Ranking 31 of the best NHL jerseys

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Vauxhall Advance

By Cole Parkinson
Vauxhall Advance
cparkinson@tabertimes.com

Christmas may be over but it’s still sweater weather in southern Alberta.

And with that in mind, let’s talk a little about sweaters, though these are much different than sweaters you may be picturing.

I’m talking hockey jerseys here and more importantly, my favourite NHL jerseys for each team and they have to be worn by the specific team at least once during the 2019/2020 season.

31. Nashville Predators home

I’ve never liked the bright yellow jerseys and Nashville has constantly stuck with the same mustard yellow tinge. I get why people like them because they are so unique but I could never get behind them. 

30. Carolina Hurricanes alternates

I like the new flag jerseys a tad more than their home/away jerseys but I’m still not overly fond of their jerseys. I love red and black jerseys but Carolina’s have never been my favourites.

29. Edmonton Oilers away

The Oilers’ home and alternates are abominations and shouldn’t exist so their white away jerseys easily slide in as my favourite. White jerseys are never the most exciting jerseys but I do love that the Oilers went back to their 80s inspired jersey designs because they are way better than what they were wearing in the 2000s. It’s just too bad they went with all orange home and an even worse alternate jersey.

28. Tampa Bay Lightning home

Another jersey that I find to be pretty boring and their blue and white structure is very similar to another team that wears those colours. I enjoy their logo but their jerseys are just boring and while their alternates are vastly different, they’re also a tad odd in the colour scheme going with grey and black only. 

27. Los Angeles Kings alternates

The LA Kings jerseys are pretty cool overall but they also don’t inspire much for me. I like their grey alternates over their black and white home and away jerseys just slightly but they are all incredibly similar except for the main colour. When they bring back the purple and gold is when I get excited about their jerseys but even those are super loud but man, they look so cool.

26. Dallas Stars home

The switch to all green jerseys was a choice I actually don’t mind, it’s just too bad the logo isn’t all that great, in my opinion. There isn’t much to say about these jerseys as I think they really are just a middle of the pack offering.

25. Minnesota Wild home

Another all green jersey but I do like these more than Dallas. The green, cream and red colour scheme is pretty cool and I still think the Wild logo is pretty good, it’s just not in the upper echelon for me. 

24. Florida Panthers home

The scheme of the Florida Panthers jerseys are almost identical to the Minnesota Wild home jerseys, just a different colour scheme of red, white and gold. I know the new and improved logo drew mixed reaction at first but I liked it right from the start and I still think it looks great.

23. New Jersey Devils home

We’re in that zone of NHL jerseys where they all don’t necessarily stick out for better or for worse, and that’s how I feel about New Jersey’s jerseys. I still love their logo, one of the coolest ones in the league in terms of newer teams in my book, but their jerseys still aren’t ones that I look at as one of the best in the league.

22. Anaheim Ducks alternate

I love the old school purple and green Ducks jerseys so when they announced they were bringing that logo back I was excited.It’s just too bad they put them on orange jerseys, which are quite different. If it wasn’t for such an awesome logo, this one would probably be ranked near the bottom and neither the home or away jerseys would fair much better.

21. Buffalo Sabres alternate

The new Sabres alternates are pretty good redesigns of their away whites, just with more gold and less blue. I’ve never been huge fans of the Sabres redesigned jerseys but these are a step in the right direction. 

20. Vegas Golden Knights away

Again, whites are usually not my favourite jerseys for teams but Vegas’ are, especially with the all-white gloves and white helmets.People were skeptical of these but the all-white uniform was something I liked about them from the start.
 
19. Columbus Blue Jackets alternates

Why these aren’t their home jerseys is a mystery to me because their home and away jerseys stink.The blue and cream alternates are 10 times better than those and they really are one of the sneaky good jerseys in the NHL.

18. San Jose Sharks home

The teal jerseys are really nice and I’ve always liked their colour scheme. Their alternates with all black are also very nice but all teal has always been one of my favourites in the league.

17. Washington Capitals alternates

These throwbacks are great and like many other teams, I prefer them way more than their traditional road and home jerseys. The bigger stars across the chest, white shoulders and blue and white striping on the bottom sell these jerseys for me. 

16. Winnipeg Jets home

I’m sure many would have this one way higher but for me their right in the middle, though I still like them quite a bit.The new logo is great and the colour scheme is fantastic, so really a great combination for the Jets.

15. New York Islanders home

The move back to their 80s roots was a good one because these jerseys are nice. Not much to say about them though because they haven’t changed much from back then, and maybe that’s a good thing.

14. Philadelphia Flyers home

Again, orange jerseys aren’t my favourite but Philly may be one of the only exceptions and I’m sure that has to do with the fact they are retro looking.I love the nameplates on the back too, I think they pop really nicely against the orange jerseys. 

13. Pittsburgh Penguins home

Here’s another team that moved back to their older-looking logo and it’s for the better. They had some pretty bad jerseys in the early 2000s so the move back to yellow and black was a great choice, though the all yellow alternates are too much for me. 

12. St. Louis Blues alternates

The Blues have an awesome logo and now they have a great alternate jersey to go with it. There’s nothing particularly wrong with their home and away jerseys but those alternates with the lighter blue are fantastic. 

11. Ottawa Senators alternates

The Sens’ home and ways suck, there I said it, but their alternate with the big O are a vast improvement. One day they should either switch to those full time or incorporate that jersey layout into their regular home and away because they would be much improved if they did.

10. Colorado Avalanche home

All three jerseys for the Aves are great and the homes just barely sneak by their new alternates. The maroon and blue jerseys are so good and they go with one of the better logos in the NHL so there isn’t much to complain about with these beauties. 

9. New York Rangers home

The first of the Original Six jerseys to make my list is the New York Rangers. I’ve always liked the diagonal Rangers on the front of the jersey and while many teams have tried to copy that look, only the Rangers have been able to stick with it.

8. Boston Bruins home

I hate the Bruins, so complimenting their jerseys is even hard for me but they do have some really good threads. The spoke B wheel is one of the best logos in sports and their jerseys are iconic for a reason.

7. Calgary Flames alternates

The Flames home and away jerseys are the worst in the league but their alternate makes up for that. The old school jersey layout and all-white flaming C is so nice. It’s a shame they haven’t switched to that layout for both of their regular home and road jerseys. One day maybe. 

6. Montreal Canadiens home

Here’s a jersey that has barely changed for their entire existence as a team and why would you change when you’ve won the most Stanley Cups? Plus, they are already as close to perfect as the Canadiens are going to get so you may as well not fix what isn’t broken. 

5. Detroit Red Wings red

We’re at the point of my list where it’s so hard to rank these jerseys and they could change tomorrow, but for today the Red Wings come in at number. They’re absolutely iconic with one of the coolest logos in the league. There’s not much else to say about them because they have pretty much remained the same throughout the years and like the Canadiens, it’s probably for the best.
 
4. Arizona Coyotes alternates

This may be looked at as slanderous ranking these ahead of several Original Six teams but man, the Arizona Kachina jerseys are one of my absolute favourites. Bringing them back was the best decision Arizona has made in a long time and they should be wearing them on a more regular basis. In terms of my Maple Leafs fandom, I rarely wear any other team logo anywhere on my body but this is one jersey I have contemplated purchasing, that’s how much I love it.

3. Vancouver Canucks second alternates

Oh man, another throwback that was knocked out of the park. As part of the Canucks 50th year in the league, they are wearing the old school flying skate jerseys at certain parts of the year and my goodness, are they cool. Like the Coyotes, this is one jersey I wouldn’t mind wearing now and then because it is so damn awesome.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs home

Coming from one of their worst logos and jerseys in the 2000s and early 2010s, the redesigned Maple Leafs jerseys are home runs. Much like the Toronto Blue Jays redesign back in 2013, these things have an old school flair while also bringing in some modern flair. They’re easily in my top three Leafs sweaters of all time but that is another column for another day.

1. Chicago Blackhawks home

The best logo in the NHL and a red jersey is a winning combination in my book. It’s hard to beat the Chicago Blackhawks in the jersey game and as far as the NHL is concerned, they sit at the top and have for quite some time. I honestly love everything about this jersey and it’s hard to imagine them changing much of anything on it for the foreseeable future because you can’t improve on perfection.