Top 10 Most Amazing NHL Sweaters & Jerseys of All Time: Who Wore Them and When

It's nothing new that NHL clubs have one of the best uniforms in the world of sports. The variety and the creativity of jerseys and sweaters has been tremendous throughout history. There are lots of iconic jerseys that have become immortal.

You don't have to be a supporter of a specific NHL club to appreciate and like their jersey. Which one is the best ever? Who decides which uniform has the right to be considered among the most iconic?

We can talk about the Atlanta Flames, the California Seals, the New York Americans, the Toronto St. Patricks, or the Chicago Blackhawks. The truth is that everybody has their favorite jersey or hockey sweater.

Sometimes you don't even have a reason; you just love that uniform. It's nearly impossible to fair and to choose the TOP 10 jerseys of all time. But we don't care, we did it anyway! Here are the 10 most iconic hockey jerseys and sweaters in the National Hockey League's history. 

10. Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings always had beautiful uniforms.The logo of this organization (an Original Six Team) is iconic. Because of that, we chose their jersey from the 2016 with the "D" logo. Overall these jerseys aim for more of a modern take on several classic Red Wings’ uniform details (not only the logo, but the arched nameplate font too). The Red Wings know how strong their jersey designs are and they can also play hockey since they won 11 Stanley Cups to this day. 

Detroit Red Wings 2016 hockey jersey

9. Atlanta Flames

Before the Calgary Flames and the Atlanta Trashers, there were the Altanta Flames. This organization played in the NHL during the years 1973-1980. They carried this set over to Calgary following the relocation, replacing the "flaming A" with the "flaming C". The classic flaming "A" logo looked even better than the flaming "C," which the Flames wear to this day. Or not? 

Atlanta Flames jerseys from the seventies

8. Chicago Blackhawks

It doesn't matter which one of the Chicago Blackhawks' jerseys we choose; they have their rightful place among the best uniforms in NHL history. There were some controversies about this logo during the recent years, but the Blackhawks believe that they honor and celebrate the legacy of Black Hawks and that the name and logo symbolizes this. The first logo was drawn by Irene Castle in 1926 (it was white). Black Hawk was a leader of the Sauk who sided with the British in the War of 1812 and later attempted to regain tribal land in the Black Hawk War of 1832. 

Chicago Blackhawks jersey, an Original Six NHL team

7. Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings have currently one of the best jerseys in the NHL, but their uniforms from the late 70’s and early 80’s stood out. Purple colors and the beautiful crown were simply wonderful. The Kings wore this jersey for select games, for example, during the 2011-2012 season. Then, the crown was a modified version of the original, 1967 crown, a nod to the origins of the franchise, but with a modern approach. 

LA Kings jerseys from the seventies

6. Toronto St. Patricks

Hockey club from Toronto without blue and white combination? During the years 1922-1925, the Toronto St. Patricks wrote their part in the hockey history. The result? Iconic jersey that almost everybody tried at least once in the NHL video game by EA Sports. The franchise was founded in 1917, operating simply as Toronto (known today as the Toronto Arenas). Two years later, the NHL transferred the franchise to new owners who christened the team the Toronto St. Patricks.

Toronto Maple Leafs St.Pats' jerseys

5. New York Rangers

The New York Rangers and their "Lady Liberty" jerseys must have a place in this ranking. Prior to the 1996-97 NHL season, the NY Rangers decided to add a third jersey to their rotation for the first time in their history, as well as a new logo. This jersey and logo combination, based off the Statue of Liberty, has become revered among Rangers fans.  Neil Smith, a man who was the New York Rangers' President and General Manager at the time, was fond of the franchise's history and connection to New York. He wanted to connect the franchise with the city's identity. 

New York Rangers lady liberty jerseys

4. Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres's name came as a the result of a name the team contest, the winner said they chose the Sabres name. Why? Because of the sharp blades of an ice skate. But, the original logo included a white buffalo, a symbol of good luck. This buffalo was placed in between two crossed sabre swords on a blue and gold circle. And what about these jerseys? A white, silver, and black buffalo head with a red trim. Just iconic, simply flawless. Also known as the Goathead logo.

Buffalo Sabres goathead uniforms

3. New York Americans

New York Americans were part of the NHL during the years 1925–1941. The predecessor of the Rangers played their home games in the legendary Madison Square Garden. Americans' sweaters were also very iconic—just look at those colors. This jersey looks very patriotic. Well, just wow! 

New York Americans jersey

2. Phoenix Coyotes 

Did you hear about the Kachina jerseys of the Phoenix Coyotes from the 1990s? Of course you did. These Coyotes' uniforms are unique, original, and highly impressive. When the Coyotes from Arizona reused this logo, it was met with huge success (not only) in their fan base. The original Coyotes logo was birthed from a collection of dolls, came courtesy of an idea of Phoenix designer Greg Fisher, who explained the development of his iconic artwork while providing an oral history of the "Kachina" Coyote (via NHL). 

Phoenix Coyotes kachina jerseys

1. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim 

Yes, this one is a classic! The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, currently the Anaheim Ducks, were the team based on a movie, but they gained a lot of fans throughout the globe. They were founded and brought into the league by Disney and beginning play in the 1993-94 season. Everyone remembers stars like Paul Kariya, Teemu Selänne, and jersey with the iconic logo - a duck-billed goalie mask on a black circle and a jade green triangle. It's fantastic that the Ducks reintroduced one of the most legendary logos in the history of sports. 

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim - hockey's most iconic jersey

The Honorable Mentions

As we mentioned in the beginning, it's nearly impossible to choose the top 10 or the top 20 jerseys and sweaters from NHL history. Whatever ranking is highly subjective and depending on author's taste. We believe all jerseys in this blog are beautiful and somehow unique. 

What about the Pittsburgh Pirates? We are talking about their final season hockey sweaters from 1929–30. These sweaters are just beautiful; but hey, where are the shoulder pads?

Pittsburgh Pirates

One of the past NHL teams that did not influence the history of hockey as much as the others. But the California Golden Seals' uniforms from the 1970s deserve your attention. The unique green and gold combination was perhaps too modern for this era. 

California Golden Seals

It's up to your opinion which one is the best. Here are some other honorable mentions that should not be ignored. For example, Philadelphia Flyers' jerseys from 2012 Winter Classic, Nashville Predators' jersey from 2022 Stadium Series, Toronto Maple Leafs' jerseys from 2017 Centennial Classic, home jersey of the Quebec Nordiques or the reverse retro by the Calgary Flames. Which one is your favorite?

Quebec Nordiques

PHOTO SOURCES: Sports Closet, PSH, eBay, USA Hockey, Reddit, , The Hockey Writers The Hockey News, SI, ESPN, Hockey Gods, Royal Retro, Wiki