This year's Vancouver Canucks Pride Night jerseys tell a story through a unique artistic process. Designed by Vancouver-based linocut printmaker and illustrator, Brent Haddow, the Pride Night logo is rooted in craftsmanship, movement, and the freedom to live authentically.
From Richmond, Haddow works out of his private printmaking studio in Vancouver’s Chinatown. The linocut process involves carving images into a flat surface, inking it, and running it through a press to produce a final print.
Haddow talked about how the physical process of making art through linocut is similar to athletes playing hockey as both rely on precision and patience to get it right.
“When I was thinking about ideas for the project, I came to realization that when I carve out images in linocut, it’s very similar to carving into the ice,” Haddow said. “I wanted to link those two ideas together in creating this metaphor of coming out or living your authentic self.”
At the heart of the design is the idea of carving your own path. Rather than moving cautiously or staying within rigid boundaries, Haddow wanted the logo to reflect freedom, expression, and motion. Hearts swirl throughout the design, echoing the lines left by skates on the ice, which represents love, joy, and self-expression.
“A universal experience for a lot of queer people before coming out is feeling like you need to almost walk a fine line or skate a fine line, so you’re kind of not being your full self,” Haddow explained. “What I really wanted is to have the design be the opposite of that which would be the full expression of instead of skating down a fine line in life, it’s when you get to go whichever way you want to go.”
Using the blue Canucks’ Orca logo as a starting point, colour was naturally an important element, and Haddow was intentional about incorporating Pride colours in a way that felt integrated rather than literal. He built a mosaic of colour throughout the hearts and swirling shapes, representing togetherness in the design itself.
“I didn’t want it necessarily to be just a rainbow,” he said. “I wanted it to be more integrated in the design in all the hearts and swirls, having it just be more of a mosaic of colour.”
As an artist, Haddow is also a strong advocate for making things by hand, and he sees a clear connection between art and sport.
“Even though they’d seem separate, they’re actually quite connected,” he said. “You’re using your mind and your body to make something.”
That connection extends beyond the jersey as Pride Night represents the power of sport to unite communities. He believes events like Pride Night create space for people of all backgrounds to come together under one roof.
“Sport brings the community together,” Haddow said. “Having the Canucks celebrate Pride Night in Vancouver is super exciting. It’s something that brings all the fans together under a safe roof to celebrate something that shows that sports should be for everyone.”
With this year’s Pride Night jersey, Haddow has carved a design that celebrates unity. You can find this year’s Pride Night theme merchandise here.
