Vancouver Canucks 1989-97

Here's another classic mess up by the Canucks. In the same vein as the "V" jerseys, Vancouver made some fine tuned adjustments and created the "Star Wars" type uniforms seen above. That's just one of the few nicknames for this "winner". You got the "Flying Skate", "Flying Blade", "Waffle Iron", "Plate of Spaghetti" and "Planet Canuck". Any name you give it, it's still going to be terrible. I guess they figured that the color scheme for the previous jerseys worked so they kept that together minus the "V's". The logo is odd because it looks like a planet, a skate with a blade that says Canucks or just a mixture of lines and the team name thrown in. Minus a thousand points on that one Alex. Although this jersey doesn't have a nameplate, they used the same gold color that is featured here with the stripes and numbers. The home jerseys were changed to white during this time period so at least they got something right.

My final thoughts: The combination of the same colors and the new logo still make this a stinker. The only thing that would make these better is wiping them from the history of NHL jerseys along with the V uniforms.

Vancouver Canucks Home 1978-85

The first major transition for the Canucks organization was their switch from the "Stick in a Rink" design to the terrible "Giant V" look. Along with the change in logo, the team also drastically altered their color scheme from blue, green and white to the standout gold, black and orange. According to the designers of this whooper of a jersey, the giant "V" and the subsequent "V's" along the rest of the uniform stand for Victory and not Vancouver. Kind of an interesting considering that the Canucks didn't win very often during their time with the dreaded V, compiling a record of 197-264-99 in that span.The fact that it takes up most of the jersey speaks to its ineffective artistic ability. The worst thing about these jerseys really is the color scheme. Who in their right mind would think that gold, orange and black would actually be effective? Especially when you make a gold a primary color (not a good idea). What exactly is there to like about this? Like a few of the other jerseys I've gone through, the color scheme is really distracting and downright rude. It hurts my eyes just looking at this thing. The away jerseys aren't any better; instead of gold it's all black. Truly an awful design for (at the time) an awful team.

My final thoughts: I have said that there are some jerseys here that I've analyzed to be some of the worst in NHL history. Well now I'm telling you THIS is the WORST jersey in NHL history by far.

Vancouver Canucks 1970-78

Now we get to the team with the most prolific jersey history in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver came in prior to the 1970-71 season but has left a huge impact on the league as far as their uniforms are concerned. The team has gone through 13 changes to logos and color schemes; some good and some not so much. First up: the team's original jerseys from 1970-78. Although there were a few alterations during those seasons (the first season they had a different stripe pattern on the sleeves and the latter ones featured names for the first time), the overall look stayed the same. Given the nickname  the "stick in a rink" jerseys, these uniforms went with a basic appeal: solid blue, green and white colors and a simplistic logo that when you look closer the stick gives the background the look of a giant "C" for Canucks. One dominant stripe forms on the bottom and sleeve areas that are accented by other colored stripes (normally one on each side) to again appeal to the simple design.

My final thoughts: Quite honestly these are the best jerseys they've come up with. I've harped on a few teams for minimalistic designs but in the case of the Canucks, they have a pretty solid foundation. Obviously they are a hockey team and have a logo that forms a "V" sort of and a definite "C". These jerseys were brought back by the squad in 2006 in a variation of the original as an alternate. They are also available as a part of the NHL's throwback Heritage collection.

New York Islanders 2011-present

More Islanders jerseys you say? Sure, I'll help you out on that regard. Here we have the new Islanders alternate jersey, a complete shift from what they've done in the past and a departure from what they normally don. Um what is this? The Islanders borrowed a recent trend in alternates of replacing their main logo with the team name and player number underneath. Not exactly an awesome idea. They re-introduced grey to their array after the disastrous Fisherman jerseys. They take up large portions of the shoulders and sleeves. The stripe pattern of grey, orange and old Islanders blue doesn't match up well and looks messy, like it was thrown together at the last minute. There are too many colors to deal with on the jersey altogether, like the primary black with the stripe patterns and then the orange names/numbers with white and blue trim. This is a classic "What were they thinking?" moment.

My final thoughts: It's not just me who thinks these jerseys are bad. Fans, critics and judging by this picture, some of the players don't think to fondly of it either. It is simply one of the worst alternates jerseys in league history, maybe even sports history. It's truly awful and I can't understand how a team can take so much pride in something like this.

New York Islanders Alternate 2002-07

Speaking of alternates, check this one out! The prized "pumpkin" of the batch so to say. Due to an inability to do anything right during this era, the team unveiled these awful monstrosities. Doesn't it hurt the eyes just looking at it? Orange has always played a smaller part in the Islanders jersey history but they decided to make most of their uniform a bright version of it. Then there's the jagged line design which I'm not really sure what it's supposed to be or represent but looks ridiculous. How could you use that for both sides of the jersey? It's extremely distracting that's for sure, between the giant sickles and the offensive use of orange, I'd say you got yourself a real winner right there.

My final thoughts: Normally it's pretty tough being an Islanders fan because of their history of being lackluster or their issues with management and getting rid of players before they have a chance to become great. But their history with jerseys, especially alternates, has been just as rough. Definitely one you should steer clear of.

Carolina Hurricanes Alternate 2008-Present

The Hurricanes were one of the few clubs that had yet to produce an alternate jersey in their existence prior to 2008. The idea was set in motion and what came out of it was this. To say it's uninspired is an understatement. The team basically transplanted black into the same design used for their home and away jerseys but switched out the logo. The only differences are the red colored numbers and the extensive use of grey (which is featured sparsely on the other ones). Anyone who knows about hurricanes or lives in an area where hurricanes roll through on a regular basis will understand the new logo of the hurricane warning flags. But to anyone else, they will think it's dumb to have a giant flag on the front of the jersey. The shoulder patch has the 'Canes normal logo but in negative color which is one of the only good features here. The white border around the numbers is a nice touch too.

My final thoughts: The Hurricanes waited over ten years to come out with a 3rd jersey and settle on this? I don't get it, and neither do most fans.

Winnipeg Jets 2011-Present

 

When comparing the old Winnipeg Jets jerseys to the new ones, you have to put into account that there was a difference of 15 years from the time they relocated to Phoenix to when they got their team back. The concept here was to create a new image, one that was updated and streamlined. Most fans wanted the organization to bring back the old unis, which would have been a great idea. Instead, they designed these snoozers. Borrowing aspects of the Canadian Air Force's logo, the Jets placed a basic looking fighter jet over top of the Maple Leaf, the country's most well known symbol. The only problem is that it's borderline copyright infringement. The color schemes almost blend into each other as well with the dark blue and light blue. The lettering on the back is really small too so it's tough to see what the name is. I also think it's strange that the team logo, which is the symbol for the club, is small and almost off center.

My final thoughts:  The Jets were better off just bringing back their old jersey.