ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland and Labrador – Hockey fans in St. John’s finally know the name of their city’s newest hockey team.
The IceCaps was recently revealed as the moniker of the new St. John’s AHL franchise, the farm team of the Winnipeg Jets. Danny Williams, president and chief executive officer of the IceCaps, announced the name of the club during a press conference at Mile One Center, the team’s home arena.
Williams also revealed the team’s logo, which features the name IceCaps spelled over rugged mountains capped with ice formed in the shape of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The primary colors of the logo are blue, white and grey, similar to the logo colors of the Winnipeg Jets.
The name and logo pay tribute to the northern climate of Newfoundland and Labrador and to the province’s long-standing ties to the ice of the North Atlantic sea. The name is also in homage to the St. John’s Caps, a former senior men’s team that won multiple provincial hockey championships in the 1970s and 80s.
“I am so pleased to present the St. John’s IceCaps and our new logo to fans, as we begin a new era of professional hockey in the province,” said Williams during the press conference. “The IceCaps is a name that I am confident 
hockey fans will support as it captures both our rich hockey history with a reference to the Caps, while at the same time capturing a natural element that is iconic for the province, ice. We wanted to ensure that, although the team is based in our capital city, the province as a whole can identify with it and embrace it as its own.”
Williams added he felt it was important the name and logo properly represented St. John’s and Newfoundland and Labrador throughout North American hockey markets. He sees the name and logo as a marketing tool for the province as well as the team.
“In every aspect of my life from business to politics to hockey, I have always made every effort to promote this incredible province to the world, as a unique and attractive place. In this name and with this logo, we have captured the essence of what it is to be a province in the middle of the North Atlantic,” William said on www.theahl.com. “We have built on our strengths and our natural assets, and created a team name that will once again put this province on the map.”
Williams was joined at the unveiling of the IceCaps name and logo by Glenn Stanford, chief operating officer of the AHL club. Stanford has 20 years of experience as an AHL executive, including stints with the Hamilton Bulldogs and the former St. John’s Maple Leafs, and is confident IceCaps is a fitting name for the team.
“It is critical to have a name and logo that fans at home can embrace and fans on the road will remember,” Stanford told www.theahl.com. “This name and logo does both. The St. John’s IceCaps will be a memorable and easily identifiable team in the league, and I am excited to start promoting it both here at home and abroad.”
Notes: The IceCaps have announced the club’s 2011-12 home opener will be played on Oct. 14 at Mile One Center. The team’s opponent that night has yet to be named.
Contact Darcy.MacRae@prohockeynews.com
