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.

New York Islanders Fisherman 1995-97

Trust the Gorton's Fisherman! That's what plenty of people were saying when the New York Islanders, in an attempt to redesign their identity, came up with this hysterical mockery of a jersey during the mid 90s. The team's original logo was pretty simple; a circular pattern with NY Islanders written inside superimposed over a diagram of Long Island, New York. Instead, the team went with the angry Fisherman wielding a hockey stick for 2 years. The team colors also changed during this time, from navy blue and orange to a plethora of colors including the previous two along with silver and turquoise. The strip patterns on the older jerseys were changed from straight to wavy and the nameplate featured the same pattern. They also added a shoulder pattern with wavy strips and a lighthouse logo on the blades. It certainly has an interesting vibe to it, maybe a stoner type vibe with the wavy patterns and the ridiculous amount of colors.

My final thoughts: One of the most ill-conceived designs in NHL history. I'm not sure why they wanted to switch from the original logo and jerseys, they're pretty nice compared to this. As you may imagine these jerseys were not well received by the Islanders fans or critics. Needless to say, the Islanders were harassed and they became the butt of many jokes because of these jerseys and the teams they fielded during this time (they played just as poorly as this jersey was designed).

Phoenix Coyotes Alternate 1999-2003

One of the NHL's most tumultuous franchises is the Phoenix Coyotes. Since joining the league in 1996 (relocating from Winnipeg, more on that tomorrow), the "Desert Dogs" has finished with 10 seasons of a .500 record or better while having 6 losing seasons. They've had issues with ownership and were even being financed for a couple of seasons by the NHL itself in order to keep the team afloat. There have been many rumors about possible relocation due to the dwindling attendance numbers. Maybe they should re-introduce this ambitious and colorful alternate jersey.

Taking inspiration from the area, the team set out to create a desert motif with drastic colors and designs. The original logo of the hockey playing coyote gets a head shot for this particular jersey, making it front and center. The green color that was used as an accent color becomes the main shade here and the sleeve patterns are changed to include mountains, desert and a cactus. A secondary logo for the team has been the crescent moon so their incorporation of said logo into the bottom portion of the jersey is a nice touch. 

My final thoughts: While it has been bashed by fans and players alike, I think it's interesting. Only an expansion team like the Coyotes could come up with an idea for a jersey using little used colors like dark green, purple and burnt orange. I have to give them some credit for coming up with an outrageous design. Thumbs up.

St. Louis Blues Alternate 2008-Present

St. Louis has been pretty modest with their jersey designs since entering the NHL in 1967. There was a period of time during the 90s when they experimented with different color schemes (needless to say they went back to their originals) but other than that the Blues haven't changed much, no less introduce a third jersey. Well following the success of Pittsburgh's Winter Classic circular logo uniform, it seemed like every team in the league wanted to adopt something similar. The Blues put together this gem prior to the 2008-09 season. The jersey makes good use of navy blue as its primary color, features a small Blues logo with the famous Gateway Arch lurking in background while the team name appears above and below in the circular pattern. The team's regular "Blue music note" logo makes an appearance again on the shoulder patch. I also really like how easy it is to read the numbers and names on the jersey due to the white color and bold font. The jersey isn't busy either like most alternate jerseys are; it only needs what is absolutely necessary. 

My final thoughts: Definitely one of the best alternates out there right now. Like most teams, the Blues tend to wear their 3rd jersey quite frequently at home games and I think they should continue that tradition. If the Blues ever get into a Winter Classic game, I certainly hope they will stick to their guns and choose this instead of coming up with something that looks like this.

Dallas Stars 2013 Home Jersey

The Stars got a new owner prior to the 2011-2012 season so they decided that the team would make a few changes. There were plenty of those from players to people in management positions but the team waited to unveil the new team logo and uniforms. After two seasons under new owner Tom Gagliardi, the Stars revealed this sweater as their new home jersey. The emphasis was on the team's re-establishing their identity with an overabundance of green. While I admire their ability to improve over previously lame jerseys, I can't help but question the change in logo and the choice of green. I actually liked the earlier forms of the Stars jerseys, they were unique and have yet to be replicated in good taste. However, I don't understand how turning the team into a bunch of green Jolly Ranchers is going to improve upon their image. I'm not a big fan of the new logo either, it looks too much like a Chinese throwing star that they slapped a "D" on.

My final thoughts:  I think Dallas certainly had the right idea, they just executed it poorly. If they were to bring back the old Stars color scheme that would work better. The negative color shoulder pattern makes it a little too much green where maybe white or black should have come into play. The lettering is an issue too because the player names are scrunched together and way too small. Kind of goofy looking if you ask me.

New Jersey Devils Home 1982-1992

The Devils got their start in the NHL after two previous franchises failed to be successful and had to be relocated. New Jersey got its Devils team after the Kansas City Scouts (1974-1976) and Colorado Rockies (1976-1982) folded and settled in East Rutherford. The team name comes from the Jersey Devil, a mythical creature that supposedly lives in the Pine Barrens in South Jersey. The Devils settled on a color scheme of red, green and white; this gave way to the team's fans referring to them as "Christmas jerseys". The design is rather simple: the Jersey Devil logo placed inside an O, an interchange between red, white and green stripes and red lettering.

My final thoughts: For a team that hasn't changed much other than swapping the green for black, they put together a basic uniform. I actually prefer the green, red and white pattern though because so many teams put black into their repertoire so it's better to have something unexpected. Kudos to them for bringing back these jerseys for the St. Patrick's Day matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010. 

Washington Capitals 1974-95

Another patriotic jersey to throw into the mix. The Capitals wanted to embody the nation's colors in their design, creating the stars and stripes sweater provided above. The jersey is very appealing; the stars are positioned on the sleeves and near the neck region, the stripes encompass most of the edges while a simple logo of a small Washington resting on top of the large Capitals that has an uppercase L for a hockey stick. The shoulder pattern features contrast colors, so for the red jersey, that area is white and for the white jerseys it's red. Simple but effective if you ask me.

My final thoughts: I think this jersey is great. The Capitals haven't always had a whole lot of success, especially during the era when they wore these jerseys. I'm glad they brought them back for their Winter Classic matchup against Pittsburgh in 2011.

Colorado Avalanche 1995-2007

I brought up the Nordiques the other day with one of my posts. The team that came out of that club's demise was the Colorado Avalanche. Since their inception, the Avalanche have won 2 Stanley Cup championships (their first one coming in the team's first season in the NHL!), 8 divisional titles and has an alumni class featuring great hockey players like Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Adam Foote, Raymond Bourque and Patrick Roy. The team has kept their jersey style simple; in fact they have never altered their home or away jersey (although they have created two alternate jerseys). They are the only team that could rock a spectrum of colors like burgundy, steel blue and silver. The team's logo is fantastic; it uses an avalanche of snow forming a C around the stationary A. If you look close, the edge of the "C" there is a puck shooting out of the snow. The jagged pattern featured towards the bottoms and sleeves give it a nice visual aesthetic too, almost like it forms mountains. And how could I forget the team's secondary logo of a Sasquatch foot? Classic.

My final thoughts: One of my personal favorite jerseys without a doubt. I was a big fan of their team during the 90s and early 2000s because of the amount of talent they had plus the jerseys are awesome. Great logo, great color scheme, great jersey for a great team. Another must have for hockey fans.

Chicago Blackhawks Winter Classic 2009

The Winter Classic in Buffalo was such a success that the league brought it back for another go around this time in Chicago. The Blackhawks are an Original Six team and have been deep seated in tradition so when I heard they were going to host the Winter Classic, I was curious as to what they would come up with. For their game at Wrigley, they borrowed from their jersey design from 1935-37 and ended up with this. Taking inspiration from the Penguins Winter Classic jersey, they modernized the circular logo pattern and although the jersey may be mostly black, the mid section and sleeves feature tan. Unlike most jerseys were the numbers tend to blend in (especially the dark ones), the numbers stand out on top of the tan and red background. Some might say it's too much to clump together, but I disagree.

My final thoughts: As far as Winter Classic jerseys go, this is the best one I've seen thus far. It stays true to the team's primaries of black and red but with the added tan from their early days, it gives a new look for the fan's palate. There's a bad side and a good side: The bad was that unfortunately they lost their game to the Detroit Red Wings 6-4 but on the good side, they officially made this sweater their third jersey and have worn it frequently at home games.

2008 Pittsburgh Penguins Winter Classic Jersey

The Penguins participated in the first ever Winter Classic game on January 1, 2008. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Winter Classic, I can explain. The Winter Classic is a game (this season will feature up to 6) that is played in an outdoor setting, usually  in a baseball or football stadium. The first game's matchup was between Pittsburgh and the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium in New York. Pittsburgh won the game 2-1 in a shootout and wore these jerseys in their victory. The color scheme and the overall jersey design harkens back to the days when the Penguins first came into the league in 1967. It certainly is abnormal to rock a powder blue sweater but the design does fit together nicely. The dark blue outlines definitely give the primary color that effect of popping out and the negative space used for the shoulder pattern was a nice touch.

My final thoughts: Although I don't particularly enjoy jerseys like this one, I do think it works out well and I'm always interested when a team decides to honor their history by creating a throwback sweater. Even the old fashioned lettering works in the jersey's favor and the circular logo on the front can only be synonymous with jersey patterns in the 60s and 70s. 

Quebec Nordiques 1991-95

 

The Nordiques belong to a distinguished group of teams that came over to the NHL following the collapse of their rival league, the WHA or World Hockey Association. Quebec's elaborate color scheme set itself apart in a field of teams that relied on contemporary tones. Possessing a simple logo (to this day I'm not sure what it's supposed to represent) and fleurs-de-lis, or spades, the Nordiques jersey is one of a kind. For their dark colored jersey, they went with a lighter bright blue, which might have been disastrous if not for how the other elements, like the white spades, the white lettering and the red logo and outlines. The team's poor record and financial issues led to their relocation to Denver in 1995. 

My final thoughts: Another great collector's piece from the Vintage Hockey selection. The Nordiques found some success during their time in the NHL, but the team's jerseys are prime examples of "best made simple" and serve as alternate jerseys from time to time for the team's current form as the Colorado Avalanche.  

Ottawa Senators Alternate 2008-2011

Here we go, another alternate jersey to pick apart. The Senators offered up this bland uniform during the craze where most teams were putting names or nicknames on the front of their jerseys instead of the logo (prime examples being the newly crowned Anaheim Ducks or the Dallas Stars). They are familiar to the third jersey idea, in fact they had previously created 2 alternate jerseys prior to unleashing this one. While the 2 previous alternates were successful and one even became a future design for the club, this one is boring. The Senators replaced their updated logo with the simple "Sens" and made the jersey all black except for a checkered sleeve pattern of red and white. The white lettering and numbers stand out better than their normal jersey makeups do but it seems unbalanced, with enormous numbers but really small letters. As you can see depending on the length of the players name, it even runs into the arm pattern so it doesn't look all that great.

My final thoughts: One of the more forgetful alternate jerseys out there. The Senators replaced this one with a throwback of sorts, using most of what they had going here for the new one. While it might have been a good idea at the time, the overuse of the team name on the front is lame. Third jerseys are supposed to be radical or has a sense of something new but retaining a part of the team's identity. With this one, it's like the creators had a deadline that came and went so they threw the most basic concept at the manufacturer. Try again Ottawa.

Los Angeles Kings 1977-80 Purple

Even before Anaheim changed the NHL jersey landscape with their unique uniforms, another fellow Californian club came into the league bearing jerseys with purple and yellow as the primary colors. The Los Angeles Kings came into the NHL in 1967 along with five other clubs during the league's first large expansion era. The inspiration for the team's colors came from team owner Jack Kent Cooke, who also happened to own the LA Lakers at the time. The team's simple design pattern for their away jerseys featured purple as the primary, with yellow stripes on the sleeves and bottom (per usual) but utilizes the bright yellow in a great way for the name and number section. Far too many teams have gone with another color when they design the numbers and name so it's awesome that they stuck with Kings yellow to make those areas pop and stand out. It might have been borrowed by another sports team but the concept gave the Kings an identity in the NHL. The other great aspect about this jersey is the King's crown logo; the kind of detail that is put into it deserves a lot of recognition and praise.

My final thoughts: Like the Mighty Ducks, the Kings have been successful with their purple unis. The popularity of the jersey rose so much during the last decade that the team has brought back the jersey to showcase in home games. Definitely a must have and a keeper for all jersey fanatics.