There aren't many things hockey fans are more willing to do than literally watch paint dry.
Every off-season, ice crews work hard to get the surface ready for the grind of a full season, with hours of work that end with the blank white canvas turned into something that captivates every fan as they enter the arena.
For the majority of teams, the centre-ice logo allows for some creativity. Others try to keep it simple.
We've even seen a junior hockey team do away with the traditional paint in recent years as the OHL's Guelph Storm use an LED projection technology to transform their centre-ice surface.
With an animated projection screen below the ice surface, Guelph is showing just how much innovation is possible when teams start treating the ice as more than simply a playing surface.
In the NHL, however, most teams continue to lean heavily into decades of history and iconic logos, while others have embraced more modern designs, special-event graphics and increasingly creative presentations.
For the 2026-27 NHL season, there are also some notable changes around the league. We've gone through the designs for every team and ranked the centre-ice logos based on visual impact, creativity and identity.
1. Vegas Golden Knights
It's hard to believe, but the Golden Knights are celebrating a decade as an NHL franchise.
As it prepares for its 10th season, Vegas has seen a big transformation from the original "Golden Misfits" to a perennial contender in the league.
It's no surprise, then, that the franchise is going with a centre-ice logo that leans into the Vegas theme in more ways than one.
Rather than simply having the team's standard shield, the design features a roulette wheel, the Golden Knights helmet crest, a sword, and a nod to 10 years in the league with the roman-numeral 'X.'
It will certainly stand out every time it comes into view and you can bet that's what Vegas intended.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are taking full advantage of being the reigning Stanley Cup champion with their design.
Coming off their latest championship, the Hurricanes unveiled a centre-ice design featuring the team's logo surrounded by a coloured overhead view of the Stanley Cup bowl. It's a fitting way to keep the celebration going long after the championship parade is over.
Carolina also added a distinctly local touch to the design as hurricane-warning flags are worked into the red line.
For the defending champions, there's no better way to start the season than with a daily reminder of exactly what they accomplished.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are taking a trip down memory lane, 100 years to be exact, with their design.
Instead of using their more familiar modern mark, Toronto brought back a classic Maple Leafs logo as part of the franchise's celebration of an important anniversary. This season marks 100 years since the club adopted the Maple Leafs nickname, moving on from the St. Patricks name it used from 1919 to 1927.
The throwback logo gives centre ice a noticeably different look, but it's also a fitting visual as the franchise begins another chapter, with Mats Sundin and John Chayka in charge.
For a team with such a deep visual history, going back to an old logo is a nice ode to the past.
4. Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are giving centre ice another makeover.
Last season, Montreal replaced the oversized Canadiens logo that had occupied centre ice since 2018 with a full-colour, 3D-inspired design that filled the entire face-off circle in Canadiens red. While some liked the bold look, others thought it made it tougher to see where the puck was on the ice.
This time around, they decided to go with a white background, while adding a three-dimensional effect that makes the Canadiens' crest appear to rise off the surface. The bright red of the logo immediately jumps out.
The blue outlining around the lettering also helps sharpen the overall look, creating a centre-ice logo that feels both familiar and noticeably different from what Canadiens fans have seen in recent seasons.
Credit Montreal for trying something different last season, but this is a nice refresh for a team that has high hopes.
5. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks continue to lean into the teal rebrand after celebrating their 35th anniversary last season.
It's nice to see San Jose try something new with their traditional logo. It's easy to forget when they tried the fin logo, which was a nice touch, but not worthy of replacing the traditional Sharks logo, which is a trademark that should remain a staple at centre ice.
What also make this design worthy of its ranking are the intricate designs along the red line with the 'SJ' Shark alternating red and white.
The fade in the colour on the centre-ice paint also avoids having the colour be too strong, and the white touches on the shark make it stand out nicely.
6. Calgary Flames
The Flames will be in a new home next season, meaning they will spend at least the next 84 games saying goodbye to the Saddledome.
To mark the occasion, Calgary unveiled a special design that pays tribute to the building and the generations of fans who have filled it.
The logo features a unique upper border that mirrors the distinctive slope of the Saddledome's roof, while the years the Flames have called the building home are incorporated into the design.
It's a subtle touch, but an effective one. The design doesn't just feature the Flames logo — it makes the building itself part of the logo.
The Flames begin their farewell campaign at home against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday before closing out the regular season against the Vancouver Canucks on April 10.
7. Seattle Kraken
The Kraken unveiled this logo last season and really haven't had a reason to change.
The deep blue and red colour combination gives the logo a completely different appearance from many of the league's more traditional designs.
Instead of the lighter logo that is used on the primary jersey, Seattle is embracing the way this darker theme really stands out.
The Kraken crest also has enough detail to remain interesting.
8. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have gone with a centre-ice design that leans heavily into their modern black-and-silver identity for their 60th season. In 2024, they went back to the core identity from the 90s era, and it's front and centre in this anniversary season.
The design puts “60” front and centre in black, with the franchise's original crown logo worked into the bottom of the numbers. Above it sits “Los Angeles,” while “Est. 1967” anchors the bottom of the crest.
The crown is particularly fitting for the anniversary celebration. As the Kings explained when unveiling the logo, their crown has changed throughout the decades but has remained an important part of the team's identity.
The Kings will officially begin their 60th-anniversary celebrations on Tuesday, when they host the Florida Panthers in their first home game of the season.
9. Nashville Predators
The Predators' centre-ice design makes excellent use of one of the most distinctive colour palettes in the NHL.
The combination of yellow and navy makes it stand out, but what makes it worth it is the way it includes 'Smashville' below the logo. The improvement is not having the 'H' cut out like it was in the past.
The surrounding elements add some additional visual interest without completely taking over the centre circle.
10. Florida Panthers
The Panthers are changing things up at centre ice, moving away from the shield-style presentation used previously.
Now, the team did have to move away from the Stanley Cup design after failing to make the playoffs, but they did a nice job of not just reverting back to the old logo.
The new design produces a more colourful centre ice and the new logo immediately stands out against the surface with the Panther as a more dominant feature.
11. Boston Bruins
Sometimes the best centre-ice designs are the ones that don't need to do much. The Bruins' spoked-B is one of those logos. The black and gold combination provides tremendous contrast against the ice, while the familiar design is instantly recognizable from virtually anywhere inside the building.
12. Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo doesn't need a reason to shy away from what works. The crossed sabres and classic blue-and-gold colours provide a distinctly old-school feel.
13. Utah Mammoth
Utah made small tweaks to its centre-ice design, allowing the Mammoth logo to be the focus.
14. Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings made the right decision to bring back 'Hockeytown' to centre. The only knock is that Detroit's iconic Winged Wheel should stand on its own with the 'Hockeytown' branding not overlapping.
15. Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks logo is iconic and one of the NHL's most recognizable, and it returns as the focal point of the team's centre-ice design after changing things for their centennial season.
16. New York Rangers
Like the Blackhawks, the Rangers always keep their roots as a key element in their centre-ice logo, and after celebrating their 100th season, the team returns to the norm.
17. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers are sticking with a design that should look very familiar to fans, with the classic crest remaining the focal point. There aren't any major changes to the presentation, making Edmonton one of the teams opting for consistency rather than a major makeover.
18. Pittsburgh Penguins
As part of their 60th season, the Penguins will be painting a commemorative logo at centre ice, but it feels like the number overtakes the moniker itself.
19. Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks' centre-ice design is clean and recognizable, with the orca logo providing plenty of colour and personality without becoming overly complicated. It lands at No. 19 because, while the design works well, it doesn't have the same historical impact or visual creativity as some of the higher-ranked logos.
20. New York Islanders
The Islanders' circular logo is practically tailor-made for centre ice.
The blue, orange and white combination gives the design plenty of colour, while the round shape fits naturally into the circle.
21. Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg's centre-ice design is clean and recognizable, with the blue-and-red logo giving it plenty of contrast against the ice. It would be nice if the team could get the traditional Jets logo, like the one from the 2019 Heritage Classic, as it would be near the top of this list.
22. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are the NHL's lone team to feature the traditional double-logo centre-ice design, with two smaller crests sitting on either side of the red line instead of one oversized logo being split down the middle. It's a nice throwback touch, but it lacks punch.
23. Washington Capitals
The Capitals' centre-ice logo is certainly recognizable, but it lacks some of the visual punch you get from many of the designs higher on this list. The relatively long, horizontal wordmark doesn't fill the centre circle in quite the same commanding way as a bold crest or oversized logo, leaving the overall presentation feeling a little flatter and less dynamic.
24. New Jersey Devils
The Devils haven't really had a reason to change the look of their centre-ice logo, but it certainly lacks unique ways to make it stand out from the others.
25. Minnesota Wild
The Wild have one of the more detailed logos in the NHL, and the combination of green, red and cream gives it plenty of character at centre ice. But like many others, it doesn't provide enough to stand out, especially with the amount of blank white ice around it.
26. Ottawa Senators
The Senators bring plenty of personality to centre ice with a large Roman centurion logo giving it a strong connection to the franchise's identity. It doesn't quite have the visual impact or creativity of some of the other designs, making it a solid but relatively understated presentation.
27. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks made the right choice to go back to a refurbished logo, but with an orange theme. Despite the logo being a fan favourite, the centre-ice design doesn't quite jump off the page and could use some more orange in the background.
28. St. Louis Blues
The Blues' musical-note logo remains an iconic look, but it would have been nice to include some parts of St. Louis' history in the design.
29. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning's design is simple, clean, and unmistakably Tampa Bay, with the blue-and-white logo standing out against the ice. The team decided not to add any complexity. It would have been nice to add some lettering or other colours, considering past designs from the team had more to offer on the ice.
30. Dallas Stars
The Stars' design provides the outline of the state of Texas, which is a better look than just the logo, but some fans would still prefer the more traditional design.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets take a relatively conservative approach. There's nothing particularly wrong with the presentation. It simply doesn't have the same visual punch or creativity as some of the other centre-ice designs around the league.
32. Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche's centre-ice logo is clean and recognizable, with the burgundy, blue and white combination. The design feels fairly conventional and lacks big-time appeal in comparison to other teams.
