From the original six to the expansion era, the NHL has seen plenty of cool jersey designs come their way over the years.
Some teams like the Detroit Red Wings have kept a simplified two-tone design for decades while others like the San Jose Sharks have pushed the envelope with flashy colours through multiple rebrands.
And speaking of rebrands, some franchises are overdue for makeovers in the design department.
Here are a handful of NHL teams whose jerseys and logos just don’t cut it anymore.
Washington Capitals
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After rocking black and blue for over a decade, the Washington Capitals made the switch back to red home threads in 2007. And they haven’t really changed anything since.
While there’s nothing wrong with their updated colour palette, the accent line on the upper area and the blue blocks on the sides don’t make for a very appealing design.
Meanwhile, the reworked “Capitals” logo, an ode to their original 1970s crest, is among the most boring in the NHL — especially considering how many cool eagles and white house emblems they’ve featured over the years.
If we had to make the call, we’d tell the Caps to simply go back to their design from the early 2000s or compromise with something like their Reverse Retro threads from 2020.
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Anaheim Ducks
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There is very little to like about the Anaheim Ducks ‘ current uniform.
Whether it’s the beige webbed foot logo or the busy patterns on their jerseys, the whole thing is a bit of an eyesore. While their eggplant and green colour combo from the 90s had its critics, it at least made a statement.
Luckily, a rebrand could be on the horizon in Anaheim.
Chris Smith of Icethetics recently revealed in his latest “JerseyWatch” video that the Ducks will be premiering a new design ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Fingers crossed.
St. Louis Blues
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The St. Louis Blues’ current jerseys are not abysmal. But one simple fix would help bump them up a tier in our book.
Featuring multiple shades of blue, St. Louis’ colour palette looks a little bit busy at the moment.
However, their powder blue alternate jersey, modelled after their original threads from 1967, provides a beautiful sense of symmetry with a classic feel.
While they won their first Stanley Cup in their current uniform in 2019, many NHL fans would rejoice if the Blues returned to their originals, doing what the Calgary Flames did a few seasons back.
Tampa Bay Lightning
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The Tampa Bay Lightning debuted their stripped-down blue and white design in 2011, removing black and silver from their colour palette in the process.
While nothing looks out of place, their current jerseys lack character. Tampa’s dull, monochromatic logo doesn’t help either.
Surely one of nature’s coolest phenomenons should be worthy of more than three jagged lines in a circle…
This is one team that shouldn’t be afraid to try something new and push the envelope with a bold design.
They also have the option of reintroducing their original design, equipped with a glittery crest.
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At the very least, they can bring back some text to their main logo — a feature seen on their alternate jersey’s crest — to liven things up a bit.