NHL: Ranking the Uniforms of the Western Conference
The standings may change from week to week, but the uniform stays the same. Sometimes.
Are all NHL fans satisfied with their team's current sweaters? Some designs stick around for decades, while some teams drift from one hot trend to another.
What follows is my bottom to top ranking of the uniforms of the NHL Western Conference.
Some are classic, some...uh...not so classic, but all are worth a look. Is my list definitive? All I can say is that I know what I like.
I like classic looks.
I like simple, identifiable logos.
I like stripes on the pants.
I don't like change for change's sake.
Here is how I organized my observations:
Colors: Have they changed?
Design: Stripes, shoulder yolks, details, etc.
Logo: How it looks, how it's used.
Alternate: You know. The other sweater they want you to buy.
Tradition: Has the team stayed the course? Should they make a change?
Other Thoughts: Whatever came to mind.
15. Anaheim Ducks
1 of 15
Colors: None of the original colors seem to have survived in the new uniform.
Design: Ironically, the Ducks uniforms have a cold, corporate look about them, even post-Disney ownership. I guess the design was based on military uniforms. No, the stripe on the pants doesn't help.
Logo: Gone is the duck mask, replaced by "DUCKS." Too bad. As cartoonish as it looked, the duck mask kind of grew on me after 10 or 12 years. At least when you saw the old logo, you thought about...well, a movie about hockey, at least. Now, you're left to wonder, "Is the "D" supposed to be a foot, or should Batman be throwing it?"
Alternate: Don't seem to have one. I guess we can take this look or leave it.
Tradition: The visual equivalent of a WWE heel turn. Anaheim has been seduced by the power of the dark side.
Other Thoughts: The first uniforms were too "cute," and the current ones are at the other end of the spectrum. Can't there be some sort of middle ground?
14. Nashville Predators
2 of 15
Colors: Traditional; didn't try to reinvent the wheel.
Design: Modern, bordering on futuristic.
Logo: The logo is fine and all, but too bad the nickname "Predators" is so generic. Something about the music scene down there couldn't happen?
Alternate: Adds laces, plus initials to the pants.
Tradition: More time needs to pass.
Other thoughts: How about a "Hamilton Predators" alternate sweater just to irk the league?
13. Columbus Blue Jackets
3 of 15
Colors: Red, white and blue. Fits the patriotic nickname.
Design: The blue trim at the bottom of the pants is interesting. Why not run a white/blue/white strip down the side and continue that on the bottom?
Logo: I get the flag concept, but it's not much better than the Vegas-style logo that preceded it. How about using the shoulder patch on the front as your main logo?
Alternate: None.
Tradition: Is that a 10-year patch on the front?
Other Thoughts: Every time I see Columbus play, I feel like I'm watching the Olympic hockey tournament. Change the logo and the uniform looks vastly better.
How do Columbus fans feel about this?
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12. Edmonton Oilers
4 of 15
Colors: I wish they'd go back to their original colors full time. Embrace the orange! Lose the bronze!
Design: Not a lot of striping, although the logo on the shorts is nice. Maybe the sleeve stripes could go all the way around.
Logo: The simple, identifiable logo takes a hit because they "bronzed" this as well.
Alternate: The "new" home jerseys are the current alternate jerseys, since the classic "alternate" jerseys are now the home jerseys.
Tradition: They're getting there...
Other Thoughts: Do Edmonton fans prefer the new or the classic style?
11. Colorado Avalanche
5 of 15
Colors: I've never been a big fan of maroon. Wish they'd use more blue, like the alternate sweater.
Design: Striping down the front of the sweater, no stripe on the pants.
Logo: Simple, effective. The Bigfoot patch is pretty cool on the shoulder.
Alternate: Finally, some stripes! A throwback-style jersey, only not a throwback of a Colorado sweater.
Tradition: No link to the previous NHL club in Colorado. To their credit, they haven't bailed on the colors.
Other Thoughts: I was a bigger fan of the original striping, as opposed to that of the last few years. And they've ditched the cowlick numbers.
10. Los Angeles Kings
6 of 15
Color Scheme: The Kings have melded together the purple from their original "Lakers" colors with the silver and black they employed from 1988 to 1998. Gotta have the purple. It's the color of royalty, right?
Design: More modern look, but elements of the past.
Logo: I thought their crest logo looked pretty sweet, but I like that they updated the original crown. And the crest is still on the shoulder.
Alternate: The logo reminds me of a soccer uniform.
Tradition: I can see a progression.
Other Thoughts: Why the "Los Angeles" across the bottom? Even on the home uniform?
9. Dallas Stars
7 of 15
Colors: Too much black in the home uniforms. I guess they don't want to use too much North Star green. I like the road uniforms.
Design: Pretty traditional look.
Logo: "Dallas" and a centered number, which I like as opposed to a number on the right. One thing that bugs me. If you're at home, don't they know you're from Dallas? Leave it for the road sweater. Maybe "Stars" across the jersey, or a large star with the number inside the star? Definitely would be different.
Alternate: Road sweater with the original logo and a number on the right.
Tradition: They've been moving away from it ever since they left Minnesota, but you can see why.
Other Thoughts: Just don't bring back the red or the Mooterus.
8. Vancouver Canucks
8 of 15
Colors: Very northwest. Great decision to go back to a traditional color set.
Logo: If you call your team the Canucks and you don't put a Canuck on the logo, why not just name your team the Vancouver Orcas?
Alternate: The original logo with Johnny Canuck on the shoulders.
Tradition: If the choice was to go traditional or throwback to those retina-burning monstrosities the club went with throughout the 80's, I'll bet it wasn't hard to make.
Other thoughts: How about a logo featuring Johnny Canuck riding the Ocra?
7. San Jose Sharks
9 of 15
Colors: Teal and black were trendy back in the 90's when the team was born. To their credit, they've stuck with the scheme.
Design: Modern look with a traditional setup.
Logo: It's the same on the shoulders as it is on the front. The shark has gotten a little meaner over the years.
Alternate: Just changed the colors and added laces.
Tradition: If going back 19 years is tradition, then yeah. Just get the stripe back on the pants.
Other thoughts: The number on the right side of the front of the sweater is a bit much to me. It's like the designers said, "Hey, we can put a number right here if we want!" So they did.
6. Phoenix Coyotes
10 of 15
Colors: Fewer than when the team debuted. That's a good thing.
Design: Simple and fairly traditional.
Logo: Looks pretty cool on the road sweater.
Alternate: Logo looks like the quick brown fox jumping over the lazy dogs. Hey, at least I know my keyboard is OK.
Tradition: Glad to see they stopped letting area grade schools design the uniforms.
Other thoughts: What about a design with a "Hamilton Coyotes" just to irk the league?
5. St. Louis Blues
11 of 15
Colors: So much better than in the late 90's, when they let blue and red battle it out. Both colors lost.
Design: Bring back the stripes at the bottom of the jersey, then straighten out the stripe on the pants.
Logo: Simple and identifiable. Just looks right on that sweater.
Alternate: The circular arch/note logo is a nice occasional change of pace. A logo that makes you think of the city the team plays in adds a civic landmark to tie it in even further. A lot of NHL teams should pick up on this.
Tradition: Logo, yes. Design, not so much.
Other thoughts: Definitely not missing the red.
4. Minnesota Wild
12 of 15
Colors: A little too much red in the home for my taste, but I like how the green breaks it up.
Design: Interesting sweater, then they do nothing with the pants.
Logo: I prefer the home logo, but they both have a certain charm. Is it a wildcat or a bear? Either way, I like it. And yes, I see the North Star.
Alternate: When I see it, I keep looking for the "N." And it could use a little gold. Sorry, I'm pretty hung up on this.
Tradition: What tradition? Call back in 20 years.
Other Thoughts: I'm curious if Minnesota fans are completely over another team in the league who has their identity and couldn't think up their own nickname. Or if they wish they could shout, "Forget you, Dallas, we're the freakin' North Stars!"
3. Calgary Flames
13 of 15
Colors: The red is a bit darker, but still a striking look.
Design: The laces give the sweater a traditional look, although the team's only been in Calgary since 1980.
Logo: I like that the home and away unis have the same logo: the flaming C. A strong, simple logo. How can you go wrong with fire?
Alternate: The 80's throwbacks are OK, but the alternates for the 2011 Heritage Classic look pretty interesting. They are based in part on the uniform of the Calgary Tigers, circa 1920.
Tradition: A few tweaks, but the logo has stood the test of time.
Other Thoughts: Can we get the flaming horse on the uniform somewhere?
2. Detroit Red Wings
14 of 15
Colors: Red and white. That's it.
Design: Classic design. One stripe on the sleeves. One stripe on the pants. One stripe on the sock. Now let's play some hockey.
Logo: One of the cooler logos in sports; I see it and immediately know who I'm looking at.
Alternate: Don't need one.
Tradition: The Red Wings have had this basic, two-color uniform design since they became the Red Wings in 1932. You have to have some respect for that.
Other Thoughts: I also love that you don't get your name arched across the back until you make the regular season team; you gotta earn that arch.
1. Chicago Blackhawks
15 of 15
Colors: Red, black, white—in perfect proportion.
Design: Pretty much unchanged since the mid-50's. Stripes are of the classic look. A red-and-white stripe down the pants.
Logo: Simple but powerful. Dignified and dynamic. It's the anti-Chief Wahoo. Hockey News voted this the NHL's best logo. That's good enough for me. The secondary logo on the shoulder is nearly as cool.
Alternate: The Winter Classic togs are a nice improvement on the black sweater previously used.
Tradition: Original Six. 'Nuff said.
Other Thoughts: I'm a sucker for the classics, what can I say?
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