30 retired NHL jerseys that need to be brought back into the light of day

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The NHL has a vast history of unique jerseys that have since been retired by their teams, but which ones should come out of the vault for another run?

Hockey jerseys are considered sacred by fans. While some are vehemently despised by a fanbase, many others are revered in the halls of NHL history. A large portion of those have since been retired by a team over the years, as teams continue to evolve and shape their brand for a modern audience.

Of course, some teams — such as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens — have stayed consistent in their look over the years. But others have had truly unique sweaters that have since gone by the wayside for one reason or another.

Since the pausing of sports has driven nearly every person online insane with the lack of something to do, I took it upon myself to take a look at one sweater from each NHL team that should be brought back. The Vegas Golden Knights are, of course, exempt from this exercise, since they have just one jersey to speak of in their franchise history.

With that out of the way, here is one retired jersey from 30 NHL teams that should be brought back and given another chance to shine.

ANAHEIM, CA – DECEMBER 7: Todd Ewen #36 of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim reacts during a game against the Florida Panthers at The Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim on December 7, 1993 in Anaheim, California. The Panthers won 3-2. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

Anaheim Ducks: 1993-95 jersey

All hail the eggplant jerseys of the Mighty Ducks from their inaugural season. I much prefer the prototypical 1990s look of this Ducks logo than the webbed duck foot of their current iteration. Plus, you can never have too much purple on a jersey.

ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 27: Left wing Ladislav Nagy #17 of the Phoenix Coyotes skates with the puck against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks during the game at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California on March 27, 2002. The Coyotes won 4-2. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images/NHLI) /

Arizona Coyotes: 1999-2003 alternate jersey

I love the Coyotes black kachina jersey as much as the rest, and it’s great that the team has made it their official third jersey since 2018. Would love to see the bigger coyote head jersey get some love from the team, especially given how unique the lower third desert landscape motif is.

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 28: Zdeno Chara #33 of the Boston Bruins warms up before the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden on February 28, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Boston Bruins: 2008-16 alternate jersey

The Bruins sweaters remain some of the most iconic in the NHL to this day. While they’ve hardly changed over the years, I’d love to see Boston go to an alternate jersey that isn’t just the letter B in a different font.

BUFFALO, NY – SEPTEMBER 16: Goaltender Adam Berkhoel #31 of the Buffalo Sabres gets in position during a scrimmage after revealing their new uniform designs on September 16, 2006 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images) /

Buffalo Sabres: 2006-08 Buffaslug jersey

I love the buffaslug. The Sabres retired the wildly disliked jersey after 2010, but it’s due for a comeback. It’s been 10 years, Buffalo. Embrace the weird. Bring it back as an alternate for a few games next season.

3 Dec 2001: Craig Conroy #22 of the Calgary Flames standing on the ice watching the action during the game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Flames defeated the Kings 2-0. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 2001 NHLI Mandatory Credit: Robert LaBerge /Getty Images/NHLI /

Calgary Flames: 1998-06 Flaming Horse alternate jersey

There’s nothing in the NHL that looks like the Flames’ old flaming horse logo. Does it look like a minor league logo or one straight out of the XFL? Sure, but it has charm and is a nice change of pace from the Flames’ current lineup of C logos.

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