It’s not easy being green. Sage words of Kermit T. Frog. As teams break out the St. Patrick’s Day green sweaters, we come to find the color green is not easy to win with.
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
From 1993 to 2006, the Mighty Ducks displayed jade green in their sweaters. Those teams qualified for the playoffs four times and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2002-03. After changing up their look and name to the Anaheim Ducks in 2006, the team won the Stanley Cup in their black, gold and orange uniforms. The team has made the postseason eight times since making the switch.
California Golden Seals
Moving north in the Golden State, the old Seals uniforms included kelly green in their Oakland haunts. From 1967 to 1976, the franchise qualified for the postseason twice. The franchise never posted a winning record. Even a switch to teal in 1974 didn’t help matters.
Minnesota Wild
Paying homage to their predecessors, the Wild have featured green in their sweaters since their inaugural 2000-01 campaign. The St. Paul-based franchise also added a green alternate jersey in 2009. Since 2000, the team has made the playoffs seven times. In 2003, the Wild reached the Western Conference Final.
Minnesota North Stars
Entering the league in 1967, the club’s primary color was green until 1991. With the primary green color, the North Stars reached the playoffs 16 times. In 1981 and 1991, the team lost in the Stanley Cup Final. While they still had a green star and uniform numbers in 1991, the team would reach the postseason once more until moving to Dallas in 1993.
Dallas Stars
Dropping the “North” upon their relocation to Dallas in 1993, the Stars kept the same uniform concept initiated in 1991. During the 1997-98 season, the club introduced an alternate sweater with a big green star look. In this case, the green was gold and produced a silver Stanley Cup in 1998-99 and another Final appearance in 1999-2000. Their new jerseys veered away from a primary green in 2007. Yet, in 2013 the club restored green as its primary color and what might be the best looking modern sweater in the game.
Hartford Whalers
From 1979 to 1992, the old Whalers sported green as the main color in their uniform. Wearing those jerseys, the team made the postseason eight times. During their final five seasons in Connecticut, they went with a navy-blue look and green was relegated to an accent color. The final five did not result in any postseason appearances. When the franchise moved to North Carolina, the red, white and black Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2005-06.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZaqZ5PsRa4
New Jersey Devils
The Devils sported a dark green, red and white look from 1982 to 1992. During this span, the club was pretty much awful, missing the postseason in six out of 10 seasons. Much like the aforementioned Hurricanes, a switch to a red, black and white look brought about more prosperity in 1992. With their present look, the Devils have won three Stanley Cup titles and reached the Final five times. In recent years, the organization has rolled out the retro look, normally around St. Patrick’s Day.
San Jose Sharks
Upon their expansion inception in 1991, the Sharks have displayed a popular sharp teal look. There have been some alterations over the years but the basic color scheme has remained intact. The Sharks have made the playoffs 18 times and they went to the Stanley Cup Final during the 2015-16 season.
Vancouver Canucks
Upon entering the league in 1970, the Canucks wore sweaters with a mix of blue, green and white until 1972. The team made the playoffs twice, before changing to a yellow, black and red look in 1978. With those colors the club was twice a Stanley Cup finalist. In 2006, the Canucks added the green trim back into their uniform, reaching the postseason seven times and the Stanley Cup Final in 2010-11.
