The NHL’s Ugly Sweater Christmas Party

A few weeks ago, I put together a list of my 10 favorite NHL sweaters. Those are the best of the best but what about the worst of the worst? It’s time for the NHL’s Ugly Sweater Party. It is after all the first of December.

(Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
(Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

New York Islanders’ Alternates

While I really like the Flyers’ orange jerseys, most sweaters with a different color name plate than the main background color just don’t do it for me. The current Islanders third jersey has a weird font for the numbers and just an awkward looking name plate contrast. The Flyers have black writing on a white name plate with an orange background allowing a crisp contrast. However the Islanders blue letters get lost on a white name plate with a blue background, not a good contrast.

Minnesota Wild’s Whites

(Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)
(Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)

 

Some out there gave me grief for putting the Wild’s red jersey in my favorites list. While it is still the same basic group of colors, I can’t stand the Wild whites. The red numbers with green letters, it just looks way too much like Christmas for me. You want to talk about an ugly sweater party, just wear one of these.

 

San Jose Sharks’ Teal

A chance to see the Sharks play (Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports)
A chance to see the Sharks play (Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports)

Where I’m going to get a lot of grief from my loyal readers, is this one. Primarily I cover the Sharks here at The Hockey Writers, and historically I love the Sharks teal jerseys. Unlike most, I have typically loved both the teal and the alternate black no matter the era. However, personally I find the current teal to look boring, nothing interesting, little contrast, they look like practice jerseys to me.

Nashville Predators’ Yellow

James Neal
James Neal & Shea Weber (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

Anybody need a highlighter? I think that is all I have to say here. Although they are better than that old off-yellow, whatever that color was that they used to wear, I still think these are atrocious.

Dallas Stars’ Green

(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)
(Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

For some reason a lot of people seem to love the Stars’ new jerseys. The bright green just doesn’t do it for me. I know many fans grew up with this type of color with the North Stars, but growing up my image of Mike Modano is the North Stars black jerseys he wears in his Mighty Ducks cameo with Emilio Estevez.

 

Edmonton Oilers’ Blue & Orange

Jordan Eberle
(John E. Sokolowski-US PRESSWIRE)

 

 

Who do they think they are? The 1980’s Denver Broncos? Yuck.

 

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Baby Blue

Malkin and Crosby NHL: Dec 12 Panthers at Penguins
Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were united in Game 5 (Icon SMI)

I don’t know what it is, but it bothers me like no other when teams throw in alternate uniforms with zero resemblance whatsoever to their main jerseys and main color scheme. Not quite sure how long ago they last wore these or if they are primarily their outdoor game jerseys or what have you, but personally I’m not a fan. They look like giant babies out there.

 

Anaheim Ducks’ Whites

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)

 

Is that brown? Or black? That really looks like brown, and unless your team name is the Browns, that is a terrible color choice for a jersey. These are awfully reminiscent of the Minnesota Wild whites, but at least red and green are good colors by themselves. I’d rather wear an ugly Christmas themed jersey than a jersey that looks like it belongs in the toilet.

Calgary Flames’ Reds

 Jarome Iginla. 30 goals in 10 consecutive seasons. (Wikipedia Commons)
Jarome Iginla. 30 goals in 10 consecutive seasons. (Wikipedia Commons)

 

Not sure what it is but the black logo with orange border on a bright red background doesn’t do it for me. I’m a big fan of the logo itself, but I much prefer Calgary’s whites.

 

Buffalo Sabres’ Blue & Yellow

Zemgus Girgensons Sabres
 (Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

 

 

 

A lot of you may have major qualms with some of my choices for ugly sweaters but I think we can all agree that this new Sabres jersey is by far the worst in the entire league. Is it mainly yellow? Is it mainly blue? Whatever it is, it is an ugly one.

Have a problem with my list of ugly sweaters? Let me know in the comments below which ones you feel I’ve done wrong. Or which ugly ones I forgot about!

23 Comments
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Bill
Bill
9 years ago

You’re just a Sabres hater nitwit !!! Never have anything good to say!! Goof!

klosterman
klosterman
9 years ago

The Oilers? You clearly have no regard for the classics. Oh, and if you had followed hockey for more than a few months you would know about a team called the Whalers, they won a cup shortly after they moved to Carolina. You would also know the original team in Minnesota called the North Stars that moved to Dallas. They are a big reason we hockey fans (actual) have an affinity for the Dallas green.
This is a pretty weak article. I know your school paper “credentialed” you to cover the Sharks but this is silly. Did you just google an image list then pick out the ones you don’t like,
slow day at the office eh?

Anthony
Anthony
9 years ago

Could everyone please stop calling them “jerseys”? They are “sweaters”

llojac1
llojac1
9 years ago

I kinda like the Sabres yellows.

jagr
jagr
9 years ago

Do you watch NHL Hockey? Thats the islanders stadium series jersey not 3rd jersey. Check your facts junior

Kungfu Burlew (@Kungfu_Burlew)
Reply to  jagr

Actually… you check yours. The Stadium Series Sweater been adopted as the teams 3rd jersey this season. The awful Black ‘Lacrosse-like’ jerseys have been done away with.

SithKitty
SithKitty
9 years ago

As a Sabres fan, I heartily agree about the awfulness of that blue, yellow, & gray mess. It’s hard enough to suffer through rebuilding, but that thing just adds insult to injury. At least it’s their 3rd jersey so we don’t have to look at it that often. I would add to this list the ugliness of the 2014 US Olympic team’s sweater with the cringeworthy shiny stars on the shoulders.

Jamie
Jamie
9 years ago

This list should only have one jeresy: The Maple Leafs

Onehockeynut
Onehockeynut
9 years ago

Funny, I think Wild has the best white jerseys in the league. I would gladly own one and this is coming from a guy who usually hates white jerseys.

Jon Lizzotte
Jon Lizzotte
9 years ago

Oilers have some of the nicest jerseys in the league.. you sir are an idiot.

The Real Todd (@BeeBopFooFop)

I am not sure if you knew this but the Penguins jerseys go back to their original jerseys when the team was created and the Edmonton jerseys are based upon the jerseys they wore during their dynasty years.

jwcamp
9 years ago

It seems that perhaps you are unaware of some NHL team’s uniform history. Nice try though.