The NHL has officially brought back their Reverse Retro jersey series!
After debuting to a mixed reception in late 2020, the NHL is giving the Reverse Retros another go for the 2022-23 season. On Thursday, the NHL and adidas unveiled the 32 throwback alternate jerseys that will grace the ice — and our eyeballs — this season. And boy, what a list it is!
As expected from the NHL with jersey creativity, there are some that really shine while others may not have landed the way they’d expect. Of course, all of this is subjective and what may be pleasing to me may not hold true for you, dear reader.
Still, you’re not here to see me wax poetic, you’re here to argue over whether my rankings are right or not! Here are all 32 NHL Reverse Retro jerseys for the 2022-23 season ranked from the worst, most uninspiring to the best.
32
Detroit Red Wings
Just an absolute tragedy for a team with one of the best sweaters in the NHL, period. This belongs in the same trash bin as the Devils’ laughable alternates.
31
Chicago Blackhawks
This is how Chicago and Detroit likely discussed their 2022-23 Reverse Retro designs.
“Can I copy your homework?”
“Yeah, just change it up a little so that it doesn’t look obvious you copied.”
“Sure thing!”
Not great, folks!
30
Toronto Maple Leafs
Sure, the Maple Leafs Reverse Retro looks clean, but it’s practically identical to their previous jerseys! Major points docked for the unoriginality.
29
Calgary Flames
I don’t understand the upwards swoosh going on in the middle of the jersey. It absolutely takes away from an otherwise gorgeous jersey. Shame!
28
Nashville Predators
I like the fierce sabertooth tiger in the middle and would love to see it take over as the full-time logo, but the rest of the jersey feels very bland in comparison. Adding a bit more accoutrements to the shoulders and waist would have helped this one significantly.
27
Columbus Blue Jackets
I get what Columbus was going for — a palette-swapped version of their first alternate jersey — but I just don’t like it. The Blue Jackets could have used this as an opportunity to spice up their bland jersey selection and didn’t.
26
Seattle Kraken
The Kraken’s Reverse Retro jersey is too bottom heavy for my taste. Too many blocks of color make it so needlessly busy. Seattle’s color scheme is a pleasing one overall but this is just too rich. Plus, a Seattle Metropolitans throwback was right there!
25
Ottawa Senators
The Senators new centurion logo still rocks, but Ottawa kind of ruins it here with the bold numbers on the sleeves and the strange swoops that mess with the silhouette of the crest.
24
Carolina Hurricanes
These were definitely Hurricanes jerseys before, right? No? I like the script lettering and the storm warning flags as the piping but it’s just too similar to looks they’ve sported before.
23
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning’s Reverse Retro wouldn’t look out of place in a 1990s bowling alley. Hilariously enough, the team did wear these as alternates for three years in the late 1990s, so at least it tracks. This jersey nearly veers into “so bad, it’s good” territory — the tribal lightning bolts are my favorite part — but no, they’re bad.
22
Dallas Stars
The 3D effect on the star is a nice touch. I think I would have liked this a lot more if the primary coloring was white and green not black and green. The Stars ditched black as their primary color nearly a decade ago, so let’s keep it that way.
21
Arizona Coyotes
Look, I’m a big lover of the Kachina style the Coyotes have, but the desert yellow isn’t even close to my favorite variation of this jersey. The purple version of this Reverse Retro was much cooler.
20
St. Louis Blues
Yes, this jersey is way too busy for its own good, but I actually find it kind of charming in a strange way. I’m all for script lettering and unique takes on team logos, but it should have been one or the other.
19
Winnipeg Jets
The all-blue look is quite cohesive but it just doesn’t have a wow factor like many others do on this list.
18
New Jersey Devils
You may not have known this, but the Devils used to be the Colorado Rockies — no, not the baseball team — before they relocated to their current New Jersey home in 1982. These jerseys are a neat little throwback without being too obnoxious.
17
New York Islanders
It’s great to see the fisherman logo back for the Islanders. This redesign is really missing the iconic waves at the bottom, but we’ll take them all the same. Nice stuff.
16
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers certainly have one of the more unique looking Reverse Retros in the league based on the crest alone. The dynamic gear with an oil drop — created by comic book artist Todd McFarlane — looks great in orange and it contrasts well with the rest of the sweater.
15
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers Reverse Retro features just enough orange to satisfy fans while also evoking memories of the team’s beloved 2000s sweaters. Plus… the Cooperalls are back!
Orange & Black & Cooperalls.
The early 80’s long hockey pants will be worn during warmups each time we wear our new #ReverseRetro @adidashockey jersey. A brief history of the look that lasted only two seasons: https://t.co/rsV9qzlsfF pic.twitter.com/9B2l401SR4
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) October 20, 2022
14
Washington Capitals
Washington’s redesign to red, white, and blue made sense back in 2007, but boy is it nice to see something unique out of the Capitals again. The Capitals used this design previously but kept it in their current color scheme, so major props for bringing back this original iteration.
13
Vancouver Canucks
Johnny Canuck is back! The Canucks went full throwback to the WHL with these Reverse Retros and they shine brightly because of it. Sure, it may get old if reused often enough, but this was a great pull by Vancouver.
12
Montreal Canadiens
I was fully ready to dislike these Canadiens jerseys when it dawned on me that these are Expos tributes! Yes, it feels weird to mess with the iconic Montreal red and blue but this is a welcome surprise nonetheless.
11
Minnesota Wild
These are just the Wild’s previous Reverse Retro jersey style but with the North Stars green as the base instead of white. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
10
Boston Bruins
I think we need to all get away from the stigma that brown is bad for sports jerseys. The San Diego Padres rock their current yellow and brown look with style, after all. The “Pooh Bear” crest looks much better on a white background than yellow, so this is an automatic win. He looks so friendly too!
9
New York Rangers
The Rangers iconic Liberty Head logo looks great with New York’s current color scheme. These should stick around full time as the Rangers alternates, as they provide a nice breath of fresh air from their standard fare.
8
Buffalo Sabres
This jersey looks much better in the Sabres usual blue, yellow, and white than the strange red and black it was in previously. The red eye is a nice touch to Buffalo’s history, however. Overall, really clean stuff from the Sabres.
7
Vegas Golden Knights
Not only are these jerseys much better than the red Reverse Retro monstrosities from before, they also glow in the dark! I love the decision to go with scrip lettering as well, as it really brings the whole look together. Definitely the Golden Knights best alternate jerseys so far.
The GLOW up is real 😎
Our #reverseretro jersey is the first to incorporate glow-in-the-dark elements, paying homage to the neon lights of the Las Vegas Strip pic.twitter.com/GNjoWBI8Fg
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 20, 2022
6
Anaheim Ducks
You can never go wrong with the Mighty Ducks logo, honestly. Sure, it’d be nicer if they were in Anaheim’s iconic purple and green, but we as hockey fans should be pushing for this design to become the Ducks full time look.
5
San Jose Sharks
A California Golden Seals reference immediately boosts the Sharks into top five territory. What a throwback! They may be a hokey nostalgia play, but it feels good to see these jerseys on a modern NHL team.
4
Colorado Avalanche
If you’re going to lean into your state flag, this is the way to do it. The Avalanche tried this before in their 2016 Stadium Series jerseys, but the look fell flat at the time. Now, with this new fresh coat of paint and a better jersey design, the Avalanche knocked it out of the park.
3
Florida Panthers
These Panthers jerseys are so delightful and fun. The palm tree and stick framed by the sun logo finally takes center stage in a jersey that is completely evocative of the state of Florida. Beautiful stuff here, Panthers.
2
Los Angeles Kings
We’ve seen this Kings look before, but it’s absolutely gorgeous in white. Why Los Angeles moved from their unique purple — sorry, “Forum blue” — and yellow to black and white is beyond me. Make these the Kings’ current sweaters right now.
1
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Robo-Penguin lives! Penguins fans are spoiled for choice on incredible jersey designs and this one doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. Never leave us again, Robo-Penguin.
