Ranking Every NHL Team's Home Jersey for the 2025-26 Season
It's the start of the NHL season—and time to play fashion critic once again.
We love hockey jerseys—the home sweaters of each team are among the best in sports. Well, most of them, anyway. Whether it's the Original Six or something from one of the newer franchises, the looks are good.
When ranking jerseys, there can be only one winner while the rest compete for the top spots.
A few teams—Boston, St. Louis, and Utah—have new jerseys that could shake up the rankings.
Let's assess which NHL teams have the best home jerseys.
32. Washington Capitals
1 of 32
The Capitals' logo? Iconic. Their red, white, and blue color scheme? Timeless. But the fact that their home and road sweaters haven't changed since 2007? That could use some work.
When Reebok took over, it introduced a style with many traits that don't work. Although the Capitals have made the best of it, the look now feels dated and unenjoyable.
We used to badger the Capitals and Blues for not updating or upgrading their designs, but they stand alone in that respect now.
Their new alternate jersey could be a sign of what's to come as far as updating their home and road set, however, what it is now just doesn't work for us.
31. Columbus Blue Jackets
2 of 32
Speaking of looks that need an update, hello Blue Jackets.
Columbus' home jersey has, more or less, remained the same since 2007, with the only tweaks coming from changes to the fonts used for the numbers and letters.
A predominantly blue look is tough to pull off, especially with a nickname tied to clothing. A refresh would go a long way here.
The Blue Jackets have had success with some of their alternate jerseys in the past and their Stadium Series shirts last season were really good. It doesn't have to be a radical change, but it's got to be something.
30. Carolina Hurricanes
3 of 32
The Hurricanes have one of the more interesting jersey sets in the league, even more so now that they've changed their road white sweaters, but their black home jersey might now be the weakest of the bunch.
Carolina is a team that, in our minds, is one that's known for wearing red, and lots of it. Using a black jersey as an alternate was always a great move, but when it became the regular home jersey, it was a move we didn't necessarily agree with.
The storm warning flags on the crest are a neat touch, but it's not the primary team logo—which drops its score on our unofficial grading rubric. It's a cool jersey, but it's better suited as an alternate rather than the main one.
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.png?w=256)
29. Florida Panthers
4 of 32
It's a good thing the Panthers have become a Stanley Cup dynasty of the modern era, because one thing they are not doing is setting the world on fire with their jerseys.
Florida's looks over the years have always gone back and forth from being new, unique and cool to being...just kind of there. When the Panthers changed to their current look in 2016, we liked it because it was different yet familiar.
Now that it's still the same look nearly 10 years later, it hasn't grown on us. And when they hit it out of the park with both of their Reverse Retro jerseys, it only made us feel more like their home and road set could stand to do more.
That said, it's a look that now defines a powerhouse team and franchise, so it'll be one that will be long remembered. The joke's on us for ranking them where we have them, we guess.
28. Winnipeg Jets
5 of 32
Even though we criticized Carolina for their home jerseys being their alternates, the Winnipeg Jets would benefit from having their alternate jerseys become their home jerseys. That's mainly because their alternates hearken back to the Jets' WHA jerseys from the 1970s and are as close to perfect as you can get.
The Jets' current home and road set hasn't changed since they came back into existence in 2011 and while that's fine, mostly, it doesn't help them advance up the list among the best looks in the league. What doesn't help is that their current logo is vastly inferior to the logos the Jets donned back before the original franchise moved to Phoenix.
27. Minnesota Wild
6 of 32
Minnesota's home jersey is one where we don't have many criticisms for it. The style sort of mocks up what works with the Montréal Canadiens and they adapted it for themselves. That's a veteran move and we respect it because it works.
What it doesn't do is stand out very well, something their alternate with Minnesota North Stars colors does exceptionally well. We're not asking them to be bold and brash, really, but it needs a little more going on to really stand out.
Even though the Wild logo gets picked on a bit, it's a good one and it gets a bit lost in the way everything is blended up with this design.
26. Nashville Predators
7 of 32
We are big fans of the Predators taking the color yellow and going all-in on it for their home set. From the jerseys to the helmet to the socks, the more yellow the better.
We're about to sound a little hypocritical here, though, and say the bright golden yellow jerseys could use a little more striping. The blue cuffs and white stripe are there, sure, but a couple of stripes here and there on the elbows or the hem would rock.
Still, we're not deducting points for anything the team has done to adopt a bold color. We'd just like to see a little more spicing up with the home jersey to make it sing.
25. Tampa Bay Lightning
8 of 32
It's kind of wild that the Lightning home jersey has been the same since 2011. It doesn't feel like they've had the steady blue and white look rocking that long, but then again, time has a way of getting away from all of us.
Tampa Bay's look has brought them multiple Stanley Cups, which means it's unlikely to go away anytime soon. However, that still doesn't mean we can't point out how it's essentially a clone of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
If you're going to imitate someone, doing it with one of the all-time great looks was definitely the right call for the Bolts.
If there's a knock on these jerseys, it's that they're too plain. The crest logo is massive and the solid white stripe around the sleeves and waist is it. The shoulder logos are fine, but this is a not-busy jersey, and for a team called the Lightning, you want a bit more of a jolt.
24. Ottawa Senators
9 of 32
When the Senators turned back the clock in 2021 to these black and red sweaters that more or less copied the jerseys the team wore from 1993 to 1995, we loved it and we still do.
The Senators' jerseys look best when they're not trying to do too much and go too hard. There's always a balance to be struck and the team really nailed it with these. Even though the era of Senators hockey these jerseys came from wasn't the greatest, Brady Tkachuk and friends have made this their look and getting back to the playoffs last season sealed that.
We're at the point in the rankings that we don't dislike these jerseys; it's just that other teams have better ones.
23. Colorado Avalanche
10 of 32
The Avalanche home jerseys are outstanding and it's further proof that jersey designers back in the 90s knew what they were doing to make a team look good.
The burgundy and blue with gray striping works well enough, although we'd argue that the color seamlessness is maybe a little off-putting.
If you compare their current jerseys to what the team debuted in 1995, the use of black to outline the colors helped make everything pop a little better. It's a nitpick, but the Avalanche's modern take on their original look is a great one.
If anything, a little more use of black would go a long way, but at that point, they might as well just wear the original jerseys.
22. Anaheim Ducks
11 of 32
It may have taken fans a while to adjust to the Ducks' new uniforms and all that orange, but did we need more proof that classic looks are the best ones? No, we did not, but we're glad it was done.
Anaheim's updated classic look and bold use of orange were smart changes. By bringing back fan favorites and making the look their own, they'll be sure to stand out as a playoff contender.
Even though fans might want the eggplant and teal colors back with this logo, orange and black is a winning color combo, too, and if you're catching a Ducks game on TV or in person, you will have no problems picking them out.
21. Dallas Stars
12 of 32
The word we always fall back on to describe the Dallas Stars' home jerseys is "clean," and it remains the one that works best.
When they made the change in 2013 to this current look, it was way overdue, and it's rare to have a team nail a rebrand- and Dallas did it.
The "victory green" home jerseys are so good because of the color and the simplicity of green, black and white working together is fantastic. The Stars' logo is excellent and so is their circular secondary logo on the shoulders.
Their home and road sets are among the best in the league, but the home jersey is particularly special.
20. Seattle Kraken
13 of 32
Ranking Seattle here might make some of you out there think we're dumping on them, but we're not at all! The Kraken's look is a simple and clean one that really works well.
The thing about the Kraken jersey, however, is that its colors are what really make it so good. Everything about it makes you think of the sea and why wouldn't it? It's a jersey that sets the scene, and instead of being a jersey that you know is there to be a jersey, Seattle's home sweater creates a scene.
That might sound like marketing buzzspeak, but it has a distinctly different look and feel compared to other teams, and that's a cool thing. Their new alternate jerseys are doing the same kind of thing (we'll get into them another time), but these home jerseys are eerie (compliment) in their own way.
19. Los Angeles Kings
14 of 32
The only thing the Kings could've done better than bringing back the silver and black jerseys from the '90s would've been to bring back the purple (Forum Blue if you want to get technical about it) and gold jerseys from their early days instead.
It was a perfect integration of old and new, with a refreshed logo and, more importantly, it helped them eliminate the "home plate" L.A. logo sweaters they wore when they won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, which fans all over the league deemed unappealing.
The Kings' new-old jerseys are outstanding, and they look great in motion on the ice. If there's something we're bummed out about, it's that they've mostly ditched the chrome helmets they'd wear with the white jerseys. You're Hollywood, baby, more glitz and glam, please.
18. Vegas Golden Knights
15 of 32
Nothing shimmers like gold, and the Golden Knights' full embrace of sparkling gold with their home jerseys rules.
The moment they introduced these as alternate jerseys in 2021, it felt like destiny that these would become their home jerseys; and two years later, that's what happened. What a great call.
A team based in Las Vegas has to embody the city and since they didn't adopt a nickname like Flamingoes or High Rollers or Aces or something else stereotypical, putting the Gold in Golden Knights was the right call.
Although it's difficult to tell from photos, these jerseys do sparkle. That's a great touch.
17. Vancouver Canucks
16 of 32
Depending on the day you catch us, we'll either be huge fans of the Vancouver Canucks' sweaters or pining for them to adopt one of their many different past looks again, because it's just better. Today, we're going to appreciate what they've got going on because it really is good.
As much as we don't really dig the "Orca Bay" crest, it is a pretty dope look. Having the old "stick in rink" logo on the shoulders is a sneaky great move for these jerseys, though. The blue, green and white colors are really good together and after they dumped the "Vancouver" word mark above the crest logo in 2019, these jerseys got so much better for it.
Do we like the "flying skate" black, red and yellow alternates more? Yes, of course we do, but these jerseys are still really good on their own.
16. New York Islanders
17 of 32
We've reached a stretch in our rankings where the standard line to follow is, "you don't mess with a classic," and that's the lesson the Islanders have learned in very hard ways over the past couple of decades.
You might think the blue jersey with the Islanders crest with orange and white stripes is dull, but when you see how other teams get overwrought with design decisions and then remember what the Islanders tried to do in the past to change things up, you learn to appreciate an iconic all-time look.
The Isles aren't an Original Six team, but designing a look that fits with that era and sticking with it is a decision that is never wrong. The Islanders may have made errors in the past, but revisiting this look and sticking with it was their best move.
15. Utah Mammoth
18 of 32
Last year, we held off ranking the Utah Hockey Club until its name and jersey were unveiled. Now, the Mammoth have delivered, nailing both right out of the gate.
The logo is really good, and the black, light blue, and white color scheme they adopted really sings with the new team name, logos, and all that. Utah opted for a classic styling with the sleeve and hem stripes, and while the collar design is less-than ideal, the jersey itself is outstanding and has us begging for a baby blue alternate already.
The sneaky biggest burden for any new team is to nail their logo and jerseys right away and Utah aced it. A+ work here.
14. Chicago Blackhawks
19 of 32
Chicago's jerseys are universally recognized and beloved, with history that speaks for itself.
And that's all we're going to say about that right now.
13. Philadelphia Flyers
20 of 32
When the Flyers sort of threw it back to the 80s with their updated sweaters last year, we more than appreciated that nod to a time when Philly had one of the more dangerous teams in the league and one that threatened Wayne Gretzky's Oilers dynasty on a couple of occasions, thanks to Ron Hextall and friends.
The "burnt orange" color switch was a good one and the Flyers logo is one of the best and most recognizable logos in any sport. Toughening up the orange and maintaining an iconic look never fails. And as much as the Flyers may stumble and provide entertainment to the rest of the league in doing so, they at least look great doing it and that counts for something.
12. New Jersey Devils
21 of 32
The Devils might be retiring their black "Jersey" alternates after this season, but their home look is one that's never changed since 1992 (!!!) and there's no reason for them to deviate from it now.
When you've got a team named the Devils and your colors are red and black, the hard work is already out of the way. Then you add the Devils' perfect logo to it and it's true perfection.
We can nitpick about the design of the shoulders/yoke, or the collars, if you want us to, but writing that sentence made us tired thinking about doing that, so let's just not. Sure, we get misty-eyed about the Devils' days of wearing red and green and how cool that looked, but we're not going to bag on them for embracing everything about being Devils.
Being true to yourself goes a long way here.
11. Boston Bruins
22 of 32
We know it doesn't really look like a new jersey for the Boston Bruins, but they've got a brand-new home and road set this season and it seems like they've been listening to what we've been saying for years. If you've got a classic, iconic look, you should run with it.
The Bruins' new jersey pays homage to the style they wore from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. For better clarity, we'll refer to it as the Happy Gilmore-style jersey. The stripes on the sleeves and hem are classic, the spoked-B logo is an all-time great and they've added the throwback walking bear logo on the shoulder, too.
We're deeply upset they didn't bring back the "meth bear" shoulder logo from the '90s, but paying respect to the Bruins' deep past is cool, too, we guess. Still, this jersey is simple and perfect and hits all the right notes. Sometimes it's just easy to be an Original Six team and design a banger.
10. Pittsburgh Penguins
23 of 32
The Penguins' skating penguin logo, in black and gold, is never going to be anything but a top jersey in the league. The Pens could be an all-time bad team and wear these and you'd still be nervous about getting your doors blown off because you'd have visions of Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr schooling you or Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin dumping a dozen goals on your head.
Then again, the Pens could be pretty bad this year, and you'd still have Crosby and Malkin scoring against you and looking this good while doing it. When they brought this look back from the past in 2016, it immediately led to them winning a Stanley Cup, and you knew it was the right move and one that would never again be changed.
We love and appreciate iconic looks and players and that's why the Penguins in these jerseys will always be winners to us.
9. San Jose Sharks
24 of 32
The Sharks' decision to turn back the clock in 2022 in their own kind of way couldn't have been a better one. Ditching some of the extra colors and stripes and leaning extra hard on wearing as much teal as humanly possible absolutely rules.
San Jose's new jerseys are reminiscent of the old-style with the shark fin shoulder logos. Their classic shark chomping a stick logo on the front brings back memories of players like Pat Falloon and Arturs Irbe, but doesn't make us feel like we're seeing them all over again because they're just different enough to be distinguishable.
It's hard to find fault with the Sharks, and with jerseys this good, they're an easy choice for new fans or those seeking a new favorite team.
8. New York Rangers
25 of 32
The Rangers are called the "Blueshirts" because of their home jerseys.
Their classic blue jersey, featuring red and white stripes with "Rangers" drop-shadowed and spelled out diagonally from right to left across the chest, is a look that other teams have tried to emulate but couldn't pull off.
Original Six teams got a head start on everyone in creating jerseys, sure, but when they nailed it, they stuck with it and that's what the Rangers have done with their home jersey.
Apart from a couple of seasons in the 1970s, this look has been the same since the team was founded in 1926. Creating a look and hanging onto it for 100 years is unheard of and yet here are the Rangers doing just that and owning it for a century.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs
26 of 32
Critics might call the Maple Leafs blue jersey with white maple leaf on the front "basic."
However, Maple Leafs jerseys are perfect in their simplicity. The greatest looks don't have to change for a reason and it's because they're perfect.
In various ways, they have had this exact look since they became the Maple Leafs in 1927. It's iconic and perfect.
Yes, we have a few other looks we prefer more, but that doesn't detract from this being an all-time great look.
6. St. Louis Blues
27 of 32
In past rankings, we urged with the Blues to do something about updating their home and road set. While we won't take credit for the team doing that this season, we'll take a victory lap, because they nailed it.
The Blues used their throwback alternate as the base for their new home jersey and it was 100 percent the right call. The lighter blue color pops and the simple white and yellow stripes accent it beautifully. Having the massive blue note crest on the front really makes this jersey stand out, too.
While this new jersey is yet another example of why classic looks are best, it's also a prime example of why ditching recent trendy styles was the right move. We'll stop yelling at clouds one of these days, we swear.
5. Buffalo Sabres
28 of 32
Say what you will about the Buffalo Sabres, and boy do you guys say a lot of things about them, they always look great.
Even though some fans are torn between liking the standard blue and gold home sweaters with the iconic logo featuring the team's name, in a pictogram-style, and the red and black "goathead" alternates, it's really hard to dislike their home jerseys.
The royal blue jersey with its gold and white stripes screams "hockey," and the overall look is remarkably clean and classic. It's more or less what they designed in 1970 when the team was established, and while they made adjustments and tweaks here and there, returning to this look in 2021 was 100 percent the right call.
4. Detroit Red Wings
29 of 32
You don't mess with the best and that's what the Red Wings have done about their home and road sweaters.
Their home red jersey, with the winged wheel crest and white stripes on the sleeves and hem, like the Maple Leafs jerseys, is simple. But when a team has a look that others try to recreate, you know you've done something right.
Detroit hasn't changed this look since 1932, and with good reason—it remains one of the best in the NHL and all of sports.
Now, if the team could catch up a bit and get back to the playoffs, fans could return to appreciating its greatness instead of always dwelling on the past.
3. Edmonton Oilers
30 of 32
Remember all those years the Oilers tried to find a new and modern look for their uniforms? So many odd decisions and designs and all along the best ones were always there from the beginning.
Edmonton returned to its classic '80s-style jerseys for good (hopefully) in 2022. Their brief period of replacing the blue home jersey with an orange one in the same style, from 2017 to 2022, interrupted the blue jersey's triumphant comeback in 2008. However, even during that time, they continued to experiment with alternate jerseys, seemingly pushing for a more aggressive approach. Stop messing with greatness!
Oddly enough, that line also applies to how contract negotiations with Connor McDavid are going. Odd, really. Anyway, the classic blue jerseys from the '80s are perfect and always have been and deserve a place this high on the list.
2. Calgary Flames
31 of 32
Things have been a bit down for the Calgary Flames in recent years, and even though their star players have found ways to leave, the fact that they'd want out while wearing these perfect red jerseys at home is madness.
Playing in Calgary is made far better by these iconic bright red jerseys, featuring the flaming 'C' and distinctive yellow and white stripes.
The Flames have one of the best home and road jersey sets in the league and any game with them on the ice is visually improved because they're out there in a perfect jersey.
The home reds, however, are fire incarnate. The "C of Red" in Calgary is a thing of beauty. And when the team is rolling and the fans are roaring, nothing beats it.
1. Montreal Canadiens
32 of 32
To be the best, you've got to beat the best. And there's not an NHL jersey anywhere that beats the Canadiens' home red sweater.
The Habs' red sweater is hockey. The "CH" logo is hockey. The Canadiens are the team everyone thinks of when they're asked about the NHL. But if your team looked this good and everyone knew it, you'd be smug about it, too.
Canadiens jerseys, home and road, are perfect. End of story. And if there's ever a day when we think another team's jersey is the best around, we just have to ask ourselves if it's better than the Canadiens jersey and it never is.
They're No. 1 here while everyone else is playing for second place.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
