Which NHL franchise needs a complete uniform overhaul?
Look around the league at every uniform setup. Home, road and alternate jerseys. Color schemes. Some franchises have spruced up their offerings recently, from the Anaheim Ducks to the Los Angeles Kings. But which NHL franchise needs a complete overhaul of its uniform? Over to you, Roundtable.
MATT LARKIN: The Vancouver Canucks’ uniform has lacked confidence for quite a while now. It doesn’t know what it wants to be. It combines the blue and green of early 1970s kit with the orca logo of the late 1990s. The Canucks also self-consciously mix in the black and gold of the late ’80s and early ’90s, having worn it 18 times this season. I personally would love a full-time recommitment to the Skate jersey, but it could also be time for a complete reset. Hey, if GM Patrik Allvin is likely to make over his roster this summer, why not do it with the uniform too?
STEVEN ELLIS: This might not be a popular opinion, but the Buffalo Sabres. I think the Goathead look is incredible, and reminds me of when I first started watching the team and seeing Ryan Miller, Maxim Afinogenov, Chris Drury, Danny Briere, Brian Campbell and others. I think red and black together is one of the best color combos you can have in sports, and the logo is clearly a fan favorite there. You’re lying to yourself if you don’t think Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s red, black and white set isn’t one of the greatest in recent hockey memory. I still like the crossed swords with the Buffalo, but they’ve used that logo and blue/gold color scheme throughout the team’s terrible string of non-playoff campaigns over the past decade and a half. It’s time to go all-in and return to the design that saw them make it to the Stanley Cup final in 1999. Or, heck, just bring back the Buffaslug. Whatever it is, give fans a reason to be excited about the team again, and a little uniform refresh could make it happen.
PAUL PIDUTTI: What a fun question. Upfront, I need to say that diving into the various jersey schemes, I was impressed. There are a few dull kits. but overall there’s a lot of color, thoughtful design, and modern looks. The team most in need of a glow-up for me: the Carolina Hurricanes. Black home jerseys are a tough sell to begin with, but the Canes’ version with the gray shoulders is lifeless. The white road sweaters are clean, but the checkered piping on the bottom has a cartoonish feel. Carolina has been a quietly successful team for a while, winning at least one playoff round in five of six seasons. And owner Tom Dundon has personally had the uniforms tweaked in recent years. But this core, its unfinished playoff showings, and its style haven’t been overly memorable. With a distinct red and a great primary logo in their back pocket, a rebrand would be welcomed.
SCOTT MAXWELL: If logos were involved, this would be an easy one (I’m looking at you, Florida Panthers), but if we’re talking strictly jerseys, I certainly don’t disagree with Paul on the Hurricanes considering their red jerseys are so much better. But, I’ll go in a different direction and pick the Winnipeg Jets. Anyone who has read any of our past discussions about jerseys here at Daily Faceoff knows that I detest the color navy blue, or at least find it really boring, and when we’ve seen so many great iterations of the Jets’ jersey, it’s hard to fall in love with the current edition because of its reliance on navy blue. Yes, it’s stuck with the team since their return to Winnipeg, but shouldn’t that be even more of an indication to change things up? I get that there are licensing shenanigans involved with using the old jerseys, but there has to be some way that they could incorporate the new logo with the old colour scheme.
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