Matt's Oilers Pride Night Logo Is Loud And Proud
This past summer I got an email from the Oilers Entertainment Group asking if I’d be interested in designing a logo for the Oilers Pride Night game.
At first I thought it was fake or a mistake, I mean it definitely wasn’t on my bingo cards to ever receive an email from the Oilers. The thing is, it wasn’t fake. My work had caught the eyes of the team at OEG and they felt my style would be a great fit for this year's community night celebrating pride.
Growing up I was always around hockey, from tagging along to all of my brother’s hockey games, to watching it in my periphery as my hockey-obsessed family yelled and cheered at the TV. Even though I never played, you couldn’t help but notice that there’s a certain energy at a hockey game that brings everyone together.
Not only did this opportunity mean that I’d get to design custom artwork for a team as iconic as the Oilers, but it also meant that young LGBTQ players would feel seen, represented, and supported playing the sport that they love—that’s what matters most.
The brief from OEG was straightforward: design a custom logo for the game that empowers and represents the purpose of "Pride." It had to live on all manner of swag, from jerseys, hoodies, and decals to on-screen and in-arena animations.
Having so much creative control was both a blessing and a curse, I wasn’t sure how far I could push the design while still staying true to the roots of the Oilers brand. If you know me you know that my style is bold, expressive, and typographic, so I knew that I wanted to do something that incorporated each of these qualities.
The final logo is meant to be expressive, fun, and inclusive—taking the standard Oilers font and injecting it full of personality, diversity, and love. Taking inspiration from pop art, bold colours and graphic elements are used to speak to the representation, inclusivity, and love within the 2SLGBTQI+ community in Edmonton.
To see everything come to life on specialty jerseys, merchandise, and on-screen experiences like the jumbotron was truly a “pinch me” moment. The founders of Pride Tape were also in attendance—an initiative that started right here in Edmonton, and one that truly paved the way when it comes to equality, inclusion, and making hockey a sport where everyone feels welcome—it was such an honour to be able to share such an important night with them.
Merch is available at the Ice District Authentics shop, and soon a number of limited signed jerseys will be auctioned off. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Pride Centre of Edmonton.
Be loud and be proud. Love is love, and hockey is for everyone.
