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Power Ranking the Reverse Retro Jerseys in the Central Division

By Andrew Steele-Davis |
Fans of the former NHL team the Quebec Nordiques. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Fans of the former NHL team the Quebec Nordiques. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
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Fans of the former NHL team the Quebec Nordiques. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
Fans of the former NHL team the Quebec Nordiques. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

It is time to Power Rank the Reverse Retro Jerseys in the Central Division.

Christmas came early today after the NHL treated us to a full reveal of their highly-anticipated #ReverseRetro collection, and we are going to focus on the Central Division for today.

We provided our instant reaction to the striking collection of Reverse Retro uniforms here, but we are going to take a closer look at teams in the Central Division and rank their new remixed retro jerseys from worst to the very best.

Let’s delve right in…

. Nashville Predators. 7. team. 151. .

Let’s start off by saying that I don’t actually have a problem with any of the Reverse Retro Jerseys in the Central Division, thus making this an incredibly hard list to try and come up with.

Therefore, some team has to finish last and that team will be the Nashville Predators, simply because their remixed retro jersey isn’t that different from their current home uniforms.

Based on the jerseys they wore during the 1998 season – Nashville’s inaugural season in the NHL – these Reverse Retro uniforms features a new silver sleeve and some slight modifications, but nothing that jumps out at you.

Now, don’t get me wrong, these are still very nice jerseys but, compared to the rest of this list, they simply don’t compare.

6. team. 107. . . . Winnipeg Jets

I actually really like the concept the Winnipeg Jets came up with but, again, there are much better jerseys that we will get on to shortly.

In the meantime, the Jets opted to throw it all the way back to 1979, their inaugural season in the NHL, going for a bold metallic gray color for the main body of the jersey, while combining the heritage plane crest and the lettering with the current colors used by Winnipeg.

It is actually a nice tribute to the uniforms made famous by the late, great Dale Hawerchuk, and these Reverse Retro jerseys should prove popular with Jets fans.

After all, they adore their franchise in Winnipeg and this is a nice nod to what was the very start of things for the Jets.

And, I absolutely love the addition of the iconic plane crest to go along with the bold lettering, it makes for a real nice and clean look.

Captain Derian Hatcher of the Dallas Stars. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport
Captain Derian Hatcher of the Dallas Stars. Mandatory Credit: Elsa Hasch /Allsport /

. . Dallas Stars. 5. team. 119.

Let’s preface this by clearly stating that I’m not a fashion expert by any stretch of the imagination, but these Dallas Stars Reverse Retro jerseys are just okay.

I mean, the historical nod to their Stanley Cup winning season in 1999 is enough to lift them into the No. 5 spot, with the Stars opting to remix that uniform with an icy-white style complete with striking green and black triangles on the sleeves and bottom of the jersey, with a green Stars logo completing the look.

It is something different and, as is the case with all of the Reverse Retro jerseys, these are meant to be a modern twist on a classic and the Dallas Stars have certainly achieved that with this effort.

But, in the grand scheme of things, this is probably an above-average effort at best and it doesn’t come close to the other jerseys we have on this list.

. Chicago Blackhawks. 4. team. 94. .

I love, love, love these remixed classics from the Chicago Blackhawks who drew inspiration from all the way back in their early history for these beautiful uniforms.

Paying tribute to the Blackhawks’ old barber pole striped jerseys, these Reverse Retro uniforms put a modern twist by going with a striking and beautiful black and red look.

It immediately makes the jersey standout and, as far as I’m concerned anyway, you can’t go wrong with red and black on a hockey jersey.

The white trim really helps to complete the look and these are probably as clean a jersey as you could ask for.

It is a classic jersey fit for a classic and historical franchise, and the likes of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews should look good rocking these in 2020-21, even if they aren’t happy with the current direction the franchise is heading towards…

3. team. 99. . . . St. Louis Blues

I had a really hard decision between ranking the St. Louis Blues No. 3 or No. 2 when it came to their Reverse Retro jerseys.

At the end of the day, it was a close battle but the Blues will just miss out on the top two although it was incredibly close.

I’ve always had a soft spot for certain St. Louis Blues uniforms, and their modern twist on an instant classic will no doubt impact my wallet at some point.

Completely remixing the classic jersey worn by the likes of the great Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger, the Blues flipped the colors of their Reverse Retro uniforms by opting for a bold red as its predominant color, with the red strips on the original jersey that was first revealed in 1995 now yellow, with St. Louis’ traditional blue color appearing on the sleeves.

The 90’s version of the striking Blue Note remains the same on the front of the Reverse Retro Jersey, while I love the trumpet logo that appears on the shoulder patch as a nice finishing touch.

Overall, I love, love, love these jerseys from the St. Louis Blues and you can only imagine how great they will look out on the ice once the NHL does eventually return.

98. . . . Minnesota Wild. 2. team

I’m a sucker for unique color schemes and the Minnesota Wild have absolutely nailed it with their Reverse Retro Jersey.

Paying homage to the Minnesota North Stars, the Wild have kept their logo but remixed it with the green and gold color scheme that was synonymous with the North Stars.

The rest of the jersey also features those iconic colors, with the green and gold sleeves and the green and gold trimmings on the white jersey making this an instant classic.

Hockey is built on nostalgia and this tribute to the beloved North Stars is an absolute home run, as are these beauties of a jersey.

They are simple yet impactful, clean yet classic and I have a funny feeling that even non-Wild fans will be purchasing these as a nod to the North Stars.

However, our No.1 is top of the pile for a reason…

Michael Goulet #16 of the Quebec Nordiques. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Michael Goulet #16 of the Quebec Nordiques. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

. . Colorado Avalanche. 1. team. 103.

Hold the phone, we have a clear winner and it isn’t particularly close.

Yes, the Colorado Avalanche have absolutely hit it out of the park with their Reverse Retro Jerseys and, personally, I think they could be the best in the entire NHL let alone top of the pile in the Central Division.

Ticking all the boxes for all hockey fans, these uniforms are absolutely stunning and they strike it perfectly when it comes to so intricately connecting the past and present.

A clear homage and tribute to the Quebec Nordiques, the Avalanche have figured out a way to honor their past while staying true to their current identity.

Opting for a white look, one of the few Reverse Retro Jerseys to do so, the sweater is a nod to both the snow found in northern Quebec and the Colorado Rocky Mountains, bringing together the franchise’s two homes in one neat package.

The crest is the classic Nordiques logo but based in the current colors of the Avalanche, while the hem of the jersey brings back the fleur-de-lis-symbol, which comes from Quebec’s provincial flag.

There is also a fleur-de-lis patch on each shoulder while the date ’79’ appears on the back neck of the jersey, which is significant because that is the year the Nordiques entered the National Hockey League.

The combination of the history of the iconic Nordiques and the color scheme of the Colorado Avalanche makes for truly breathtaking jersey, and it is one that is sure to go down as an instant classic as well as a crowd pleaser.

I’ve been a huge fan of the jerseys produced by adidas, and this stunning Colorado Avalanche Reverse Retro sweater may just be the best one yet.

Next. Instant reaction to the #ReverseRetro Jerseys. dark

Stay tuned because our team will be ranking the Reverse Retro Jerseys in the Pacific Division later today!

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