For the NHL’s latest marketing gimmick, the league has teamed up with Stan Lee, 
known for creating iconic superheroes such as Spiderman, Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk, to create the Guardians: a league of 30 superheroes each representing one of the NHL’s member clubs, and designed with their city and team name in mind. We’re fully aware that at least one team has already done something like this, and to see the NHL take that particular approach again is very interesting indeed.
As a marketing campaign the Guardian Project is said to be aimed at tween boys, while it could possibly be an attempt to also attract the Comic Book crowd to hockey. Of course, they want the existing NHL fan base to like it too, and this thing as a whole has received very mixed reactions from all of us as hockey fans.
With the announcement of the project came a big poster featuring silhouetted versions of all of the teams Guardians. Some were easy to tell right off the bat, while others remained hidden in the background. And each of them have been unveiled via a voting campaign on the dreaded Facebook…
Electoral Fraud? Never. Writer: Kevkev
The Guardian project in my personal opinion made one fatal error. They jumped on the overhype and current obsession of using Social Networking to conduct the vote system for this “project”. In my opinion relying on a third party to host, and control voting for this project is comparable to the NHL calling the NFL and asking them to take charge of the scoring for all NHL games; and considering the IT power behind the current NHL; there is no real reason for them not to keep this in house; or to even create its own website. The only reasons I can possibly see the NHL using Facebook for this, is to attract the sort of audience that is more interested in comics than the NHL, who would never / rarely visit the NHL website.
The application itself uses Flash; which is often slow, not working at all or buggy. On load up you select your personal team preference and it shows you the results.
As with any voting system; it’s open to fraud – and I can’t help but feel that the NHL is making a few “personal” adjustments for whatever reason.
Case 1: The first character unveiled was the Penguin. Just hours before the “closing vote”; this character was losing; when suddenly in the final minutes the Penguin went from losing to winning and thus it was unveiled. Considering the way the NHL seems to market the Penguins; this seems a little suspect.
Case 2: The Dallas Stars character – Pitted against the Florida Panther, you would expect a clear-cut victory from The Stars who have a far larger fan base. However the margin seemingly started at 56% and remained at 56% not moving. Did no one vote? Did the same amount of people vote for the same every day?
Now these cases are just two examples, but throughout the voting system it has felt very predictable as to who would win. Vote margins seemed to seldom change, sometimes in the final hours before an unveiling, and in the case of Columbus who tied – somehow they won. Should that have not resulted in a revote?
And why rig the votes? Fan control, giving the fans what they want first seems like a good idea – after all, who would know? Or, perhaps some characters weren’t ready in time? Again, like the above you wouldn’t know.
I think that with the NHLs internet presence, a better solution and a more transparent system to the way voting took place could have been found.
Positive Impact – Writer: Wildwing64
So, what good could possibly come out of marketing the 30 NHL teams by use of comic book superheroes? At least one team’s parent company has already tried something similar once before with mixed results, and it’s strange that the league would go back to that very same approach to advertise their on-ice product.
As PPG’s resident Ducks fan, I am living proof that as a marketing gimmick, it works. As a 7 year old kid, I loved the Mighty Ducks cartoon series: the fact that it featured superheroes that played hockey, with hockey-based weapons, made the sport out to be that much more awesome in my eyes than say, English football (soccer). Prior to me seeing this TV show as a kid, I had no interest in sports whatsoever: but now after having fallen victim to that marketing gimmick when I was younger, I follow the NHL pretty much religiously. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
But really, the Guardian Project isn’t technically there for existing hockey fans like me and you: it’s for the kids. They’re taking the same approach that Disney used for Mighty Ducks: the Animated Series and doing it league-wide. Instead of using just one team, or four teams, all thirty are being given their own, unique (or in a few cases, not-so-unique) Guardian characters to help really push the NHL to the kids that aren’t as interested in sports. With this Project, and again much like MDTAS, they are looking to attract kids to the NHL, or more specifically to any of the league’s 30 teams, through brand recognition. Either that or they want to keep the kids that are already NHL fans hooked to their favourite team with the aid of a super cool superhero character.
For the rest of us, or rather those of us who are existing NHL fans who choose to like the Guardian Project in some way, it’s little more than a bit of harmless fun that doesn’t really affect the most important thing, the on-ice product itself much if at all, aside from the fact that it’s an additional source of revenue for the league.
BUT…
Negative Impact – Writer: Kevkev
Whilst it is always a good idea to help increase the spectrum of fans supporting the NHL; does The Guardian Project risk alienating current fans, and worse still; risk bringing in fans who care not about hockey – but about an individual Guardian?
The NHL has clearly invested quite a lot of time and effort into this project; with it being in production for years. One of the reasons stated for this project, is to open up the door to thousands of potential new fans, who have not got an interest in hockey at the moment.
Now, whilst it is fair to say that everyone learns to like hockey in one way or another; would a comic book series really seduce comic book fans into actually supporting an NHL team? Surely, they would take it as it is; another comic book that’s on the shelf and no different to Batman, Fantastic 4 etc. Now I am not saying comic book fans don’t support the NHL already, or will never – but I just can’t foresee comic book aficionados flocking to Madison Square Garden to watch a hockey game, they are more likely to be at home reading comics with friends, or at a comic book shop debating whether to buy that first edition or not.
And where does this leave the older generation fans / non comic book liking fans? Now, as a side project; it is fine. No one will notice it unless they choose to, and there’s no reason it would get in the way of what they truly want, to enjoy the NHL.
However, if the NHL chooses to press further with this project, and implement intermission shows, regular news updates plastered all over the website, it could cost them these fans; who may feel that the NHL is becoming “cheap” and “low quality” as well as focusing too much on The Guardians, and not on the actual reason they exist; a hockey league.
This is why I feel that the NHL should leave comics to Marvel and DC, and just stick to the hockey. Hopefully they will acknowledge this, and ensure the people who couldn’t give a flying puck about comics enough space to keep enjoying the game.
The Guardians
Now we’ll give our own brief opinions on each and every one of the titular superheroes, starting with:
Western Conference – Writer: Wildwing64
The Anaheim Duck – Surfboard is appropriately tied in to So Cal’s surfing culture. Duck mask is a nice tribute to the team’s past identity. He’s basically a surfer scientist dude with money and a high IQ who makes everyone’s weapons and stuff for them. Think of him as an aquatic Iron Man.
The Calgary Flame – Essentially the Human Torch in a much better outfit. Has the ability to create fire balls, shoot fire from his eyes, and can create a “Flaming Stampede” of fiery horses, nicely tied in to Calgary’s history and the annual Calgary Stampede event.
The Chicago Blackhawk – His suit has a militaristic feel that’s appropriate for the partial history behind the team name, while at the same time feels very Native American. Has the power to control the element of wind through the cannons on his arms. Maybe he’s able to break wind too.
The Colorado Avalanche – Anyone remember that Godawful Batman and Robin movie? This guy is a bit like Mr. Freeze from that film, except he bears no resemblance to Arnie. However, as a tie-in to the Rocky Mountains his powers are very cool (no pun intended).
The Columbus Blue Jacket – A human war machine, and with cannons attached makes for an interesting tie-in with Columbus’s Civil War history. Has been accused of being a Transformer.
The Dallas Star – I wasn’t too sure how they were going to pull this one off, but I’m sure Texans are pleased that they avoided the generic cowboy imagery – which would have been more appropriate to Dallas’s NFL team. Essentially a living star in a humanoid form, his attacks are all energy based. One of the coolest and most unique.
The Detroit Red Wing – Much like the Blue Jacket, has been accused of being a Transformers knockoff. Has a very 60’s look to him, though his machine-based powers fit in well with Detroit.
The Edmonton Oiler – He’s the Juggernaut, bitch. At 500 pounds, he reminds me of one of our ex-writers. Perhaps this hulking hero from Edmonton sits at home and plays Team Fortress 2 all day, and has a thing for cats.
The Los Angeles King – His name, along with his location seems perfect for a celebrity icon. Perhaps he creates earthquakes with his sword when really pissed off. He seems to be just a little bit full of himself while his fellow Guardian down the freeway has achieved more in life.
The Minnesota Wild – As the name suggests, this Guardian is wild. With his power of general mayhem, he’s sort of like a beefed up Crash Bandicoot. He draws power from the North Star, which is a very nice reference to the state motto, and tribute to the departed Minnesota North Stars.
The Nashville Predator – Essentially a living version of their logo. Looks pretty good, and as appropriately tied in as it is, “Titanium Music City Super Cat” cracks me up every time I read it, only because it’s so randomly hilarious. His ability to spit out radioactive slime is a bit worrying.
The Phoenix Coyote – Wolverine hasn’t been wearing his iconic mask in the X-men film series. Looks like this guy stole it. The fact that he has retractable claws on his hands isn’t exactly helping his case. But then again, Wolverine doesn’t summon packs of coyotes from his coat.
The San Jose Shark – The fact that he’s a Technological Genious (sic) is an interesting tie-in to Silicon Valley. Though last time we checked, computers and water don’t mix very well.
The St. Louis Blue – Looks a bit like Hades. Although he does look quite badass, and the power to control the “element” of music is unique.
The Vancouver Canuck – It’s Batman with a whale motif. Considering the fact that the team is slowly moving away from the orca imagery, this is strange, however his powers seem to be tied in well enough to Vancouver.
Eastern Conference – Writer: Kevkev
The Atlanta Thrasher – The Thrasher is all about speed and agility. Whilst he may only have his hands as weapons, this is likely to not be an issue when he can move at speed. Whilst not the most features packed, he certainly has enough to please a crowd.
The Boston Bruin – No surprises, this Guardian is a bear. However, it is safe to say this bear is definitely smarter than your average bear, and rather than steal picnic baskets he uses strength to tear his enemies to pieces; whilst somehow still being a kid at heart. We will see how that plays out.
The Buffalo Sabre – The Sabre is made of water; a tribute to the great Niagara falls. With the ability to electrify his watery core when necessary, he will no doubt prove to be a “shocking” addition to the team. A question to ponder is who would win in a battle between him, and The Flame?
The Carolina Hurricane – Probably not the most popular character in New Orleans, this character uses the power of a hurricane to take flight. The character also posses the power to make the hurricanes stronger when enraged. Personally, this character doesn’t blow me away.
The Florida Panther – Rather than base the character on a Florida Panther, this character is more of a generic panther instead. Don’t annoy him however, as his razor sharp claws will tear you to shreds and the power of invisibility will make him especially hard to trace. This character would most likely be the first choice of one of our previous writers here on the site, in which case he hopefully won’t prove to be a caaaatastrophe.
The Montreal Canadien – Rather than have his own powers; the Canadien simply clones the others so long as he is nearby them. When using his Power Augmentation, it enhances characters near to him helping them out rather than helping himself. One of the better looking characters, if not with some boring powers.
The New Jersey Devil – Master of the underworld, this character is a direct descendant of the Jersey Devil. A nocturnal character with the gift of night vision, he has the ability to withstand any heat. He can also shoot fire. Let’s hope he aims his fire away from the large collection of Petrochemical companies based in New Jersey…
The New York Islander – The toughest character, The Islander looks more suited to Football than Hockey, his main power is to use his hockey themed grappling hook; he can also alter the weather and cause tidal waves. Hey Islander, how about a little sun over here?
The New York Ranger – Looking more like Robocop than a guardian this character enraged many from New York, who are fed up with their city bewing linked to crime. Patrolling the skyline on his “Hover Horse”, he has the ability to drop hockey puck shaped bombs that can obliterate blocks in seconds. Don’t think you can escape him while he sleeps – like the city, he never sleeps.
The Ottawa Senator – The logo from your American Express card has come alive! This character has the ability to eliminate the enemy’s powers, and is a gifted motivator. He carries a weapon from his gladiator days and can channel his energy through it. Now if he can use his power to win the Cup and slay Anaheim, perhaps the people of Ottawa will embrace him.
The Philadelphia Flyer – This character is pretty impressive to look at, and even has his own pet eagle (so much better than your crummy owl; take that Harry Potter). He has the ability to see through objects, and he is not one to back out from a brawl, a throwback to the infamous Broad Street Bullies era. And to keep you eco warriors happy, he even has solar panels in his wings. This character has a personality that just flies…
The Pittsburgh Penguin – The first character revealed, the Penguin has the ability to freeze the air in front of him and glide; mainly because his wings are as badly designed as a penguin, and they won’t let him fly. They do however better movement however. This is by far, not the most entertaining.
The Tampa Bay Lightning – Looking a little like a crazy scientist, he is described a s a living bolt of lightning. The only thing stopping him from shocking himself his rubber suit, which works to insulate him. He has the power to create lightning bolts whenever he wishes, and if your caught nearby; this characters experience will certainly make you feel zapped.
The Toronto Maple Leaf – The largest character in the project, he is also a humanoid tree. This character has the ability to fire sap bombs from his arms to defend himself; he is also capable of securing himself to any surface. Let’s just hope that the enemy doesn’t come at him with a chainsaw now.
The Washington Capital – Half man, half bird; this character has the power of telescopic sight for up to 30,000 feet away – so now is a good time to close the curtains. This character also can fire off a supersonic scream, which is sure to make him a hit with the neighbour’s dog; but no worries – if the neighbour was to come after him, he can just shape shift into any form he wants.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a fan of the Guardians or not they are here for the short term, at least. Once the dust settles around the media hype, and some real material beyond the basic introduction is released; we will then be able to see whether or not this is a good thing for the NHL.
See them less as a marketing tool, and more as a complement towards your team. Be thankful that the NHL got some extra interest from some interesting third parties.
And hey, If you don’t like them now; give them a chance – perhaps they will grow on you; if they don’t I am sure you will be able to ignore them.
