NHL Style Rankings: Hi, Nikita Zadorov!
Folks, it's been a minute, but the NHL Style Rankings(TM) are back with a vengeance and the return of an old friend. Late Saturday night, a Sportsnet producer informed me that I—sort of—made an appearance on Hockey Night In Canada thanks to Nikita Zadorov.
Now, that was not our first rodeo, it was our second. This was our first rodeo. And I hope we have a third rodeo at some point, as long as I'm never accidentally referred to as "BarstoolTSN" again.
I've long thought Zadorov is one of the most underrated, hilarious personalities in the NHL. He's also made tons of appearances on the style rankings over the years, because he has an extremely distinct personal style that I respect despite not loving it for myself.
Here's the beauty when it comes to fashion, and it's kind of why I started this whole thing: I can appreciate Zadorov's endless takes on turtlenecks and double-breasted suits, and the self-expression he shows when he wears them, without necessarily loving the look itself. I love that he loves it, I love that he shows us how much he loves it, I love that he pays such attention to detail, and I love the variance of colors, textures, and patterns with every iteration of the look.
Anyway, Zadorov's latest concoction and so many more solid fits around the league are springing us forward quite nicely to kick off March.
10. Ryan Reaves, Toronto Maple Leafs
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Blue and red has such a high potential for looking bad. You take a risk anytime you're mixing primary colors, and often even secondary colors. Reaves, who is the King of off-ice style subtlety despite being the King of on-ice non-subtlety, flexed his mastering of the details yet again here.
The trick when it comes to clashing colors? Picking one as the easel (blue), having some separation between the two competing primaries with the white undershirt, and picking the other for strictly accent purposes (red). The red buttons are an awesome novelty executed perfectly, and the socks round it all out.
9. Mathieu Joseph, Ottawa Senators
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Here at the NHL Style Rankings™, we often point out the power of a smile, a pose, and the general swagger an outfit you love tends to give you. Joseph's got all the swag in the world in this photo, and the three-piece moment is a tried-and-true classic on its own, but look how much he's enjoying wearing it.
8. Nikita 'Friend of the Style Rankings' Zadorov, Vancouver Canucks
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Maybe it's the haircut, but I'm not even lying to be nice when I say this one is genuinely growing on me. I am a sucker for this rich color of brown and some loafers, after all.
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7. Alex Newhook, Montreal Canadiens
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This man absolutely loves his hats, and there's nothing wrong with that. Some of his top hat looks hit harder than others, though, and this one definitely qualifies as a great one. The key, shockingly enough, is to keep the hat an exact match to something else notable in the outfit.
The cream pants, cream hat combo here is satisfying to look at. I'll even allow the funky tie because it's the same base color. You start to lose me on the mismatching pocket, but I suppose it's close enough.
6. Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks
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Who is Connor Bedard's stylist? Please come forward, because you're doing amazing, sweetie. The fits Bedard has been pulling are exactly what I crave from the league's up-and-coming star.
They're interesting but not too try hard, they're sort of bold and risky without being bold and risky for the sake of it, and they're notable but "acceptable" for a star on a team that is intentionally trash. We all know I would love for every player to be able to wear whatever they want no matter who they are or what team they're on, and the league is coming around more and more to personality, but we just aren't there yet.
Bedard and his stylist (please come forward!) are absolutely crushing walking the line he's on right now, and come to think of it, he's doing the same thing in his interviews. Maybe the kid is just a breath of fresh air in general.
5. Aaron Ekblad, Florida Panthes
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Mint and an unexpected pastel-ish tie color are going to hit 4 out of 5 times. In Florida, it's going to hit 6 out of 5 times.
4. Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings
7 of 10
Now THIS is it, chief. This is exactly how you rock a three-piece with a turtleneck.
I'm loving the mixing of the brown colors here. For the folks at home, there's a simple formula: Darker on your head and your feet, lighter throughout the body of the suit, lightest for the undershirt.
We also have to talk about the pocket and the inside of this jacket. To me, this color and texture scream "I'm rich and I actually know how to use my money." This is exactly the type of thing I'd buy on Seider's salary.
3. Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks
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The green-and-maroon combination rocks on its own, and it's part of the reason Ducks gear is universally purchased among NHL fans. But there's something extra satisfying about the actual goalie for the Ducks rocking the colors inconspicuously in a suit that would be an absolute banger even if he wasn't on the team, and the subtlety is part of the reason it works so well. The hair, the pinstripes, and the pocket add a refinement that almost makes you forget he's rocking the team colors, and that's what makes it so next level.
2. Anaheim Ducks x Vans
9 of 10Vans are back, baby—but if you ask me, they never really left. How fun is collaboration between the Ducks and the Anaheim-born sneaker company?
The history! The range! The enthusiastic rollout featuring tons of players and social media content! The fact that most NHL fans and beyond are willing to rock Ducks gear because it's iconic and generally innocuous in terms of heated rivalries!
They did this right, and it showed. According to ESPN's Ryan Clark, the collaboration went live at 3 p.m. March 10 and sold out all 3,200 pairs by 5:30 p.m. Luckily for the rest of us, a second drop is expected at some point.
1. The Lombergs, Florida Panthers
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I know I said that the solid white sneakers and suit combination is tired, but I officially retract that statement effective immediately. Ryan Lomberg has been trending toward the style-rankings' breakout star of the year, and the matching suit with his son might've just sealed the deal.
I mean, is this not the most adorable pre-game entrance you've ever seen in your life?
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