The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the nation’s only Tier I junior hockey league, operating as a development circuit for players, coaches and officials pursuing NCAA Division I and professional careers. The league’s current visual identity, introduced in June 2016, is a modern shield built around a rising star and seven stripes, a design that deliberately references both the American flag and the league’s seven founding clubs.
Design and History
The USHL unveiled its current logo on June 20, 2016, five days before the NHL Draft, marking the fifth logo in the junior league’s 36-year history. The redesign was driven by a desire to move beyond what league president and commissioner Bob Fallen described as a “corporate logo” toward something that would “resonate more with fans and players” and symbolize what the league represents. The process took more than a year, with the USHL Board of Directors voting to explore a redesign and reviewing more than 100 renditions before awarding exclusive design rights to Red Eye Design, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. USHL partners Sport Ngin and HockeyTech were involved in the consultation process, and Chicago-based video production partner Banner Collective produced the logo’s unveiling video. [1] [2]
The new mark incorporates elements from all four previous USHL logos. The league’s original two logos featured seven stripes with stars, symbolizing the seven original teams from 1979. From the third-generation logo, the design draws on the league’s distinction as the country’s only Tier 1 junior hockey league by combining stripes and stars through the rising star motif. The fourth and most recent logo contributed the text and color scheme carried into the new design. [1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The rising star is the focal point of the logo. According to Fallen, it was designed to be “emblematic of the rising fortunes of the players, coaches and officials that have been in the USHL,” reflecting the league’s role as the nation’s only Tier 1 junior hockey league. [1] [3]
The seven stripes serve a dual purpose. They are emblematic of the American flag, but also pay homage to the seven original clubs that were present at the league’s beginnings as a junior circuit in 1979. [2] Fallen described the result as “a tighter logo” that “looks more like a league logo as opposed to a team logo.” [2]
In August 2022, the league introduced a new vision statement headlined by the social media tagline #StarsRise, along with an updated “Our Stars Rise” tagline. The branding update was formulated through a group of USHL owners and league staff, including commissioner Bill Robertson, deputy commissioner Denny Scanlon, Muskegon Lumberjacks owner Dan Israel and Sioux Falls Stampede managing partner Brian Schoenborn. [4]
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