NFL Jersey Rankings, part 4 of 9

After analyzing the dreadful jerseys in the AFC South Division, we turn our attention to the AFC West.    Of the four teams here, two haven't changed their looks much, resulting in timeless jerseys, while the other two bring more modern looks to the table.

Kansas City Chiefs
Home - Classy all around.  The Chiefs use a great color combination with the red and yellow.  What I really think ties the whole thing together are some small details:

• the white numbers/names are trimmed in yellow
• the yellow and white stripes on the sleeves
• the striped socks

          Score: 5/5

Away - This one might be the best away jersey in the game.  The red pants go nicely against the white jersey, and like the home jersey, the names and numbers are trimmed in yellow.  Also, the sleeve stripes are even better than on the home jersey (to me, red and yellow stripes look better than yellow and white stripes).  Score: 5/5
Helmet - I like the helmet, but the logo doesn't grab at me like some others.  Their original logo from 1963 is amazing, but I understand why it isn't used in the present day. Score: 4/5
Final score: 14/15

Denver Broncos
Home - The Broncos' jerseys were big hits when they debuted in 1997 (these were the home jerseys worn from 97-2011, until Nike took over and changed to the orange home unis (the blues are used as alternates now)).  Now, they're slowly beginning to show their age.  While the color template is fine, certain things stick out, such as the number font and the blue "flairs" on the pants.  It's also tough to look at these orange jerseys when they're placed next to the orange ones worn throughout their history. If they can simplify the current form, they have a winner.  Score: 2/5
Away - Slightly better than the home set, mainly because white is easier on the eyes than orange.  I'm also not nuts about the blue side panels (or that they stretch down the leg as I mentioned above).  Score: 2.5/5
Helmet - This logo is decent, but it still can't top the one used previously.  Score: 3/5
Final score: 7.5/15

San Diego Chargers
Home - My biggest issue with this jersey is the white collar.  Why was this needed?  A plain blue one would've looked better.  For a "modern" jersey, the Chargers have a pretty nice look.  Piping-wise, I can deal with the lightning bolts, and while I'm not nuts about the numerical font, it works for a team with lightning bolts all over the place.  Score: 3.5/5
Away - While I like the blue tops better than the white ones, I don't find much of an issue with these at all.  The only bones I have to pick with this set were mentioned above.  Score: 3/5
Helmet - I like the white helmets, but after a half decade of them, I wouldn't mind a return to the blue ones worn from the late 80's to 2006 or the blue and yellow ones worn before that.  Score: 3/5
Final score: 9.5/15

Oakland Raiders
Home - I go back and forth on these all the time.  While it's a simple look, the jerseys are instantly identifiable.  I guess my issue with these could be that they're too simple.  I would love to see some sleeve striping or more intricate piping down the legs.  Also, the silver seems too dark.  I may be nit-picking, but it looks dull and dingy, almost as if the jersey is dirty.  Shine up that silver and we have a great uni.  Score: 2.5/5
Away - These are a better look simply because the black looks better against the white, as opposed to the silver-on-black that are worn at home.  Score: 3/5
Helmet - A classic helmet, this logo is one of the best in the league.  Score: 4.5/5
Final score: 10/15

NFL Jersey Rankings (part 3 of 9)

Over the past two posts, we've seen some classy uni entries from NFL teams (i.e. Steelers, Bills, and some others) as well as some dreadful ones (Bengals, I'm looking at you).  When looking at the AFC South, there is not much respect for the traditional football designs.  Quite frankly, the Colts are the only team whose jerseys have (and probably will) stand the test of time.

Indianapolis Colts
Home - A great set all around.  The stripes on the sleeves are timeless, as well as the simple white-on-blue throughout.  The piping is solid, and while I wish they would force the players to wear striped socks, not all do.  I loved the Steelers' home jerseys, but docked them points for not using block numbers.  The Colts go with the block numerals, so I'll give them a perfect score for this one.  Score: 5/5
Away - While I'm not nuts about white-on-white for the jersey and pants, the Colts still show that simple can work.  Score: 3.5/5
Helmet - While the logo is simple and plain, it still goes very well with both home and away jerseys.  As we've seen before (and as we'll see again), less change in a helmet design usually means a very nice overall package.  Score: 4.5/5
Final score: 13/15

Tennessee Titans
Home - I know a lot of teams wear blue as a primary color in the NFL (the Patriots, Bills, Colts, Texans, Chargers, Broncos, Giants, Cowboys, Lions, Bears, Panthers, and Rams all have a blue uni).  However, do the Titans find it necessary to use two shades of blue on the same shirt?  Another bone I have to pick with the Titans is the number font.  While it is different, I don't think it enhances the jersey one bit.  In fact, I think certain numbers can be hard to read when watching them on TV.  They wanted their own identity when they moved from Houston in the late 90's, but they would've been better served if they had stuck with the Houston Oilers color scheme.  Score: 2/5
Away - Slightly better, but the goofy number font is still there. What bothers me with this one is the blue shoulder yoke.  I'm sure it was added to break up the white-on-white, but this is where stripes come in handy (just look at the Colts' away unis).  Score: 2.5/5
Helmet - Technically, the logo is supposed to be a flaming shield.  However, it looks like a comet to me.  While I don't think it's much of an improvement, the secondary sword logo may work better.  Score: 2/5
Final score: 6.5/15

Jacksonville Jaguars
Home - I'm not nuts about the load of black.  However, the teal that the Jags wore from 1995-2011 wan't much better either.  They needed to break up the black, so they went with double piping (teal and white) that runs from the collar to mid-torso, then wraps around to the back.  It doesn't add much, and the piping on the pants does nothing either.  Score: 2/5
Away - Better, but not by much.  I think I may like these simply because I think the white top looks nicer than their black one.  Score: 2.5/5
Helmet - The logo is average and not inspiring, much like the history of the franchise.  To me, the head looks a bit oddly shaped -- I wonder if their secondary logo would be better on the helmet (just like the Titans).  Score: 2.5/5
FInal score: 7/15

Houston Texans
Home - The overall design is much more pleasing than the Titans and Jaguars.  My main issue with this uni combo is the pants.  I think they would look much better wearing white pants, but the blue will suffice for now (the piping is nice, I will admit).  I'm also not nuts about the numerical font nor the red on the shoulders (remember, sometimes plain is better).  Score: 2.5/5
Away - Better than the home, only because of the white-on-blue.  The splash of blue on the shoulders works a little better here because it is on white.  Score: 3/5
Helmet - This may be the most average of helmets/logos in the league.  When they play a team like the Titans, for example, the helmet looks spiffy.  When they play a team like the Colts or Steelers, though, it looks bland.  Score: 2.5/5
Final score: 8/15

NFL Jersey Rankings, part 2 of 9

The last post focused on the AFC East Division.  Of the four teams, three have pretty nice unis (the Bills, Jets, and Dolphins), where the Patriots fell short of the mark with their set.  Today, we'll look at the AFC North, which is, in my opinion, a land of contrasts.

Baltimore Ravens
Home - I'm fine with black as a jersey color, but I don't like a ton of it.  I also don't mind purple that much, but I'm not a fan of purple overload.  This jersey has both black and purple overload, and I can't stand this uni combo.  The purple is very deep, therefore making it very close to black on the color wheel.  A lack of piping on the pants, as well as very blain black socks, make this a hard sell for me.  Score: 1.5/5
Away - This is slightly better than the home jerseys, though I think it's because there isn't so much deep purple against black.  Score: 2/5
Helmet - Another reason I don't like the purple jerseys could be because it's A LOT of purple on a big guy.  The helmets are pretty much uniform inside, and I don't feel like I'm getting smacked in the face with a particular color.  The Ravens' original helmets looked like this.  I think the logo they use now on the helmet is a substantial upgrade.  Score: 2.5/5
Final score: 6/15

Pittsburgh Steelers
Home - One of the best in the league.  The Steelers have a great color scheme, and the lack of change in the jersey shows us it's a classy jersey.  Why fix something when it's not broken, right?  However, I do wish they would go back to the block numbers worn until the late 1990s.  Also, some striped socks wouldn't hurt.  Score: 4.5/5
Away - It's hard to top the home jersey for the Steelers, but the white away unis are well above par.  Once again, the Steelers just seem to look better with the older block numbers.  Score: 3.5/5
Helmet - I love that the Steelers put the logo on only one side of the helmet.  The hypocycloids are unique in the sports world, and the numbers and yellow stripe on the helmet add an old-school feel.  If you ever wondered "Why is the logo only on one side of the helmet?" or "What the heck is a hypocycloid?" look here.  Score: 5/5
Final score: 13/15

Cleveland Browns
Home - Another great jersey.  Like the Steelers, not much has changed with this uni set.  However, I'm sure some of you are wondering, "You said the Ravens' purple and black clashed because the colors were too similar.  What about brown and orange for the Browns?  Isn't that just as bad?"  I get it.  However, the Browns' jerseys have some details that the Ravens do not.  First, the numbers and player names are in white, which offsets the brown jersey nicely.  Secondly, they Browns have orange and white stripes on the sleeves which also helps break up the brown.  Third, the Browns wear white pants, which again helps the eyes when looking at brown and orange up top.  Score: 4/5
Away - Not a fan of the white jersey on white pants (though I'm not sure if wearing a white jersey with brown pants would be much better).  Score: 2/5
Helmet - Plain, but it works.  By itself, some might think it is ugly, simply because of the color.  But, the helmet is part of a greater whole and it works.  Score: 3.5/5
Final score: 9.5/12

Cincinnati Bengals
Home - I'm not quite sure where to start with this team.  I understand the team wants to incorporate the bengal tiger into the uni somehow.  I'm just not sure how to do it tastefully.  The home jersey has so many problems that I'll just begin to list them:

• The "shadow effect" with the numbers is very 1998ish
• the tiger stripes on the sleeves are tough on the eyes, especially since there are tons of tiger stripes on the helmet only a few inches above
• the "piping" (technically piping is a stripe or stripes running down the length of the jersey or leg. While the Bengals' piping are literally stripes, it still is just a lot of orange and black to look at, without a linear effect.  Score: 1/5

Away - I'm honestly not sure if this is an improvement.  Part of me thinks it is, simply because the piping looks better on the black pants.  However, sometimes I think it is worse because the tiger stripes on the sleeves look worse on the white jersey.  Score: 1/5
Helmet - By itself, I think it's fine.  Technically, it does match the rest of the jersey well.  However, it just gives off too much of an amateurish look (so does the home and away jerseys for that matter).  While it's not much of an improvement, part of me wishes the Bengals would go back to this helmet from the late 70's and early 80's.  However, it's just too similar to the Browns.  They do orange the right way.  Score: 1.5/5
Final score: 3.5/15

NFL Jersey Rankings, part 1 of 9

Today, we'll begin looking at the jerseys of the National Football League, specifically the AFC East division.  I'll be taking into account three things: the home jersey, the away jersey, and the helmet (the pants and socks will be factored into both home and away jerseys).  Some teams use throwback jerseys during some games -- these will not be discussed, as not every team uses them.  Jerseys and helmets will be rated on a 5-point scale, for a total of 15 points.

New England Patriots
Home -- To me, the Patriots' jerseys seem stuck in the year 2000.  Sure, the jerseys were nice when they won Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, but now they're beginning to look dated.  Much of this to me seems to be caused by those silver shoulder stripes.  Score: 2/5
Away -- These jerseys look even more dated.  Not in a "Oh cool, let's revel in sports history," but more in a "yuck" sort of way.  The blue shoulder stripes here look even worse than on the home jersey.  Score: 1.5/5
Helmet -- This is an above average helmet.  Typically, I'm not nuts for a silver helmet, but I do like the logo.  Nothing can beat the old school Patriots helmet, though.  Score: 3/5
Final score: 6.5/15

Buffalo Bills
Home -- This is a big-time upgrade from their previous home unis.  The stripes on the sleeves for the new ones are very nice, as well as the stripes socks and piping on the pants.  The lighter shade of blue is more distinctive from the navy worm previously.  Score: 4.5/5
Away -- Once again, a much-needed improvement.  While I do like the home blues better, this is still an upgrade from their last road jersey.  Score: 3.5/5
Helmet -- While I do like the red helmet they wore previously, as well as their old-school helmet, this new white one does a nice job.  Score: 3.5/5
Final score: 11.5/15

New York Jets
Home -- I like these jerseys, but I can't fully commit to them, mainly because I like their previous shade of green (slightly lighter) better.  See if you can tell the difference between a jersey from 2012 and one from the Joe Namath era.  The piping on the pants and striped socks are above average for an NFL team, but don't do enough for me to bump up the score for the home greens.  Score: 3/5
Away -- Typically I like home darks better than road whites in both the NFL and NHL.  I like these, but I think the green is just too dark.  If it was lighter, like in the past, this would be a killer uni.  Score: 3/5
Helmet -- I like the helmet, but I like this one from 1963 even better.  The current helmet works well with both home and away jerseys -- they have used this design often throughout the history of the team, and keeps a connection between past and present.  Score: 3.5/5
Final score: 9.5/15

Miami Dolphins
Home -- Teal is a very hard color to pull off (I'm looking at you, Jacksonville Jaguars).  However, the Dolphins manage to do it with white as a secondary color and orange as a tertiary color.  They haven't ventured far from this color scheme over their history.  I love the piping on the pants, but wish the socks would have some stripes.  Score: 4/5
Away -- Another solid entry, though the white uni-on-white pants can look a little bate sometimes.  Now those socks look really bare when paired with tons of white.  Score: 2.5/5
Helmet -- Classic helmet.  The Dolphins actually streamlined the logo in 1997 (the logo was looking dated in 1996).  Like the Jets, the Dolphins have white helmet with a logo that doesn't change much throughout history, making them team instantly identifiable.  Score: 4/5
Final score: 10.5/15

NHL Jersey Rankings (part 7 of 7)

Finally, we've come to a list-of-lists -- in this post, I've composited all of the scores and put all of the teams into a master list.  We'll start with the last place team and work our way to number one.  Remember: in the event of a tie (there are a few of them), the tiebreaker goes to the team with what I feel has the better overall logo.

30. Nashville Predators -- Overall, just too in-your-face.  The yellow is harsh on the eyes, while the white road uni and the blue alternate are average.  I think it's the bold logo that brings this way down (home, away, alternate).  Score: 4.5/15

29. Atlanta Thrashers -- Ok, so they're the reincarnated Winnipeg Jets now, but I did the Thrashers post when they were still the Thrashers.  Just a bad jersey overall (home, away, alternate).  What the heck is that logo anyway?  A bird?  A tornado?  Both?  Score: 5/15

28. Dallas Stars -- Plain and boring.  It works sometimes -- I would rather have a plain jersey than an ugly one, but this puts me to sleep (home, away, alternate).  Score: 5.5/15

27. Columbus Blue Jackets -- Pretty plain as well, though they have made strides in the alternate uni department (home, away, alternate).  The problem is that the Florida Panthers have a similar one, and the Pittsburgh Penguins have a throwback very similar.  Score: 6/15

26. Tampa Bay Lightning -- A lot nicer than the Columbus Blue Jackets -- they keep it simple, and it works.  However, the longer you look at it, you realize that there is a lot of blue in the home and alternate unis (home, away, alternate).  Score: 6/15

25. Florida Panthers -- I like the whites.  The blue alternates, not so much.  The home reds are fine -- if they would trim off the blue from the shoulders, they would rise in this list (home, away, alternate). Score: 6.5/15

24. Carolina Hurricanes -- The primary logo on the home and away unis are fine.  However, the hurricane flags/checkers near the waist crown the jersey, and the black alternates are just plain bad (home, away, alternate).  Score: 6.5/15

23. New Jersey Devils -- A solid entry.  In hindsight, they probably should be higher on the list, considering the jerseys that made the list just above them (home, away).  Score: 6.5/15

22. Anaheim Ducks -- The orange adds some interesting qualities, but overall I can take 'em or leave 'em (home, away, alternate).  The script is hard to read as well.  Score: 7/15

21. Colorado Avalanche -- I've said this before, and I'll say it again: the jerseys look like they're stuck in the wrong decade.  Maybe these colors will be all the throwback rage in another five or ten years, but not now (home, away, alternate).  Before the move to Denver, the Quebec Nordiques had some killer jerseys that are hard to top.  Score: 7/15

20. Phoenix Coyotes -- The shade of red doesn't do it for me, and the coyote logo looks very amateur-ish (home, away, alternate).  Score: 7/15

19. Los Angeles Kings -- If they would just go back to the purple and yellow digs of the 1970s.  If they need to stick with the black, the logo from the 1990s would do as well.  These though are just to ho-hum (home, away, alternate).  Score: 7/15

18. Ottawa Senators -- Once again, an issue with the primary logo.  The profile logo from the 1990s was much better than this.  The alternate jersey is better then most, but can be tough to look at after awhile (home, away, alternate).  Score: 7/15

17. Minnesota Wild -- Not a big fan of the red and green; it looks too much like Christmas.  The alternate jersey is nice, but not enough to make up for the landscape within the logo (home, away, alternate).  Score: 7.5/15

16. San Jose Sharks -- They're making the teal work in a decade that isn't the 1990s.  However, the logo gets lost in the black alternate (home, away, alternate).  Score: 9/15

15. Washington Capitals -- I really, really like the alternates (basically a reincarnation of what they used up until the mid-1990s).  However, the text seems scrunched on the home and away unis (home, away, alternate), and I'n not nuts about the piping.  Score: 9/15

14. St. Louis Blues -- I like the logo, but not the piping (home, away, alternate).  These jerseys were much better when they had more stripes.  The alternate also seems too busy, with the Gateway Arch behind the logo. Score: 9/15

13. Philadelphia Flyers -- Very, very nice.  Kudos for ditching the black alternates.  My one bone to pick comes from the nameplate itself; make that disappear (i.e. white name plate on orange jersey, black on white), and you have a very nice jersey (home, away).  Score: 9/15

12. New York Rangers -- Very solid.  They lose points for the alternate uni, and for the lack of stripes on the home jersey near the waist (home, away, alternate).  Score: 9.5/15

11. Edmonton Oilers -- Beautiful jersey, except they lose points for the navy blue alternate (home, away, alternate).  Score: 9.5/15

10. Montreal Canadiens -- A classic by NHL standards.  Many folks consider this one of the best, if not the snazziest uni in hockey.  In my opinion, the jersey is very nice -- my one bone to pick are the Reebok sleeve stripes, especially on the home set.  They seem rounded, as opposed to flat stripes found on the sleeves from 1917-2007.  Here's their current set: home, away  Score: 10/15

9. Pittsburgh Penguins -- I really like the skating penguin, but wish they would go back to black and yellow, instead of black and gold (home, away, alternate).  Gorgeous alternate set as well.  Score: 10/15

8. Buffalo Sabres -- They ditched the "Buffaslug" and went back to their roots.  They have a very solid alternate.  Even though I prefer the home unis in the original royal blue, the navy isn't to bad (home, away, alternate).  Score: 10.5/15

7. Toronto Maple Leafs -- Much like the Canadiens, the Maple Leafs give us a NHL classic.  I give the nod to them over the Canadiens because I seem to prefer blue to red, and because of the nice striping, especially on the alternate (home, away, alternate).  Score: 11/15

6. Vancouver Canucks -- Blue and green can be a tough combination to pull off, but the Canucks do it well (home, away, alternate).  The jersey combines northwest roots (color scheme) and Native American culture (the logo).  The only way to make this better is a complete overhaul back to the neon skate logo of the late 80's and early 90's.  Score: 11.5/15

5. Detroit Red Wings -- Gorgeous logo.  The uni is understated -- almost simple, except for the very intricate logo.  The white away set is one of my favorites in the league (home, away).  Score: 11.5/15

4. Calgary Flames -- The alternate is fantastic.  Frankly, I don't really like the black "flaming C" on the home set.  This would be nearly perfect if they made the alternate set the home uni (home, away, alternate).  Score: 12/15

3. Chicago Blackhawks -- Beautiful logo, great striping (especially on the white away unis), and a really nice alternate (home, away, alternate).  Score: 12/15

2. Boston Bruins -- Pretty much the same commentary as on the Blackhawks' jerseys.  I think I rank them higher becaue I like the black and yellow color combination (home, away, alternate) compared to the red/black/white of the Blackhawks.  Score: 12.5/15

1. New York Islanders -- I'm a sucker for blue and orange jerseys (like this and this, as well as incorporating a map into a logo, like this.  So the Islanders have both, which may be a big reason why they're number one on my list (home, away).  Score: 14/15



Final thoughts:  Looking back at these rankings, something stuck out at me.  I noticed that I seemed to score the jerseys based on the other unis in their division.  The most glaring example of this would be with the New Jersey Devils.  The competition in their division is from the Islanders (1st place overall), Penguins (9th), Rangers (12th), and Flyers (13th).  All of these teams have very nice jerseys, and someone had to finish last.  I gave that nod to the Devils -- however, I don't think they deserved 23rd place.  I ranked them below the Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Phoenix Coyotes.  If anything, the Devils should be at least 20th.  I could even make the argument for 15th place.  This is something I'll have to keep an eye on next time, as we turn our attention to the jerseys of the NFL.

NHL Jersey Rankings (part 6 of 7)

Today's post focuses on the final division remaining, the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.  Unfortunately, this division doesn't give us great unis like some others do.  In fact, going into this post, I think this division might easily have the weakest overall score.


Anaheim Ducks:
Home-- The small script and the swooshing lines don't do it for me.  Also, as I've mentioned before, black jerseys are pretty tough to pull off, and the Ducks just don't get the job done.  Here's a sample of this very below-average jersey.  Score: 1.5/5
Away-- Same goes for this one, but I do think the black/white contrast works ok.  Score: 2/5
Alternate-- I really like this one.  I think going with a big "D" instead of a scrunched-down "Ducks" script is much better.  Nice touch with the orange, too.  That color always seems to be a big gamble, but they pull it off here.  Score: 3.5/5
Verdict-- The big problem for me is the script -- how can you read this, especially when watching on tv? Gotta love their old jerseys from the 90's, though.  And, of course, there's this one, which may be the worst jersey of all time in any sport.  Dubbed the "Wild Wing" jersey, it was only used in the 1995-96 season.  Final score: 7/15


Dallas Stars:
Home-- Very plain, but in this case, plain may be better than what they had in the 90's and early 2000s.  Score: 1.5/5
Away-- Once again, still very plain (the bottom one).  Couldn't they jazz-up the script just a bit?  Below average at best.  Score: 1.5/5
Alternate-- I like this one better than the other two (the one in the middle), since it brings back memories of the Minnesota North Stars, who moved to Dallas in 1993.  Score: 2.5/5
Verdict-- The jerseys are extremely plain, and the alternate isn't great either.  Final score: 5.5/15


Los Angeles Kings:
Home-- The Kings have ditched a lot of their purple in favor of a simple, yet bold, black home jersey.  Two years ago, they went with a purple crown on their jerseys, along with purple trim on the sleeves.  Their black away unis in the 90's had more pizazz than they do now.  Their current home set I think offers too much black.  Like I've mentioned before, black can work if there are solid off-setting trim colors.  Score: 2/5
Away-- Typically I like the home uniforms better than the road whites, but the white in the Kings' road ensemble breaks up the black.  Score: 3/5
Alternate-- If they took the purple off the sleeves, I think this would be pretty nice; however, there's too much of it.  Score: 2/5
Verdict-- This is a uni set that has a lot of potential.  Look at these beauties from the 1970s here and here.  If they go back to those, even with the alternates, the Kings' set would be much better.  Final score: 7/15


Phoenix Coyotes:
Home-- Not a fan of these, mainly because the logo seems like it belongs in the minor leagues.  The deep red color is a nice touch though.  I like this logo design better (or even this one)A very plain design, but it works -- barely.  Score: 2.5/5
Away-- I like the stripes, but I think the coyote head works better on the red set.  I also think the red shoulders should disappear, like how they were as late as 2006/07.  Score: 2.5/5
Alternate-- The black-on-red (or red-on-black) is tough to look at.  The coyote logo is different (it's the whole body, not just the head), and as much as I don't like the howling head, I like it better than this one.  The Coyotes' original uni in the late 1990s was pretty ugly, but now seems to have a campy, nostalgic feel of the decade.  I'd be great if they went back to this for their alternate (but please don't ever use this one again -- ever).  Score: 2/5
Verdict-- These jerseys are fine, mainly because there isn't much history for this team to reach back to.  As I said above, the logo seems very amateur-ish.  Final score: 7/15


San Jose Sharks:
Home-- The Sharks' primary color is teal.  This is a tough color to pull off in my opinion, especially because it seems so tied to the 1990s (much like oranges and greens were big in the 1970s).  For me, there's just a bit too much black on their home unis.  In the 90's, they had less black.  Perhaps the Sharks added black to distance themselves from the teal of the 90's?  Score: 3/5
Away-- Love the white road jersey.  It has some teal, but not too much to make it seem dated.  Score: 4/5.
Alternate-- What makes this a tough one to pull off is that the jersey is virtually the same color as the logo.  However, teal has always been the color of choice for the Sharks, so I don't know what other option they have, unless they went to something like this.  Score: 2/5
Verdict-- The Sharks have done a nice job keeping their color scheme current.  I do like their old logo better than the current one.  Final score: 9/15.

NHL Jersey Rankings (part 5 of 7)

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