There has been a fair share of iconic jerseys worn by the seven Canadian NHL teams throughout history — and a lot of duds.
For Canada’s seven NHL teams, jersey designs have largely been a success. Almost all the teams are currently rocking pretty iconic looks and most will find themselves in the top echelon of jersey rankings across the league.
It’s fitting that teams based in Canada, the home of hockey, have some of the best jerseys in the sport, but that doesn’t mean that they are completely immune to missing the mark. As much as each team has had its fair share of hits, they have also each had some pretty big jersey fouls.
With that said, here is a definitive ranking of each Canadian NHL team’s most hideous jersey, from best to worst:
1. Winnipeg Jets 2021 reverse retro
Terrence Lee/USA TODAY Sports
In total, the Winnipeg Jets have worn seven different designs since relocating from Atlanta in 2011. Most of those jerseys have been fairly solid, with their heritage set being some of the nicest in the league.
This reverse retro design from 2021 isn’t egregiously bad in any way either, it just missed the mark. The bones of a good Jets jersey are here, it’s just being stifled by a confusing choice to make a drab grey the main colour.
2. Edmonton Oilers Reebok Edge away
Those who read the Daily Hive’s definitive ranking of every Edmonton Oilers jersey earlier in the summer will know that this one does not have a lot of fans.
It’s an Oilers jersey that took all the fun and colour out of the ’80s era and even the copper and blue designs of the late 1990s and early 2000s and reduced it to a milk toast design reminiscent of a set of kid’s pyjamas.
The design doesn’t look AWFUL on the ice, it just lacks the type of inspiration and creativity you would like to see on a hockey jersey.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 reverse retro
What exactly happened with this Toronto Maple Leafs jersey?
Looking at the jersey in action, you can tell the designers were onto something solid. The striping and usage of a retro primary crest alongside the blue maple leaves on the shoulders as well as the primary blue colour are all excellent… and then they decided to accent it with a washed-out grey?
The grey accent along the shoulders, arms, and waist ruins what would have been a great Maple Leafs jersey. All they had to do was replace that with white.
4. Ottawa Senators “Sens” jersey
The Ottawa Senators flew a little too close to the sun when designing a third jersey in the late 2000s, opting to create a logo based on their nickname with the fan base, which was, and remains to this day, “the Sens.”
The result was an out-of-place and clunky logo that didn’t look good in action. Even the jersey design was a miss as the arms are far too busy and it suffers from the dreaded torso stripe that plagued the Reebok Edge era.
Just stick with actual logos, only a few select teams in pro sports can pull off text-only on a jersey.
5. Vancouver Canucks 1995-1997 red alternate
nhluniforms.com
A lot of Canucks fans are probably screaming that the “Flying V” sweaters of the olden days are worse, but at least those had some pizazz and an in-your-face attitude. In all honesty, it kinda worked for the era they wore them in.
This alternate jersey from the mid-’90s is just plain ugly. The gradient being on one sleeve while the other is blank makes it feel unbalanced and the one on the chest and back just makes it look like it was printed out on a printer running out of ink.
They had a better attempt in the early 2000s, one in which they brought back during the 2021 reverse retro campaign but this one should remain in the past.
6. Calgary Flames 2011 Heritage Classic
The Calgary Flames tried to channel a retro-vibe during the 2011 NHL Heritage Classic, but what they ended up doing was making every fan in attendance crave a Big Mac.
It’s understandable what the Flames’ design crew was trying to go for here, but when you put yellow striping on top of a red jersey, you’re inviting fans to draw the Ronald McDonald comparison.
Calgary did better with its 2023 NHL Heritage Classic design, which shows that they’ve learnt their lesson.
7. Montreal Canadiens centennial “barber pole”
Hockey Jerseys Of All Time. Goes To Montreal Canadiens for their barber Pole Jerseys.💕 #TheAwardForTheWorst__GoesTo__ pic.twitter.com/zkiXwgVI8b
— Justinnnnnn☕️🤗 (@fivefortweeting) April 1, 2022
If a jersey design hurts the eyes of all who look at it, best to keep its lifespan short and sweet.
The Montreal Canadiens only wore this monstrosity of a jersey for a single game to celebrate their centennial season in 2009-10, but even that may have been one game too many.
Like other jerseys on this list, it makes sense WHY they did it. Many would just prefer that they don’t do it ever again.