Ranking all current NHL home jerseys, from No. 32 to No. 1
There is nothing more sacred in hockey than the sweater. The jersey. The crest one wears on one’s chest when skating out onto the ice.
The NHL has been hit or miss on hockey jerseys for a while now, from horrific eyesores to respectable returns to one’s roots. Debates about hockey jerseys can unite or tear apart a fandom, with arguments happening nearly every day on social media.
Which is why we thought we’d throw our hat in the ring for our official rankings of all 32 NHL teams’ home jerseys. Yes, just the home jerseys, because there are a few instances where teams away jerseys are vastly different from their home ones. It’s only fair to judge everyone on the same even playing field after all.
Here are all 32 current NHL home jerseys ranked from worst to first.
32. Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago’s logo has a long and complicated history, but the facts are this: The Blackhawks continue to appropriate Native American culture with the use of this logo. And they won’t commit to changing it, even though studies have shown harmful effects of Native American appropriation.
So until things change, the Blackhawks jerseys sit squarely in last place.
31. Anaheim Ducks
Look, I respect the Ducks’ boldness in making their logo a webbed duck’s foot in the shape of the letter “D” but it’s just not good. Bring back the Mighty Ducks logo and jerseys immediately.
30. Edmonton Oilers
I cannot fathom why the Oilers went from their gorgeous primary blue jersey with the orange shoulder stripe to this hot mess. It’s such an eyesore, and for what?
29. Florida Panthers
I bet there aren’t many people who are fans of the Panthers’ shield logo. The jersey itself looks like one Team Switzerland would wear at the World Championships, too. Not what you want from a NHL franchise.
28. Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles suffers largely here just from having very boring jerseys. Black, silver and white make for a clean but uninspired look. Much like the Panthers, the Kings’ shield logo also detracts from the ensemble quite a lot.
27. Nashville Predators
The Predators really do try to make their predominantly yellow jerseys work, but they’re just too overpowering. If only there were a bit more navy blue somewhere on their jerseys or helmets to offset all the harsh yellow but alas.
26. Vancouver Canucks
While the Canucks’ colors are pleasing to the eye, the whale “C” logo really has outstayed its welcome at this point. Would be nice to see Vancouver freshen up its look in the coming years after 15 years of the same old same old.
25. Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus’ logo is super clunky and overall just very unappealing to the eye. The jersey itself also is too plain and uninspired, making this an overall super bland look despite the fine color combination.
24. Washington Capitals
Another team utilizing a red, white and blue color scheme, and much like the Blue Jackets, I’m not the biggest fan of the Capitals logo either. I’m not really sure what purpose the small font “Washington” serves since no one past ice level can even see it. I like the Capitals’ secondary logo on the shoulders and honestly, I think that could make for a very cool primary logo with a few tweaks.
23. Colorado Avalanche
I’m so mad the Avalanche disrupted their color balance on the latest iteration of their home sweaters. Now, Colorado’s jerseys are just too blue between the shoulder stripe, the bottom stripe, and the all-blue pants. I like the uniqueness of the Avalanche’s color scheme but this was too far of a pendulum swing.
22. Ottawa Senators
The Senators have moved up in these rankings over the years thanks to their updated logo, which looks much better than the 3D centurion they had for years. I’d like to see more white in their jersey, though, to help round out the sweater and make it more complete.
21. Dallas Stars
Dallas gets points for having the most unique predominant color in the NHL. And it mostly works! I don’t like the weird collar that some Adidas jerseys have and it’s especially prominent on these. I do think the Stars need to update their logo again because it’s really the main thing holding this jersey back from being great.
20. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have a pretty clean look overall, but there’s just too much red for my tastes. Black helmets or black pants might help accentuate this look and elevate it into a higher tier.
19. Philadelphia Flyers
Your mileage will vary on these Flyers jerseys depending on how much you like the color orange. Out of all the teams with orange as their predominant color, the Flyers do it the best. Still there’s a bit too much white on the sleeves, which carve a strange silhouette on the jersey and knock these down a few spots.
18. Tampa Bay Lightning
While this shade of blue is very pleasing to my eyes personally, I get the criticisms with this one. The Maple Leafs and Red Wings do the two-color jerseys super well, but what holds this Lightning jersey back from joining them is the logo itself. I dig the minimalistic look but the circle around the lightning bolt bothers me.
17. San Jose Sharks
There needs to be more teal in the NHL, and in sports in general. These Sharks jersey still feel like they’re missing something — maybe a white or gray stripe on the bottom to balance out all the teal — but they’re unique and fun all the same.
16. Winnipeg Jets
If you couldn’t tell by now, I’m a sucker for a good, pleasing shade of blue. And the Jets have a really nice color combination of navy blue, cobalt blue and white with a bit of red splashed in. I’m not the biggest fan of the logo, and I think it’s time for the Jets to start tinkering just a bit with it to make it a bit more streamlined.
15. Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas certainly has one of the more unique color combinations in the NHL with gray, gold and red. And boy is it perfect for this team. It’s nice to see a predominantly gray jersey actually work out for once. I still don’t think shield logos work all that well on NHL jerseys but the “V” in the black space of the helmet is a nice touch.
14. New York Islanders
The orange and white stripes really help offset the blue of the Islanders home jerseys in a way that doesn’t feel forced or unnatural. See, Oilers, this is how you do a jersey with these colors that doesn’t make your eyes bleed!
13. New Jersey Devils
There is no better logo in the NHL than the Devils’ logo. It gives you all the information you need to know about this team’s brand between the interwoven letters and the devils horns and tail. And New Jersey lets this logo shine as the centerpiece of its jersey with its simple black and white stripes and blocking.
12. Arizona Coyotes
All hail the Kachina jersey! Yes, the Coyotes new primary threads may be a bit dated, but they still haven’t worn out their welcome in my book. It’s possible if the Coyotes keep these jerseys for a few more years I’ll become tired of them, but for now they feel like a comfortable return to the familiar.
11. Calgary Flames
Oh hey, a hockey jersey that doesn’t utilize the color black in its design … at all. The Flames knocked their redesigns out of the park for the 2021-22 season between the simple logo and the bold color choices.
10. Seattle Kraken
Since the Kraken’s branding reveal in the summer of 2020, the team has taken all the right steps in how it presents itself aesthetically on the ice. Seattle’s logo? Perfection. The dark sea blue accented with a light teal and a pinch of red? An inspired choice. What a great initial showing from the Kraken here.
9. St. Louis Blues
Much like the Islanders, the Blues use warmer tones to offset their two-tone blue jerseys. Yellow and white are perfect complements to the royal blue of their jersey, a different color from the team’s musical note logo itself, which makes for a fun contrast. The simple, symmetrical color blocking also leaves the center of the jersey alone for the logo to shine.
8. Detroit Red Wings
A classic, no doubt. The Red Wings have changed very little about their jersey across history and for good reason: They nailed it on the first try. It’s a simple design, sure, but a timeless one.
7. Boston Bruins
The Bruins are one of just a handful of teams in the NHL that nail a black jersey design. Even though Boston’s jersey features a significant yellow stripe on the shoulder, it never feels overpowering compared to the rest of the jersey. The team’s logo is iconic and the stripes all match up with one another across the jersey and socks. Fantastic all around.
6. New York Rangers
Lettering can be hit or miss on hockey jerseys, but the Rangers have executed it to perfection. You can feel the Original Six history oozing off these jerseys and it’s great that New York has kept its roots for as long as it has. A classy look.
5. Buffalo Sabres
After years of mucking about in dark navy, the Sabres finally returned to their original royal blue. And how good they look! The yellow contrasts well as the secondary color with the simple stripes on the arms and bottom of the jersey. A refreshing change of pace for an organization that desperately needs it.
4. Minnesota Wild
The Wild have always rocked their forest green well. The contrasting red and beige stripes make a pleasing mix of colors that aren’t overused in the slightest. I know people dunk on the Wild’s ambiguous logo, but this is a crisp jersey worthy of the State of Hockey.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
Once the Penguins moved away from that awful pale yellow and embraced the brighter sunflower yellow, they instantly jumped into my top hockey jersey tier. Sure, they’re basically the Bruins jerseys… but better. Plus, the penguin logo is iconic and still has incredible charm all these years later.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
Once the Maple Leafs figured out the stylized logo was the way to go, Toronto basically hit near perfection with their jerseys. Sometimes a simple blue and white ensemble is all you need to make an instant classic. There’s a reason the Maple Leafs have hardly deviated from this look in their storied time in the NHL.
1. Montreal Canadiens
Finally, a victory for the Canadiens. All kidding aside though, Montreal’s jerseys are as iconic as they come in the NHL. A simple but effective blue and white stripe wraps around the chest and arms, bisecting the classic red jersey and the instantly recognizable Canadiens logo. The offsetting blue helmet and pants also help make the red jersey pop without it being too overwhelming on the eyes.
Just a perfect hockey jersey.