Last week, the National Hockey League and Adidas released its second edition of the Reverse Retro collection. It’s a chance to highlight aspects of team’s older uniforms and logos, creating a unique jersey that will be worn for a couple of games and be around for a limited time.
When breaking down the 32 jerseys, there are the ones you love, ones that take you back to when you were younger and those that might be head-scratchers.
I’ve created a list of awards to highlight the best and worst of Reverse Retro 2.0
BEST USE OF COLORS
WINNIPEG JETS
The use of light and navy blue with a white jersey and the classic Jets logo and design from the early 1990s makes this a look that is easy on the eyes. The logo design really makes it pop.
BEST JERSEY PAYING TRIBUTE TO A DEFUNCT TEAM
SAN JOSE SHARKS
How can you not love the Sharks homage to the California Golden Seals?
The NHL’s original Bay Area team failed after less than a decade, moving to Cleveland playing one year as the Barons before being absorbed into the Minnesota North Stars.
It’s a near-identical look, just replacing the “Seals” with “Sharks”.
RUNNER-UP: Both the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche paying tribute to the Colorado Rockies.
WORST USE OF COLORS
MONTREAL CANADIENS
Powder blue is a pretty color. Growing up, ESPN’s Chris Berman always raved about the then-San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers powder blue jerseys when they made an appearance. But it doesn’t work for a franchise that’s been around for over 110 years and has mainly used red as its primary color.
It’s hard for original six teams like the Red Wings and Blackhawks to surprise us with something classic in 2022, especially when they’ve has so many third and specialty looks for events like the Winter Classic and Stadium Series.
This look could have been better if the darker blue used for the striping, which is the standard shade for Habs jerseys, was swapped with the lighter blue.
RUNNER-UP: None. The yellow works with the Blues jersey paying tribute to the original 1966 prototype logo.
LEAST INSPIRED DESIGN
CAROLINA HURRICANES
There’s nothing too retro about this look. It’s simply a red version of the team’s current white road jersey. To be fair, the Hurricanes already have enough jerseys this season as they celebrate 25 years in Carolina and there’s only so much they could do.
But after doing a grey Hartford Whalers jersey, you would think a white version would be nice, especially since they’ll wear the green Whalers jersey in March.
That would be similar to the Avalanche’s first Revere Retro that had their colors and the Nordiques logo. The look Adidas went with for the Canes could make for a nice third jersey going forward.
RUNNER-UP: NEW YORK RANGERS: “NYR Lady Liberty”
BEST USE OF AN OLD LOGO
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
After their first Reverse Retro was a flop, Adidas giving everyone what they wanted when it comes to the Islanders: the Fisherman! This is what makes the Reverse Retro program fun. This logo was so hated that it earned the right to return for a couple games as part of the Islanders 50th year celebration. Might make you hungry for fish sticks.
RUNNER-UP: LOS ANGELES KINGS: Original crown logo
MOST LIKELY TO FLY OFF THE RACK
ANAHEIM DUCKS
The Disney-era Mighty Ducks logo again making an appearance. The jersey identical to the one seen in the second and third “Might Ducks” movies, with the old teal, plum and silver swapped out for the team’s current color palate. If Gordon Bombay’s Ducks went to a Bizarro World, this is the jersey the Bizarro Ducks would be wearing.
RUNNER-UP: MINNESOTA WILD: Tribute to the North Stars
MOST 90s LOOK
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Everything about this looks screams 1990s NHL, and the team worthy of carrying the torch is the Lightning. From the original logo, to the waves on the bottom, the bolts on the arms, and the lightning bolt-style numbers, it’s a culmination of everything logo and jersey design was in the 90s and a reminder of how the league can never go back to this kind of design. The Lightning have a nice, clean look today, but it’s good to look back and realize how far you’ve come.
RUNNER-UP: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: Robo Penguin
MOST LIKELY TO BE FORGOTTEN
CALGARY FLAMES
Another reminder that the 1990s was a bad decade for jersey and logo design. The most off-putting things about this look is the striping, which is trying to give off a 3D-style everyone played with during the decade. More recently, the Flames went back to their look from the late 1980s when they won the Stanley Cup.
RUNNER-UP: DETROIT RED WINGS AND CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: The striped “Insert Name Here” look.
SEAN GALLAGHER HAS THOUGHTS 