My Top 10 Favourite NHL Jerseys in History

For those who don't know me, I am an avid jersey collector and connoisseur and really have a passion for NHL jerseys. Besides having several Colorado Avalanche ones, I have a big collection of new and retro jerseys that is expanding all the time. I have always had an appreciation for jerseys since I was a kid, and that includes liking jerseys that many people find hideous (I'll just say it I like weird/ugly jerseys cause they are unique). With that being said, I thought I would look at my top 10 NHL jerseys of all time:

10. Vancouver Canucks Away Jersey from 1989-1997

This was one of the first jerseys I owned as a kid; everything from the black/yellow/red colours to the cool logo in the middle, it was always a favourite of mine. Pavel Bure was one of my favourite players to watch growing up, and while he is long gone from the NHL this jersey remains a classic. Nowadays the Canucks wear ugly blue, green and white jerseys and remain my most hated team in the NHL. 

9. St. Louis Blues Away Jersey 1995-1997, 3rd Jersey 1997-1998

The St. Louis Blues brought in these new jerseys in the 1995-96 season, which was the same year they traded for Wayne Gretzky. Although Gretzky was only with the Blues for half a season + playoffs, this jersey became an instant classic in St. Louis. They took away the blue and yellow stripes across the bottom of the jersey from the previous design and added the red (away jersey) and blue (home jersey) on the bottom plus the sleeves. I always liked the Blues logo, and throw in the cool yellow stripes and separation of the Red and Blue and this jersey is pretty cool in my books (I always liked this Away jersey more than the Home one).

8. Colorado Rockies Home/Away Jersey 1976-1982

Before the Devils played in New Jersey, they were playing in Denver as the Colorado Rockies. Ofcoure this was well before I was born, but as a current Avalanche fan I always liked the Rockies jerseys that they wore during their 6-year tenure in the NHL. The blue/away jersey was always a favourite of mine, everything from the Rockies in the logo to the blue/red/yellow colour scheme (similar to the Blues jersey). Anytime I am the Devils in an NHL videogame, I always pick this retro jersey. As well, Lanny McDonald is my father's favourite player so that was another reason I liked this jersey. 

7. Hartford Whalers Away Jersey 1992-1997

I have always been a fan of Hartford Whalers merchandise, something about their colours and logo that makes you think of vintage hockey apparel. The Whalers colours were white and green from 1979-1992, but starting in the 1992-1993 season they switched to white, green and dark blue. The home jersey was very similar to the old home jersey, but the Away jersey was this one above and it always been a favourite of mine. In 1997 the Whalers relocated to Carolina and became the Hurricanes, but I think everyone still loves to remember the past when they were the Whalers.

6. Los Angeles Kings Home Jersey 1980-1988, Alternate Jersey 1995-1996

Something about those gold and purple jerseys always stood out to me, even though they were before my time I always liked those vintage Kings jerseys from the 80s. The Kings jerseys from the 70s were the same design except without the stripes, so when they brought the stripes in I think it made the jersey 10 times cooler. The 2nd jersey I listed is the Kings 3rd jersey from 1995-1996 (only wore it for 1 season), or also known as the "Burger King" jersey. This to most people might be one of the most hideous jerseys in history, but to me I love the logo and the stripe pattern. This jersey is a very cool collector's item now, especially because they wore it in Gretzky's last year in LA. I like the modern LA Kings jersey that is black, purple and white, but I will always be a fan of these retro jerseys first.

5. Phoenix Coyotes Alternate Jersey 1998-2003

The Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996 and became the Phoenix Coyotes, and in 1998 they debuted this jersey as their alternate jersey. Often noted as one of the ugliest jerseys in NHL history, this is one of my absolute favourite jerseys particularly because my favourite colour is green and green is rarely seen on an NHL jersey. The Coyotes wore this jersey as their alternate jersey until 2003, when they changed their colours to red and white and changed their logo too. I personally own this as well, a Keith Tkachuk jersey with the Captain patch, and I consider it to be one of my more rare jerseys and a collector's item. 

4. Quebec Nordiques Away Jersey 1980-1995

As an Avalanche fan I always like to look back at the history of the franchise, as they were the Quebec Nordiques from 1979-1995 until they moved to Denver and became the Avalanche in 1995. I always liked the simplicity of the Nordiques jersey; the blue and white design with the red logo made it a classic jersey. Throw in that my favourite player in NHL history Joe Sakic started his career wearing this jersey, it instantly is one of my favourite jerseys of the ones that I own and possibly ever made.

3. 2000 NHL Allstar Game North America Jersey (In Toronto)

The 2000 NHL All-star (or 50th All-star) game will always be a special memory for me, it was in Toronto and I was lucky enough to go to the game (I was only 9 years old at the time). The Allstar format back then was North America vs. the World, and North America wore these blue jerseys with red and white stripes, while the World jersey was red with white and blue stripes. Although the World jerseys were nice too, I always liked this jersey because it was one of the first hockey jerseys I owned (a blank North America All-star jersey). The World won the game 9-4, with a hat trick from Pavel Bure and Bure taking the MVP honours. 

2. 1994 NHL Allstar Game Jerseys (In New York)

Another perfect example of an ugly jersey to the majority of hockey fans but to me this is one of my favourite vintage NHL jerseys. I always was a fan of the old turquoise East logo and purple West logo, before they changed them to red and blue. Everyhing about these jerseys were awesome; great logo, cool design with the star around the logo, and the great colours (I love turquoise on jerseys, ie. Vancouver Grizzlies). These jerseys are truly a collector's item, and considering I don't own one it is one of my most coveted jerseys.

1. Anaheim Ducks Alternate Jersey 1995-1996

I had a very hard time deciding between this jersey and the 94' All-star jersey as my favourite (both are retro and turqoise), but because this jersey is so rare and unique I decided to make it #1. The Anaheim Mighty Ducks came into the NHL in 1993, and 2 years later they debuted these truly unique alternate jerseys which they would only wear a handful of times during the 1995-1996 season and never again. Everything from the cool Wild Wing mascot on the jersey breaking out of the ice, to the very cartoonish name and number patch, this jersey was one-of-a-kind. The original Mighty Ducks TV show was the inspiration for the jersey, as the Wild Wing logo came from the series. The Ducks NHL team eventually led into them making 3 Mighty Ducks movies, which were all personal favourites of mine. I have searched and searched for this jersey and have never been able to add it to my collection, but I hope to get a Kariya or Selanne jersey like this sometime in the near future. 

Thanks for reading

-Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff