Smoky Hill High School is preparing for a brand refresh after receiving notice from the National Hockey League regarding its mascot logo. The school has been using a design that mirrors the trademarked Buffalo Sabres logo, with the addition of green accents. This practice of high schools adopting professional sports branding is common in Colorado, but the NHL has now formally requested a change.
The Cherry Creek School District confirmed it will stop selling clothing and items featuring the current buffalo design starting this fall. Despite the upcoming change to the visual logo, the district stated the school name and colors remain locked in.
District officials are planning to work with students, alumni, and local families to design a new logo. The intent is to keep the history and tradition alive while moving toward a version that avoids copyright conflict. Many other regional schools operate under similar branding, though colleges have been more aggressive in recent years with legal challenges against local institutions using unauthorized marks.
This move marks a shift in how professional leagues police their intellectual property at the high school level. While the school works on a replacement, it has emphasized that the spirit of the community is tied to its people and history rather than a single graphic asset.