50 Silliest Jerseys in Hockey History

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The worst NHL jerseys of all-time are palm-to-face inducing atrocities, but there have been some very bad and ugly jerseys in hockey outside the world's premier league as well.

In Disney's 1992 film The Mighty Ducks, it took peewee hockey coach Gordon Bombay roughly 90 seconds to convince his team to wear a duck on their chest.

Even children know when something is not fit to be worn on the ice.

As symbolic as any team name or jersey design might be, nothing stops a jersey from looking downright silly on the ice.

50. Ottawa Senators

Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images

The Senators swiftly replaced this black "Sens" design with a vintage-inspired alternate this season.

49. Quebec Citadelles

Image Source: http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b154/spyboy1/TSG%20Blog/QuebecCitadelles99-00F.png

This AHL team played from 1999 to 2002 with a goat on their chest.

48. Youngstown SteelHounds

Image Source: http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/cdnuniguy/Other%2520Jerseys/youngstownelvis.jpg

The thought process that went into this:

Sheet music on a hockey jersey? Sure! Just throw in some silhouettes and it should look fine.

47. Tampa Bay Lightning

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

1. Take Red Wings home jersey.

2. Replace with Maple Leafs colors.

A jersey does not need to be ugly in order for it to be silly.

46. Atlanta Thrashers

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Remember when Atlanta had a hockey team?

45. Salt Lake Golden Eagles

Image Source: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b319/beanballinc/SL-GldEg93-94front.jpg

Taking the animal mascot display too far can go very, very wrong on a hockey jersey.

44. Philadelphia Flyers

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Maybe the Flyers thought adding metallic detail to their logo and uniforms would make them look tougher or more futuristic...but all it looked was awful.

43. Phoenix Coyotes

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

The Coyotes' original logo and jersey set did not look right.

The redesign, which brought about today's jersey set, has the franchise looking like a hockey team.

42. Richmond Renegades

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/jerseys/ECHL/images/03_Renegades_f.jpg

This ECHL team is now defunct.

No wonder why.

41. New York Islanders

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Islanders' recent reversion to a jersey set reminiscent of the club's original look was just fine.

New York was a well-dressed hockey club.

So to restore equilibrium, the team started wearing this mess of black and grey.

40. Nashville Predators

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Predators tried using yellow once before this season.

The second try has been much more successful.

39. San Antonio Iguanas

Image Source: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b319/beanballinc/SA_Iguanas3rd98-99_front.jpg

Are there even enough iguanas in San Antonio for this team name to make sense?

38. San Antonio Iguanas

Image Source: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b319/beanballinc/SA_Iguanas_Hall99-00_front.jpg

Maybe this is why the team went with the Iguana mascot.

37. Pittsburgh Penguins

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

The RoboPenguin was the worst logo in Pittsburgh's history.

36. Pittsburgh Penguins

Robert Laberge/Getty Images

...but copying the New York Rangers' diagonal typeface was not any better.

35. Vancouver Canucks

Glenn Cratty/Getty Images

Look at that logo.

Was your first thought, "That looks like a hockey skate!"

Or was it, "Look, a neon circle with lines!"

34. Milwaukee Admirals

Image Source: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_l5rRJb1xVrw/Sk0oMtqjqhI/AAAAAAAAAJs/i78Ve_BK2SU/s1600-h/Tie+Dye.jpg

The AHL's Milwaukee Admirals wore some atrocious jerseys for charity, but it was by no means easily-earned money.

How many hockey players want to wear tie-dye?

33. Milwaukee Admirals

Image Source: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2747759090102660757nPAsag

A surfboard is the most sensible thing that could ever be put on a hockey jersey.

32. Milwaukee Admirals

Image Source: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2739103450102660757GgkVgM

Looks like someone accidentally dropped their flannel on the design board for this jersey.

31. Calgary Flames

Mike Ridewood/Getty Images

The Flames only wore this for the Heritage Classic.

Though it fit the occasion, not many people would want to see them wear it as a regular jersey.

30. Dallas Stars

Image Source: http://www.gamewornauctions.net/images/products/72adfad5513efde8.jpg

At least the Citadelles didn't play hockey with a logo that shares striking similarities to the female reproductive system.

29. California Golden Seals

Image Source: http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/247/150/seals_display_image.jpg?1275632566

With a name like "Golden Seals," looking ridiculous was actually quite fitting.

28. Laredo Bucks

Image Source: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b319/beanballinc/LaredoBucksNewYrs05.jpg

In order to show the festive spirit of New Year's, this Central Hockey League team felt compelled to sport this thing.

27. Orlando Seals

Image Source: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b319/beanballinc/OrlandoSealsXmas.jpg

The Southern Professional Hockey League's Seals (now located in nearby Kissimmee) were not missing out on the holiday spirit

26. Buffalo Sabres

Rick Stewart/Getty Images

Let's go Slugs!

25. Wichita Thunder

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/images/17_WThunderH_f.jpg

Lightning is not blue.

The design on this jersey looks more like a diagram of the circulatory system's deoxygenated blood vessels.

24. San Francisco Spiders

Image Source: http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b154/spyboy1/TSG%20Blog/?action=view¤t=SFSpiders95-96tiedie.jpg

This was an alternate jersey of the old IHL's San Francisco Spiders.

Whoa.

23. Cleveland Lumberjacks

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/jerseys/IHL/images/14_LumberjacksWU_f.JPG

It was only a pregame jersey, but still...

22. Calgary Flames

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

When a single logo has worked for a franchise throughout its entire history, there is no need to change it.

Calgary learned that the hard way.

21. Utah Grizzlies

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/jerseys/IHL/images/22_GrizzliesWU_f.JPG

The best part of this pregame jersey might be the "Smoking is butt ugly" patch on the chest.

20. Indianapolis Ice

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/jerseys/IHL/images/00_IndyIceWU_f.jpg

Once again, just a pregame jersey, but the 15-minute warm-up was probably way too long for anyone having to wear this.

19. Boston Bruins

Dave Sandford/Getty Images

The Bruins have had a long history of good-looking jerseys, but the Little Bear yellows were downright terrible.

18. Phoenix Roadrunners

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/jerseys/IHL/images/11_RoadRunners_f.JPG

This was a pregame pajama top (or jersey...it's really hard to tell) for the Phoenix Roadrunners.

17. Phoenix Roadrunners

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/jerseys/IHL/images/55_Roadrunners_f.jpg

This, unfortunately, was not a pregame jersey. This was an alternate actually used in games.

16. Tampa Bay Lightning

Image Source: http://inlinethumb14.webshots.com/27021/2165348010100337552S425x425Q85.jpg

For anyone who dislikes the new blue and white Tampa Bay Lightning jerseys, take a moment to reflect on where the franchise was once before.

15. Columbus Chill

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/jerseys/ECHL/images/01_Chill_f.jpg

This disaster used to call the ECHL home.

14. Phoenix Coyotes

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Because the Coyotes' original jerseys weren't ridiculous enough, the team needed to introduce this alternate.

13. Topeka Scarecrows

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/images/17_SCrowsA_f.jpg

This is the type of stuff that goes on in the minors.

12. New York Islanders

Image Source: http://espn.go.com/i/magazine/new/050113_islanders2.jpg

It's a shame that the Islanders did not get sponsorship money from Gorton's seafood for this atrocity.

11. Syracuse Crunch

Image Source: http://s19.photobucket.com/albums/b154/spyboy1/TSG%20Blog/?action=view¤t=SyracuseCrunchF.png

When Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and every other reliable superhero collaboratively take a day off, you can count on the Syracuse Crunchman to save the day.

Or at least ruin a hockey jersey.

10. Los Angeles Burger Kings

Image Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8dTS1-vDzPI/TUHiGJByRhI/AAAAAAAABsk/70vY_1TpVjs/s1600/Kings%2B3rd%2BTeam.jpg

It is very questionable as to whether or not this design was actually reviewed before the jerseys were made.

It only takes one look to be distraught at the appearance of the Kings' 1995-96 alternates.

9. Quad City Mallards

Image Source: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1037/1126472337_0082cd6340.jpg

Unfortunately, this is not the Mallards' last appearance on the countdown.

8. St. Louis Blues

Image Source: http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&hs=Aw1&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1366&bih=664&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=wBtgofZzE1BEmM:&imgrefurl=http://fans.blues.nhl.com/community/topic/10895-anybody-else-kind-of-sick-of-the-third-jerseys/&docid=ZPQswMRPzZhA4M&imgurl=http://www.totalprosports.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/stlouis-blues-1995-never-worn-3rd-jersey.jpg&w=600&h=478&ei=kcUTT4CiNcb30gHO34WyAw&zoom=1

Mike Keenan saved the franchise a lot of embarrassment by not allowing this to be used.

7. SCL Tigers

Image Source: http://www.scltigers.ch/cgi-bin/pixx/349-1.jpg

This team from Switzerland took their "Tigers" moniker a little too far.

6. Madison Monsters

Image Source: http://www.hockeyjimm.com/images/31_Monsters_f.jpg

This is a look that anyone with a terrible sense of what looks good would actually go for.

5. Vancouver Canucks

Image Source: http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2007/0105/nhl_g_williams_195.jpg

This was an absolutely ridiculous jersey.

It did not look good.

It did not make sense.

4. Peoria Riverman

Image Source: http://quacked.com/image-12-peoria+rivermen.htm

Yet another disco night gone wrong.

These jerseys were auctioned off for a benefit after being used in an ECHL game.

3. Montreal Canadiens

Image Source: http://rangers.lohudblogs.com/files/2009/10/habs-stripes1.jpg

It is good that such a storied franchise would not allow themselves to take the ice in something that looks as awful as this.

Oh.

Never mind, that's exactly what the Canadiens did with this throwback.

2. Quad City Mallards

These men got to live out a lifelong dream of playing professional hockey in a five-year-old's sheriff-themed pajama top.

1. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim

Image Source:http://shandylo.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/2002-03_upper_deck_paul_kariya.jpg?w=500

What makes the Wild Wing jersey top this list is the fact that it actually managed to find it's way into NHL games.

This was once the battle attire of a team playing in hockey's most elite league.

 

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B/R Featured Columnist Jason Sapunka is available on Twitter.

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