Power Ranking Atlantic Division Reverse Retro Jerseys 2022-23
In 2021, the NHL came up with a unique and interesting idea for uniforms. The Reverse Retro jersey program was introduced, and all teams in the league came up with designs for alternate jerseys.
The idea was a success as it provided throwbacks with a twist. Every team in the league in 2021 came up with their own Reverse Retro design that stemmed from their current and past histories.
Some teams, like Montreal and New Jersey, had basic color swaps. Other teams like Los Angeles and Buffalo incorporated their current color scheme while using an older jersey design. Some teams like Colorado and Carolina simply wore slightly altered uniforms from their prior days as Quebec and Hartford, respectively.
The idea was a success. Some teams had really intriguing jerseys and others came out with terrible ones. Nonetheless, the NHL saw this popularity of this with fans and decided to do a second wave for the 2022-23. There are tons of great designs that came out, and the Seattle Kraken came out with their first alternate jersey through this program. Many of the best designs stem from the teams in the Atlantic division. Let’s go through all eight teams and rank them.
For the second wave of Reverse Retro jerseys, the Bolts had their hands tied behind their back. They have not had an extensive uniform history as they haven’t worn many designs. However, they still had a few options to work with. The look they chose, though, is regarded as one of the worst designs for a uniform in the history of sports.
What was that look you may ask? Well… it’s the hideous sublimated “Storm” jersey the Lightning sported from 1996-99. I know some people over the years have grown into this look and have gained an appreciation for it. I’m sure that this jersey has gained some positive attention. I will give it points for it being different and unique, which I always like. However, it still doesn’t mean it’s good.
The 1990s were a hit-and-miss period for NHL jerseys. Lots of teams, especially the expansion franchises, came out with new ideas for uniforms that have never been seen before. Some were pretty good and others were terrible like this one.
To me, it’s just plain ugly. I don’t like the rough and rugged font of the numbers on the back. The one element they should have cut out for this version were the lightning bolts on the sleeves. It just serves as an unnecessary distraction and it looks more like a nod to the San Diego Chargers logo in the 1990s.
It just doesn’t look good at all in my opinion. I also think the different colors on the shoulders and sleeves was a bad idea, which was a feature the original version had. I just don’t like it and I wouldn’t buy it at all. This version is just a basic color swap and the jersey is primarily white, which makes it look a bit better but when I see this I think of a little kids’ drawing with the Lightning logo front.
The Reverse Retro series hasn’t been kind to the Detroit franchise. In 2021, the Red Wings came out with the worst attempt at a throwback alternate out of all 31 teams in the league. All they did for that occasion was take their original white jersey before 1961 and changed the red stripes on the bottom and sleeves to silver, which served as a nod to their Centennial Classic uniform.
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the Original 6 teams. This means that they prioritize tradition, which correlates to them having not worn many jersey designs in their history. Although that is the case, the Wings had several directions they could take for the 2022-23 edition. This time around, they used the design of the 1991-92 NHL 75th Anniversary alternate they wore.
That look serves as a replica to the Detroit Cougars 1927-28 uniform. This design is another that has had mixed reviews over the years. Some people like it and others don’t. I’m not too crazy about this design but I’ve never hated it. This is another classic, vintage look that fits well with the aura and mystique of an Original 6 team.
Again, all that was needed was a simple color swap with the red and white. The original version was primarily white and a simple color swap would’ve made the base red. Well in this case the base is red, but the Red Wings screwed it up again with one mistake. One decision set this back.
They changed the stripes in the middle of the jersey to black. May I ask why? The franchise has never worn any elements of black in their history. Black doesn’t even belong on any Red Wings jersey. It just throws off the look and because of this mistake, it doesn’t feel like a true Detroit Red Wings jersey. If they wanted to add black they could’ve added it in small areas of the jersey. An example could be the collar or a thin stripe on the bottom of the uniform.
I’ve already seen actual Wings fans on Twitter not like this jersey. To be honest, every uniform in this division other than Tampa’s aren’t ugly or bad. The reason why this ranks so low is because it looks so unappealing. Other than Detroit fans, I’m not 100% certain that fans from other teams or jersey collectors would feel that they need to add this to their collection.
It’s time to move on to another Original 6 franchise. The Toronto Maple Leafs came out with really nothing different for this year. In 2021, Toronto’s Reverse Retro wasn’t all that great. Some liked it and some disliked it. I personally liked the jersey. It combined the logo they used from 1967-70, their 1970-92 striping pattern, and replaced the white elements with silver from the 2017 Centennial Classic.
One thing is certain though. Those that disliked the first attempt will gain more appreciation for it after this year’s edition, except Leafs fans since their fine with the traditional blue and white. Those who wanted some difference, like myself were disappointed in the final outcome. For the 2022-23 edition, the Leafs are bringing back their basic blue uniform from the 1962 Stanley Cup championship season. There were no alterations. There were no changes.
Now this is not a bad jersey at all. Like said earlier, other than Tampa’s final outcome, all of the Atlantic division teams were at least decent in their final design. The reason why this ranks so low here, despite being a good looking jersey, is the missed potential. Toronto could’ve gone in other directions. Reverse Retro jerseys are supposed to serve as a unique idea of mixing different eras together in a teams’ history. Toronto obviously didn’t do that. I wish they would’ve thrown in some elements from the St.Pats era of the franchise. This would’ve been higher if this jersey replaced the blue with green.
In 2021, the squad in western New York brought back their sword alternate uniform that was worn from 2000-06. However, instead of just swapping around the placements of red, black, silver, and white, the Sabres reinstated it, using their current color palette of royal blue and gold.
For the second edition of this jersey program, Buffalo decided to use their iconic “goat head” design that was introduced in 1996. In my opinion, it’s the greatest look the franchise had ever donned. So why am I placing it on the bottom half of this list? Well, for one, Buffalo had announced a while ago that they would bring back their original “goat head” jersey with a slightly altered logo. It would have wise to use a different design for this occasion.
So already there is somewhat of a lack in variety here. Secondly, its the color scheme used. The Sabres are using the black, red and silver color scheme for the regular alternate look. Because of that, they had to used the current blue and gold colors by default.
To top that off, they also used a white base just like in their first Reverse Retro. It just doesn’t feel different. They should have brought this out with a royal blue or even a gold base. If there was something specific I wanted to see the Sabres do is use the infamous “Buffaslug” design with the black, red, and silver color scheme.
I think that would’ve been amazing but unfortunately that couldn’t happen. When looking at the current Reverse Retro it also feels off. It just doesn’t seem right seeing the “goat head” logo combined with the blue and gold colors. I think the “goat head” should be identified with the era it belongs in. The era of Miroslav Satan and Dominik Hasek doesn’t add up with blue and gold. Let’s move on to the top half of the countdown.
The design Ottawa chose was sort of by default. The current modern-day Senators franchise, which began in 1992, have only worn eight different jersey designs. That amount include alternates. Many of the uniforms are still too new to bring back for this occasion or aren’t very good. This design is one of the best Ottawa has brought out.
To give some context, this look was originally introduced as the teams’ first alternated back in 1997. However, a couple seasons later, it became their main away jersey. The original was primarily red with black and white striping. The Reverse Retro iteration was exactly what I thought it was going to be.
The Senators made this version primarily black and changed the stripes in the middle to red. The main thing that I was concerned was if they were going to change the logo on the front to the logo they have now. The current logo is way better and sharper looking than the emblem that was on the original version. They did that. I love what they did with this and it’s one of my favorites. This is a sharp look and I’m sure Ottawa fans are happy with this result. The Senators are one of the few teams that nailed both Reverse Retro seasons in my opinion.
In 2021, Boston came out with a replica of their 1980’s to early 1990’s uniform. However, they made the jersey primarily gold. The Boston Bruins have worn their fair share of gold jerseys before and the inspiration for their second Reverse Retro uniform also came from a gold sweater.
This season, the Bruins brought back the “Pooh Bear” look. The uniform was used as an alternate from 1995-2006. It is regarded as one of the most disrelished sweaters in the long history of NHL hockey. A lot of fans have grown a sharp level of disdain towards this uniform over the years.
In my opinion, though, this was the best thing the franchise could’ve done for Reverse Retro 2.0. Even though the Bruins have been around since 1924, they’ve worn several alterations of their same basic design. The “Pooh Bear” is something completely different that stands out from the rest of the crop of Bruins jerseys.
For this time around, the team decided to use a white background. I’m not a huge fan of using white as the base color for Reverse Retro jerseys, but there are some instances where it works perfectly, and this is a current example. I feel like the original was bit too distracting to look at for some people since the gold was super bright. Switching it to white makes this more neutral.
There are still hints of gold but on the bottom, sleeves, and shoulders. I’m glad the Bruins still kept the rough striping primarily black as that element should never change. It’s nice to see the team pay an homage to a jersey that most people deem as “forgettable”. I personally have always loved this design and it is awesome to see it on the ice again.
The Florida Panthers have always done a good job in making good uniforms. However, if their was a big flaw with their uniform history, it’s that none of them have associated with where the franchise is from.
For a team that’s located the Miami Metropolitan area, the colors haven’t associated with what Florida is like. When a person thinks of Miami or Florida in general, colors that are associated with the area are light blue and hot pink for example.
The Panthers finally came out with a look that’s indicative and similar to the South Floridian vibes through this Reverse Retro sweater. Although this is a completely different look for Florida, this should be a consensus pick for a top ten list of Reverse Retro alternates.
For the first time ever, the iconic palm tree and hockey stick logo appears on the front of a jersey. I was skeptical of this at first but I quickly loved the idea. It’s enhanced since this logo is placed on a baby blue background.
This gives the analogy of a sun being lined up with the beautiful clear and blue sky that South Florida is known for. It’s also notable to mention that the rays of the sun are raised up to make the front crest to give off a small 3D allusion.
For those who don’t know, the jersey design that Florida used was the look of their forgettable “Jetblue” alternate jersey’s that lasted from 2009-12. The same shoulder logo that was on the original version still remains. The stripes on the shoulders, stripes, and sleeves were converted to the original shades of red, yellow, and navy blue that Florida wore when they started in 1993. The numbers and arched name plate on the back are the same the team had from 1998-06.
This is just an overall solid effort from the Panthers and this accomplishes the goal the Reverse Retro program sets out, which is to mix different eras together. This is probably the most creative effort for this year.
For the number one Reverse Retro jersey in the Atlantic Division, I’m going to go with the Montreal Canadiens one. It is clear that they have the best Reverse Retro jersey in this division and that they own the other Original 6 teams in this topic.
Montreal says this specific design stems from 1979, which was the year they won their fourth Stanley Cup championship in a row. However, I find it pointless that they even give out a specific year for a design they come out with since they never change their jersey at all.
However, even though they went with their traditional look, they made a very appealing and interesting twist for this outing. For the first time ever, the Canadiens are wearing a powder blue jersey. It does seem weird and can feel out of place, considering the franchise has always worn red and a dark shade of royal blue.
But the big reason as to why I have this at the number one spot is the significance that the powder blue has. According to Adidas, they proclaim that this creation is “inspired by the city of Montreal colors”.
That is the perfect description to hide what the true meaning of what the powder blue is to represent. For those who have lived under a rock for decades, there was another major league sports team in the city of Montreal. They were the Montreal Expos who played in Major League Baseball from 1969-2004. They relocated to Washington and became the Nationals before the 2005 season.
Looking at this gives the nostalgia of what the past was. The Montreal Expos are arguably the most iconic defunct franchise in sports history. Seeing this on the ice will give many fond memories of legends like Gary Carter, Tim Raines, Larry Walker, and Andre Dawson.
This is a perfect nod to what was a part of the Montreal sports landscape and I love these. I would’ve never guessed that the Canadiens would combine an element from another sports team but they did. Needless to say, this is a grand slam.