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NHL Power Rankings: Remembering the ugliest jerseys in history

By Jeremy Tuch

CALGARY, AB - MARCH 31: Mike Smith #41 of the Calgary Flames skates against the Edmonton Oilers during an NHL game on March 31, 2018 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - MARCH 31: Mike Smith #41 of the Calgary Flames skates against the Edmonton Oilers during an NHL game on March 31, 2018 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Illustration by Andrew M. Greenstein, The unofficial NHL Uniform Database
Illustration by Andrew M. Greenstein, The unofficial NHL Uniform Database /

1925-1941 – New York Americans

Contrary to popular belief, the Rangers weren’t the first NHL team in New York. In fact, they weren’t even the first NHL team to call Madison Square Garden home. The Americans came to the Big Apple the season before the Rangers did, and they arrived in style. Keeping true to their name, they wore the most patriotic looking sweaters ever seen on planet Earth. Stars and stripes appeared everywhere there was space for them. This being a team called the Americans, subtlety was appropriately ignored.

The Americans changed their uniforms up a few times over the course of their history, which included the first instance of names on the back of the jersey, stars arching over the front and back, and copycatting their neighbors. None of which was particularly pretty, but at least it stayed true to their brand of being good ol’ fashioned American.

Meanwhile: The Pittsburgh Pirates picked up some hockey sticks and hideous colors, the Detroit franchise wore yellow, and the Boston Bruins dressed in football sweaters. Speaking of which…

1941-1948 – Boston Bruins

Illustration by Andrew M. Greenstein, The unofficial NHL Uniform Database
Illustration by Andrew M. Greenstein, The unofficial NHL Uniform Database /

In a horrible turn of events, the Boston Bruins decided to put their jersey numbers on the front of the jersey, the same size as the one on the back. To those of us who know a thing or two about hockey uniforms, this looks like two backs of the same jersey as opposed to the front and back of one.

This looked more like it belonged on a football field than it does on an ice rink. The Bruins actually had this design for a few years before taking the title belt, but because of the Americans, this didn’t become the worst until the Americans folded.

The Bruins would keep this look until 1948, where the first appearance of the Spoked-B came around (which was actually just an anniversary logo at the time). Once the Bruins came to their senses, the team looked just fine from here on out, and would no longer be doing anything silly with their uniform set (for the most part).

Meanwhile: The Chicago Black Hawks did the same football thing with their road white jersey, and the Rangers went to a wording style we usually see in college for a season before returning to their classic style for what we thought would be the last time.

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