NHL JERSEY POWER RANKINGS

[-kj]

It's funny, you and I have nearly opposite opinions on the jerseys you go into detail about.

Why is the Bruins' current set a brutal design? I think they're rather sharp, personally.

You make a good point about the Sens. Use the current third (black) as the home, make a white version as the away, and put a different logo on the shoulders (because the Peace tower logo just sucks).

The Capitals' bird logo is far superior to that mess of a dome logo. See also: the blue jersey should never have gone away.

The only thing I like about the new Ducks look is the name/number font. The rest is awful in my eyes.

San Jose has nice stuff.

As for Atlanta, well, the light blue ones are putrid-awful. The others are nice, especially with the arm detailing hinting at wings.

I agree with STL about the Blues. I suppose that's a homer choice for me as well, but I think they have the best overall set in the league. I also love Minnesota's, though there are some tweaks I would make (like getting rid of the awful script logo on the shoulder). Montreal is classic, of course.

And Buffalo, well, uh....

[zig]

How utterly predictable - Sabres in last place.

predictable = accurate, no?

Not necessarily. It is a jersey ranking, not a logo ranking. If it was a logo ranking, I might not have as big a problem with it. But they do not have indisputably the worst JERSEYS in the NHL. There's more of a conversation about that.

The logo isn't that bad but the jersey template is very ugly. It isn't the logo which makes the jersey bad. You could have any logo on that template (good or bad) and it would end up still looking like crap.

The Flames are too high at 6. Once they go back to their old colors and get rid of the black then they would be nicer.

For some reason I was never crazy about the Blackhawks jersey and the original six teams should be ranked Canadians, Rangers (Minus the alt), Leafs, Wings, Bruins and then Hawks

The Kings at 8 makes no sense to me. Switch it with the Devils who are at 18.

I like the Coyotes unis and I feel 25 is too high for them.

[capn89]

The greatest thing about stupid lists like this is that they're all subjective. No list will ever be "perfect" because even one person disagreeing makes it imperfect. I don't even know why someone gets paid to write an article like this.

[BBM]

That was an OK list. I thought the Flames and Kings were too high though. Anyway for what it's worth my top and bottom 5:

1 Canadiens - classic and a nice white third.

2 Red Wings - always classic

3 Rangers - good third, only team with primary lettering

4 Blues - beautiful use of two-tone blue

5 Wild - Good use of green and red, love the third, real throwback-type feel

(never understood the fuss over the Blackhawks. It's OK...)

26 Hurricanes: THE BRIGHT RED. MAKE IT STOP.

27 Lightning - Someone should let the folks in Tampa know their jersey is almost as dated as the Clippers'

28 Capitals - Home and away both need an overhaul

29 Sabres - Logo hurts, and design is too busy

30 Predators - There's not much good about any of these 3

[JGraz15]

"24. Blue Jackets

Ulysses S. Grant would have to have been drunk to consent to wearing one of the jerseys. So maybe he did wear one."

I am from Columbus so somewhat naturally biased...but are the Jackets uni's that bad? I think they are a good blend of the past with some modern updates. Admittedly I would drop the neon green hockey stick and the third's are better, but I think they are solid. Am I crazy here?

[eSabre]

The list is terrible. I'm sick and tired of "traditional" uniforms always treated as sacred.

Minnesota deserves to be higher. Their set is one of the best in the league, IMO.

Buffalo isn't the worst in the league. People may hate the logo, but the overall uni set is sharp. As a fan, I love the new unis and am sick and tired of seeing the 3rd/vintage jerseys, which unfortunately seems to be the opposite opinion of everyone else.

And in reference to JGraz15, I think the worst thing Columbus has done is move away from the neon green. A unique color scheme is now becoming ordinary.

[IceCap]

Buffalo isn't the worst in the league. People may hate the logo, but the overall uni set is sharp. As a fan, I love the new unis and am sick and tired of seeing the 3rd/vintage jerseys, which unfortunately seems to be the opposite opinion of everyone else.

I'm sorry our opinion isn't to your liking.

Deal with it Sabres nation, your team has a crappy logo, which makes for a crappy uniform.

Speaking of which, the uniform is not as "sleek" or "sharp" as you think. The front is to plain with the lack of a waist stripe, and the sleeves are designed in such a way that you can only see the striping pattern if the player is holding his arms straight up. The weird silver "stripes" around the arm don't make any sense, and the numbers on the front suck.

Bottom line, Sabres fans? If you're tired of seeing your team's logos and uniforms at the bottom of lists like these, blame Sabres management for signing off on the worst logo and uniform set the league has every seen.

Oh, and Columbus made the right move when they decided to drop the neon green.

[rhymefish]

atlanta thrashers home jersey = best jersey in sports

[IceCap]

I hate these types of lists. They're from sports reporters who have a bit of interest in design.

As such, they go nuts over tradition and ignore the important small design details.

For example, the Leafs don't deserve to be anywhere near the top 3.

Look, I love their simple white and blue scheme. I think almost any of their Leaf-silhouette logos are sharp. And they've had a few successful striping patterns with the simple two stripes and the two thin stripes surrounding a thicker stripe (like the Coyotes have now).

So they've got tradition, and they've never been gawdy. But they are far from the top three at the moment.

They've got a few occassional silver outlines. They have a block font, but a rounded font on the names and in the logo. The sleeves have the double stripe look (which is hurt by the silver already) while the socks have the three striped look.

It's not an awful uniform. It doesn't hurt my eyes. But I think to have top three, you have to be nice looking and have done a good job on those little things. But for writers like these, you just have to look kinda nice and have tradition.

The Bruins are in a similar situation, except, I just don't think their jerseys are really all that close to being good anyways. They have a mediocre design, with a classy and traditional but still not great logo.

The Red Wings at number 2 isn't a great choice either. It's a good logo and a pretty solid white uniform, but the red is brutal.

I can handle the Canadiens at 1, but I think their white jersey should knock them off of that a little bit. And their logo, while like the Boston B is classy and traditional, is not really that great.

I agree 100% about the Leafs. Their inconsistencies drive me nuts. If they just used the alt full time and come up with a blue version for the home, the problem would be solved. What they have now is mess.

I disagree with you about the Canadiens though. Those uniforms have the most tradition of any uniform in the league. Would I like to see the Habs fix their inconsistency problems by adopting a modified version of their alts for the road? Of course. But still, their uniforms as they are have so much history, and to be frank, work so well, they deserve the number one spot. The red jersey is simply brilliant, and while the white one is a little plain, it complements the red one, which was what it was designed to do.

Oh, and the Canadiens' "C" is one of the most recognizable logos in sports. You mess with it, and people will riot. It's simple and classy, as you said, and quite honestly, what else would you use for a team named the Canadiens? A leaf is out (arch rival Toronto uses the maple leaf), and a cartoon Mountie, beaver, or Québécois is hardly fitting for the oldest and most storied team in the league.

Here's my top 5:

1) Montréal Canadiens-Simple and classy. The most distinguished look in the NHL.

2) Minnesota Wild-The best all-around set in the league. Each of the jerseys and logos is excellent.

3) New Jersey Devils-Like the Wild, all the jerseys are excellent. The logo is one of the NHL's best.

4) St. Louis Blues-Like the Wild and Devils, all the jerseys are excellent, and the logo rules (perfect update of a classic mark). I was thinking about putting them ahead of NJ, but NJ won out. As good as the Blues' logo is, the Devils is better, IMO.

5) New York Rangers-The diagonal script rules. They lose out to NJ due to inconsistencies between the wrist and waist striping between home and road. Also the lack of the shield on the shoulders coast them points. I don't mind the modern alternate, as long as it stays an alt.

Bottom 5:

26) Los Angeles Kings-They have the worst number and name font in the league. The wordmark along the waist sucks, and the collar on the purple alternate bugs me. Also, the kinda round/kinda blocky shoulder yoke drives me nuts. It's a shame, they have great logos and a great colour scheme. They just need a better uniform.

27) Dallas Stars-The all-star rip-off has always bugged me. The bottom part of the numbers get lost in the striping. The logo is ok, but should be replaced with the Texas alternate logo. A more traditional striping pattern, like the one they used in Minnesota between '88-'91 would do wonders.

28) Tampa Bat Lightning- There's traditional striping patterns, and there's boring striping patterns. This is the latter. On top of blue and silver being underutilized, the striping pattern looks like a 3rd grader came up with it. The awful primary logo doesn't help. The circle encompassing the bolt just breaks at the top, and the wordmarks just don't work here, but it's made worse by having two fonts. The Florida/bolt logo would make a great primary, and any redesign effort should start with that thought.

29) New York Islanders- Like the Lightning, they have a horrible logo. Unlike the Lightning, they don't have a wicked alternate logo to compensate. The logo tries to incorporate to many elements, and comes off looking cluttered. The map of Long Island could be stylized a little, or at least continued to the edge of the circle.

30) Buffalo Sabres-The logo is the NHL's worst. Not only does it make no reference to the team nickname, but it fails as a buffalo logo as well. It has no legs, and it looks like it's going to tumble forward. The second horn being the same colour as the body tops it off. The uniforms aren't much better. The numbers on the front is a stupid idea, and it clutters everything up, especially with the captain and alternate captains. The lack of stripes along the waist make it look like a glorified long-sleeved shirt. The silver "stripes" look out of place, and make no sense. The unique striping pattern is designed in such a way that unless the player is holding his arms straight up, you can't see it.

[Guest]

I never had a problem with the Isles' crest, actually. Oilers, too.

[spyboy1]

I'm sorry our opinion isn't to your liking.

Deal with it Sabres nation, your team has a crappy logo, which makes for a crappy uniform.

Speaking of which, the uniform is not as "sleek" or "sharp" as you think. The front is to plain with the lack of a waist stripe, and the sleeves are designed in such a way that you can only see the striping pattern if the player is holding his arms straight up. The weird silver "stripes" around the arm don't make any sense, and the numbers on the front suck.

Bottom line, Sabres fans? If you're tired of seeing your team's logos and uniforms at the bottom of lists like these, blame Sabres management for signing off on the worst logo and uniform set the league has every seen.

Oh, and Columbus made the right move when they decided to drop the neon green.

What he said.

atlanta thrashers home jersey = best jersey in sports

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh. I just peed in my pants.

You spelled "stupidest" wrong by the way.

[eSabre]

I'm sorry our opinion isn't to your liking.

Deal with it Sabres nation, your team has a crappy logo, which makes for a crappy uniform.

Speaking of which, the uniform is not as "sleek" or "sharp" as you think. The front is to plain with the lack of a waist stripe, and the sleeves are designed in such a way that you can only see the striping pattern if the player is holding his arms straight up. The weird silver "stripes" around the arm don't make any sense, and the numbers on the front suck.

Bottom line, Sabres fans? If you're tired of seeing your team's logos and uniforms at the bottom of lists like these, blame Sabres management for signing off on the worst logo and uniform set the league has every seen.

Okay, thanks. So as a fan, and season ticket holder of the team in question, my opinion isn't good enough. Since fans of other teams object to the uniforms, they're bad, and I have to accept that.

Thanks for clearing that up.

[IceCap]

I'm sorry our opinion isn't to your liking.

Deal with it Sabres nation, your team has a crappy logo, which makes for a crappy uniform.

Speaking of which, the uniform is not as "sleek" or "sharp" as you think. The front is to plain with the lack of a waist stripe, and the sleeves are designed in such a way that you can only see the striping pattern if the player is holding his arms straight up. The weird silver "stripes" around the arm don't make any sense, and the numbers on the front suck.

Bottom line, Sabres fans? If you're tired of seeing your team's logos and uniforms at the bottom of lists like these, blame Sabres management for signing off on the worst logo and uniform set the league has every seen.

Okay, thanks. So as a fan, and season ticket holder of the team in question, my opinion isn't good enough. Since fans of other teams object to the uniforms, they're bad, and I have to accept that.

Thanks for clearing that up.

So basically you like the crap they wear because you happen to be a fan. You've just admitted to being a sheep who will buy and like whatever the Sabres put out.

And no, I'm not saying our opinions are worth more then those of Sabres fans. You just have to except that a majority of hockey fans in general think their current look sucks. Also, I would be interested to see how many Sabres fans really think the current look is a good design, or if they just bought a jersey because they want what ever the team is currently wearing. Also, I think many Sabres' fans are only partial to the slug because the team is winning. If they still have this look when the team sucks again, I bet the slug goes the way of the Islanders' fisherman.

[hrivnak]

atlanta thrashers home jersey = best jersey in sports

Huzzah!

I concur.

[eSabre]

No, I admitted to liking the uniforms. They're sharp. That has no bearing whatsoever if I am a fan of the team or not. I don't have to accept anything. The opinions of the fans of other teams do not matter to me, and neither do the opinions of fans of the same team. I like them. End of story.

So you can call me a sheep, but I've liked them from day 1. The team winning has less to do with it than the fact that I'm seeing them every day. I'm sure most people had negative reactions just because it was completely different than what they've been accustomed to. The black and red scheme was widely hated when it was first unveiled, but by the time the season started, not as many people were complaining.

The traditionalistic mindset of the hockey world is partly to blame. Anything new or different is automatically bad. Look at the new Rbk jerseys that everyone hates. Too bad we haven't seen them yet. IMO, keeping an open mind is different than being a sheep.

If you took a complete poll of Sabres fans, I'd say the amount of people who like the new look would be higher than estimated. It's the people who hate them that are doing all the talking, because they feel it's necessary to whine and complain about it so they can get their way.

[BigShoop]

at least he got the Lightning right.

[Squeaks4]

25. Coyotes

They should change their name to "Werewolves of London."

What is that even supposed mean?

*EDIT* It also seems that many of his comments are directed towards the team's logo and has nothing to do with the uniform itself.

[josh_cat_eyes]

"24. Blue Jackets

Ulysses S. Grant would have to have been drunk to consent to wearing one of the jerseys. So maybe he did wear one."

I am from Columbus so somewhat naturally biased...but are the Jackets uni's that bad? I think they are a good blend of the past with some modern updates. Admittedly I would drop the neon green hockey stick and the third's are better, but I think they are solid. Am I crazy here?

I am from Summerside PEI and alot of the management is from their so naturally I am a fan. In my opinion the 3rd jersey is the best one in Hockey and other the the neon stick (as you said) they are awsome. I think that if they made the alt jerseys their home and made a road version of them and than used their main logo on a 3rd jersey that they would have one of the best sets in the league. In terms of history of the team maybe not but the name "Blue Jackets" has alot of history behind it that alot of other teams lack ie Sharks, Flames, Lightning, Islanders, Coyotes, Blues, Flyers ect...

Cat Eyes - Josh

[Proc]

I agree with the article's author that the white jersey/sweater needs to return to being the default "home" jersey.