The St. Cloud Blizzard of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) has changed its name and rebranded to the St. Cloud Norsemen.

The team moved from Brookings, South Dakota, to St. Cloud, Minnesota, late last summer and didn’t have enough time to address all aspects of the move properly. The name change and new identity was picked to suit the St. Cloud community and portray the characteristics and values of the team.

“The most important aspect of a team’s brand identity change is that it resonates with audiences and reflects who you are as an organization,” said Amy Hefti, the marketing director for the team, in a press release. “We built the identity change with both our surrounding communities and our players in mind. The Norsemen are symbolic and aligns with the heritage of Central Minnesota and are a legend our players can embrace. The Norsemen name and logo personifies the team in a way that allows us to connect with both fans and sponsors in a more meaningful way.”

The team’s general manager and former Stanley Cup winner, Tom Chorske, said in a press release: “While the game of hockey is fast and often graceful, it also requires courage, grit, and resiliency, that’s what I like about our new name and logo. Our organization exists as a pathway to help young men achieve their goal of playing college hockey, which requires all those traits. We also think we can have some fun with it, which is another element of the sport and our games.”

The Norsemen play in the Central Division alongside the Minot Minotauros, Aberdeen Wings, Bismarck Bobcats, Minnesota Wilderness and the Austin Bruins.

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