Top 10 Best Uniforms in NHL History

SovietWings

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Feb 1, 2017
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Pardubice
Canucks06.png

They say: " This uniform set is widely regarded as one of the ugliest in the history of North American professional sports." But it's actually the opposite! (Just the spaghetti skate on the sleeve is ruining it a bit)

RedWings08.png

Pure beauty.

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Brass Bonanza!

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I loved these in first EA NHL.

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Or the first Calgary Flames jerseys but the "A" logo is more elegant.

Flyers01.png

Great logo, original colors. Best jersey of the teams I don't like.

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It looks like 80's Lift Lemonade but i like it (the next version with black stripe is ugly).

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The traditional white Canadiens jersey is just missing something.

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Best of the modern uniforms.

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And my guilty pleasure.
 
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The Panther

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I dislike any uniform that has green on it. Just doesn't look good.

Basically, the simpler the design, the better. And primary colors are safe.
 

greyraven8

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Dec 24, 2007
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Had to skip through the video to find their choices because couldn't stand some of the script. One early example when talking of the Leafs has "plus the overall sleekness of the Reebok Edge uniform system"
barf-a-rama !!!

Put me down for thinking the monotone Kings shouldn't make any NHL uniform top 10 list; the Pittsburgh in the 'old gold' shouldn't be there, and though I liked it at the time I think previous Whalers incarnations beat out the final one. The Capitals Etch-a-sketch logo has some kitsch,novelty, or nostalgia appeal, but on design alone let's be charitable and say it is lacking.

Also, as you find with many of these uniform video reviews, history usual goes way back - all the way to the 1990's, or with occasional reference to hockey & the NHL's infancy - the 1980's. (sure there's some reference to earlier but only in the context of what's being currently or very recently worn).
 
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The Panther

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So, this is my number 1:

eb98f82322977e1b7ecbffccf988da70.jpg



And I also like these ones, which had the silver numbers on back:

f2d52bc6c5010e16f246a0346f63b32c--kings-game-kings-hockey.jpg




After the 1967 expansion, whenever they tried to update the old teams' jerseys, it always seemed to get worse... but I did really like this logo:
7e2b47160b5dca3f637e102249fb6ddc.gif
 
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pvr

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Jan 22, 2008
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Not sure I agree that WHA teams had uniforms with no staying power. I would say the Houston Aeros uniforms have a classic look about them as did the Edmonton Oilers.


wayne-gretzky-of-the-edmonton-oilers-skates-on-the-ice-during-an-wha-picture-id141792107
Darn, that Gretzky stick is really short...looks to be about 4.5 feet long, or so.
 

rfournier103

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In no real order... just the order I thought of them. I think the present is a pretty great era for uniforms - having lived through the 90s, NHL uniforms have definitely taken a turn for the better!

1. Boston Bruins (2007-2017). Not a fan of the current Adidas tweaks to the numbers and black socks with the home jerseys. The 2007-2017 uniforms were the Bruins' best ever.

2. Montreal Canadiens (Present). Loathe the team, but those are classic threads. The NHL wouldn't be the same without them.

3. Detroit Red Wings (Present). Motor City Perfection.

4. New York Rangers (Present). As a Boston fan, I despise NY sports teams, but I have to give the Blueshirts their props. They look good.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs (Present). I put them on this list mainly because of the awesome logo. Best one they've ever had. The triple stripe socks need to come back, though. Is there someone we can talk to about this?

6. Chicago Blackhawks (Present). This is kind of a reverse of the Toronto entry. The "uniform" and secondary logo are boss, but I kind of think the Indian should look more fearsome. However, the whole kit is good enough to get on my top 10.

7. Philadelphia Flyers (Present). Love the colors and the uniform. Perfect design. If I were ranking them 'in order', the Flyers would be much higher.

8. Edmonton Oilers (1981-1994). Why this was ever changed I'll never know. These were amazing.

9. Winnipeg Jets (Present). I love the military and patriotic look of these. The modern jet (F-18?) in the maple leaf is a great logo and the secondary logo on the sleeves look like they belong on an air force officer. Great colors and great design.

10. Calgary Flames (1981-1994). Super cool design. Flawless.
 

BigBadBruins7708

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As much as I hate everything associated with the Canadiens...their jersey is one of the all time classics in sports. Iconic, clean, simple.

Toronto also made a great choice going back to the traditional leaf logo instead of the MS Paint reject they had.

BUT...these are still the GOAT jerseys for me

thumb.aspx
 

rfournier103

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As much as I hate everything associated with the Canadiens...their jersey is one of the all time classics in sports. Iconic, clean, simple.

Toronto also made a great choice going back to the traditional leaf logo instead of the MS Paint reject they had.

BUT...these are still the GOAT jerseys for me

thumb.aspx
This Bruins incarnation was really really great. My only criticism is the secondary bear logo on the left sleeve. The Bruins rarely have had lousy uniforms (usually 3rd jerseys...).
 

DowntownBooster

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Jun 21, 2011
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...these are still the GOAT jerseys for me

thumb.aspx

I liked the simplicity of the logo from that jersey. The yellow 'B' and yellow outer circle on the black jersey and the black 'B' and black outer circle on the white jersey looked great. I have to say that I did prefer the jerseys when they had the shoulder yokes.

Bruins25.png


I think Boston made a big mistake when they introduced the current logo for the 1995-96 season in which the logo was the same on both the home and away jerseys.

BostonBruins.bmp



:jets
 

BigBadBruins7708

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I liked the simplicity of the logo from that jersey. The yellow 'B' and yellow outer circle on the black jersey and the black 'B' and black outer circle on the white jersey looked great. I have to say that I did prefer the jerseys when they had the shoulder yokes.

Bruins25.png


I think Boston made a big mistake when they introduced the current logo for the 1995-96 season in which the logo was the same on both the home and away jerseys.

BostonBruins.bmp



:jets

small tweak...the current logo start in 2007-08. before that the only difference (the 95 logo) was no tails on the 'B'

Boston Bruins Logos - National Hockey League (NHL) - Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page - SportsLogos.Net
 

DowntownBooster

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This Bruins incarnation was really really great. My only criticism is the secondary bear logo on the left sleeve. The Bruins rarely have had lousy uniforms (usually 3rd jerseys...).

For the most part that is true. However, I never liked the jerseys that had the arm stripe running down the length of the sleeve which were used from 1995-2007. The current jerseys are an improvement over those but not as nice as the jerseys from the early 70's.

Bruins40.png



:jets
 

BigBadBruins7708

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For the most part that is true. However, I never liked the jerseys that had the arm stripe running down the length of the sleeve which were used from 1995-2007. The current jerseys are an improvement over those but not as nice as the jerseys from the early 70's.

Bruins40.png



:jets

even then the only truly bad jersey was the Pooh Bear 3rds. Those were more a result of the 90s design trends
 

ponder719

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1. Philadelphia Flyers 1984-97 - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - Especially the orange jerseys.
2. Hartford Whalers 1992-97 - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - I know most prefer the green sets, but I never could get behind the logo in plain white like they had on the green ones.
3. San Jose Sharks 1991-97 - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - They had it right, and have been chasing perfection ever since.
4. St. Louis Blues 2017-present - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - This is a team that's almost never looked bad, but their current kit is the best refinement yet.
5. Quebec Nordiques 1991-95 - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - I want these back in the league, dammit.
6. Toronto Maple Leafs 1992-97 - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - The best version of a great set.
7. New York Rangers 1997-98 - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - Hate the team, but I can't deny that they looked fantastic with this set.
8. Boston Bruins 2017-present - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - Another team who always looks good, but their most recent set is the best of the bunch.
9. Washington Capitals 2015-17 - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - Specifically the throwbacks, along with the throwback whites from the prior year. It's the little details; the stick forming the T is a better length, the word Washington is aligned much better, and the striping at the bottom is better-proportioned than the 87-95 set.
10. New Jersey Devils 1982-92 - The (unofficial) NHL Uniform Database - Another kit I like from a team I hate. I'm a huge fan of the Christmas Devils look.

Just missed: Habs, Red Wings, Blackhawks, Gretzky-era Kings, Golden Knights
 

Killion

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Feb 19, 2010
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even then the only truly bad jersey was the Pooh Bear 3rds. Those were more a result of the 90s design trends

Bostons always had beautiful jerseys, uniforms. The 1924/25 issue really stunning. Turtleneck. I'd buy & wear that if I could find one. The versions they used through to 1934 also extremely nice (wasnt big on the 'B' version thereafter)... then from 1940/44 they had an interesting looking jersey; "Bruins" written in script on a yellow/gold background.... Rather like the Leafs, I love their early jerseys, the original green Leaf & early versions of the Leaf through the 30's..... Chicago as well.... But that first Bruins version, 24/25, very fond of that, outstanding.
 

BigBadBruins7708

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Bostons always had beautiful jerseys, uniforms. The 1924/25 issue really stunning. Turtleneck. I'd buy & wear that if I could find one. The versions they used through to 1934 also extremely nice (wasnt big on the 'B' version thereafter)... then from 1940/44 they had an interesting looking jersey; "Bruins" written in script on a yellow/gold background.... Rather like the Leafs, I love their early jerseys, the original green Leaf & early versions of the Leaf through the 30's..... Chicago as well.... But that first Bruins version, 24/25, very fond of that, outstanding.

Yup, I still love the 2010 WC jerseys. Perfect combo of modern elements and those original 20s/30s uniforms. The Chara 33 version hanging in my closet is the favorite of the bunch

zdeno-chara-winter-classic-jersey-signed-boston-bruins-2010-jersey-500x500.jpg
 
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rfournier103

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For the most part that is true. However, I never liked the jerseys that had the arm stripe running down the length of the sleeve which were used from 1995-2007. The current jerseys are an improvement over those but not as nice as the jerseys from the early 70's.

Bruins40.png



:jets


The Pooh-bear was awful, but the rest of this uniform design was a 'product of it's generation' as the saying goes. One innovation I liked from this incarnation is the black yoke on the white jersey that is still maintained today. The gold yoke-on-white jersey from the 70s just doesn't do it for me. Maybe because those uniforms were phased out when I was an infant, but I never cared for them even though they were worn in a golden era of Bruins hockey.
 

rfournier103

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Yup, I still love the 2010 WC jerseys. Perfect combo of modern elements and those original 20s/30s uniforms. The Chara 33 version hanging in my closet is the favorite of the bunch

zdeno-chara-winter-classic-jersey-signed-boston-bruins-2010-jersey-500x500.jpg

Bought my wife one of these (customized with "Marchand - 63").

By far and away her favorite jersey of any team in any sport of any era.
 
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a79krgm

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Modern NHL
1. Chicago Black Hawks -- not a fan of this team, but just an awesome logo and jersey. Can the BlackHawk survive?
2. New Jersey Devils --gave fans a scare once on April fools day by announcing that their name would be the NJ Angels

From the '67 expansion.
1. St. Louis Blues -- the blue note is the best
2. Philadelpia Flyers -- simple but great logo. Orange and black and reminds me of old Halloween edition of THN with Clarke and Barber on the cover.

From the orginal six era
1. Montreal Canadiens -- awesome color scheme wasted on black and white television

From the 20's and 30's
1. NY Amerks -- those stars and stripes make me want to salute the jersey
2. Boston Bruins -- before the 'B' when they had a bear on the jersey
3. 1935 St. Louis Eagles -- nice eagle gripping a hockey stick. I bet the logo would have improved over time if the team survived

Pre-NHL

1. Ottawa Hockey Club "Silver Seven" -- too cool for a logo so just stripes
2. Kenora Thistles -- Art Ross and Joe Hall bringing home Kenora's only Stanly Cup in 1907 (with Thistle power.)

St.LouisEagles-Circa19xx.jpg
 

DowntownBooster

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The Pooh-bear was awful, but the rest of this uniform design was a 'product of it's generation' as the saying goes. One innovation I liked from this incarnation is the black yoke on the white jersey that is still maintained today. The gold yoke-on-white jersey from the 70s just doesn't do it for me. Maybe because those uniforms were phased out when I was an infant, but I never cared for them even though they were worn in a golden era of Bruins hockey.

I remember when they removed the shoulder yokes for the start of the 1974-75 season. At the time I really liked the change as the jerseys seemed more modern to me. Now that I'm older and seen what's happened to the jerseys at the league level over the years such as the implementation of the Reebok Edge jerseys and the subsequent switch to Adidas, it makes me long for a time when everything wasn't so corporate. When the Leafs introduced the new rectangular logo for 1970-71, I thought that was cool too as I didn't like the old fashioned looking logo from the 1960's and earlier. Yet here I am in 2018 wishing for a return to a more traditional look by the teams like what Toronto did in 2016. Maybe I'm just feeling a little nostalgic and appreciate the memories from a simpler time. I have to admit I liked hockey jerseys better when they had the straight edge bottom instead of the rounded bottom and when the fabric was consistent throughout the whole jersey instead of a portion being mesh and another part something else. I also dislike what has been done with the collar of the jerseys as some look like a toilet seat. Sometimes too much change is not a good thing.

:jets
 
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Killion

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Feb 19, 2010
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Not quite always ...

Ah yes,,, forgot about that one. Blanked it out of my mind. I wasnt big on the mid to late 30's B jerseys either. Just the letter B.... for Boring I suppose.... though nothing boring about the team during that period in their history. Their jerseys however, they certainly were.
 
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tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
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The Pooh-bear was awful, but the rest of this uniform design was a 'product of it's generation' as the saying goes. One innovation I liked from this incarnation is the black yoke on the white jersey that is still maintained today. The gold yoke-on-white jersey from the 70s just doesn't do it for me. Maybe because those uniforms were phased out when I was an infant, but I never cared for them even though they were worn in a golden era of Bruins hockey.

I always did kind of like the late-90s/early-00s Bruins jerseys. The long sleeve stripe is hard to pull off, but I thought they did it well.
 

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