Broncos unveil new look with updated classic jersey
The Swift Current Broncos will be back in vintage blue, green and white for the upcoming Western Hockey League season as they unveiled a fresh take on a classic logo.
Bronco players Justin Spagrud and Colby Cave modelled the new jerseys for the 2014-2015 season during a media event on Tuesday morning, but the classic colour scheme comes with an updated look.
“Everybody talked about going back to the traditional colours and the jersey that had some some success in it. I think it’s a clean look. It’s new. It’s going to be refreshing,” Broncos Head Coach and General Manager Mark Lamb said.
“I really like the look of it. It’s clean. It’s fresh. And it’ll excite some of these fans that have been wanting this for a while.”
The jerseys were given an update thanks to Swift Current born graphic designer Brandon Wiebe, who approached the Broncos a few years back about revamping the classic Bronco look.
“It’s more than I imagined. Growing up as a hometown fan of the Swift Current Broncos, and having this passion burning in me for a few years to want to see it back to blue, green and white, to come into The Stable and see the whole place blue, green and white, with my jersey design unveiled, based on the classic design, I don’t know if you would say it was a dream come true, but one of the highlights of my design career for sure.”
Wiebe says the new jersey has some subtle, but important changes. Some fans might not immediately notice the changes, with the look intended to keep the tradition and visual appeal of the Broncos winning tradition from the 80s.
The most obvious change to the team crest is that the Bronco lettering is in blue instead of green, but there are other changes as well.
“One of the most visible areas of the change is the back of the horse. You can see the mane…and the backbone a little bit, where as before it was kind of a mess. It wasn’t really refined. There was just a lot of stuff that looked funny. So everything was went through with a fine tooth comb design wise to make sure everything was just perfect.”
There were also minor modifications made to the horseshoe element of the crest, and tiny changes to the SC which had some funny elements, and down to the Broncos lettering which had some design errors.
In following the trend of hockey teams returning to a classic jersey with an updated modern look, the line thickness of the jersey is the same as the Broncos third jersey.
“One new addition to the jerseys is cuffs. There are now lines around the cuffs of the players, and those represent hooves and horseshoes.”
On the right shoulder remains the now timeless Four Broncos memorial cloverleaf patch. Wiebe notes the original soft clover design dated back to the 80s, and over the past decade it morphed into a more bulky style.
“So what I wanted to do with the new clover design was kind of tie the two together. So this one is more fuller, or bulkier, than the original, but it’s not as squared or corporate looking as last season’s.”
Swift Current patch on the left arm is a totally new design for the jersey. It boasts a miniature version of the City of Swift Current logo, along with the stylized SC from the main crest, plus two sheafs of wheat.
“It represents the tie we have with the City. Swift Current does better with the Broncos and the Broncos do better with Swift Current. And the closer they are together the better that is.”
Wiebe is also proud to have included a somewhat hidden tribute to the Broncos 1989 Memorial Cup Championship team in the new Swift Current patch.
“On the head stocks of the wheat there are eight kernels of wheat on both sides, with one in the top in between the two. It happens on both sides, and that represents 89. So the first side you see eight kernels, and then you just use that top one to count on the other side to represent the nine in 89.”
“That’s just a little hidden design element to pay homage to the Memorial Cup win in 89. So there is always a bunch of meaning and history in what’s been created.”
Swift Current Broncos Assistant General Manager of Business Operations Dianne Sletten said many Bronco fans have been calling for a return to this classic jersey look.
“It’s been surprising how many comments we’ve heard over the last couple of years from fans that love the colours, and you should be bringing them back, and we love that logo. For us that was definitely reaffirming for us that we made the right decision to go back,” she said.
Veteran Bronco forward Justin Spagrud said he is excited with the fresh new look of the jerseys.
“I think they’re pretty cool,” he admitted. “I really like this logo and I like what he did with the jersey. It looks sharp.”
Because the jersey is most associated with the run and gun Broncos teams from the 1980s, there is some pressure to win while returning to the jerseys from the Broncos two WHL Championship seasons.
“It’s a little motivation I guess. The team in the 89 Memorial Cup wore these, and it would be nice if we could do that as well in these jerseys,” Spagrud said. “As a Bronco you’re proud of that and you hope one day you can be on one of those teams that ends up doing that.”
The Broncos also launched the “Branded Blue” season long promotion, where SWT will give away $100 every game to one fan wearing a Bronco jersey at a home game.
“The playoffs created such excitement for us around this whole entire Southwest. Everyone wanted to be a part of the team, a feeling that we haven’t experienced to that degree in a number of years. And we want to keep that going,” Sletten said.
In order to further put Bronco Pride on display, another part of the promotion involves businesses to wear It’s Game Day t-shirts, sponsored by SWT, which will help brand the entire Southwest Blue.