Over the years, NHL teams have released numerous jerseys that many hockey fans have simply fallen in love with. While hockey fans certainly have some sweaters that have a special place in their memories, there are some uniforms that fans probably wish they could somehow forget.
Of course, with hockey uniforms constantly changing every few years, there will undoubtedly be a fair amount of successful designs and color schemes that teams will employ. Despite the fact that lots of NHL jerseys have enjoyed long-term success, there are quite a few jerseys that just failed to hit the mark – especially some jerseys that were used during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Forgettable NHL Jerseys #1: Buffalo Sabres (2000-2006)
The Buffalo Sabres have had some pretty decent jerseys over the years, but this red alternate sweater certainly wasn’t one of them. While other teams have been successful when employing red coloring for their jerseys, the red hue in this jersey draws the viewer’s eye directly to the logo in the center of the uniform and the illustration in the middle of the sweater definitely isn’t a saving grace.
Departing from the profile head-shot of a Buffalo, the two criss-crossed sabres look like a very simple and bland design that doesn’t do much to stand out from the eye-catching red backdrop. Add in the fact that the word “Buffalo” is written on the bottom black stripe and you have a jersey that is not very easy to look upon.
Forgettable NHL Jerseys #2: Phoenix Coyotes (1998-2003)
Could this list have been structured without including or mentioning the “Peyote Coyote?” Probably not.
There are simply too many psychedelic colors and schemes going on in this sweater. Of course, there might be some way that a similar design can be successful on NHL jerseys, but this sweater went too far.
Starting with its color (forest green), the Yotes’ sweater instantly sticks out like a sore thumb. Factor in a multi-colored coyote head with two different and unequal facial patterns and you have a recipe for disaster. From the orange and purple colorings of the mountain and desert backdrop to the four cacti to the moon in the night sky, this sweater had way too many elements working against it to begin with.
Forgettable NHL Jerseys #3: Vancouver Canucks (2001-2006)
This color scheme just does not work. There’s definitely nothing wrong with the logo in the center, but the fading and alternating colors really throw the eyes off when looking at this jersey.
Mixing strong colors such as red and blue, one needs to space out the primary colors in order to help the eye adjust to them in a proper fashion. Employing no breaks that would effectively set these colors apart from each other in some way, this sweater just looks like a hodgepodge of bold colors with a logo slapped in the middle.
Forgettable NHL Jerseys #4: Dallas Stars (2003-2006)
This design had the privilege of being nicknamed “The Mooterus.” Need I say more?
While eerily similar to the Houston Texans’ jerseys, this sweater was ridiculed by fans that said that it too closely resembled the layout of a female uterus. Despite the fact that hockey fans can be pretty tough customers sometimes, their opinion of this jersey was quite justified.
Not only was the logo on this jersey a departure from the simple pattern that made the original Dallas Stars’ sweater so successful, the wavy design on the bottom of the jersey and on the sleeves certainly doesn’t give it any extra appeal.
Forgettable NHL Jerseys #5: Nashville Predators (2001-2007)
The mustard yellow color isn’t even the worst part of this jersey.
Much like the Sabres’ red alternate jersey from the early 2000s, the Predators departed from their usual design in favor of this more campy one. While the previous profile view of the sabre-toothed tiger worked as a logo for the Predators, this logo instantly brought up memories of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and Trini’s Sabre-Toothed Tiger Dinozord.
Add in the fact that the Predators used a square cutout for the neck space on the jersey and you get a sweater that seriously deviates from conventional standards for NHL uniforms.
This article was originally published in November, 2014.
In his third year with The Hockey Writers, Toli covers all things related to the New York Islanders. Focusing on the Islanders, the NHL Draft & draft-eligible prospect goalies, and hockey history, Toli can be contacted on Facebook by searching/messaging Toli Metter and on twitter by searching @ToliMetterTHW.
