We still don't know when the NHL season is going to begin, but we do know that we'll be seeing some new jerseys on the ice when it does. The NHL has unveiled "Reverse Retro" jerseys for all 31 teams, which are a combination of an old logo with a modern look or vice versa. It's a cool concept, and, for the most part, they look really good. Although, I do feel like this is a bit of a missed opportunity. The Kraken don't enter the league until the 2021-22 season, so they won't be a part of it, which is a shame! Just imagine how awesome those Seattle Metropolitans "Reverse Retro" jerseys would look!
Something tells me that we might get to see that Seattle Metropolitans jersey yet. Because I have a feeling the "Reverse Retro" jerseys will last beyond the upcoming season. Some of them are just too good for teams to not continue wearing them. In fact, my prediction is that some of them will be so popular that they either enter the permanent rotation or end up replacing one of their regular jerseys entirely.
So which ones are the best? It is tough, because so many are completely serviceable. But here are the 10 that I absolutely love. (They aren't ranked, so they're in alphabetical order.)
Bruins: Why haven't they done a yellow jersey previously? Look at how amazing these are! Sometimes it's better to keep it simple. This is a great example.
Flames: Blasty is back! I loved this jersey when it was Calgary's regular home uniform, and I love it just as much now. They actually made it better by replacing the red on the bottom with black. Although, I'd prefer the shoulder logos to be red instead of white.
Hurricanes: The Hartford Whalers are back baby! One of the most exciting things about "Reverse Retro" is Carolina going back to its roots. I'm not really a fan of the gray, but I do like the reason why they chose it. It's the only color the Hurricanes and Whalers ever shared, so it's the only link between the franchise's past and present.
Blackhawks: This is probably my favorite uniform set of the whole lot! Every time Chicago does a black jersey it looks great, and this modern take on their classic barber pole look from the Original Six Era is a home run!
Avalanche: Chicago's my favorite, but these are a close second. The Hurricanes are bringing back the Whalers, and the Avalanche are bringing back the Nordiques! But they took it up a notch by doing the Nordiques uniforms in Avalanche colors. Even the fleur-de-lis are back!
Panthers: Fun fact--the first NHL jersey I ever owned was a John Vanbiesbrouck Florida Panthers. I've always felt their original uniform is extremely underrated, so I'm glad they're back. And reversing the colors only made them better.
Kings: I was actually surprised by how much I liked this one. The Gretzky-Era logo on the original Kings purple & gold. Sure, it's Lakers colors. But it looks incredible!
Wild: Combining Minnesota's two teams in such a beautiful way! The Wild logo with North Stars colors. These are absolutely perfect! I think we've got our Wild uniform for the 2022 Winter Classic.
Rangers: Lady Liberty, how I've missed you! Why did the Rangers get rid of those third jerseys with this logo again? Getting rid of the red on the sleeves is a good call, too. Another one where less is more.
Capitals: It was weird to have the team in DC not wearing red, white and blue, something the Capitals rectified after only four seasons in these jerseys. Now we get to see the eagle in red, white and blue, and the result is glorious! Even if the best part of this uniform set is/was the U.S. Capitol shoulder logo.
Unfortunately, not all of the "Reverse Retro" jerseys are as nice as those. Some teams either completely missed the mark or didn't take advantage of the opportunity nearly as well as they could have. I'm sure some people like these, but, in my opinion, these are the 10 worst.
Ducks: Wild Wing is a great mascot! The wild wing jerseys were NOT great. So why did the Ducks choose a terrible third jersey that they only wore for one season as their inspiration when they easily could've gone with their original regular jerseys?
Blue Jackets: BLUE Jackets, not RED Jackets! Instead of celebrating Ohio's soldiers in the Civil War, it looks like they're celebrating the British in the Revolutionary War. Not the side you want to be on in that one.
Red Wings: There's less is more, then there's this. Sorry, but it's incredibly boring. And what's with all the silver? The team is called the RED Wings, yet there isn't a spec of red on the jersey except for teh numbers and their iconic logo. Not entirely their fault since their uniforms have been pretty much the same for 60 years, but they missed the mark.
Canadiens: Sorry, but this is just blasphemy! The red Canadiens jersey is the most iconic in hockey. Why are they ruining it by turning it blue, which also happens to be the primary color of their archrivals? That would be like asking the Red Sox to wear pinstripes! Some things should be left alone!
Predators: Honestly, I'm not really sure how these are much different than Nashville's regular home uniforms. (The white going down the shoulder to the sleeve maybe?) If you can't tell the difference, it defeats the whole purpose. What's the point of even doing it then?
Islanders: Another team that completely missed the mark. How are these any different? (I've been told that the blue is darker.) Seriously, they could swap out their actual home uniform and nobody would even know. It seems like even more of a waste when they could've just done an orange version that would probably look good. Or, better yet, bring back the fish sticks!
Penguins: Whenever I see the original version of this jersey, I immediately think of Jaromir Jagr's mullet. The 2020-21 version? Boring! Why did they go yellow on white? And the logo isn't even correct. It's not their logo from that era. It's their current logo without the triangle.
Blues: Once again, we have a team taking the worst uniform set in franchise history and using it as the inspiration for their "Reverse Retro" look. And, once again, we have a team with a color in its name (in this case, their name literally IS the color) not using it. Say hello to the St. Louis Reds everybody!
Maple Leafs: When I first saw these, I liked them. I think the blue logo on a blue jersey actually works. So why do I have the Leafs in the bottom 10? Because the numbers are evidently blue, as well. And that's one of my biggest pet peeves with uniforms in any sport.
Jets: Like the Wild, Avalanche and Hurricanes, they were trying to honor the original Jets here. But these are just a hot mess! I think the problem is that the original Jets' logo doesn't really work with the current Jets' colors. And what's with the slate gray? Vegas pulls it off. Winnipeg does not.
As for the other 11, they're all perfectly serviceable. Some are better than others. Some are more creative than others. But they all fall squarely in the middle of the pack. Not blow your mind awesome like the top 10 or "What were they thinking?" like the bottom 10.
Regardless, I'm sure they're gonna sell plenty of all 31. Because it's a concept that really does work. And if they jerseys look this good in photos, just imagine how good they'll look on the ice!
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