- Oct 9, 2004
- 2,239
- 646
Vancouver with the heist of the decade getting Schmidt for a 3rd. The last trade that lopsided was Erat for Forsberg.
OFFICIAL HOCKEY THREAD: NHL, KHL, NCAA, IIHL
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by philballa09,
- Start date
- Jan 7, 2004
- 28,043
- 10,466
Surest bet in Vegas:
Craig Smith bagging 20 goals on the season. On paper, third line of DeBrusk-Coyle-Smith sounds legit.
- Jun 17, 2006
- 7,309
- 1,984
That seems like a heavy deal for Vegas, no? I guess with him being 30 now maybe not, but I’m always a little hesitant to sell myself on a defenseman until his late 30s with a contract like that. Especially with what ended up walking to free up the money.
guess you get like 3-4 years elite more years out of him and don’t worry about beyond that. Can’t hate much on that.
guess you get like 3-4 years elite more years out of him and don’t worry about beyond that. Can’t hate much on that.
cubanref
Supporter
- Aug 9, 2004
- 5,229
- 6,106
- Jun 17, 2006
- 7,309
- 1,984
Hate the jerseys so much.
Bones officially taking the HC job though.
Bones officially taking the HC job though.
- Feb 23, 2010
- 23,400
- 26,481
jersey looks like a sharpie highlighter went to town on black construction paper
- Feb 23, 2010
- 23,400
- 26,481
Coyotes renounce rights to controversial pick
The Arizona Coyotes are renouncing the rights to draft pick Mitchell Miller after his history of assault and racism as a juvenile were spotlighted in a newspaper investigation.
kid lost his job before he even got it. sucks to suck. he's still young hopefully he can grow up to be a decent human being.
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,232
- 53,414
some of these reverse retro jerseys are cool as hell
avs
bruins
jets
blues
pens
devils
kings
all dope as hell. im sure there's other cool ones too...i've only seen half the teams
avs
bruins
jets
blues
pens
devils
kings
all dope as hell. im sure there's other cool ones too...i've only seen half the teams
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,232
- 53,414
man going through all of them....most of them are great
the hurricanes throwback to the Whale
the hurricanes throwback to the Whale
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,232
- 53,414
Ranking all 31 NHL 'reverse retro' jerseys
From a beautiful Nordiques-Avalanche blend to the return of Lady Liberty to missed opportunities elsewhere, we identify the hits and misses for every team's jersey.
- May 10, 2013
- 22,661
- 29,334
I need that Rangers one, now!
- Jan 19, 2008
- 17,534
- 8,590
Canucks one is average to me, but certainly better than the inspiration.
- Jan 19, 2008
- 17,534
- 8,590
Any other links to the jerseys? The ESPN article is unfortunately behind a paywall.
- Feb 23, 2010
- 23,400
- 26,481
the pictures dont want to copy over but heres the article
nhl.nbcsports.com
edit: still waiting on that Kings "burger king" retro...
Courtesy of adidas
7:00 AM PT
Nostalgia might be the National Hockey League's most reliable export. In a recent NHL survey that asked fans to rank the 25 best team jerseys, around 90% of them were throwback jerseys.
As Adidas hockey considered its next NHL jersey collection, it felt it needed more than just nostalgia as a selling point. Since so many retro jerseys had already been brought out of mothballs by teams for retail sales and special events, Adidas wanted to go in another direction. Hence, the "reverse retro" line was born.
"It's an old meets new. It's an authenticity meets street. We're not designing new patterns. It's a remix, essentially, of the brands that represented that team or that city," Dan Near, senior director at Adidas hockey, told ESPN last week. "It's been an interesting journey. Pitching these ideas, getting the team alignment and eventually bringing them to the ice ... it feels like hockey is doing something big here, which is cool to be a part of."
The process in creating the jerseys was a bit different than usual. When teams want to add a jersey to their kit, they create a proposal and give it to the NHL's official partner for gear, and the development process begins. This was a leaguewide initiative initiated by Adidas, whose team presented its concepts to a full meeting of the NHL board of governors, and then to the individual teams.
"It wasn't quite 'pick one of these three that we're showing you today,' but it was closer to that in our typical process with the NHL," said Near. "I would be stretching the truth if I said we had everyone in unanimously from day one. It doesn't really work that way."
While the jerseys list specific years as inspirations for their looks, the reality is that Adidas just used them as a guide marker for some teams in blending together different eras. The Los Angeles Kings jersey, for example, is sourced to 1989 but features the crest of the Wayne Gretzky era jerseys mixed with the purple and gold of the "Triple Crown Line" era jerseys.
One big difference between the "reverse retro" jerseys and the third-jersey program: These jerseys are going to be worn a limited number of times during the 2020-21 season only, and are "while supplies last" as far as retail sales. The Adidas reverse retro jerseys will be available Dec. 1 for $180-$225 in the U.S. and $200-$250 in Canada on Adidas and NHL online retail sites, and then at additional retailers starting Dec. 6.
Some of these jerseys are instant classics. Others will fade into memory. Here's a ranking of all 31 NHL reverse retro jerseys from Adidas:
1. Colorado Avalanche (1979)
The best of the reverse retro collection, and it's not really particularly close. The Avalanche have tried to remain connected to their Quebecois roots since relocating to Denver in 1995, but this is the most overt use of Nordiques iconography in franchise history. Quebec's igloo logo and fleur-de-lis trim are remixed with Colorado maroon and blue.
"The team was pretty receptive to this concept up front. It wasn't the only idea. But it might have been the only one we showed them," said Near, with a laugh, "because we wanted it so bad."
Adidas spoke with the Canadiens regarding how this jersey might be received in Quebec. "We do have some market information, as far as demand and enthusiasm. There are definitely people out there who believe that the Colorado jersey will be very popular north of the border. I don't know if I can source that to the province of Quebec. Intuitively I would, but I don't have the data to prove that," Near said.
Some might see this as blasphemy. We see it as a clean, striking tribute to a franchise's past -- and the most successful blending of old and new among these 31 jerseys.
2. New York Rangers (1996)
Courtesy of adidas
Twenty-four years after her first appearance, the Lady Liberty logo is back on a Rangers jersey. The best-looking crest in franchise history was phased out around 2007 but makes its return just as the Rangers are rebuilding their empire.
"If you're going to reintroduce something that iconic, you have to choose the right time and with the right story. The Rangers haven't been quick to add a third jersey. They've really stayed true to their brand consistency. We do believe this is the right time to bring it back," Near said.
It's hard to argue against the standard look of an Original Six team, but the dark blue, sharp spires and regality of the Lady Liberty logo are everything the Rangers want to exude.
3. Arizona Coyotes (1999)
Courtesy of adidas
Going "retro" doesn't always just mean celebrating an era's greatest hits but also can include reassessing some of its more specious artifacts. This Coyotes' third jersey was not beloved in its day. Magnifying the head of the "kachina jersey" logo seemingly robbed it of some of its charm. Accentuating green as a primary color was jarring, as the brick red was more associated with the team. As the blog Five For Howling wrote: "The subtle southwest style at the bottom has been replaced by a painfully obvious desert landscape complete with cacti."
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But yesterday's "painfully obvious" is today's "so very '90s." The remixed version dumps the green and uses purple from the team's crescent moon alternate logo as the primary color.
"It's one of my favorites. I think you've got an organization there that sees an opportunity to appeal to fans in that market. To broaden their reach. To do something that's disruptive and original," Near said. "They're one of the clubs that [said] 'we want to be one of the top three.' They imagined someone like ESPN doing a ranking of reverse retro jerseys and wanting to be in the top three, and asked us to show them what it would take to get there."
Good advice, as the Coyotes take the bronze in our ranking.
4. Los Angeles Kings (1989)
Courtesy of adidas
As recipes go, this is on the "throw a bunch of delicious things in the slow cooker and simmer" level of simplistic bliss. There is no going wrong when you take the glorious purple and gold of the original Kings uniforms and slather the Wayne Gretzky era logo in them for a jersey that reeks of L.A. sports royalty.
5. Washington Capitals (199
Courtesy of adidas
The Capitals wore the light blue version of this jersey for about five seasons, and it's best remembered as the sweater of Peter Bondra, Olaf Kolzig and getting swept by the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. Adidas slammed the upgrade button here: What was once a pedestrian look swaps out the gold of the original jersey and saturates it in red, which was the color most associated with the Capitals but was absent in the original design. The Alex Ovechkin era Capitals are the "Rock The Red" team, and this sweater joins the revolution.
6. Winnipeg Jets (1979)
Courtesy of adidas
Winnipeg's reverse retro jersey honors the 1979 Jets, which means it honors the Arizona Coyotes, we guess. Anyway, the combination of the classic logo with a remixed version of the team's current colorway -- with "fighter gray" at the forefront -- is an outstanding combination of new and old, aka everything this jersey program is striving to create.
7. Anaheim Ducks (1995)
Courtesy of adidas
Kids, it's time to have the Wild Wing talk.
Back in the 1990s, the NHL released a series of third jerseys that, for lack of a better phrase, went for it. The L.A. Kings had a ghostly bearded monarch that fans now call the "Burger King" jersey. The Lightning had one with rain and crackling lightning bolts on the sleeves. And the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim had the Wild Wing jersey, as their mascot leapt forth from the ice around the torso.
I did not like this jersey. It was awkward and unbalanced from a design perspective, and the entire cartoonish nature of it made it feel like the result of an art contest won by a second-grader.
Many, many others do like this jersey, including members of the ESPN hockey staff that I polled for feedback on the ranking; and also including Near, who defended the choice in perhaps the only contentious moment of our conversation.
"My own anecdotal research is that I've been to a lot of games in Anaheim, and some of the coolest people that I've seen at games have gone out of their way to seek out that jersey. Even though in traditional hockey circles that might have been some who might not have believed that was an amazing jersey, I don't necessarily position it that way. It's one that is super appealing outside the arena. It's iconic in '90s culture," he said.
At the risk of having my feathers plucked by irate Ducks fans and losing my cred with '90s kids, I begrudgingly acknowledge the inherent nostalgic kick of seeing these jerseys back in circulation. The people wanted Wild Wing, and Wild Wing is what they've given you.
8. San Jose Sharks (199
Courtesy of adidas
The Sharks have been so distinctly associated with teal and black sweaters that gray is almost a forgotten part of their colorway, from back in their first decade of hockey. This variation of their 1997-98 third jersey is a welcome departure from their usual look and makes their iconic logo pop.
9. Minnesota Wild (197
Courtesy of adidas
The Wild get their Minnesota North Stars on, as many predicted. "Obvious, yes, but not the only option we could have gone with. With all the speculation happening, I just thought everybody was going to settle on what we did. But it had a bunch of different looks and options," Near said.
Your mileage on this sweater will greatly depend on your appreciation of the Minnesota logo that some have termed "The Man Bear Pig." Frankly, we think it looks sharp in the green and yellow, which accentuates some of the logo's details. That mouth was a body of water all this time?!
10. New Jersey Devils (1982)
Courtesy of adidas
Devils fans have been clamoring for an all-black version of the team's jersey, which has had only two iterations in nearly four decades: Red and green, and then red and black, with red as the primary color for both solid sweaters. Alas, they'll have to settle for a striking green sweater with red trim around the numbers and nameplate, a gorgeous nod to their pre-Stanley Cup seasons.
11. Florida Panthers (1996)
Courtesy of adidas
The Panthers' retro jersey celebrates the 1995-96 season, which was their only Stanley Cup Final appearance and [sighing deeply] the last time they won a playoff series. Florida has had other dark blue jerseys, but this one with the enlarged logo and updated colors is a contender for the best-looking sweater in the franchise's history.
12. Carolina Hurricanes (1979)
Courtesy of adidas
As is the case further down the list with the Senators and their throwback, some of the steam was let out of this reveal when the Hurricanes resurrected the Whalers jersey for select games since 2018. But it's still the Whale, and the Hurricanes note that gray is the only color shared by Carolina and their former team in Hartford. Hey, if a jersey has Pucky the Whale on the shoulder, it's going to one of the dozen best.
13. Buffalo Sabres (2000)
Courtesy of adidas
The Sabres seem to add and subtract jerseys from their closet every three seasons, and Adidas says the team had 50(!) concepts to choose from. "When it came down to some of the different options, ultimately the team made the call, but this is one we were very high on," Near said.
This is a tribute to the first alternate jersey in Sabres history, which they wore during their "Buffalo head" years. It was red back then and gets the blue and gold update here. It's a much better look, although we were never huge fans of the "BUFFALO" on the lower stripe. Like, aren't the crossed Sabres enough of a context clue?
14. Vegas Golden Knights (1995)
Courtesy of adidas
It's a bit hard for an NHL toddler to have a retro jersey, so the Knights dipped back into Las Vegas hockey history for theirs. Defunct minor league teams like the Wranglers wore red jerseys, you see. This being the Golden Knights, there's some razzle-dazzle here, with sparkly accents and a bold presentation of their alternate logo, of which we're always been fond.
15. Montreal Canadiens (1976)
Courtesy of adidas
With the acknowledgement that the Canadiens are the New York Yankees of hockey and their solid red jersey is as iconic as the pinstripes ... this first-time solid blue Montreal sweater is really sharp.
16. Tampa Bay Lightning (2004)
Courtesy of adidas
Before the Lightning adopted their current "what if a local power company started dressing like the Maple Leafs?" branding, they wore this overly descriptive crest but never on a solid blue sweater. (They had black jerseys, which was always a baffling choice for a Floridian franchise.) It's a sharp look.
17. Chicago Blackhawks (1955)
Courtesy of adidas
Another team that hasn't had many variations on its sweater since the 1950s. This one "is a take on the secondary white jersey to the barber pole-striped style worn from 1937 to 1955." We'd say this would have been a good Winter Classic jersey, except it already was a better jersey when they wore it at the Winter Classic.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets (2000)
Courtesy of adidas
The Jackets didn't figure out their branding until 2007, when their third jersey became their primary one. There's some sociological pleasure in seeing that original logo again, you can also see why they loaded it into their cannon and shot it into the sun. Also, you're the Blue Jackets, not the Red Jackets.
19. Boston Bruins (198
Courtesy of adidas
This is the reversal of the Bruins' white uniforms that the likes of Cam Neely and Ray Bourque wore when the team played for the Stanley Cup. It's a sharp-looking jersey, no doubt, but look no further than the shoulder patch to find out why it's ranked so lowly. That's where you'll find the "fan-favorite bear crest," which we all know should be the primary mark here. Major missed opportunity.
20. Calgary Flames (199
Courtesy of adidas
The Flames boasted that this "flaming horse head" jersey was the first in team history not to feature "the iconic 'Flaming C' as the front crest," which is a bit like "The Office" boasting that its latter seasons "were the first not to feature Steve Carell."
21. Dallas Stars (1999)
Courtesy of adidas
OK, this is going to be a divisive one. This is a reverse retro throwback to the Stanley Cup-winning 1998-99 season, which featured a giant green star stretching from the sleeves to the torso. This one features the outline of that star, but drains the color out of it in favor of an "icy all-white" version with silver lettering.
"We've seen some attractiveness and appeal to these highly white looks. You've seen some of them in outdoor games. Yep, they're polarizing. But we're attracted to it," Near said. "Dallas didn't do it with the intention of being conservative at all. They're trying to find a way to honor their Stanley Cup championship in 1999 as well. People have been looking for that design to come back in a big way."
Something to consider: The Stars released a new third jersey recently that was black with neon green coloring. Adidas approached this design knowing what else was in store for this season, and this was a sort of reaction to that. As a variation on the 1999 jersey, it's wholly inferior. On its own merits, this jersey is like nothing else in the collection and we respect the boldness. We just wish the logo weren't so washed out.
22. Nashville Predators (199
Courtesy of adidas
The Predators' inaugural jerseys were arguably the second-worst jersey they've worn, outside of that baby diarrhea third jersey. Swapping the gold for the blue is an improvement, but swapping the blue for that silver on the yoke would have vaulted this into the top 15.
23. Ottawa Senators (1992)
Courtesy of adidas
Some of the air was taken out of this reveal when the Senators announced they were returning to their classic black jerseys beginning next season. This is a red version of that jersey, and it pales in comparison. Especially when that inaugural season jersey evokes such all-time great names as Darren Rumble and Peter Sidorkiewicz.
24. Edmonton Oilers (1979)
Courtesy of adidas
This is the first time the Oilers have ever worn an orange yoke on a white jersey, and it looks fine. But we have to give demerits here because there's really only one "retro" Oilers jersey we're interested in exhuming: The Todd McFarlane-designed "Oil Drop" sweater. Everything else is just a retread.
25. Toronto Maple Leafs (Unclear)
Courtesy of adidas
This Leafs jersey "combines the distinct crest and the shoulder stripes that started to appear in the late '60s and early '70s." It's all very "Toronto is the centre of the hockey universe" to be asked for a specific season of inspiration and respond, "How about two decades?" The redeeming quality of this jersey is the gray replacing the traditional white, but the font on the logo -- although historically accurate -- reminds us of the SpongeBob meme.
26. Pittsburgh Penguins (1997)
Courtesy of adidas
No surprise that Mario Lemieux would sign off on a variation of the jersey he wore while winning his sixth and final scoring title. The black version of this jersey was made famous by Snoop Dogg, who wore it in his "Gin and Juice" video. Alas, the photo negative of an iconic jersey makes for an unmemorable entry into this series. Or at least unmemorable compared with the "Robo Penguin" design that would have been a much better nostalgic option.
27. New York Islanders (1980)
Courtesy of adidas
After hours of careful examination by a panel of industry experts, we can confirm that this is, in fact, an Islanders jersey that you probably feel like you've seen before. The big switcheroo here is swapping out the lighter blue of the Islanders dynasty jerseys -- aka "the memorable thing about them" -- for a more ordinary standard-issue navy blue.
28. Philadelphia Flyers (1995)
Courtesy of adidas
These Flyers jerseys were guilty of being too busy back in the day, and the "reverse retro" of their colors certainly hasn't helped clarify them. This should be easy: Orange, black, Flyers logo. Boom, done. Instead, it's a jersey with sleeves that have all the chaotic energy of Gritty but none of the charm.
29. Detroit Red Wings (199
Courtesy of adidas
"It looks like a practice jersey" is one of the harshest insults one can levy against a new sweater design, but ... this looks like a practice jersey. The gray stripes were "inspired by the silver from the Red Wings' NHL Centennial Classic jersey."
Near said the Red Wings were a difficult team to crack for a reverse retro jersey, as they're both a "two-color" Original Six team and one that hasn't had much variation to its looks over the years. "In reverse retro, there's only so much you can do with striping and marks that haven't changed that much," he said.
30. St. Louis Blues (1995)
Courtesy of adidas
Ugh. One of the worst jersey designs of the 1990s and the worst-looking jersey the Blues ever wore -- well, of the ones that were actually released. This retro jersey also adopts the nauseating "wavy" numbers on the back that line up with the diagonal striping. Flipping the primary color of these sweaters from blue to red just makes them all the worse. We'd like to "reverse retro" a steamroller over them.
31. Vancouver Canucks (2001)
Courtesy of adidas
This was inspired by the Canucks' third jersey of the 2000s: a gradient design where a red torso blended up into blue around the shoulders. This jersey actually fixes one of the primary problems with that original concept, in that the colors in the logo match the colors of the sweater. What it doesn't fix is the very concept of gradient NHL jerseys, which look like those 1990s fad Hypercolor shirts that changed color when you touched them. You wanted a hockey jersey, and Vancouver gives you a mood ring.
Adidas was at a loss here, unfortunately, because Vancouver recently celebrated its 50th anniversary as a franchise and had limited runs of other classic -- and much more appealing -- sweaters. "We have to keep in mind that all teams are looking at a multiyear strategy on what they're showing fans and when. I applaud the Canucks for doing something that wasn't one of the more obvious choices," Near said. We do not share in the ovation.
7:00 AM PT
Nostalgia might be the National Hockey League's most reliable export. In a recent NHL survey that asked fans to rank the 25 best team jerseys, around 90% of them were throwback jerseys.
As Adidas hockey considered its next NHL jersey collection, it felt it needed more than just nostalgia as a selling point. Since so many retro jerseys had already been brought out of mothballs by teams for retail sales and special events, Adidas wanted to go in another direction. Hence, the "reverse retro" line was born.
"It's an old meets new. It's an authenticity meets street. We're not designing new patterns. It's a remix, essentially, of the brands that represented that team or that city," Dan Near, senior director at Adidas hockey, told ESPN last week. "It's been an interesting journey. Pitching these ideas, getting the team alignment and eventually bringing them to the ice ... it feels like hockey is doing something big here, which is cool to be a part of."
The process in creating the jerseys was a bit different than usual. When teams want to add a jersey to their kit, they create a proposal and give it to the NHL's official partner for gear, and the development process begins. This was a leaguewide initiative initiated by Adidas, whose team presented its concepts to a full meeting of the NHL board of governors, and then to the individual teams.
"It wasn't quite 'pick one of these three that we're showing you today,' but it was closer to that in our typical process with the NHL," said Near. "I would be stretching the truth if I said we had everyone in unanimously from day one. It doesn't really work that way."
While the jerseys list specific years as inspirations for their looks, the reality is that Adidas just used them as a guide marker for some teams in blending together different eras. The Los Angeles Kings jersey, for example, is sourced to 1989 but features the crest of the Wayne Gretzky era jerseys mixed with the purple and gold of the "Triple Crown Line" era jerseys.
One big difference between the "reverse retro" jerseys and the third-jersey program: These jerseys are going to be worn a limited number of times during the 2020-21 season only, and are "while supplies last" as far as retail sales. The Adidas reverse retro jerseys will be available Dec. 1 for $180-$225 in the U.S. and $200-$250 in Canada on Adidas and NHL online retail sites, and then at additional retailers starting Dec. 6.
Some of these jerseys are instant classics. Others will fade into memory. Here's a ranking of all 31 NHL reverse retro jerseys from Adidas:
The best of the reverse retro collection, and it's not really particularly close. The Avalanche have tried to remain connected to their Quebecois roots since relocating to Denver in 1995, but this is the most overt use of Nordiques iconography in franchise history. Quebec's igloo logo and fleur-de-lis trim are remixed with Colorado maroon and blue.
"The team was pretty receptive to this concept up front. It wasn't the only idea. But it might have been the only one we showed them," said Near, with a laugh, "because we wanted it so bad."
Adidas spoke with the Canadiens regarding how this jersey might be received in Quebec. "We do have some market information, as far as demand and enthusiasm. There are definitely people out there who believe that the Colorado jersey will be very popular north of the border. I don't know if I can source that to the province of Quebec. Intuitively I would, but I don't have the data to prove that," Near said.
Some might see this as blasphemy. We see it as a clean, striking tribute to a franchise's past -- and the most successful blending of old and new among these 31 jerseys.
2. New York Rangers (1996)
Courtesy of adidas
Twenty-four years after her first appearance, the Lady Liberty logo is back on a Rangers jersey. The best-looking crest in franchise history was phased out around 2007 but makes its return just as the Rangers are rebuilding their empire.
"If you're going to reintroduce something that iconic, you have to choose the right time and with the right story. The Rangers haven't been quick to add a third jersey. They've really stayed true to their brand consistency. We do believe this is the right time to bring it back," Near said.
It's hard to argue against the standard look of an Original Six team, but the dark blue, sharp spires and regality of the Lady Liberty logo are everything the Rangers want to exude.
3. Arizona Coyotes (1999)
Courtesy of adidas
Going "retro" doesn't always just mean celebrating an era's greatest hits but also can include reassessing some of its more specious artifacts. This Coyotes' third jersey was not beloved in its day. Magnifying the head of the "kachina jersey" logo seemingly robbed it of some of its charm. Accentuating green as a primary color was jarring, as the brick red was more associated with the team. As the blog Five For Howling wrote: "The subtle southwest style at the bottom has been replaced by a painfully obvious desert landscape complete with cacti."
2020 NHL offseason: What to know
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• Draft: Pick analysis » | Grades »
• Offseason grades for all 31 NHL teams »
But yesterday's "painfully obvious" is today's "so very '90s." The remixed version dumps the green and uses purple from the team's crescent moon alternate logo as the primary color.
"It's one of my favorites. I think you've got an organization there that sees an opportunity to appeal to fans in that market. To broaden their reach. To do something that's disruptive and original," Near said. "They're one of the clubs that [said] 'we want to be one of the top three.' They imagined someone like ESPN doing a ranking of reverse retro jerseys and wanting to be in the top three, and asked us to show them what it would take to get there."
Good advice, as the Coyotes take the bronze in our ranking.
4. Los Angeles Kings (1989)
Courtesy of adidas
As recipes go, this is on the "throw a bunch of delicious things in the slow cooker and simmer" level of simplistic bliss. There is no going wrong when you take the glorious purple and gold of the original Kings uniforms and slather the Wayne Gretzky era logo in them for a jersey that reeks of L.A. sports royalty.
5. Washington Capitals (199
Courtesy of adidas
The Capitals wore the light blue version of this jersey for about five seasons, and it's best remembered as the sweater of Peter Bondra, Olaf Kolzig and getting swept by the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final. Adidas slammed the upgrade button here: What was once a pedestrian look swaps out the gold of the original jersey and saturates it in red, which was the color most associated with the Capitals but was absent in the original design. The Alex Ovechkin era Capitals are the "Rock The Red" team, and this sweater joins the revolution.
6. Winnipeg Jets (1979)
Courtesy of adidas
Winnipeg's reverse retro jersey honors the 1979 Jets, which means it honors the Arizona Coyotes, we guess. Anyway, the combination of the classic logo with a remixed version of the team's current colorway -- with "fighter gray" at the forefront -- is an outstanding combination of new and old, aka everything this jersey program is striving to create.
7. Anaheim Ducks (1995)
Courtesy of adidas
Kids, it's time to have the Wild Wing talk.
Back in the 1990s, the NHL released a series of third jerseys that, for lack of a better phrase, went for it. The L.A. Kings had a ghostly bearded monarch that fans now call the "Burger King" jersey. The Lightning had one with rain and crackling lightning bolts on the sleeves. And the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim had the Wild Wing jersey, as their mascot leapt forth from the ice around the torso.
I did not like this jersey. It was awkward and unbalanced from a design perspective, and the entire cartoonish nature of it made it feel like the result of an art contest won by a second-grader.
Many, many others do like this jersey, including members of the ESPN hockey staff that I polled for feedback on the ranking; and also including Near, who defended the choice in perhaps the only contentious moment of our conversation.
"My own anecdotal research is that I've been to a lot of games in Anaheim, and some of the coolest people that I've seen at games have gone out of their way to seek out that jersey. Even though in traditional hockey circles that might have been some who might not have believed that was an amazing jersey, I don't necessarily position it that way. It's one that is super appealing outside the arena. It's iconic in '90s culture," he said.
At the risk of having my feathers plucked by irate Ducks fans and losing my cred with '90s kids, I begrudgingly acknowledge the inherent nostalgic kick of seeing these jerseys back in circulation. The people wanted Wild Wing, and Wild Wing is what they've given you.
8. San Jose Sharks (199
Courtesy of adidas
The Sharks have been so distinctly associated with teal and black sweaters that gray is almost a forgotten part of their colorway, from back in their first decade of hockey. This variation of their 1997-98 third jersey is a welcome departure from their usual look and makes their iconic logo pop.
9. Minnesota Wild (197
Courtesy of adidas
The Wild get their Minnesota North Stars on, as many predicted. "Obvious, yes, but not the only option we could have gone with. With all the speculation happening, I just thought everybody was going to settle on what we did. But it had a bunch of different looks and options," Near said.
Your mileage on this sweater will greatly depend on your appreciation of the Minnesota logo that some have termed "The Man Bear Pig." Frankly, we think it looks sharp in the green and yellow, which accentuates some of the logo's details. That mouth was a body of water all this time?!
10. New Jersey Devils (1982)
Courtesy of adidas
Devils fans have been clamoring for an all-black version of the team's jersey, which has had only two iterations in nearly four decades: Red and green, and then red and black, with red as the primary color for both solid sweaters. Alas, they'll have to settle for a striking green sweater with red trim around the numbers and nameplate, a gorgeous nod to their pre-Stanley Cup seasons.
11. Florida Panthers (1996)
Courtesy of adidas
The Panthers' retro jersey celebrates the 1995-96 season, which was their only Stanley Cup Final appearance and [sighing deeply] the last time they won a playoff series. Florida has had other dark blue jerseys, but this one with the enlarged logo and updated colors is a contender for the best-looking sweater in the franchise's history.
12. Carolina Hurricanes (1979)
Courtesy of adidas
As is the case further down the list with the Senators and their throwback, some of the steam was let out of this reveal when the Hurricanes resurrected the Whalers jersey for select games since 2018. But it's still the Whale, and the Hurricanes note that gray is the only color shared by Carolina and their former team in Hartford. Hey, if a jersey has Pucky the Whale on the shoulder, it's going to one of the dozen best.
13. Buffalo Sabres (2000)
Courtesy of adidas
The Sabres seem to add and subtract jerseys from their closet every three seasons, and Adidas says the team had 50(!) concepts to choose from. "When it came down to some of the different options, ultimately the team made the call, but this is one we were very high on," Near said.
This is a tribute to the first alternate jersey in Sabres history, which they wore during their "Buffalo head" years. It was red back then and gets the blue and gold update here. It's a much better look, although we were never huge fans of the "BUFFALO" on the lower stripe. Like, aren't the crossed Sabres enough of a context clue?
14. Vegas Golden Knights (1995)
Courtesy of adidas
It's a bit hard for an NHL toddler to have a retro jersey, so the Knights dipped back into Las Vegas hockey history for theirs. Defunct minor league teams like the Wranglers wore red jerseys, you see. This being the Golden Knights, there's some razzle-dazzle here, with sparkly accents and a bold presentation of their alternate logo, of which we're always been fond.
15. Montreal Canadiens (1976)
Courtesy of adidas
With the acknowledgement that the Canadiens are the New York Yankees of hockey and their solid red jersey is as iconic as the pinstripes ... this first-time solid blue Montreal sweater is really sharp.
16. Tampa Bay Lightning (2004)
Courtesy of adidas
Before the Lightning adopted their current "what if a local power company started dressing like the Maple Leafs?" branding, they wore this overly descriptive crest but never on a solid blue sweater. (They had black jerseys, which was always a baffling choice for a Floridian franchise.) It's a sharp look.
17. Chicago Blackhawks (1955)
Courtesy of adidas
Another team that hasn't had many variations on its sweater since the 1950s. This one "is a take on the secondary white jersey to the barber pole-striped style worn from 1937 to 1955." We'd say this would have been a good Winter Classic jersey, except it already was a better jersey when they wore it at the Winter Classic.
18. Columbus Blue Jackets (2000)
Courtesy of adidas
The Jackets didn't figure out their branding until 2007, when their third jersey became their primary one. There's some sociological pleasure in seeing that original logo again, you can also see why they loaded it into their cannon and shot it into the sun. Also, you're the Blue Jackets, not the Red Jackets.
19. Boston Bruins (198
Courtesy of adidas
This is the reversal of the Bruins' white uniforms that the likes of Cam Neely and Ray Bourque wore when the team played for the Stanley Cup. It's a sharp-looking jersey, no doubt, but look no further than the shoulder patch to find out why it's ranked so lowly. That's where you'll find the "fan-favorite bear crest," which we all know should be the primary mark here. Major missed opportunity.
20. Calgary Flames (199
Courtesy of adidas
The Flames boasted that this "flaming horse head" jersey was the first in team history not to feature "the iconic 'Flaming C' as the front crest," which is a bit like "The Office" boasting that its latter seasons "were the first not to feature Steve Carell."
21. Dallas Stars (1999)
Courtesy of adidas
OK, this is going to be a divisive one. This is a reverse retro throwback to the Stanley Cup-winning 1998-99 season, which featured a giant green star stretching from the sleeves to the torso. This one features the outline of that star, but drains the color out of it in favor of an "icy all-white" version with silver lettering.
"We've seen some attractiveness and appeal to these highly white looks. You've seen some of them in outdoor games. Yep, they're polarizing. But we're attracted to it," Near said. "Dallas didn't do it with the intention of being conservative at all. They're trying to find a way to honor their Stanley Cup championship in 1999 as well. People have been looking for that design to come back in a big way."
Something to consider: The Stars released a new third jersey recently that was black with neon green coloring. Adidas approached this design knowing what else was in store for this season, and this was a sort of reaction to that. As a variation on the 1999 jersey, it's wholly inferior. On its own merits, this jersey is like nothing else in the collection and we respect the boldness. We just wish the logo weren't so washed out.
22. Nashville Predators (199
Courtesy of adidas
The Predators' inaugural jerseys were arguably the second-worst jersey they've worn, outside of that baby diarrhea third jersey. Swapping the gold for the blue is an improvement, but swapping the blue for that silver on the yoke would have vaulted this into the top 15.
23. Ottawa Senators (1992)
Courtesy of adidas
Some of the air was taken out of this reveal when the Senators announced they were returning to their classic black jerseys beginning next season. This is a red version of that jersey, and it pales in comparison. Especially when that inaugural season jersey evokes such all-time great names as Darren Rumble and Peter Sidorkiewicz.
24. Edmonton Oilers (1979)
Courtesy of adidas
This is the first time the Oilers have ever worn an orange yoke on a white jersey, and it looks fine. But we have to give demerits here because there's really only one "retro" Oilers jersey we're interested in exhuming: The Todd McFarlane-designed "Oil Drop" sweater. Everything else is just a retread.
25. Toronto Maple Leafs (Unclear)
Courtesy of adidas
This Leafs jersey "combines the distinct crest and the shoulder stripes that started to appear in the late '60s and early '70s." It's all very "Toronto is the centre of the hockey universe" to be asked for a specific season of inspiration and respond, "How about two decades?" The redeeming quality of this jersey is the gray replacing the traditional white, but the font on the logo -- although historically accurate -- reminds us of the SpongeBob meme.
26. Pittsburgh Penguins (1997)
Courtesy of adidas
No surprise that Mario Lemieux would sign off on a variation of the jersey he wore while winning his sixth and final scoring title. The black version of this jersey was made famous by Snoop Dogg, who wore it in his "Gin and Juice" video. Alas, the photo negative of an iconic jersey makes for an unmemorable entry into this series. Or at least unmemorable compared with the "Robo Penguin" design that would have been a much better nostalgic option.
27. New York Islanders (1980)
Courtesy of adidas
After hours of careful examination by a panel of industry experts, we can confirm that this is, in fact, an Islanders jersey that you probably feel like you've seen before. The big switcheroo here is swapping out the lighter blue of the Islanders dynasty jerseys -- aka "the memorable thing about them" -- for a more ordinary standard-issue navy blue.
28. Philadelphia Flyers (1995)
Courtesy of adidas
These Flyers jerseys were guilty of being too busy back in the day, and the "reverse retro" of their colors certainly hasn't helped clarify them. This should be easy: Orange, black, Flyers logo. Boom, done. Instead, it's a jersey with sleeves that have all the chaotic energy of Gritty but none of the charm.
29. Detroit Red Wings (199
Courtesy of adidas
"It looks like a practice jersey" is one of the harshest insults one can levy against a new sweater design, but ... this looks like a practice jersey. The gray stripes were "inspired by the silver from the Red Wings' NHL Centennial Classic jersey."
Near said the Red Wings were a difficult team to crack for a reverse retro jersey, as they're both a "two-color" Original Six team and one that hasn't had much variation to its looks over the years. "In reverse retro, there's only so much you can do with striping and marks that haven't changed that much," he said.
30. St. Louis Blues (1995)
Courtesy of adidas
Ugh. One of the worst jersey designs of the 1990s and the worst-looking jersey the Blues ever wore -- well, of the ones that were actually released. This retro jersey also adopts the nauseating "wavy" numbers on the back that line up with the diagonal striping. Flipping the primary color of these sweaters from blue to red just makes them all the worse. We'd like to "reverse retro" a steamroller over them.
31. Vancouver Canucks (2001)
Courtesy of adidas
This was inspired by the Canucks' third jersey of the 2000s: a gradient design where a red torso blended up into blue around the shoulders. This jersey actually fixes one of the primary problems with that original concept, in that the colors in the logo match the colors of the sweater. What it doesn't fix is the very concept of gradient NHL jerseys, which look like those 1990s fad Hypercolor shirts that changed color when you touched them. You wanted a hockey jersey, and Vancouver gives you a mood ring.
Adidas was at a loss here, unfortunately, because Vancouver recently celebrated its 50th anniversary as a franchise and had limited runs of other classic -- and much more appealing -- sweaters. "We have to keep in mind that all teams are looking at a multiyear strategy on what they're showing fans and when. I applaud the Canucks for doing something that wasn't one of the more obvious choices," Near said. We do not share in the ovation.
NHL, adidas go 'Reverse Retro' with latest jersey designs
Teams will wear the jerseys multiple times next season.
nhl.nbcsports.com
edit: still waiting on that Kings "burger king" retro...
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,232
- 53,414
the NHL twitter account retweets all of em so also a good place to see them all
- Feb 23, 2010
- 23,400
- 26,481
seeing a Habs jersey with blue/not home red or away white as the primary color is kinda jarring lol
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,232
- 53,414
the wings jersey really does look like a practice jersey 
- Dec 5, 2008
- 6,463
- 1,844
I like these
cubanref
Supporter
- Aug 9, 2004
- 5,229
- 6,106
Here is the rest of the collection
- Nov 13, 2017
- 3,321
- 7,312
Devils jersey is a need
- Jun 17, 2006
- 7,309
- 1,984
Need a blank of that Ducks jersey
- May 31, 2013
- 1,075
- 1,638
Reverse jerseys went live on adc, selling quickly
also on nhlshop
also on nhlshop
Last edited:
- Jan 7, 2004
- 28,043
- 10,466
DeadsetAce
, think we can get enough (8-10) to run fantasy this year?
DeadsetAce
Supporter
- May 31, 2004
- 107,232
- 53,414
i think we can...thread has had some new posters the last year or so
hopefully the season can get going soon. i need my damn fix
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