Our 6 Favorite Retro NHL Jerseys of All Time

More than any other sport, the NHL has long been known for the iconic, memorable, and unique uniforms its teams have worn throughout the decades. From the timeless appeal of the Original Six to the aesthetic shift of many of the expansion teams, hockey jerseys have always stood out as combining regional significance with generational nostalgia – while looking great in the process.

Here are six of our favorite throwback NHL jerseys of all time.

All jersey images sourced from nhluniforms.com.

Hartford Whalers

Worn by the Whalers for most of the ‘80s and ‘90s before they relocated to Charlotte and became the Hurricanes in 1997, these sweaters are still beloved today for their iconic green/white/blue color palette and classic whale/W logo.

If you’re a more seasoned hockey fan, these jerseys undoubtedly evoke memories of Ron Francis putting up hall-of-fame numbers throughout the ‘80s, or perhaps of Gordie Howe’s three magical seasons with the Whalers from 1977-1980.

Quebec Nordiques

The Nordiques moved from Quebec City to Denver in 1995 and became the Avalanche, but before that, they wore these classic sweaters in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Featuring red, white, and blue colors with the igloo logo and fleur de leis around the bottom of the torso, these jerseys were worn by greats such as Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, and Peter Stastny – the Nordiques’ all-time points leader. These unis are understandably still a favorite of hockey fans everywhere – and especially in Quebec and Colorado.

Phoenix Coyotes

The Coyotes’ first jerseys after they moved to Phoenix from Winnipeg in 1996 featured the memorable and unique logo of the Coyote wielding a twig – not to mention the trademark style that speaks to the culture of Arizona and of the southwest in general.

The ‘Yotes introduced a green alternate during the 1998-99 season that featured a desert landscape scene of cacti, red rocks, and a crescent moon. Shane Doan, Keith Tkachuk, and Jeremy Roenick made this jersey famous in the late-‘90s as they brough hockey to the desert like never before.

Washington Capitals

Worn by the Caps in the late-‘90s and early-2000s, the team completely changed its look with these unis by introducing black and bronze after rocking red, white, and blue for more than 20 years prior. The jersey features the iconic eagle logo on the chest and diagonal marquee across the bottom of the sweater. The Capitals introduced a black alternate in 1997 that eventually became the official road (and later home) jersey.

These unis are remembered today as being the first worn by Alexander Ovechkin during his first two seasons in the NHL, before the Caps underwent another massive rebrand toward their current look in 2007.

Minnesota North Stars

The timeless North Stars jerseys are some of the longest-worn and most iconic outside of the Original Six. They underwent a few minor tweaks during the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, but otherwise remained mostly unchanged from the classic green, white, and yellow with trademark striping.

These sweaters made two Stanley Cup Finals appearances and are remembered for being donned by greats such as Dino Ciccarelli, Neal Broten, and Lou Nanne. Despite relocating to Dallas and dropping “north” from the name in 1993, these sweaters still hold a special place in the hearts of Minnesotans.

Anaheim Mighty Ducks

Originally owned by Disney, the Mighty Ducks were in fact named after the beloved movie series of the same name before Disney sold the team and they were renamed to just the “Ducks” in 2006-07 (the same season they won their lone Stanley Cup).

Before that, however, the Mighty Ducks were one of the charter teams in the NHL’s third jersey program, introducing the now legendary “Wild Wing” jersey in 1995-96 featuring the cartoon duck on the front and the script font on the back. The jersey only lasted a few games before being retired, but that didn’t stop it from becoming a lasting fan favorite after being worn by greats like Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne.

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