Vancouver Canucks mourn death of Joe Borovich, designer of team’s original logo

The Vancouver Canucks are mourning the death of the man who gave them their first visual identity.

Joe Borovich created the iconic “stick in rink” logo that graced the team’s jerseys when it made its NHL debut in the 1970-71 season.

He died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 86.

“Joe’s timeless design played a significant role in shaping the identity of the franchise and continues to hold a special place in Canucks history,” the team said in a social media post memorializing Borovich Friday.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all those touched by his creativity and passion for the game.”

A graduate of the Vancouver School of Art, now known as Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Borovich spoke about his design process in a 2008 interview with his alma mater’s alumni magazine.

He told the publication he went through several design concepts before settling on the final iteration, which was selected from a field of entries that included submissions from artists as far away as Europe.

The design drew inspiration from the blue of the Pacific Ocean, the green of B.C.’s forests and the white of snow-capped mountains, according to the magazine. The hockey stick set in the rink turns the rest of the design into the letter “C.”

“It was a real thrill to see the players skate onto the ice for the first time wearing the jersey I’d designed,” Borovich said in 2008, as quoted in an Emily Carr University blog post last year.

The Canucks wore the stick in rink logo through the 1977-78 season, before it was replaced as the team’s main logo by the also-beloved red, black and yellow skate logo.

More recently, the team has worn modified versions of Borovich’s original design as shoulder patches and alternate jerseys since the 2007-08 season.