Today brought the unveiling of the 2020 NHL Stadium Series logo at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. On February 15, the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings will face off for an outdoor game there at Falcon Stadium.

The central feature of the new logo is a rendering of the iconic Cadet Chapel on the campus. There’s also a speeding jet in the upper right corner of the design that—as hard as the artists might’ve tried to avoid it—is quite reminiscent of Winnipeg’s logo. But that might have to do with the color palette too.

It’s surely no coincidence that this logo bears a striking resemblance to the logo for the 2018 Stadium Series—which was also played at a United States military site, the Naval Academy at Annapolis.

Very similar shapes and similar type design. What I really like is the color reversal. In 2018, it was light text over a dark container. In 2020, it’s dark text over a light container. Those subtle things make all the difference in great branding if you ask me.

At this point, I feel like it’s just a matter of time before we complete the trifecta with a stadium game at Michie Stadium on the West Point campus. And how much would you bet Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley would be first in line to make that happen? This is the West Point graduate who wanted to name his team the Black Knights. Trademarks be damned.

The only problem with all that is a game like this should be about the players, at the end of the day, not the owner. Still, I’m sure it would make for a great Stadium Series logo.

I don’t really have any other graphic assets for the 2020 Stadium Series branding apart from a comparison with the sponsor-branded version of the logo—which will be seen everywhere but jerseys and merchandise.

The sponsorship by Navy Federal Credit Union is a first. It’s also kind of funny placement—Navy versus Air Force. And to be honest, they have a pretty ugly logo here.

Coors Light had been the sponsor since the inception of the Stadium Series in 2013-14. I think their mountain icon would’ve played better in this design. Plus they’re a Colorado-based company with a Colorado-based game. Seems like a no-brainer. But maybe they didn’t want to keep spending the money. I’m sure NHL event sponsorships don’t come cheap.

All that’s left now are the jerseys for the Avalanche and Kings. They will have special uniforms, but I haven’t picked up on any details of the designs yet. As far as an unveiling date, I’d anticipate something in December or January if past seasons are any indication. But then I also predicted a Veterans Day release for this logo and here we got it on 10/10 instead of 11/11, so who knows.

As usual, I’ll leave you with a look at all the Stadium Series logos up to now.

Which one is your favorite?