The National Hockey League told the Cherry Creek School District that a logo used by Smoky Hill High School infringes on a professional trademark.
The dispute highlights the tension between local school identity and the aggressive protection of corporate intellectual property. Because the school's imagery mirrors a professional sports brand, the district faces a potential forced rebrand of its athletic identity.
The NHL sent a notice to the district in March 2026 [1]. The league said that the buffalo logo used by the Aurora, Colorado, school is too similar to the trademark of the Buffalo Sabres [1, 2]. Specifically, the district's logo closely mirrors a retro design used by the Sabres [1, 2].
In response to the notice, the school district asked to pause its licensing agreement in June 2026 [3]. This pause allows the district to evaluate its options while it considers rebranding the school's imagery [1, 3].
Smoky Hill High School is part of the Cherry Creek School District, which operates several schools in the Aurora area [1, 2]. The conflict centers on the specific visual elements of the buffalo graphic rather than the use of the animal as a mascot.
The situation became public through reports issued on July 30, 2026 [1]. The district has not yet announced a final decision on whether to fight the trademark claim or implement a new design for the Buffaloes.
“The NHL told the district that Smoky Hill High School’s buffalo logo is too similar to the Buffalo Sabres trademark.”
This dispute underscores the legal risks schools face when adopting imagery that resembles established commercial brands. While schools often use common animals as mascots, the specific artistic execution of a logo can trigger trademark infringement claims from professional leagues that strictly police their intellectual property to maintain brand exclusivity.
