The Battle for Alberta 

The Edmonton Oilers hosted the Calgary Flames for the 2023 NHL Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first-ever NHL regular season outdoor game back in 2003.

The logo for this Heritage Classic celebrates Edmonton as the “Oil Capital of Canada,” featuring an oil rig at the logo’s peak emblematic of Edmonton and an homage to the team’s namesake. We created custom “dimensional forged steel” typography that evokes the roughnecks, refineries, and oil industry of Canada; even the holding shape references the city crest of Edmonton. The entire program is tinged in a Navy and Orange palette, the traditional colors of the Edmonton Oilers since 1972. As a nod to the original event, the “20” numerals are inspired by the “Classic” lettering from the 2003 Heritage Classic logo.

To complement the primary logo, we designed a package of art to further connect to the Edmonton Oiler’s history, including steel truss border art and medallions, and a background illustration featuring the oil towers, derricks, ironwork, and roughnecks that gave the team its name. A commemorative “20th Anniversary” logo also became an integral part of the 2023 Heritage Classic identity.