8 NHL Teams That Should Seriously Consider a Name Change

Ah, what’s in a name?

For NHL teams, a sense of identity. A description of a team philosophy. A tribute to the team’s hometown or state.

That’s what is in a name.

The Carolina Hurricanes wear on their chests the power and ferocity of the fearsome storms that plague the Carolina coastline annually.

The Colorado Avalanche pay tribute to the beautiful Rocky Mountains while referencing the sheer force of their own natural disaster.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, who may not scare anyone with their nickname, pay tribute to the symbol of the Great White North.

For a hockey franchise, few things are held more dearly than the team name. But not every team seems to have gotten it right.

Here are eight teams that, much to the dismay of their loyal fanbases, may want to consider a name change.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets don’t so much need a new name as they need to commit to a description of what “Blue Jackets” means, exactly.

The team’s jerseys used to feature a blue-clad wasp, seemingly a twist on the term “yellow jacket.” But the name itself references Ohio’s rich Civil War history and loyalty to the Union during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency.

The arena features a Civil War-style cannon that shoots whenever a goal is scored and the team’s current alternate jersey matches that theme.

There has been some confusion about whether or not a Native American figure named Blue Jacket was relevant to the hockey team’s name. Apparently the moniker is more likely to cause confusion than pay homage to the rich history of the state.

This strangely named franchise should commit fully to the Civil War motif by utilizing the alternate jerseys as their primaries, finishing the discussion once and for all.

Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have an amazing logo and a name that pays tribute to the wilderness of the state, but unlike the Lightning, Hurricanes or Avalanche, the “Wild” simply seems to be a little too vague a concept.

Lightning bolts and avalanches are easily identifiable and conjure up very specific images. The wild could be anything, and seem to invoke images of mystery and serenity more so than intimidation.

Minnesota’s original franchise, the North Stars, had a specific, powerful and majestic team name. The Wild attempted to recreate that bundle of emotions, but it just seems a little off.

“Minnesota Wild” is kind of like naming a team the “Colorado White-capped Mountains” or Tampa Bay “Cumulonimbus Clouds.”

Nashville Predators

Much like Minnesota, Nashville has the right idea but didn’t get specific enough.

A “predator” could be anything, from the saber-toothed cat on the chestplate to a spider with a mosquito in its web to a Venus flytrap.

The city’s connection to Smilodon, the saber-toothed tiger, is that the youngest Smilodon fossil ever discovered came from an excavation in downtown Nashville. But why not fully embrace the beast and adopt the name Nashville Sabertooths or Tennessee Tigers?

Perhaps committing to an extant local predator would have solved the problem. Copperheads are a venomous snake in the Appalachian Mountains immediately to the east of Nashville.

Of course, if the Predators are dead-set on keeping their name, they could always morph the logo into a different, more specific kind of predator.

Washington Capitals

Why do nations’ capitals insist on these generic, uninterestingly patriotic team names?

Washington is home to the Capitals and Nationals (MLB), and also housed the Washington Senators (MLB) in the mid-20th century. We all know that Washington revolves around lobbying and politics; why not let the sports teams be the ones to spice it up a little?

The organization could get interesting without fully abandoning its nationalistic nicknames. The Washington Eagles would pay tribute to the country’s avian symbol, the Washington Minutemen would be an homage to the nation’s Revolutionary War heroes, etc.

Really, anything that doesn’t conjure up specific images of politicians. Who wants to think of that when spending a few hours at a game, trying to escape from the trials and tribulations of the real world?

Ottawa Senators

Why do nations’ capitals insist on these generic, uninterestingly patriotic team names?

I apologize for sounding like a broken record, but the same complaints I had about the Caps go for Canada’s capital and the Senators.

Is there anything less interesting than a Senator?

Again, the nickname is a tribute to the appointed officials who do their business in the city, and the logo is an homage to Roman senators from ancient times. How anyone might consider politicians to make good mascots is beyond me.

But if it must be a politician, why not pay tribute to the hilarious tongue-in-cheek Canadian political party that served as a breath of fresh air in government from 1963 to 1993?

The Rhinoceros Party of Canada, whose tale you should read about when you have the time, should serve as inspiration for the unveiling of the Ottawa Rhinos.

Anaheim Ducks

No matter how many times you play Gordon Bombay’s speech, you’ll never convince me that a duck is a threatening animal.

The association between the team name and the movie was nostalgic and enjoyable when they were owned by Disney and known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. But now the team is the Anaheim Ducks, and if you aren’t going to commit to your cinematic roots, why not change the name to another animal?

Really, any animal whose character trait is not eating bread tossed by the elderly would be worthy.

Unless the team watches the whole Mighty Ducks trilogy before every game, there is no way donning a Ducks jersey gets you pumped up.

Phoenix Coyotes

The Phoenix Coyotes still do not have an owner who has promised to keep the team in Arizona, so it’s time to start thinking about what names to use when the desert dog is no longer relevant.

The Nordiques will be the obvious choice if the ‘Yotes relocate to Quebec, but if cities like Seattle, Kansas City, Hamilton and Milwaukee get consideration, fans will start to get creative with some brand new names.

The Coyotes works just fine as a nickname while the team remains in the desert, but this slideshow is anticipating that the days of that name being relevant are very, very numbered.

Vancouver Canucks

A “Canuck” is a Canadian person, in slang. Given Vancouver’s national location, the term is completely relevant and, to be honest, sounds really cool. Vancouver Canucks has an awesome ring to it.

However, when it comes to naming your team after the people of your country, the Montreal Canadiens got to that well first.

As a result of the French name/slang name nicknames, 28.5 percent of Canada’s hockey teams are essentially named the “Canadians.” A little variety might serve the country well, and sorry Vancouver, but an Original Six team is not taking the fall for that one.

Just don’t go back to Vancouver’s original team name, the Millionaires. Nothing would make the looming lockout more unbearable than an explicit reminder of who is stopping the fans from watching the sport.