The NHL Reverse Retro jerseys, as ranked by the CanucksArmy staff
1 year ago
Recently, the NHL released the second-ever Reverse Retro collection, where each team was tasked with looking back into their city’s hockey history to revive an old jersey with a modernized twist. The program first launched during the COVID-shortened 2021 season and brought us iconic looks, including the Canucks’ ‘Sprite Can’ gradient uniform, the Coyotes’ Purple Kachina jersey and the Ducks’ Wild Wing tribute.
But with any introduction to new hockey jerseys comes a whole slew of new debates on which are the best or, sometimes more importantly, which are the worst. That’s why our Canucks Army staff’s most fashionable members — Cody, Isabella, Michael, Stephan, Mike Gould, social media manager Jamie and Lachlan — decided to put their heads together to create a definitive ranking of the best and worst jerseys in this year’s Reverse Retro collection.
Staff members rated each jersey individually on a scale of 1 to 10, and were able to provide insight into their decisions if they so chose to. With seven people voting the highest score a jersey could get was 70 and the lowest possible was seven; the eventual winning jersey earned a score of 61, while the biggest loser got a mere 10.
What’s obvious right from the get-go is how different everybody’s tastes are when it comes to hockey uniforms. While the top and bottom five earned universally similar scores amongst everybody, a vast majority of the jerseys fell into the 30-50 point range, with some pretty steep gaps between the highest and lowest scores each one earned. Because of this, we have a few ties in certain places, particularly between the 20th and 26th spots.
But that’s kind of the beauty of the Reverse Retro program. One person’s ugly trash is another person’s niche iconic look, and the debates that all of these jerseys have spawned are just as fun as they are completely pointless.
Fashion is entirely subjective to the person looking at it, but for a league as conservative about their uniforms as the NHL, it’s a treat just to see these 32 teams break from tradition and don some jerseys that are crazy, noisy, and above all, unforgettable.
Once you’ve checked out our list, let us know which jerseys are your most (and least) favourite in the comments below!
32. Detroit Red Wings – 10 pts
“Detroit heard your complaints about the last Reverse Retro and said, ‘Oh yeah? Well [bleep] you!’ and intentionally put out the ugliest jersey in the league. Awful, awful stuff.” – Cody Severtson
“Burn it. Honestly, it looks like something a kindergartener designed.” – Isabella Urbani
“Unoriginal AF from Detroit.” – Michael Liu
31. Toronto Maple Leafs – 18 pts
“Toronto’s is the most boring of all.” – Stephan Roget
“The Leafs’ is painfully mid.” – Mike Gould
“I get that you can only do a blue and white jersey with a maple leaf in so many different ways, but come on Toronto.” – Lachlan Irvine
30. Carolina Hurricanes – 23 pts
“Drop the diagonal design, do something for the Whalers. Your team is boring.” – Isabella
“A Hurricanes-coloured Whalers jersey would’ve been a jersey foul, but at least it wouldn’t have been ugly like this thing.” – Lachlan
“With a name like ‘Hurricanes’, it’s shocking how boring their jerseys have been over the years. This one is no exception. Booo.” – Cody
29. Chicago Blackhawks – 24 pts
“Chicago’s just looks so…. bleh.” – Michael
“Do they realize they don’t have to tank their jerseys to get Connor Bedard?” – Isabella
“I actually don’t hate this jersey, but it’s still boring compared to the rest of the field.” – Lachlan
28. Columbus Blue Jackets – 26 pts
“Columbus’ jersey is fine. It’s boring and ugly, but I don’t understand the outrage. None of their jerseys have ever been good.” – Cody
“They have a perfectly cool neon hornet mascot they could be putting on their jerseys, but they keep choosing this logo for some reason.” – Lachlan
“It’s giving Dallas vibes. Way too much black. They tried to make up for it with a detailed sleeve, but the damage was already done.” – Isabella
27. Nashville Predators – 28 pts
“Should’ve been a navy jersey. Full stop.” – Lachlan
“Yes, give me the sedated-looking predator. Cool, but that mustard is still god-awful. Less is more.” – Isabella
“Nashville phoned this one in pretty hard.” – Cody
26. Vancouver Canucks – 29 pts
“This jersey isn’t bad because it’s objectively ugly. It’s bad because of all the better choices they could’ve made. The Reverse Retro program is literally begging for a green and blue Flying Vee or Flying Skate jersey. Maybe consider giving your fans something they actually want next time, Canucks.” – Lachlan
“I voted before I fell in love with the front numbers.” – Stephan (we added a point for him after)
“It’s literally just a glorified Abby Canucks jersey. Also, what’s up with the sweater lace at the top?” – Isabella
T-24. New Jersey Devils – 30 pts
“Kansas City Devils also pretty cool.” – Stephan
“New Jersey going with the Colorado Rockies colours is a choice.” – Cody
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Scouts/Rockies colour scheme in the NHL, and it honestly works here. Hopefully no other team chose to do a similar but worse version, cause this would be a tough act to follow.” – Lachlan
T-24. Ottawa Senators – 30 pts
“The Ottawa Senators continue to make my point for me that they have the worst logo in the league. There’s absolutely nothing cool in their history of logos to even warrant a Reverse Retro. Reverse Retro should be an opportunity for them to try literally anything other than the dumb Roman helmet.” – Cody
“If they actually filled in the wavy stripe, this would look a lot better.” – Lachlan
“My guy, this is just the jersey you wear now with an added stripe at the bottom. No.” – Isabella
T-22. Philadelphia Flyers – 33 pts
“Not even the return of the Cooperalls can save this jersey from as low a score as possible. Easily one of the worst of the bunch.” – Lachlan
“This would be a 1 because they literally didn’t change a single thing, but the colour wave is really crisp. Like anyone, who doesn’t even watch hockey, would want to buy this and wear it just for that.” – Isabella
“Philly’s jersey is boring as heck, but the fact that they’re running it back with the [Cooperall] pants almost makes them a 10/10.” – Cody
T-22. Vegas Golden Knights – 33 pts
“The Vegas jersey is mercurial. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it.” – Stephan
“Really? You’re just going to give us Vegas diagonally? You’re Vegas. Go big or go home.” – Isabella
“The glow-in-the-dark neon elements are really, really cool, but hockey isn’t played in the dark. They also lose points for saying the theme is ‘What would a Knights jersey in 1995 look like?’ Stupid.” – Lachlan
T-20. Dallas Stars – 35 pts
“Don’t know why they went with a fully black middle and all green sleeves. Went a little overboard for both. Should have had a mix.” – Isabella
“The Stars seem to have slapped a Dallas logo on a rejected Vancouver third jersey.” – Stephan
“Every time the Stars do a throwback I’m reminded how much better their old logo is. This could be their regular third jersey.” – Lachlan
T-20. Calgary Flames – 35 pts
“Calgary tried something, and failed miserably!” – Cody
“I appreciate the callback to the most forgettable era in Flames history, but Blasty was wayyy better.” – Lachlan
“Flames are killer and sick!!!” – Mike, noted Calgary citizen
19. Seattle Kraken – 36 pts
“Seattle is actually killing it with their jerseys, the one thing they are doing right. Because they haven’t been around long and have nothing to base the jersey off of, the least they can do is make a decent-looking one.” – Isabella
“Seattle’s are safe and boring.” – Cody
“The modern-day logo does not mesh well with the vintage-style jersey. At all.” – Lachlan
18. Edmonton Oilers – 37 pts
“The Oilers’ logo is one of my favourites, but it definitely belongs more on the shoulder.” – Michael
“I looove their original oil jersey. I have a Dwayne Roloson one, and it’s to die for. The orange is throwing me off though.” – Isabella
“I love this jersey choice so much, but I think if the Oilers had gone with royal blue instead of navy it could’ve been even better.” – Lachlan
T-16. St. Louis Blues – 38 pts
“The Blues tried! It’s ugly, but they tried!” – Cody
“It’s the all-yellow look that’s really ruining it for me. If it was mostly blue, and the yellow was used for the font, it would have been a better jersey.” – Isabella
“Another example of appreciating the effort, even if the end result is rough. But that’s what the Reverse Retro program is for!” – Lachlan
T-16. Minnesota Wild – 38 pts
“Minnesota essentially did an alternate version of their 2021 RR, and that loses massive points for me.” – Cody
“The Wild jerseys have already been done, which is why they’re near the middle for this.” – Michael
“Is this basically the same jersey they did last year? Yes. Does that make it any less gorgeous and not a clear upgrade on the regular uniforms they wear now? Hell no!” – Lachlan
15. Colorado Avalanche – 39 pts
“When we were promised an Avalanche version of a Colorado Rockies jersey, this is not what I had in mind. I don’t know how this got into the Top 15.” – Lachlan
“Meh. The colours in the middle with a white background just amplify how harsh the logo looks. And the colours on the sleeves aren’t making it much better.” – Isabella
“The Avs one is so uninspired it feels like a generic Colorado team in a knockoff hockey video game.” – Michael
14. Tampa Bay Lightning – 41 pts
“Tampa went bold and it paid off.” – Stephan
“Sometimes things should just be left in the past. This is an absolute drug trip, and their choice of drug was nostalgia.” – Isabella
“The sheer lack of respect for the ‘Storm Jersey’ is insane. The Lightning absolutely went for the gusto by picking my absolute favourite Reverse Retro this year, and it belongs near the top of this list. Still, it would’ve been better as a black jersey though.” – Lachlan
13. Winnipeg Jets – 42 pts
“Jets. Beautiful. Striking. Clean. Terrific.” – Mike
“The Jets took a really sick logo and kind of butchered it? Not feeling the colour scheme whatsoever. They tried to use current Jets colours, but even then, it’s way too light.” – Isabella
“Winnipeg is doomed to forever lose these Reverse Retro series’ because their current colour scheme is so monochromatic and boring. They’ll never top the OG red-jet and stick-J on royal and white jerseys. They know it too.” – Cody
12. New York Rangers – 43 pts
“Rangers are fine, but they feel a bit boring.” – Cody
“Yeah it’s cool, but it still looks a little odd. The middle is bothering me, but I can commend it. Also, it’s a sick logo.” – Isabella
“Last year’s Lady Liberty jerseys were better.” – Lachlan
11. Montreal Canadiens – 44 pts
“I do appreciate the Expos colours from the Habs, probably one of my favourite jerseys in the collection.” – Michael
“Montreal can’t really do anything for Reverse Retros. They’re doomed to fail with their brand synergy over decades and decades of existence.” – Cody
“I had very high hopes for the Expos-style jersey, but the complete lack of red outside the logo makes it feel a little off. Especially because it’s a Canadiens sweater.” – Lachlan
10. Boston Bruins – 46 pts
“POOH BEAR.” – Michael
“I always hate to give the Bruins any kind of props, but this jersey is exactly what the Reverse Retro program is for. They took an infamously bad jersey and made it look a thousand times better by flipping it from gold to white. If they brought this ‘Pooh Bear’ back as their regular alternate, would anyone be mad? I don’t think so.” – Lachlan
“The Bruins embraced the theme by creating a truly heinous jersey foul, but it’s great for how ugly it is. That fur piping is spectacular.” – Cody
“I despise that Boston bear. Arrogant.” – Stephan
9. Buffalo Sabres – 47 pts
“The Buffalo is great.” – Stephan
“Great logo, but what’s up with the colour blocking? Too much white. It makes the jersey look incomplete. If you’re going to give the jersey a modern spin with your current colours go all out, just don’t go 1/4 there and then give me all white.” – Isabella
“I’m so here for the modern ‘Goathead’ look, but I really would’ve preferred a blue jersey over a white one.” – Lachlan
8. Pittsburgh Penguins – 48 pts
“When it comes to finding a Reverse Retro with the perfect blend between fun and objectively nice, the Penguins absolutely accomplished that here. “It’s clean, it’s crisp, it’s goddamn Robo-Penguin.” – Lachlan
“Sick logo. Good vibes. The colour matching is nice. But you didn’t woo me.” – Isabella
“Pittsburgh would get 100x more points from me if they went with the NHL 2002 gradient look.” – Mike
“Pittsburgh leads the pack for bringing back an oldie.” – Cody
7. Anaheim Ducks – 50 pts
“Such a crisp jersey. I’m a sucker for this logo, so happy they brought it back. It honestly would be a 10 for me, but because it’s so similar to what they wear now, I had to bump it down.” – Isabella
“The 25th anniversary version was better.” – Michael
“Let’s stop beating around the bush. This should absolutely be the Ducks’ regular road jersey. The team has set a pretty hard stance on never going back to eggplant and jade full-time, but this would be a perfect compromise. Any version of the Mighty Ducks logo is better than the weird duck foot they using now.” – Lachlan
6. Arizona Coyotes – 54 pts
“Coyotes have one of the best by far.” – Stephan
“Arizona is leaning on the kachina because they know it’s the only good thing going for them. Unfortunately, the brown is as unspectacular as their on-ice product.” – Cody
“For a franchise as bad as it is, Arizona has some dope jerseys.” – Michael
T-4. New York Islanders – 55 pts
“You can’t go wrong with the Fisherman. I love a rare human jersey, but with that pop of colour, you need less of a dark jersey overall. The bright colours make the dark navy even duller.” – Isabella
“The Longshoreman is always a classic.” – Stephan
“I love the fisherman Isles logo to a fault.” – Michael
“Another Reverse Retro that I had really high hopes for, and you can’t convince me that Lou Lamoriello isn’t to blame for the extra toned-down ‘Fish Sticks’ jersey. But even in extremely dark navy and no teal, it’s still a top-five jersey from this group.” – Lachlan
T-4. San Jose Sharks – 55 pts
“A California Golden Seals-style Sharks jersey? It’s about damn time. They better be the wearing the white skates that go with them.” – Lachlan
“San Jose truly embraced the Reverse Retro theme and wins major points for that. Possibly the best embracing of the theme among all teams in the league. But, ultimately, the jersey is ugly.” – Cody
“The California callback game is strong for the Sharks.” – Stephan
3. Florida Panthers – 57 pts
“Florida is the runaway winner here.” – Stephan
“I’m debating buying Florida’s.” – Mike
“Yes. A million times yes. They took a risk and it paid off. You wouldn’t think these colours would work together, but they do because they COLOUR BLOCKED PROPERLY!!!” – Isabella
“I’m shocked at how much I like this jersey. It’s extremely loud and has nothing to do with panthers, but it works so darn well.” – Lachlan
2. Washington Capitals – 59 pts
“The Washington Screaming Eagles is one of the best crests in the sport.” – Stephan
“The eagle is always iconic, but I liked the red version from last time wayyy better. This would be fine for a third jersey though.” – Lachlan
“The Caps’ eagle looked better in red.” – Mike
“I’ve been waiting for this for sooo long. Bring it back permanently. I want Ovi in this jersey again.” – Isabella
1. Los Angeles Kings – 61 pts
“Los Angeles, back-to-back Reverse Retro champs.” – Cody
“I have always loved the purple and yellow Kings. They should go back to that. What they have now is boring.” – Isabella
“I liked the purple and gold Gretzky era jersey last season better, and I was hoping to see the Burger King uni instead, but this is too iconic to ignore.” – Lachlan
“Definitely love the vibes of the Kings jerseys, it makes sense for Los Angeles to be in purple and gold.” – Michael
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