2016 Rebranding Project: Name Nominations
/The IceHL 2016 Rebranding Project is picking up steam! Two teams are moving to new cities and two more are being rebranded where they are. Now the time has come for you to suggest new names for these franchises!
First, let's recap last week's relocation vote. The Texas Outlaws will moving north to the Ozarks region — all right, technically not the Ozarks, but to one of the big cities that surround them. Meanwhile the Northwest Narwhals will cross the border south into the Dakotas.
The winning choices in the polls each had three cities, but I'm adding a fourth to each for the sake of balance. You may suggest names for any of the cities listed below. They are displayed in descending order of metro area population.
OUTLAWS
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Topeka, Kansas
This franchise may also be named for any one of these four states. However, it may not be named for any city not listed here.
Acceptable locators are Kansas City, Memphis, Little Rock, Topeka, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kansas. Others may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
NARWHALS
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Fargo, North Dakota
- Rapid City, South Dakota
- Bismarck, North Dakota
This franchise may also be named for one of the two states, or simply as "Dakota," in which case a city should be noted.
Acceptable locators are Sioux Falls, Fargo, Rapid City, Bismarck, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Dakota. Others may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
This week's name nominations aren't just for the relocated teams. We have two more teams that are being rebranded. Here's what you need to know about them.
BARRACUDAS
This franchise will remain in central Florida. Acceptable locators are Tampa, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, St. Pete, Sarasota, Florida, and Sun Coast.
Clearwater and Orlando may also be considered. Other locations in Florida such as Jacksonville, Pensacola and Miami may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
ACES
This franchise will remain in Philadelphia. However, due to a rule that prohibits teams from having more than two names in their history, naming options will be limited to Aces or Renegades.
As for the locator, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania are acceptable. Other nearby locations like Atlantic City may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
As usual, past or present NHL team names will not be considered. Nor will names of present AHL and ECHL teams. We will also avoid any team name that has been used in any sport in the given IceHL team's geographic area.
We should also avoid any names that are thematically close to any existing IceHL team. For example, since we have the Hellcats and Steelcats, no names with "cat" in them will be accepted. Also, aviation-related names are not likely to be considered either.
How does it work?
Post a comment below with ONE NAME you'd like to suggest. You can up-vote names you like that have already been posted by clicking the "like" button that appears in the right corner when you hover over the comment. DO NOT include multiple names in a single comment and try to limit yourself to one or two names per team.
Please read through the names that have already been posted so you don't nominate the same one twice. That could dilute votes. The more popular names are most likely to be included in next week's polls. I will also consult with the IceHL Design Council on which names to include.
As always, only names submitted in the comments of this page will be considered — not Twitter or anywhere else. Make sure your voice is heard!
Next week we vote. Each team will have a poll with about 8 name options. Midway through the week, we'll narrow it down to the top 2 for each and vote again.
Now start sharing your team name ideas!