With NHL expansion officially in effect via the Vegas Golden Knights, there is another set of new jerseys on the market. In the half-century since the league started growing from the Original Six teams, a number of franchises have debuted wearing sharp jerseys.
The Adidas era, which surely had influence on the Vegas team’s inaugural threads, marks yet another chapter of novelty. Teams have been able to portray unique images over the years to make very different first impressions on the NHL fans. The Golden Knights are no exception.
This list will rank the top 10 NHL expansion team jerseys. Only the team’s actual jerseys were considered, not any additional accessories like gloves, helmets or pants.
10. Minnesota Wild
The Wild debuted with a color scheme that has stayed consistent over all of its years in existence. The forest green, red and cream are a fitting scheme for the team.
Both jerseys were relatively simple, but the cream trim, particularly around the logo, allow the colors to pop, especially on the dark jersey that otherwise could have been overwhelming.
The Wild drifted to have red as their base color in recent years, but are heading back to a green base with the Adidas switch, returning them to their original, nice-looking jersey roots.
9. New York Islanders
The Islanders came on with a color scheme similar to a fellow New York team, the Mets, that has a decent number of overlapped fans due to their original proximities. The royal blue, white and orange made a common thread for the sports scene around Queens, Nassau County and the rest of Long Island.
The simple stripes complemented each other nicely, forming a visually appealing jersey. Orange numbers on the back looked a bit awkward, but the team eventually fixed this. The Islanders strayed from this scheme in the mid-’90s, but soon wisely returned to their classic look.
Long after their respective teams debuted, Rod Langway of the Capitals and Brett Hull of the Blues continued to sport sharp, long-lasting looks. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
8. Los Angeles Kings
The Kings looked much different than they do now when they debuted. And like the Islanders with the Mets, they copied a fellow local team, the Lakers, as their first look featured purple and gold. This is a very simple jersey, with just a single, thick stripe on the stomach and each sleeve.
These jerseys returned as alternates in the 2010s, with the only addition being a thin white trim around the numbers. These jerseys also stand out for using gold as the “light” color in the set, an unusual trend in the NHL.
7. Vegas Golden Knights
The NHL’s newest team is entering the league with a unique look and diverse color scheme that fits well with the theme of Las Vegas. The jerseys include gray, white, gold, red and black and a unique striping pattern with both thin and thick stripes of various colors.
The jerseys also include some unique textures and some sparkly gold, which is a unique touch. The use of dark gray as the base color of the home jersey is a good way to allow them to stand out among others, and the white numbers with gold trim really pop.
6. Winnipeg Jets
The original Jets debuted with a look that departs from most on this list. It was another three-color scheme, with a dark royal blue, red and white, but only had a two-stripe pattern. The colors and striping all complemented each other nicely.
What really makes this jersey stand out, though, is the logo. Much like the Oilers, it does a fantastic job of combining both a visual logo and the team name. On top of that, the creative use of a hockey stick in the font is a nice look.
This logo re-appeared for the “new” Winnipeg Jets during the 2016-17 Heritage Classic.
5. Minnesota North Stars
The old Stars debuted in the same year as the team ranked third on this list, with a relatively similar color scheme. The sharp royal green blended nicely with gold and white, and the thick stripes ensured one color was not too dominant.
This color scheme went mostly unchanged, until the later years of North Stars history when black was introduced. The fact that it remained so constant shows that the original look was impressive, and did not warrant much modification.
The Mighty Ducks were instantly iconic with their logo and color combination. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
4. Edmonton Oilers
When the Oilers transferred from the WHA to the NHL, their home and away jerseys were mirror images of each other. The royal blue, orange and white scheme has been a staple over the years, although it appears that next year they are going back to a darker blue, which has made sparse appearances throughout their history.
The five-stripe pattern looked sharp, and the Oilers logo is the central feature. That logo has gone largely unchanged over the years, and is a great combination of the team name and logo itself.
3. St. Louis Blues
The Blues made their debut with a simple, classic striped jersey. The light blue, gold and white complemented each other nicely, and were able to stand out more than in their current jerseys that are distracted with both dark and royal blue.
The visual appeal of these jerseys clearly stood out among Blues’ management, as it was the definite motivation for their 2017 Winter Classic jerseys. The lighter blue base gives it a retro feel looking back today, something that represents the era of original NHL expansion teams nicely.
2. Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks
Arguably the most unique jersey on this list, it included a diverse color scheme of purple, teal, gray, and white. It included diagonal stripes of different thicknesses, a definite difference from most jerseys on this list.
The jerseys, logo, and team name rose in popularity thanks to the Mighty Ducks movie series. Late in the second film, the team donned jerseys identical to the NHL club. The logo itself was a creative combination of a duck and hockey, and re-appeared on an alternate jersey for the Ducks in 2015-16.
1. Washington Capitals
The Capitals’ original look was a patriotic one, a fitting theme for the team playing in America’s capital city. With a red, white and blue scheme, and stars along the top of the chest, the jersey appeared to be modeled after the American flag. The logo also included a creative use of a hockey stick in the team name.
The Capitals eventually strayed from this scheme for about 10 years, but much like the Islanders have returned to a form of the original, another wise move. They also wore both red and white alternate jerseys clearly modeled after their original looks from 2011-12 until 2015-16.
The combination of a sharp color scheme, simple striping and unique features to fit with the theme of the team elevate this jersey to the top of the list.
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