NHL teams
Joe McDonald, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Maple Leafs' old logo is best, says Hall of Famer Johnny Bower

Toronto Maple Leafs Hall of Fame goaltender Johnny Bower does not want to see a drastic change to the organization’s logo and sweater.

"No, not really," Bower said in a phone interview.

Bower, 91, picked up his newspaper Monday and read a report that the organization is considering a change to its trademark logo for its 100th anniversary season.

"They’ve got to go back to the old one," he said. "I like them both, to be honest with you, but I prefer the one that I wore."

During his career with the Maple Leafs, the four-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie wore four different variations of the Maple Leaf logo. Bower played from 1958-1970 for Toronto and his favorite logo was the one on the team’s sweater from 1938-1963.

"I always liked the old logo -- that’s for sure," he said. "I liked it because it stands out more, better than the other one does. The [current] one is too plain for me."

His wife, Nancy, agreed that the older one was better, too.

"Compare them and the old one stands out more," Bower said. "I have one sweater with the old one, and one sweater with the new one. Put them beside each other and the older one stands out better. I would pick the first one [I wore] anyway."

If there is a redesign, Bower would like to see the old logo on the front, with a Maple Leaf on each shoulder. Other than the Maple Leafs, he’s a fan of the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks logos, too.

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