos [2].
The rebrand was led by designer Brad McLeod, who began work in the summer of 2022. According to McLeod, the organization wanted to replace what they felt was a dated wordmark design that had been used since the team’s inception in Edmonton, with something more iconic and bold. The objectives were to define what “Rush” meant in a less abstract way, pay homage to the team’s home province and the sport of lacrosse, while keeping the club’s existing color scheme [4]. McLeod’s first pitch was a logo centered around a bison head, as the animal has a strong connection to the Canadian prairies and Saskatchewan, and symbolizes “Rush” in its fast and powerful movements [4].
Prior to the 2023 rebrand, the team had used a wordmark-based identity inherited from the Edmonton Rush era. When the franchise moved to Saskatoon, the team updated the Edmonton Rush branding by changing the colors, replacing silver with green in the logo and on the jerseys [5]. The old logos were semi-retired after the 2023 rebrand, with brand new home and away jerseys introduced for the 2023/24 season [6].
Meaning and Symbolism
The bison head carries multiple layers of meaning. The bison is an animal strongly rooted in Saskatchewan, and First Nations culture has long revered the creatures as sacred with important gifts and teachings [7]. The bison head is shaped like a lacrosse stick head, reflecting the sport itself [7].
The hexagon shape is a reference to Treaty 6 territory, where the team was founded [7]. It also refers to the signage on Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevators that were once common across the province [2]. The adjoining wordmark pays tribute to the old Saskatchewan Wheat Pool logo and the agricultural background of the province [7].
The Rush consulted with the Saskatoon Tribal Council early on in the design process, wanting to honor the logo’s Indigenous roots [7]. Tyler Wawryk, VP of Team Business Operations, said the previous logo “didn’t really reflect our province and our home,” and that the new logo is “a strong representation of who we are as a team and also who we are” [7].
Typography and Design
The wordmark in the current logo spells out “RUSH,” with “RU” on the left side of the bison head and “SH” on the right side [2]. A version with “SASKATCHEWAN” arched overtop also appears on the team’s website [2]. The wordmark design was inspired by the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, which played an important role in the province’s development [8].
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