The Utica Comets are an American Hockey League (AHL) franchise based in Utica, New York, and the top minor-league affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The team’s visual identity has evolved through two distinct eras, tied directly to its NHL parent clubs.
Design and History
The Comets brand was introduced in 2013, when the Vancouver Canucks relocated their AHL franchise from Peoria, Illinois, to Utica. The original logo featured a shield-shaped crest with a flying puck trailing a comet-like tail, styled after the look of the Canucks, the club’s owner and NHL affiliate at the time. The design was inspired by the old Clinton Comets logo, a nod to the region’s hockey history dating back to the 1940s and 1950s.[1]
In May 2021, following the Canucks’ decision to move their AHL operation to Abbotsford, British Columbia, the Comets announced a new ten-year affiliation agreement with the New Jersey Devils. The team introduced a re-coloured version of the existing logo, swapping the blue and green associated with the Canucks for the red and black of the Devils.[2] The emblem itself was not redesigned; rather, the same Comets crest fans had seen for years was presented in the new colour scheme.[3]
Eric Kowiatek, the Comets’ vice president of creative services, led the rebranding effort. Kowiatek, a Utica native, had designed many of the team’s logos since its founding, including the alternate “U” logo that won the 2015 Best New Alternate Logo of the Year award from SportsLogos.Net. When the Comets became the affiliate of the New Jersey Devils, Kowiatek handled the rebrand of the logos to reflect that change.[4]
In December 2023, the Comets introduced an alternate jersey featuring an updated “Devil-U” logo, a design first used by the Utica Devils of the AHL between 1987 and 1993, before that franchise left for Saint John, New Brunswick. The new iteration is predominantly black, with an updated “U” logo on the front featuring devil horns and a tail.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The primary logo’s shield shape gives it an almost soccer-like quality, while the flying puck at its centre leaves no doubt it represents hockey.[1] The comet tail trailing the puck evokes the team’s celestial name, a reference to the Clinton Comets, the region’s earlier hockey franchise.[1]
The 2021 colour change to red and black aligned the Comets’ identity with the New Jersey Devils’ brand colours, signalling the new affiliation while preserving the visual continuity fans had built over the previous eight seasons.[6]
Typography and Design
Kowiatek’s body of work for the Comets extends beyond the primary crest. He also designed the team’s alternate “U” logo, the black “flying Comet” logo worn on select jerseys, and the logo for the 2021 AIS Empire State Classic outdoor game, which incorporated the shield shape from the New York State flag along with regional military and historical references.[7]
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