NHL Uniforms: The Best Jersey in the History of Every NHL Team

Bleacher Report recently featured an article ranking the Worst Looking jersey in the history of every NHL team.

On the positive side, here is a look at each team in its best-dressed version.

In choosing each team's finest outfit, fan appreciation and traditional value to the franchise were heavily considered, along with the overall visual appearance of the uniform.

Anaheim Ducks

It might be taken directly from a children's movie.

It might look incredibly wrong for grown men to be playing hockey in this.

However, when fans think "Anaheim hockey," this is the logo that comes to mind, not some awful tan, webbed D.

The Ducks' redesign has left their jerseys rather plain. A recent third uniform has attempted to add color and restore a crest to the franchise.

More promisingly, the shoulder patch on the new alternate is a recolored version of this original logo. Is a recolored version of this uniform on the way?

Boston Bruins

These are the jerseys the Boston Bruins switched to when the NHL expanded in 1967. Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and the rest of the Cup-winning Bruins donned these during one of the franchise's most successful eras.

The current Bruins uniforms are very good looking and not much different. But the traditional look of these due to the styling of the shoulder, the yellow "B" and the history of the uniform give this jersey a slight edge.

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres are one of several teams who got their design right the first time but decided to take a hayride off the road in atrocious attire before finding their way again.

The current set is nearly identical to the inaugural uniforms, which were worn for 20 years before the team strangely switched to a black and red color scheme in the late 1990s. From there, the team adopted a comical Buffaslug set.

Despite the logo being horrific, the color change was a step back in the right direction. Though the current color set contains a darker blue than the original set, Buffalo's alternate uses the same color scheme, which is a fine representation of the city's historical image.

Calgary Flames

Another team that got it right the first time.

The color combination of these uniforms, along with their simplicity, result in a look unmatched by the current home and away set. Hopefully the team follows in the steps of Buffalo and finds its way back.

Carolina Hurricanes

Not much of a choice here. Carolina has had very little alterations to the uniform set since the team's relocation from Hartford.

The home red is the winner over the black alternate and away whites.

Chicago Blackhawks

Another easy choice. The Blackhawks have one of the best-looking jersey sets in the NHL. The team switched to this jersey with a matching white version in 1955 and have changed very little since.

The only alterations were the introduction of additional black uniforms, which looked great as well.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche are similar to the Hurricanes in the sense that their jersey set has undergone few changes since the franchise relocated.

Colorado's pre-Reebook Edge design was simple, yet unique, with a non-straight waistband. The changes made to the jersey in 2007 were minor but seemed to add unnecessary details and did not improve the look of this Stanley Cup-winning style.

Columbus Blue Jackets

For a franchise named after a civil war uniform, this jersey is highly appropriate.

The blue jackets the team's name refers to is the Union army's battle attire, which was manufactured in Ohio at the time of the war.

The colors of this jersey are a close representation of the actual uniform, and the traditional styling is certainly better looking than the team's home and away set.

Dallas Stars

When the Minnesota North Stars were on the verge of relocation, their good-looking green and yellow jerseys were dropped in favor of a bland, black-and-white jersey set with little color.

Four seasons later, this green jersey with a star design was introduced and soon became the team's dark jersey until 2007.

Dallas has since adopted an extremely plain jersey set that has "DALLAS" written on the front, and that's about it. However, it has been announced that the Stars will use a different alternate uniform next season.

Perhaps this green jersey will be reintroduced to add color to the plain uniform set.

Detroit Red Wings

When the Detroit hockey team changed its name from the Falcons to the Red Wings in 1932, the team dawned a red uniform with white stripes on the sleeves and waist.

The jersey featured a winged wheel as the crest and red numbers outlined in white on the back. Five years later, the team adopted a matching white jersey and switched the numbers to a solid fill styling.

In 1961, the sleeves on the white jersey became red with a white stripe, marking the last major change to the team's jersey set to date.

Though either of the team's two jerseys are acceptable, the whites take the spot here for looking a bit more unique and detailed than the current home set.

Edmonton Oilers

Much like a number of other NHL franchises, the Oilers got off-track with their clothing decisions in the 1990s and have taken a while to find their way back.

The set used in the late 90s through the 2000s featured a blander color set, no shoulder yokes—an awful third jersey attempt—and an even blander take on the set once the Reebok Edge uniform took effect in 2007.

However, the upcoming season will see the Oilers return to their original NHL uniform set—the one Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier won five Stanley Cups in.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers will be dropping their previous blue home jersey and using a modernized version of this uniform in Florida next season.

Perhaps it is the white trim on this uniform that makes it more visually appealing than next season's version.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings entered the NHL sporting the Los Angeles Lakers colors of yellow and purple. When Wayne Gretzky joined the franchise in 1988, the team switched to a black, white and grey color scheme that matched the NFL's Los Angeles Raiders.

The set would last a decade until purple was reintroduced. From 1998 to 2007, the Kings would experiment with different crests and even attempted a mostly purple uniform. Eventually the team settled on the uniform set used until this past season.

The uniform featured in this picture was introduced as an alternate in 2008. It has become so popular that it will take over as the home uniform next season, along with a matching away uniform. The former home uniform with purple trim will be relegated to alternate status.

Minnesota Wild

A difficult choice between Minnesota's red or green uniforms, but the green ones get the nod.

Minnesota is a state that loves hockey, and these traditional uniforms represent the area well. Both the red and green uniforms have a vintage feel that rarely fails to impress.

Interestingly, these green uniforms share a slight resemblance to the Minnesota North Stars' original uniform set in terms of design and color.

What also may be significant is Minnesota's use of this jersey during the NHL draft. Perhaps this is indicative of a future uniform switch, with this becoming the home jersey and the red becoming the alternate.

Montreal Canadiens

For the past 64 years, Montreal has used the current uniform set. The away white has existed since 1941, whereas this red uniform has been in use since the franchises' inception in 1917.

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators have used a unique blue-and-grey color scheme throughout their history.

Despite a previous atrocious yellow uniform attempt, the Predators will be switching to yellow as the team's primary color in one wildly unique jersey set next season.

The attempt at being original should be appreciated, and when the uniform hits the ice it may turn out to be an improvement.

Until then, the best Predators uniform is this alternate blue uniform. Despite maintaining a rather simple design, the unique striping of this sets it apart, especially with the black checkerboard that fills in the stripes.

New Jersey Devils

After entering the league with a set of Christmas-colored uniforms that did not change for 10 seasons, the Devils switched to an appropriate red-and-black color scheme.

Nearly 20 years later, the uniforms haven't changed. Though the red-and-green look is worth an occasional throwback night, these colorful red uniforms take the title as New Jersey's finest.

New York Islanders

Here is another team that lost its sense of identity in the 1990s, like some misled teenage rebel.

Wearing uniforms similar to this for more than 20 seasons ended when the Long Island team introduced an atrocious fisherman logo uniform.

From there, the team eventually switched back to a replica of this uniform (though in darker shades), before eventually redesigning the uniform. Finally they phased this set back to life.

The Islanders are reportedly introducing a new alternate jersey next season. Hopefully it doesn't destroy a fine uniform set.

New York Rangers

Aside from slight changes in details like color shade, font styles and number coloring, and a two-year hiatus in the 1970s, the blueshirts have worn this jersey since the team's first season in 1926.

The team has a beautiful alternate uniform, but tradition wins the battle here.

Ottawa Senators

Ottawa spent the first five seasons of its reentry into the NHL wearing black as the colored jersey. But once red was introduced as an alternate in 1997, it began winning over the spot as the team's primary color.

The Senators will be introducing a vintage-style alternate next season.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers have had a similar jersey design throughout the club's history. As the only team to use orange as a primary color, the organization has essentially only run two different uniform designs with slight design changes.

The original design has been reworked and is currently worn as the team's set. Some minor changes have been made, including a lighter, brighter orange. The old uniform's shoulder stripes tapered towards the neck.

The stripes of the uniform were originally meant to resemble wings. The team was named the "Flyers" because owner Ed Snider felt it appropriately captured the speed of the game.

The darker orange of the team's original uniforms made the look more intimidating. For that reason it wins over the current set.

Phoenix Coyotes

When the Coyotes moved into their current arena in 2003, they left their inaugural uniforms behind.

Multi-colored and cartoon-like jerseys were replaced by a traditional, simplistic look featuring an original primary color shade: brick red.

Pittsburgh Penguins

After entering the NHL in a nickname-fitting light blue color scheme, the Penguins switched to a city-matching black and yellow look.

Following back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, the Penguins retired this uniform set for an abstract-looking logo.

In 2000, the Pens introduced an alternate that eventually turned into the Vegas gold jersey set worn today.

St. Louis Blues

In the team's early years, the colors were simply one shade of blue and one shade of yellow.

As the years went by, St. Louis experimented with changing shades of blue, added a printed "BLUES" to the chest and even utilized red during the late 1990s.

In 1998, these uniforms were introduced and have been worn ever since. When the NHL switched to Reebok Edge uniforms in 2007, the uniform underwent slight alterations but remained mostly the same.

San Jose Sharks

An angry shark, the unique color of teal and just enough black makes this uniform the best in San Jose's history.

Tampa Bay Lightning

From 1992 to 2007, the Lightning's uniforms changed very little. Even when the team underwent a minor makeover in 2007, the only alterations were a change in the font used and a touch-up on the logo.

However, with Steve Yzerman's desire to create a hockey tradition in Tampa Bay, the team will adopt a new look for the upcoming season, completely devoid of the team's primary color for the past two decades.

Following the jersey's initial introduction, there have been minor tweaks made to suit the preferences of Lightning fans.

Though the design looks like a direct copying and recoloring of the Detroit Red Wings' red uniforms, and blends uncomfortably with the Toronto Maple Leafs' color scheme, the new look is certainly a welcoming addition to the franchise.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Like the Red Wings and Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a team with a long history, yet few options to select from for best jersey.

The Leafs actually used Philadelphia Flyers-styled striping for their uniforms from 1970 until 1992 before returning to a more traditional look.

With Toronto's plans for a new alternate next season, that jersey may make a return.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have worn the entire rainbow during the franchise's history.

The atrocious "V" jersey that constantly wins "ugliest jersey" awards amazingly lasted more than 10 years.

In the 1990s, the team used a "flying skate" design before redesigning the look yet again for the 2000s with the canuck logo, which is still featured on the current jerseys.

Finally in 2007, Vancouver merged their inaugural uniforms with the updated crest, returning order after 30 years.

Washington Capitals

A team representing a nation's capital should wear the colors of that country's flag.

For 20 years, Washington's hockey team used a set of jerseys identical to the uniform featured in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic.

After a questionable detour into a teal, gold and black color scheme throughout the 1990s and 2000s, the team went with a redesigned uniform set lightly based on these.

Winnipeg Jets

The relocated Atlanta Thrashers announced the team's name at the NHL draft as the "Winnipeg Jets," but they have yet to release the logo or jersey set.

According to the Icethetics Blog, the new logo and color set will be slightly similar to the past uniforms.