NHL Uniforms Ranked

As I've grown to like sports more, I've found hockey to be underrated.  It's energetic and fun.  I'm even forming opinions about it outside casual team preferences and uniforms (such as wondering how the hell anyone could watch the Predators' season and come to the conclusion that Rinne was the problem).  Also unlike my football uniform list (which needs some updating), I'm not giving credit for alternative uniforms.  If you have a good uniform, then use it.

31. New York Islanders

I admit I'm a bit biased with color choices, and I do not think blue and orange go particularly well together.  I don't care what you're color wheel says.  I call shenanigans on the whole idea of Complementary Colors.  Even worse, they scrapped a more distinctive uniform with a better logo.

30. Edmonton Oilers

Pretty much same thing as the Islanders except they have a better logo.  The older uniforms are better.

29. Chicago Blackhawks

This gets credit for being one of the earlier red-and-black unis but it doesn't balance the two colors enough to distinguish itself and the logo is basically a crappy version of the Redskins' its earlier logos.

28. Anaheim Ducks

It's understandable that the Ducks would want to distance itself from its movie/cartoon-tie-in past, but I miss the old color palate.  "Mighty Ducks" was also a rather awkward name, but then again that's what happens when you name a team after a cute, benign animal.

27. Arizona Coyotes

In all fairness what would you do when you have a good uniform with a distinctive color scheme, a great logo and local flavor?  Why you relegate that to an alternate and replace it with the most generic thing ever, of course.  That's just common sense.  We're not a nation of madmen, are we?

 26. Carolina Hurricanes

Red-and Black is usually a very good color combination, but it's oddly overused in the NHL.  

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

Generic Blue single color with generic logo.

 24. New York Rangers

It's not without its retro 70's charm, but it's a bit uninspired, and there are many red, white, and blues in this league.

23. Vancouver Canucks

The green-blue scheme is pretty standard.  I like orcas, but I don't particularly care for the logo.

22. Pittsburgh Penguins 

This uniform doesn't do anything the Bruins' uniform doesn't do better.  They should make their alternate standard to at least give it a different color dominance.  Or go back to the old unis.  They should also go back to their old logo, which looks like it was designed by a professional on the subject, rather than a child.  There's a proud tradition of reverting to the "classic" logo even though it sucks and is clearly inferior (see also: Detroit Pistons).

21. Ottawa Senators

Another red-and-black uniform.  NHL is definitely going through an edgelord phase.  I like the logo, though.

20. Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Chris-Chans.  Ok, seriously, it's an ok retro design.

19. Minnesota Wild

Not the prettiest uniforms, but they get points for boldness. 

18. Washington Capitals

There a few red-white-and-blue uniforms in this league.  The colors are used effectively but the logo is one of those boring, uninspired "sportsball logos;" It's a hockey stick.  And the older/alternate logos are so much better!

17. Toronto Maple Leafs

It's simple, but effective.  And they had it longer than Tampa Bay.

16. Dallas Stars

If its effective green uniforms weren't filling a void, I would downrank this for scrapping a blatantly superior uniform.  

15. Calgary Flames

Effective use of yellow trim makes this one of the better red-and-black uniforms here.

14. Columbus Blue Jackets

You'd think Washington would have the more effectively patriotic uniform, but Ohio goes all out with its stars-and-stripes.

13. Detroit Redwings

I usually hate plain red uniforms, but this is surprisingly rare in the NHL, and the logo is excellent.

12. Florida Panthers

The white stripe punctuated by the effective seal gives this a great look, much like the state flag.

11. St Louis Blues

A surprisingly effective use of colors.

10. Philadelphia Flyers

Effective color scheme with a classic logo.

9. New Jersey Devils

First team to effectively use the red-and-black scheme, and the logo is good.

8. Nashville Predators

If they were still using their first uniforms, they'd be ranked rock-bottom on this list.  The weak light gray, blue, and white neutered the uniform, and the yellow trim only complicated it further.  I remember looking at them forcing myself to like them to no avail as a kid.  Fortunately they switched to the always-effective navy-and-yellow scheme.  Yellow dominance balanced with blue gives it an effective two-tone look that distinguishes them from...

7. Buffalo Sabres

But dark blue with yellow trim also looks good, and nicely marshal.  The logo is cool as well.  Buffalo has a tradition of naming their teams something else and then just putting a buffalo on the logo.  Next time they get a team they should just call it the Buffalo Buffaloes.

6. Colorado Avalanche

The color scheme is unique and attractive.

5. Winnepeg Jets

I've always loved navy-and-light blue, and I also love the cel-shaded RCAF symbol with an F-18 on it.

4. LA Kings

You can't go wrong with black if you're the only team in the league doing it.

3. Las Vegas Golden Knights

Dark neutral colors with bright highlights and the best logo in the league.  Golden Knights seem to be a point of pride among the locals.  It's easy to forget that Vegas is a city that people live in, so they're happy it can be known for something other than a gambling destination.  I can relate, as I'm not the biggest fan of country music.  That's still the reason why fans from other Southern teams get off on calling us hicks; heaven only knows what kind of trash-talk Vegas fans endure.

2. Boston Bruins

The effective contrast of black and yellow and the nicely symmetrical logo.

 1. San Jose Sharks

I love teal and black and I love sharks.  Simple as that.