In the 100 plus years of the NHL existing, there have been a lot of different jerseys. Most of them have been terrible, but a few have been perfect. This is a list of the top five.
At number five, is a jersey for a team that no longer exists, the Hartford Whalers. Hartford’s 1982 home jerseys are a perfect example of hockey in the early 1980s. They have a classic, clean white jersey that comfortably displays their main colors.
This uniform also utilizes a piece of hockey equipment that is now illegal, the long hockey pants. The long pants were originally supposed to be a combination of the pants and socks that all players wear to this day. These long pants were called Cooperalls, and were supposed to be the future of hockey. Sadly, the Cooperalls were banned in the NHL due to the lack of friction they make with the ice, making falls more dangerous.
At number four is a more recent jersey, the 2022 Arizona Coyotes Reverse Retro jersey. These uniforms are absolutely brilliant, taking their old green alternates and flipping the green to purple to create a night sky for the desert landscape at the bottom of the sweater. The only downside to these is the black helmets and pants which would have looked better purple.
In third place is the Colorado Avalanche alternate jersey. Colorado has a history of good jerseys ever since they were the Colorado Rockies. But in 2015, they released their best uniform yet. The navy blue creates a perfect backdrop for a new alternate logo that really helps the jersey as a whole.
The new logo is made out of a triangle, which some speculate to be in reference to the Avalanche Triangle, which is a graphic used to help people learn about the causes of avalanches. The mountain peak at the top feels like a call back to the old Rockies logo.
Grabbing silver is the new San Jose Sharks alternate jersey. These jerseys are a sleek rebrand of their old black alternates. These new uniforms come with a stealth theme that is also seen in their new alternate logo. The uniform as a whole is just appealing to the eyes.
The number one best NHL jersey of all time is the Quebec Nordiques home jersey from 1979-1995. These jerseys not only represent where the team is but look clean while doing it. The fleur-de-lis on the bottom stripe represents the area’s French heritage while the color scheme is impeccable.
The use of the baby blue is something that very few teams do well, but Quebec hit the nail on the head with these jerseys. It is sad that they don’t have a team to wear them; however; with the addition of Reverse Retro jerseys, the Avalanche has a chance to re-create these masterpieces, as Colorado is where the Nordiques moved in 1995.
As we see here, hockey history is jam packed with excellent jerseys from the past, and new ones coming out every year. The entire NHL fan base is excited to see what new and inventive jerseys are to come in 2024
