Penguins Wordmark Logo

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a long and storied history of having one of the most recognizable logos in all of the professional sports. The iconic logo, which features a skating penguin wearing a yellow triangle-shaped hat with black trim, has been around since the team’s inception in 1967. Since then, it has undergone several changes to keep up with modern times while maintaining its classic look.

The first iteration of the logo was created by graphic designer Terry Smith who drew inspiration from an old French hockey magazine cover featuring two penguins playing hockey on ice skates that he found at his local library. He used this image as a reference for his design. Still, he changed some elements, such as adding stars to represent each Stanley Cup win and ensuring the colors were consistent across all platforms, including uniforms and merchandise items like hats or t-shirts. This original version stayed relatively unchanged until 1997, when it underwent its first significant redesign under a new ownership group led by Mario Lemieux, who wanted to give their team's identity more pizzazz than before, so they added more details like shading effects on both sides of the triangle hat as well as brighter colors for better visibility during games or broadcasts.

Over time, minor tweaks have been made here and there, such as adjusting the size of specific elements or changing colors for promotional purposes. Overall, the logo remains unchanged from its original design. It has become one of the most iconic symbols in professional hockey today, representing not only Pittsburgh Penguins fans but also the city itself and its rich history in sports.