London Free Press » Junior Hockey 
A local hockey club is rebranding after more than five decades, a move the organization hopes will bring it in line with other London clubs and make it more attractive to future players.
The Red Circle Hockey Club, which operates out of Stronach Arena at 1221 Sandford St., is changing its name to London Raiders Hockey. The Red Circle name had been in place since 1971.
Club president Jeremy Hansen said the change has been under discussion for last few years, in part because the organization wanted branding more in line with other London clubs such as the Bandits and Cobras.
“We just kind of wanted to bring the club more into line with that type of marketing and promotion,” Hansen said. “We just want it to be more appealing than the name Red Circle. Because what does Red Circle mean?”
The club is a non-profit, co-ed house league program offering ice time twice a week for players ages four to 20. It has no residential boundaries and operates primarily out of Stronach Arena.
The Raiders name isn’t new to the organization. It has been used for its select teams – made up of more skilled house league players who compete in tournaments – for the past few seasons.
Hansen said the rebranding also aims to shed the perception that Red Circle players are less skilled than those in other house league programs across the city.
In recent years, he said, the club has expanded its in-house development program, partnering with organizations such as Total Package Hockey to run clinics throughout the year.
“We’ve really put an emphasis on improving our hockey development program, which hopefully helps to improve our players as well as our coaches,” he said.
The league also has some notable NHL alumni, including former player Eric Lindros and current Los Angeles Kings defenceman Drew Doughty, who both played at Red Circle as children.
For families currently registered with Red Circle, Hansen said nothing will change. The program will continue operating out of Stronach Arena and focus on providing opportunities for players of all skill levels.
The rebranding will be phased in over the next several seasons, beginning with jerseys for the U9 teams this year. Hansen said the change itself did not carry a significant cost beyond legal fees, which will be spread across future budgets.
“We think going forward, the new and improved logo is more attractive, and we’re hoping it removes the negative stigma that some people may have of the name Red Circle or the organization Red Circle,” he said.
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