The 100 worst NHL jerseys of all time, ranked

The NHL continued its 100th anniversary celebration Tuesday by unveiling a website that allows fans to vote on the top 100 jerseys in league history. The final results won’t be announced for more than a month, but there’s a leaderboard running to cover which teams are leading up until the end of voting on Dec. 31.

As of writing, the Hartford Whalers’ 1979-92 jerseys are atop the fan rankings, ahead of jerseys from teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Quebec Nordiques, and Minnesota North Stars. Clearly, lots of hockey fans miss clubs that are no longer part of the NHL.

Despite that fantastic lineage of sweet sweaters and fresh threads, not every hockey jersey has been a winner, though. Some of them, in fact, could be considered aesthetic travesties meant to confound both the brain and the soul. Sometimes it seems like the sweater designers were just trying to test whether fans would have the appropriate response to such hideousness, like when a doctor hits your knee with that tiny hammer to make sure your reflexes still function.

But those works of art still deserve to be celebrated as they are, in the same way we celebrate some person claiming a toilet is a powerfully emotional exhibit at the MOMA.

So without further adieu, here are the 100 worst sweaters in NHL history. Feel free to get very upset at us about this wholly subjective list.

1. Montreal Canadiens throwbacks, 2009

These jerseys were only worn once on Feb. 1, 2009 against the Bruins before the plug was pulled. That was for the best because these are the worst threads worn by an NHL team ever. Seriously just look at them. Or, well, don’t.

2. Los Angeles Kings alternates, 1995-96

Also known as the Burger King sweaters because for some reason Los Angeles decided to update its logo to resemble that creepy monarch who loved sneaking around giving people cheeseburgers.

3. New York Islanders, 1995-97

Ah yes, the fisherman jerseys. I don’t really have anything else to add here.

4. Dallas Stars alternates, 2003-06

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The “Mooterus” jerseys were supposed to resemble the constellation Taurus, as you can tell from the stars inside the logo, but in the end it just looks like, well, the head of a cow laid over the outline of a uterus. Shockingly people didn’t love that.

5. Anaheim Ducks, 2006-10

Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images

How do you go from purple and teal to whatever this color combination is? Not everything needs to be dark and gritty. This isn’t the DC Cinematic Universe, y’all.

6. Boston Bruins alternates, 1995-2006

A Bruin is a bear, and the hockey team from Boston wanted to make sure we never forgot that. So what do we get? A weird bear with shining white eyes staring daggers into your soul and a weirdly content half-smile on top of a yellowish background. Go Bruins!

7. Tampa Bay Lightning alternates, 1996-99

Listen, Lightning, I know you needed to try to garner attention as an expansion team in Florida, but this was a bit much. Lightning bolts on the sleeves, a wavy ocean on the front, a massive All-Star Game patch, and those random grey lines filling the open space ... it’s just a lot. Too much.

8. Vancouver Canucks, 1979-85

Well, you can’t say they didn’t try.

9. Ottawa Senators alternates, 2008-11

Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images

Nobody will ever forget the team’s name this way!

10. Atlanta Thrashers, 2003-11

Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

I’m not saying better jerseys might’ve saved hockey in Atlanta, but these probably did not help.

The rest of the worst

11. 2015 NHL All-Star Game

12. Buffalo Sabres alternates, 2013-14

13. Calgary Flames alternates, 1998-06

14. Nashville Predators alternates, 2001-07

15. Anaheim Ducks, 2017-present

16. Edmonton Oilers alternates, 2001-07

17. Carolina Hurricanes alternates, 2013-17

18. Vancouver Canucks throwbacks, 2014 Heritage Classic

19. Florida Panthers, 2013-16

20. Chicago Blackhawks, 1937-55

21. Colorado Avalanche alternates, 2001-07

22. Columbus Blue Jackets alternates, 2003-07

23. Nashville Predators, 1998-2001

24. Vancouver Canucks alternates, 2001-06

25. Detroit Falcons, 1930-32

26. New Jersey Devils, 1982-92

27. Buffalo Sabres, 1996-2006

28. Atlanta Thrashers alternates, 2008-11

29. Phoenix Coyotes alternates, 1998-2003

30. Detroit Falcons, 1930-32

31. Minnesota Wild alternates, 2013-17

32. Ottawa Senators, 1917-31

33. New York Islanders alternates, 2002-07

34. 2000-01 NHL All-Star Games

35. Pittsburgh Pirates, 1928-29

36. St. Louis Blues roads/alternates, 1995-98

37. Vancouver Canucks, 1985-89

38. Nashville Predators, 2017-present

39. Anaheim Ducks alternates, 2015-17

40. New York Rangers alternates, 1996-2007

41. Toronto Maple Leafs, 1927

42. Calgary Flames, 2011 Heritage Classic

43. Vancouver Canucks, 1989-97

44. St. Louis Eagles, 1934-35

45. Dallas Stars, 1999-2007

46. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim alternates, 1995-96

47. Columbus Blue Jackets, 2017-present

48. New York Islanders alternates, 2011-14

49. Atlanta Thrashers, 1998-2003

50. Ottawa Senators alternates, 1997-99

51. Washington Capitals, 1995-2007

52. Montreal Maroons, 1924-38

53. Florida Panthers, 1998-2003

54. Columbus Blue Jackets, 2000-01

55. Dallas Stars, 2007-13

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

56. Los Angeles Kings, 1998-2008

57. Ottawa Senators, 2017-present

58. New York Islanders alternates, 1996-98

59. Kansas City Scouts, 1974-76

60. Pittsburgh Penguins, 2002-07

61. Phoenix Coyotes alternates, 2008-14

62. Chicago Blackhawks alternates, 2009-11

63. Florida Panthers alternates, 2009-12

64. Phoenix Coyotes, 1996-98

65. 2009 NHL All-Star Game

66. Cleveland Barons, 1976-77

67. Los Angeles Kings, 1967-88

68. Montreal Canadiens blue throwbacks, 2009

69. Nashville Predators, 2007-11

70. Minnesota Wild, 2007-09

71. California Golden Seals, 1967-70

72. Dallas Stars, 2017-present

73. Pittsburgh Penguins, 1967-68

74. Philadelphia Flyers, 2002-08

75. San Jose Sharks, 2001-07

76. Boston Bruins, 1925-32

77. Buffalo Sabres, 2006-10

78. Colorado Rockies, 1976-82

79. Ottawa Senators alternates, 2000-07

80. Tampa Bay Lightning alternates, 2008-14

81. Minnesota North Stars, 1991-93

82. Carolina Hurricanes, 2007-08

83. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim alternates, 2003-06

84. Columbus Blue Jackets, 2003-07

85. 1982 NHL All-Star Game

86. Atlanta Flames, 1972-80

87. Calgary Flames alternate, 2013-16

88. Chicago Blackhawks, 1935-37

89. Detroit Red Wings, 2016 Stadium Series

90. Edmonton Oilers, 2017-present

91. New York Islanders, 1996-98

92. Ottawa Senators alternates, 2011-17

93. Pittsburgh Penguins alternates, 2011-13

94. St. Louis Blues alternates, 2008-16

95. San Jose Sharks, 1991-97

96. Tampa Bay Lightning, 2017-present

97. California Golden Seals, 1974-76

98. Winnipeg Jets, 2017-18

99. Boston Bruins, 1940-44

100. St. Louis Blues, proposed but never used

Okay, yeah, this one is so bad that it’s good.