NHL Style Rankings: Celine Dion and Suits for Days
We've entered the true dog days of the NHL season, a few weeks removed from the trade-deadline bustle. While some teams are clinching their playoff spots and others are accepting their draft lottery fates, every team still has a few more weeks of regular-season action left.
This means a sort of odd time for NHL players' fashion choices and, on an extremely relevant tangent, teams' social media strategies.
The last thing you want to see right now if you're a Red Wings or a Penguins fan is a photo of someone's outfit. Social media managers are acutely aware of this, and many of them are aware of the demanding—yet substantially more rewarding—months ahead when it comes to personality content.
Players are also either getting their playoff suits in order and wearing boring stuff right now, or wearing what they thought would be their playoff suits now if their team is out.
Then you've got Arber Xhekaj, who would be wearing exactly what landed him a spot on this week's style rankings at any point of the season.
As we navigate the understandable lack of content we're getting and anticipate the killer playoff outfits, let's see who is still out there playing the fashion icon as the regular season comes to a close.
10. Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks
1 of 10
If you've learned anything about my taste at this point, you'll know I'm a lover of unique textures. A unique texture is such an underrated way to elevate an outfit, but obviously the novelty is expensive so it's not necessarily practical.
Playing with textures is definitely one of the first things I'd do if I had NHL player money, so I appreciate it when we get it.
Lukas Dostal has been doing this for a minute, but this rattan-inspired tie is a chef's kiss touch on his outfit.
9. TJ Oshie, Washington Capitals
2 of 10
Did T.J. Oshie call up Tom Wilson's tailor? I kid, I kid, because Oshie has always been on top of his suit game. But the three-piece moment has always been a Wilson trademark, and he always gets these suits tailored extremely well.
Oshie is the same story here, and you love to see it for his 1,000th game.
8. Jason Zucker, Nashville Predators
3 of 10
Ok, fun. Let's mix in some socks next time.*
*Disclaimer: A few NHL players have told me they wear no-show socks. I especially hope this is true when it comes to leather loafers.
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7. Linus Ullmark and Celine Dion, Boston Bruins
4 of 10
There's something about two legends wearing this rich cream color that just feels right.
Where solid white can come off as a bit cheap at times unless you're totally leaning into a Miami Vice vibe, light beige often yields a look you want to achieve with a lighter color, with a much more classy and expensive execution.
This is an unlikely duo on the surface. You've got Celine Dion, Queen of Canadian grace and noted Habs fan, and Swedish Ice Bear and Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark.
However, Ullmark has been one of the most consistently well-dressed NHL players of the past few years (partially thanks to his stylist, Gentleman's Playbook), and he's teaching us an important lesson here: Dress every day like you might meet Celine Dion.
6. Anthony Duclair, Tampa Bay Lightning
5 of 10
This outfit is as simple as two objective facts: No. 1: I've never seen Anthony Duclair in a bad outfit. No. 2: I've rarely seen a sage green ensemble on anyone I've disliked.
This is a winning combination if I've ever seen one, and I appreciate the Tampa Bay Lightning star's added flair with the striped tie.
5. Arber Xhekaj, Montreal Canadiens
6 of 10
The best thing about this entire thing is it felt like he was the one asking the social team and his teammates to coordinate the entire thing. Arber Xhekaj was simply born for this moment, and he was ready for it.
This was also the perfect sweet spot with content where no fan thought the Canadiens were going to make the playoffs this season, and most were actively rooting for losses for a high draft pick.
Let this man live out his cowboy dreams.
4. David Pastrňák, Boston Bruins
7 of 10
David Pastrňák's burnt-orange suit is one of my favorites, and I love the versatility he's sporting it with these past few weeks.
We get a case study on the power of accessories, with his different glasses choices and the beanie vs. bedhead stylings.
We also have to love his selection of the bear suit instead of any of the hats that were thrown on the ice during his recent hat trick against the Ottawa Senators.
3. Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
8 of 10
Somewhere in between seafoam green, spearmint green and puke green, Filip Forsberg remains winning in this suit.
I love that it's just off-putting enough to make you think. I genuinely think the use of the skinny tie here is the second most important difference-maker. You trust an interesting color when it's styled well and looks deliberate.
The first most important difference-maker is obviously the mustache. This is a confident man on a heater who doesn't care what you think about his suit.
2. Kaapo Kakko, New York Rangers
9 of 10
I had a difficult time putting the top five together this week given the aforementioned dog days, and these Kaapo Kakko looks would be in the No. 6-8 range in a good week.
However, the combination of him rarely making it (potentially due to my own error), and the lack of a deep pool have him landing at No. 2 for consistency.
I love the green (we've been over this) with the matching beanie. I love the silk texture. I also love the matching tie and beanie in the second photo. It doesn't have to be complicated.
1. Kirill Marchenko, Columbus Blue Jackets
10 of 10
This look in its entirety is one of the most unique things I've seen when it comes to NHL fashion.
The suede-ish, corduroy-ish texture with the double-breasted suit. The wider legged, also suede pants that aren't egregious but are still clearly tailored in this specific way. The shoes, even.
This is an awesome look from top to bottom, and not something I'd expect from anyone other than William Nylander in the NHL.
Kirill Marchenko has emerged and immediately went to No. 1 on the style rankings, and we will be waiting to see how he follows this up.
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