
Pirates Wordmark Logo
The NHL Pittsburgh Pirates have a long and storied history. Their iconic wordmark logo has been an integral part of their identity since the team's inception in 1925. The original logo featured a white letter “P” with two hockey sticks crossed underneath it, creating the impression of a pirate flag with crossed swords. This design was used until 1931 when they changed to an orange-and-black color scheme, which is still used today.
In 1967, the Pirates moved from Pittsburgh to Minnesota and became known as the North Stars; however, they kept their distinctive wordmark logo intact throughout this transition period. In 1991, after returning to Pennsylvania as part of what would become known as the Penguins organization (due in large part to Mario Lemieux), they updated their classic wordmark by adding black outlining around each letter for greater visibility against lighter backgrounds and replacing all lowercase letters with uppercase ones for better readability at larger sizes on jerseys or other merchandise items featuring them prominently.
Today's version of this iconic mark remains largely unchanged from its original iteration over 90 years ago—a testament both to its timelessness and how deeply ingrained it has become within not only Penguins' culture but also that of professional ice hockey overall! It serves as a reminder that even though teams may come and go over time—the legacy left behind by those who created such beloved symbols will live on forever in our collective memories.

1928 - 1929
Wordmark “PIRATES” in black on a yellow background.
Font: Unknown

1926 - 1928
Slanted black letter “P” underneath a wordmark “Pirates” scripted on a yellow background.
Font: Unknown