Sorry I haven't posted in a while -- work and grad school have been crazy lately. This post focuses on the Northwest Division in the Western Conference; the jerseys between the five teams range from average to excellent -- let's get crackin'.
Calgary Flames:
Home -- I like these, but I'm not nuts about the black on the arms. However, it's better than the ones they wore from 2003-2007. Their home jerseys from 1981-1995 are a personal favorite of mine. Kudos to the nice piping on the shorts, but the black "C" and sleeves brings it down a notch. Score: 3.5/5
Away -- These are ok, but not as good as the ones they wore from 1981-1995 (just like their home jerseys). However, the Flames' current road jerseys are much better than this, this, or this. Score: 3.5/5
Alternate -- Love it. Definitely one of the best alternate unis in the game today, and a total throwback to the early 1980s when they moved from Atlanta (here's a cool Atlanta Flames jersey). Score: 5/5
Verdict -- The alternate uni is great, but the home and away jerseys could get excellent scores with some minor tweaks (lose the black please). Final score: 12/15
Colorado Avalanche:
Home -- I feel like the logo is stuck in the mid-90's (they moved from Quebec City to Denver prior to the 1995 season), as well as the number scheme on the back. I also don't like the bland color combination. Score: 2/5
Away -- Slightly better than the home jersey. The white and burgandy is better than the blue and burgandy, but I'm not a fan of the black numbers. Score: 2.5/5
Alternate -- Better than the home jersey as well, but a total copy off of the New York Rangers jersey. Score: 2.5/5
Verdict -- I think the jerseys the Avalance sport are blah at best. I understand they are located in the mountains and natural colors are a good fit, but when they were they Quebec Nordiques, they had awesome unis. The Colorado Rockies (not the baseball team) played in Denver from 1976-1982, and had great jerseys as well. Final score: 7/15
Edmonton Oilers:
Home -- I love these. Essentially, these are the same unis as their old road jerseys, worn from 1981-1996. They remind me a lot of the New York Islanders jerseys from the 70's and 80's too. Score: 5/5
Away -- I find these very bland. What's going on with the stripe on the underside of the sleeve? The logo is classic, but the rest of the jersey is just white fabric with extremely basic piping. The road jerseys they wore from 2003-2007 followed the classic design and were a lot sharper. Score: 2/5
Alternate -- Essentially the same as the white road jersey, but this is navy blue, as opposed to the more traditional blue they wear on their home jerseys. Minus points for going to navy blue. Score: 2.5/5
Verdict -- Very similar to the New York Islanders unis from the 1970s and 80's, the Oilers' home jersey is excellent, but the road and alternate are average at best. Final score: 9.5/15
Minnesota Wild:
Home -- I know lots of people who love this jersey, but I just don't see it. Much like the Colorado Avalanche, the Minnesota Wild incorporate earthy, natural colors in their jersey and it's just not my style (sometimes, I feel like I'm looking at a Christmas tree). This is better than the one they wore from 2003-2007 though. Score: 2/5
Away -- This is a bit better for me, but not by much. Average at best. Score: 2.5/5
Alternate -- I like this -- I feel like it's a jersey that could've been around in the 1950s or 60's. However, the Christmas-green just doesn't do much for me, knocking it down the totem pole of hockey jerseys a bit. Score: 3/5
Verdict -- Very similar to the Avalanche, the earthy colors and tones aren't my style. I also think their logo is a bit too "busy"; a bobcat/cougar/mountain lion/feline head with a landscape sunset scene? Just a bit too much. Final score: 7.5/15
Vancouver Canucks:
Home -- While this isn't my favorite jersey (we'll get to that in a minute), I do think this is pretty original, and like the logo design. The Canucks reached back to their roots for the color scheme (look at the jerseys from the 1970s), and the orca jumping out of the "C" is pretty cool. Score: 4/5
Away -- These are nice as well, but I'm more partial to the darker jerseys than the whites (hopefully, you know this by now). Score: 3.5/5
Alternate -- Once again, the Canucks go to their roots by using the famous "hockey stick in an ice rink" logo. Timeless and classy, though not my favorite logo. Score: 4/5
Sidenote -- The Canucks have always been my second-favorite hockey team behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, solely based on their jersey in the early to mid-90's. When I was younger, I loved this jersey. It's so bad that it's great. The Canucks have a history or wild and crazy unis though. Check out the last one here -- totally gross. However, nothing tops the infamous "V" unis from the late 70's and early 80's.
Verdict -- A very solid jersey entry; the Canucks have mixed old and new, something that is hard to do. Now, if they'd only start wearing those early 90's jerseys again... Final score: 11.5/15
Northwest Division Rankings:
Calgary Flames -- 12/15
Vancouver Canucks -- 11.5/15
Edmonton Oilers -- 9.5/15
Minnesota Wild -- 7.5/15
Colorado Avalanche -- 7/15
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