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Top 10 Home/Away NHL Jerseys

July 15, 2019, 3:33 AM ET [35 Comments]
Trevor Shackles
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
You can follow me on Twitter @ShackTS

Well, we’ve reached the point in the off-season where there won’t be anything happening until September. Ottawa usually has quiet summers, and it looks like all of their heavy-lifting is done besides re-signing Colin White and potentially extending Thomas Chabot. There won’t be much Senators news to talk about over the next month and a half, which means I’m going to be doing some different kinds of articles compared to ones that I would do during the season.

Something I’ve always wanted to do is rank the jerseys around the league, so that’s what I’m doing today. I might have an article for the best 3rd jerseys as well, but for now, I wanted to focus on the best home/away combos to make it simpler. Today I’m ranking the top-10 home/away jerseys, so here they are:

10: Chicago Blackhawks



A classic look that has been around for decades. Most lists have the Blackhawks higher (or even at #1), but I don’t like their simplistic style as much as some of the other Original Six teams. It’s still a good jersey overall, but other teams have gotten down their aesthetic slightly better.

9: Tampa Bay Lightning



I’ve seen some people have very low opinions on these jerseys, so perhaps this is a hot take to have them ninth. There are some real similarities with Tampa’s jerseys and Detroit’s, as both home jerseys have thick white stripes on the arms and at the bottom. The Lightning went for a simplified version of what they previously had, and I’ve always loved it. The fact that their logo might be too simple because it looks like a Gatorade logo just barely holds it back, but I really like how they were able to bring a classic look to a modern team.

8: Florida Panthers



The fact that these jerseys have gone all the way up to 8th on my list just shows how far I’ve come around on them. I definitely disliked them when they first came out in 2016, but now I realize that the stripe that goes through the logo is phenomenal, and the shield logo ties in everything together quite well. Again, it’s all about simplification, as Florida decided to go more a less detailed Panther, but one that is just as fierce. Slight deduction for not having the stripe wrap all the way around to the back.

7: Montreal Canadiens



How can you not have the Canadiens near the top? Their jerseys have been a staple since the inception of the NHL, and their home jerseys have looked good no matter what decade. I feel like their away jerseys should also have the stripe through the middle as it feels a bit bland, but it’s still a good jersey nonetheless. With an elite home and an above average away, Montreal gets a ranking near the very top.

6: Minnesota Wild



This might be higher than some people depending on their taste, but I’ve always loved every jersey the Wild have. Their logo with a bear, the moon, a river, and a forest is incredibly creative, and green has always been an underutilized colour in the NHL that Minnesota exploits very well. They have a perfect blend of being different but also being classic because they aren’t trying too hard.

5: Detroit Red Wings



Just like I said in regards to the Lightning, the Red Wings go for the one stripe but it works so well. As an Original Six team, it’s hard not to love their look, and the winged wheel will always look great with the colour scheme and jersey layout they have. Making these jerseys any more complicated would almost certainly ruin it.

4: Boston Bruins



A team full of Bruins players always looks so menacing with the way these jerseys are made. That’s what should be the number one goal for a team, so Boston shouldn’t deviate from this layout. This is another Original Six team so the logo is a classic, and it’s really tough to mess that up---unless it’s a third jersey.

3: Toronto Maple Leafs



Moving to the current Leafs logo was the best thing they have ever done with their jerseys. The old Maple Leaf was fine, but this one looks more vintage and has some character to it. They had a similar logo decades ago, and that’s why the current one looks like it could fit in a hockey museum. Even with an old look, it fits in perfectly well in 2019.

2: New York Islanders



(The middle third jersey is not included)

Orange and blue is a fantastic colour combination. The Oilers would probably be in the top-10 if they didn’t move from blue to orange as the primary colour in their home jerseys. The colours mesh so well together, and there’s something about the two thick stripes that make the jersey seem more legitimate than other ones. Their look has been around for decades, and although they aren’t an Original Six team, it almost feels like they are.

1: Pittsburgh Penguins



(The middle third jersey is not included)

This is probably the one that most people with disagree with. #1 is usually Montreal, Chicago, Detroit, or Toronto, and honestly, I wasn’t even sure what my list would look like coming into this exercise. Although the Penguins don’t have the best logo, they have the perfect jersey for it. Much like the Bruins, they look intimidating while on the ice, and the switch to this brighter yellow was a godsend for Pittsburgh fans. Their yellow sleeves are so different than any other jersey in the league, but it’s amazing how sleek they look. These are a great combination because the design itself is not that crazy, but it deviates from the norm so it stands out in a very positive way. It sends a great message to teams out there: you don’t have to think too far outside the box, even if you have to get a bit creative with moving things around. I don’t expect everybody to have the Penguins this high (or even as above average), but there’s something about that new yellow that is mesmerizing.

If you’re wondering, the honourable mentions I had were St. Louis, New York, Edmonton, Philadelphia, and Buffalo. Who is going to tell me how wrong I am?
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