Denver's new NHL hockey franchise will have a name soon, but fashioning an identity won't be so easy. It will take time, planning and prolonged exposure. Pitfalls abound.
"It's a long process. It's not just get out the Big Chief tablet and sketch out some stick men," said Shawn Hunter, vice president of Denver's hockey team, previously the Quebec Nordiques. "There are some legal issues - you have to make sure you have a name and logo that is free and clear locally, nationally and in Canada - because the NHL is strong there."Hunter, also vice president of the NBA's Denver Nuggets, said team owner Comsat Enterprises will announce the team name Aug. 10.
By all accounts, "Avalanche" will be the team nickname, but the first name, logo design and color scheme remain under wraps.
"You look for a great team name that would be presented well in logo form and color opportunity," Hunter said. "From our perspective, you have to move slowly because you have ownership and partnership, the fans and the league involved."
Since purchasing the Nordiques in late May, Comsat has hinted it was leaning toward a name that would encompass the Rocky Mountain region, but apparel dealers say that might be unwise.
"I don't think most people identify Rocky Mountains with the (Colorado) area," said Karl Huizenga, district manager for the Sportsfan apparel licensing chain. "They think mountains - they don't necessarily think of the state or where they are going to be."
Huizenga said black is today's hot color. "If you look at some of the top selling teams, they're dominated by black," he said, citing the popularity of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Raiders, New York Yankees and Rockies apparel.
"It's a safe bet that black will be in our logo in some form because that's definitely a color that has proven successful over time," Hunter said. "We're trying to select colors that will be strong 15 years from now - not just what's trendy today."
Hunter said Comsat officials are attuned to what apparel sellers think.
"The people that sell the merchandise on a daily basis have a pulse on what the people want," Hunter said. "I think we've learned through the process we can be a regional team regardless of what the first name of the team is."
The new Denver team has proceeded with care in its quest for a team name. Comsat established a communications network, tapping a public response that generated hundreds of names. The team owner whittled the suggestions to three: Black Bears, Cougars and Avalanche.
"We received over 10,000 responses and Avalanche was slightly ahead of Black Bears and Cougars," Hunter said.