The NHL has some really cool jerseys, and I think on average they’re better than any other major sport in America. Because I have to give each team a close look, I’m going to spread this over seven posts. I’ll comment on the six divisions, and then put the teams into a cumulative list for the seventh and final post.
How they’re scored:
Each NHL team has three jerseys -- home, away, and an alternate. Some teams have a second alternate, but they’re few and far between, so I’ll only look at the alternate used most often in those cases. Each jersey will be ranked on a 5 point scale, with 5 being jersey euphoria and a 1 being a foul on the eyes. The team closest to 15 points at the end wins.
Tiebreaker scenario:
If teams are ties, I’ll pick based on their logo. For instance, if the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames both ended up with scores of 12, I’d pick the Oilers because I like their logo better.
Today, I’ll be looking at the Northeast Division from the Eastern Conference. This is a great group of teams to look at in regards to athletics aesthetics, with the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Maple Leafs all having classic, iconic jerseys. Let’s get started.
Boston Bruins:
Home -- This is one of the best in the entire league. The Bruins found a winning formula all the way back in 1949 and stuck with it. However, minus half a point for no leg piping. They had this from 1939 (black, white, and yellow) to 1981 (white piping). I like the black, white, and yellow piping better than the white, but would take either over the solid black shorts. Score: 4/5
Away -- Love these too. They look better in the black though, so that’s why they get half a point less for this one. Score: 4/5
Alternate -- Very nice as well. Much better than these, used from 1995-2006. Clearly, they tapped into their storied history for this alternate logo, as they had versions of it from 1924 to 1932. Kudos also for using the primary logo as a patch on the alternate jersey, and vice versa. Score: 4/5
Verdict -- Classic and spiffy, with minimal changes needed. Score 12.5/15
Buffalo Sabres:
Home -- Thank goodness they went back to this design from the 1980s and 90’s, as opposed to this garbage from 1996-2006 and the detested “Buffaslug” from 2006-2010. There’s no piping on this either, so minus a half point for that, as well as another half point for ditching the royal blue for a darker shade. Score: 4/5
Away -- Same as above. Once again, they made the right choice for going back to their roots, but the blue is a better jersey color than white. Score: 3.5/5
Alternate -- Pretty good for an alternate. The script is nice, and I really dig the yellow nameplate. However, the webbing in the numbers is dumb, plain and simple. It’s way better than this alternate used from 2000-2006 though. Score: 3/5
Verdict -- The Sabres really needed to take a page from the Bruins and just shouldn’t have messed with a classic. Final score: 10.5/15
Montreal Canadiens:
Home -- These are classy as well. Tons of people think that these are the best in the NHL. A version of it has been used since 1925 -- the Canadiens knew they had a good thing going and stuck with it. However, I don’t think these are tops. Don’t get me wrong -- I really like these. I just think there are better ones out there. Score: 4/5
Away -- The same as the home jerseys. Great logo and great design. Good job with piping on the shorts too. Score: 4/5
Alternate -- Is it Christmas time? The green maple leaf just doesn’t do it for me. They’re not awful, but I just don’t like the green on red. It also looks suspiciously close to the Toronto Maple Leaf’s design (see below). Score: 2/5
Verdict -- Very solid jersey. You can’t go wrong with the home or away jersey, but the alternate pulls its final score down a bit. Final score: 10/15
Ottawa Senators:
Home -- The Senators had this uniform when they came into existence in 1992, and used it until 1997, then another version of it (notice the change in the edge of the “coin”) until 2007. Then, they went to this. It’s not terrible, but I think it’s a bit of a downgrade from the half Roman soldier/half Roman coin thing they had going on. Score: 2.5/5
Away -- Although red and white jerseys aren’t my favorite (see the Atlanta Falcons from the NFL uni post), they’re much better than the black jerseys they used to wear on the road. I think it’s tough to pull off black, and the only teams that can do it in the NHL seem to be the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I do think these are beter than their home reds though, but I’m not sure why. I think it might be the fact that the new logo seems to go better on white. Score: 3/5
Alternate -- Not a fan of this at all. It’s fine to nickname your team, but putting it in writing on a jersey, especially in boring block text, is tough to pull off. That, plus the fact that it’s on a black jersey, plus the weird stripes on the arms, make it one of my least favorites in all of hockey. Their old alternates from 2000-2007 weren’t the best either, but I think they’re much better than the current ones (I'm digging the yellow at the bottom of the uni). Score: 1.5/5
Verdict -- What the Senators are doing is similar to the Sabres’ jersey mistakes. Thankfully, the Sabres rectified their issue; the Senators are making the mistakes now. They had a pretty good logo, and changed it. While the change wasn’t awful, it certainly wasn’t an upgrade. They have average jerseys at best, but when you throw in the ugly alternates, they fall into the below average category. Final score: 7/15
Toronto Maple Leafs:
Home -- These are really classy ones too. My only complaint is that there’s no leg piping like they used from 1934 - 1992. The design has been virtually the same on the jersey itself since 1927 (although that leaf doesn’t look much like a leaf to me). I’m a sucker for blue jerseys, and they’re much better with the stripes, which they went without from 2007-2010 (makes it kind of plain, huh?). Score: 4/5
Away -- Once again, they Maple Leafs saw the winning formula they had and stuck with it. The whites may not look as spiffy as the blue home jerseys, but they’re still iconic. Score: 3.5/5
Alternate -- These are pretty nice alternates. This particular leaf design was used between 1938 and 1967, and the jersey is almost exactly what the Leafs wore from 1958 - 1967. I’m not a big fan of the blue around the collar, though I do like the old leaf as opposed to the current leaf. Score: 3.5/5
Verdict -- Once again, these are classic jerseys that don’t need much tweaking. While they are simple, they’re still memorable, and the blue home jerseys look great on the ice. Final score: 11/15
Northeast Division Rankings:
- Boston Bruins -- 12.5/15
- Toronto Maple Leafs -- 11/15
- Buffalo Sabres -- 10.5/15
- Montreal Canadiens -- 10/15
- Ottawa Senators -- 7/15
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