The NHL released its latest edition of fancy new jerseys for all 31 teams—the reverse retro jerseys.
The reverse retro jerseys are supposed to be a quirky “remixed” version, in the league’s words, of recognizable designs by teams.
What makes a good jersey? It’s the intersection of flawless design, differentiation from the normal uniform, and any callback to former jerseys from the team’s past. In the case of the reverse retro jerseys, that last point will be very important since it carries the weight of throwbacks. However, some teams don’t have the same iconic classic designs as others, so they lose points.
Let’s go in order from worst the best jersey (well, the best before the Seattle Kraken arrive).
31. Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens’ entry is nearly identical to their current threads with just the blue and red colorway reversed. It’s not bad, but there’s nothing uniquely Montreal or a way to stand out.
30. New York Islanders
The New York Islanders claim this reverse retro jersey to pay homage to the four straight Stanley Cup “dynasty” years, but there is nothing remarkable or much different than their normal home threads. The only difference is the darker navy color on the chest and the orange and white on the sleeves and trim flipped.
29. Pittsburgh Penguins
This Penguins throwback is a nice callback to older jerseys, but there is nothing exciting going on. The “Pittsburgh” diagonal on the front is cool, but otherwise it’s a rather regular white jersey.
28. Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago celebrates its 80-year-old jersey by flipping the jersey colors to mostly black. It’s not a bad design, but it’s definitely lacking something.
27. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers introduce their reverse retro and…it’s almost indistinguishable from its current home uniform—except the white and black are reversed. If it wasn’t already a nice logo, this could be in last place.
26. Dallas Stars
Admittedly one of the better white jerseys, the Dallas Stars’ reverse retro installment is not much different from their normal logo plus a starry-trimmed outline.
25. Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins try to go throwback, but because their logo is already iconic, it’s not much of an elevated alternative jersey.
24. Nashville Predators
Nashville’s try isn’t much different than their away jersey with the white and yellow flipped…or remixed. Otherwise, it’s just fine with a nice logo but hardly differentiated than normal.
23. Ottawa Senators
The Senators have a pretty cool idea with the all red jersey featuring black stripes. The logo is the same as the current one, so it loses points for lack of creativity there.
22. Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild’s reverse retro jersey looks very similar to their currently away fit, but if you look closer they removed the red found in the logo and on the arms and replaced it with a cool yellow-gold.
21. Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings obviously have an iconic logo. They pair that with one of the better nearly all-white jerseys to pull off this entry.
20. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto’s throwback is a nice sight, plus the Maple Leafs’ rich blue color definitely stands out. This one is pretty good.
19. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers’ jersey is not much different at all from its away jersey, but they have one of the best logos in the NHL, so the lack of originality gets somewhat of a pass.
18. Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers use their throwback logo with reversed color scheme for a quality entry.
17. New Jersey Devils
One of the bolder installments of the reverse retro series in the New Jersey Devils’ decision to go with the hunter green flipped jersey. It’s a gamble, but it pays off.
16. Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas goes wordless with this alternative version of the newest franchise’s jersey. It’s one of the first times we’ve seen the Golden Knights without the helmet logo.
15. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets pay tribute to the original Winnipeg franchise (which later relocated to Phoenix, Arizona) with a pretty cool dark gray design with the throwback logo in blue and navy.
14. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings bring some color into their black, white, and gray world with what looks like something that belongs in the Staples Center with their co-tenant Los Angeles Lakers: purple and gold. It’s definitely working here, combining the “crown” era of colorful jersey with another era’s “Kings” logo.
13. Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres do not usually have the top tier of jerseys in the NHL, but their reverse retro design is pretty slick. It’s mostly white with an alternative crossed sabres logo and should look great on the ice.
12. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes throw it back to the old school Whalers days before relocating to Raleigh. The Hartford Whalers’ logo is one of the most widely appreciated logos in hockey and sports, so it’s great to see Carolina pay homage.
11. St. Louis Blues
A bright and colorful alternative to the Blues’ jerseys is this reverse retro entry featuring “St. Louis” written on the musical note and a bright red color draped over two-thirds of the sweater. It’s a great complement of colors and the Blues’ normal fantastic logo.
10. New York Rangers
The Statue of Liberty is back. The Rangers re-introduce this beloved sweater with the face of Liberty and their dark navy blue alternative color. It works wonders.
9. San Jose Sharks
The Sharks don’t have one of the more out-there reverse retro jerseys, but the combination of their logo with the gray, black, white, and teal looks perfect the way it is. Why mess it up too much?
8. Vancouver Canucks
This is one of the more brilliant designs by the NHL. The Canucks have a blue-green gradient on the front and arms with the regular home logo. It’s one of the most stunning designs from a purely colorful aspect.
7. Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche bring back the iconic throwback logo of the Quebec Nordiques (who relocated to Colorado 25 years ago). They also have fleur de lis on the bottom of the sweater. But that perfect old-school logo with the hockey stick is a warm welcome back to the NHL.
6. Washington Capitals
The Capitals bring back the old school “screaming eagle” design with the bright and bold new color scheme of the 21st century. With “Capitals” written on the bottom third of the jersey slightly diagonal, this one is a real winner.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus’ vintage logo looks great in this red sweater with a hint of green on the hockey stick. It really gets better and better looking at all of the details the more you look at it, including the stars on the arms’ sleeve and “CB” logo, making it a perfect addition to the NHL.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning
The reigning champs add their team city and name to the perfect lightning logo along with a slightly different shade of blue to bring this all together. The Lightning will try to repeat as Stanley Cup champs in this great alternative sweater.
3. Calgary Flames
The Flames throw it back to the “Year of the Horse” with the alternate third jersey from 22 years ago for this instant classic design. The deep black with menacing horse logo will turn into a very recognizable design for years to come. Flames coming out of its nostrils gives off a threatening look.
2. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks pay homage to one of the most iconic logos ever with crossover “Mighty Ducks” appeal. Between the colors and activity going on, Anaheim’s jersey is a real winner from the reverse retro series. This will go on to be a big buy for collectors this season and will probably be revered for years to come.
1. Arizona Coyotes
But the best design for the NHL’s reverse retro jerseys is the Arizona Coyotes’ sweater. What a remarkable piece of sports memorabilia. Between the awesome coyote on the chest to the cactus and desert landscape on the bottom of the jersey, plus the perfect purple and orange colors, the Coyotes really won this year’s jersey contest.
Be sure to check back on some of these when they are fully in stock of different sizes and for adults, women, and youth sizes.