Ranking the 5 best retro NHL jerseys of all time

Sometimes the old saying is true — you really don’t know what you have until it’s gone. This is particularly true for hockey sweaters. While there are certainly some slick threads in the NHL today, few can stand up to the greats of the NHL’s past.

Today, we’re looking back at five of the prettiest retro sweaters in the history of the NHL. A couple of these may never see the light of day again, but we can still be hopeful, right?

5. Hartford Whalers

Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images

The Carolina Hurricanes are doing yeoman’s work by wearing the old Hartford sweaters on rare occasions. Before the Whalers were relocated to Carolina in 1997, they sported one of the best uniforms in sports. Period. The logo, the colors, the nostalgia. All of it was perfection. Were they good on the ice? Not really! They never managed more than 93 points in a season and lost pretty frequently, but at least they looked great doing it!

4. Phoenix Coyotes

I saw one of these bad boys at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix a few years back. The only reason I didn’t blow a bunch of money on it was because I was in a rush to board my flight. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but the Arizona Coyotes have been wearing these throwbacks quite often recently. Perhaps they’ll return to these beautiful threads for good when they join the Central Division in 2021-22? They better.

3. Los Angeles Kings

It’s hard not to love the old Los Angeles Kings sweaters from the Wayne Gretzyk era. He made history in this sweater! These jerseys are simple, but still look so, so clean. The current Kings uniforms don’t incorporate nearly as much silver as these babies did back in the day. Thankfully, the Kings did rock these throwbacks against the Colorado Avalanche earlier this season. If there’s any good in the world, the Kings will return to these sweaters full-time.

2. Minnesota North Stars

We can’t not talk about the old Minnesota North Stars sweaters. Perhaps the worst part of the North Stars’ relocation to Dallas was the fact that they needed to abandon one of the greatest hockey sweaters ever created. The signature green and yellow combination was gorgeous and unique. The logo? One of the best in hockey history. Thanks for blowing it, Norm Green.

1. Anaheim Mighty Ducks

Photo by: Brian Bahr/Getty Images/NHLI

You cannot deny it. The old Mighty Ducks jerseys are the best in any sport. Ever. They could not be more ‘90s. The teal. The eggplant purple. The duck in the goalie mask. It was just such a fun uniform. The Ducks really downgraded by ditching this look in favor of their current threads, which are some of the worst in the NHL. The Ducks are attempting to undo their poor decision by wearing orange sweaters with the old duck logo on it, but that just isn’t cutting it. Bring back the eggplant and teal forever, cowards!