We’re so proud of our contributions to this year’s Indigenous Celebration Night game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vancouver Canucks.
Under the creative direction and cultural leadership of Design de Plume Co-CEO Jennifer Taback, we created a new flag and designed visuals for a light show to accompany a drumming performance during the game. This project used Jenn’s 2025 Maple Leafs logo design as a launching point to tell new stories.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Indigenous Celebration Night recognizes the deep history of the Indigenous community and uplifts Indigeneity from the past, present and beyond. Jenn’s storytelling inspiration came from growing up around the waters of Georgian Bay and Ramsey Lake, which informed the idea of flow as a central theme. The flag is distinct and dynamic, with saturated colours that align with the Anishinaabe style. The design represents the flow of energy, people, movement on the ice, and the path through life from youth to Elder.
During the game, hockey fans were treated to a live Indigenous drum circle performance from Smoke Trail Singers Drum Group. We designed visuals for a light show that turned the arena into a living rhythm of culture and connection. The visuals incorporated the flag’s vibrant, bright colours to highlight the design elements, which included stars and sacred medicines like giizhik (cedar) and ode’imin (strawberries). We considered how the visuals would align with the rhythm and energy of the drumming performance. The animations pulsed, flowed, and evolved in time with the music to create an immersive experience.
Our 2026 Indigenous Celebration Night design project was supported by Mastercard. With Mastercard’s support, Jenn had the freedom to express herself and represent her community in an authentic way. This partnership has helped push our business to a new level, and it opens up opportunities for other community members to launch their own endeavours. We’re grateful for the opportunity and we hope you loved seeing this work come to life during the game.
If you loved Jenn’s Indigenous Celebration Night logo design, great news: sweaters, patches, pins, and pucks featuring the logo are available online at Real Sports Apparel.
