Junior hockey team rebrands after debuting racist logo
A junior hockey team in Pennsylvania has announced that it will be rebranding itself after its logo caused widespread outrage.
The team was originally called the Lake Erie Warriors and used a logo featuring a caricature of a Native American. The league announced Friday that the team will be changing its name to the Gulls.
The logo was unveiled in May, according to The Hockey News, but was exposed to a wider audience this week by Paul Lukas of the sports design blog Uni Watch.
The team will play in the newly founded National College Prospects Hockey League, an eight-team league based in the Great Lakes region.
Native American imagery in sports logos has long been a controversial subject. The NCAA has banned Native American mascots, as have several high school organizations. The NFL’s Washington Redskins have also come under fire for their nickname and logo.