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A preview of every NHL team’s Reverse Retro jersey

By Ian Oland

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November 11, 2020 2:42 pm

The NHL and Adidas dually announced its long-rumored Reverse Retro jersey line on Tuesday. Each team is taking a beloved former jersey from its past and flipping the colors for a fresh new look next season.

Adidas left clues on what each would look like by placing the year that inspired their Reverse Retro jersey on the back. While some teams introduced new sweater designs that year, others experienced some of the biggest moments in franchise history, suggesting that could be part of the final reveal somehow.

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks may be bringing back the duck-billed goalie mask logo that was worn in the original Mighty Ducks movies, but in a sleek white and teal.

Arizona Coyotes

If the 1998 tease stays true, we could see the Kachina Coyote logo again. The deep purple color is sampled from the team’s old crescent moon logo.

Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins didn’t introduce a new design in 1990, but if Adidas was inspired by the jersey they wore then, the team will be rocking golden sweaters featuring its old black-and-yellow spoked B logo, which jives with the leaked image Pete Blackburn tweeted.

Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo introduced a crossed Sabres sword crest in 2000 which was part of red alternate jerseys they played in at the turn of the century. If this design is indeed the inspiration, Adidas and the Sabres took big design liberties to modernize and flip it to work with the team’s current royal blue and white brand colors.

Calgary Flames

The Flames, who are already going “Full Retro” with their home and away jerseys next season, could be using their Flaming Horse logo which they first rocked in 1998. It’s terrifying.

Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes will re-embrace their Hartford Whalers past. The only question is how far they will go? Will the team rock a Whalers’ crest or try to modify the Hurricanes logo to work on green? I don’t know, but I’m excited at what they might try.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are going back to 1940 and will rock a black sweater. According to NHL Uniforms, the Blackhawks introduced a white jersey for the first time in its history during the 1940-41 season to be more in contrast with the other team – an adaptation the league still uses today.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche’s Reverse Retro sweater will be inspired by the Quebec Noridques’s first jersey in the NHL. Nathan MacKinnon gave us a preview of the powder-blue colored gloves that will go with the jerseys in October. But will the Avalanche go all the way and bring back the Nordiques crest which features an n igloo logo joined together with a hockey stick and a puck? One can pray.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets’ Reverse Retro sweater appears to be one of the biggest and boldest departures from their brand. The team is choosing to go red, a first in team history, and is sampling out the color from their NHL debut sweaters in 2000. The team’s old CBJ logo would be a nice final touch. It’s worth noting the team has worn red pants in the past.

Dallas Stars

The Stars introduced their new alternate Blackout jerseys, featuring neon green highlights, in late October. It’s unclear how bold their Reverse Retro jersey will be. In 2000, the team wore jerseys with star striping with its team name placed overtop a star on the crest.

Detroit Red Wings

Ah, this one’s a mystery! The Red Wings did not introduce a new jersey in 1998, but it was the year they won their second consecutive championship, sweeping the Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final that June. The use of grey striping would be a new addition.

Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers are going a sleek white and orange, flipping their inaugural blue jerseys in the NHL.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers did not introduce a new sweater design in 1996 but did advance to the Stanley Cup Final that year. Could Florida be bringing back its inaugural Flying Panthers crest in navy blue? It seems likely. For what it’s worth, the Panthers have rocked a navy sweater for a large swath of its history.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are returning to purple and gold for their Reverse Retro jersey. The 1988-89 season marked the first year Wayne Gretzky played on the Kings, and in 1989, Gretzky broke the NHL points record. From 1988 through 1991, the Kings wore white and black jerseys. It appears this design will flip that sweater to purple with the vintage Kings logo.

Minnesota Wild

The Wild will wear white sweaters with gold numbers and green stripes. But the big question is: will they bring back the North Stars logo? The year of 1978 certainly suggests so. The North Stars’ franchise was relocated to Dallas in 1993, but the Wild franchise has embraced the North Stars since. In 2017, the Wild wore North Stars’ retro jerseys during warmups.

Montreal Canadiens

The Habs appear to be flipping the red jersey they wore in 1977.

Nashville Predators

The Preds are going full mustard, flipping their inaugural navy jerseys in 1998.

New Jersey Devils

Christmas colors are coming back to Newark as the Devils will rock green jerseys, reversed from their inaugural ditties in 1982.

New York Islanders

The Islanders won their first of four consecutive Stanley Cups in 1980. During those franchise-best years, the Islanders wore similar jerseys to what they wear nowadays. It’s unclear if this is more a freshening up of that design or Adidas has something else more creative planned.

New York Rangers

The Rangers’ jerseys will be navy blue with red lettering and grey outlines. The year, 1996, suggests the team is bringing back the Statue of Liberty logo that they rocked on their third jerseys that year. That season also marked Wayne Gretzky’s first season in the Big Apple.

Ottawa Senators

The Senators appear to be another franchise that is bringing back its inaugural jersey but flipping it to new colors. For the Senators, that’s red and black.

Philadelphia Flyers

The Legion of Doom line featuring Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Mikael Renberg, was put together for the first time in 1995. The Flyers appear to be taking the jersey they wore then and flipping it to orange and black.

Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pens’ jerseys are a bit of a mystery, but they did rock a different penguin-in-triangle logo back then. 1997 marked the first time Mario Lemieux retired due to lymphoma. The Penguins’ great was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame that year.

San Jose Sharks

The Sharks are going grey and teal, a twist on their jerseys from 1998.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues have gone absolutely nuts in their design. They’re going red in their jersey design, a play off the striping from these jerseys worn in 1995.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Bolts are going a bold navy blue with black lettering, likely bringing back their old Tampa Bay Lightning crest in the process. 2004 marks the first year they won the Stanley Cup.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto will wear blue and grey Reverse Retro jerseys. 1970 marked the first year Toronto wore an 11-point maple leaf on their jerseys.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks are embracing their vintage green color in sweaters. In 2001, Vancouver wore the same crest they rock today, suggesting this jersey’s biggest difference may just be the color.

Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights were not around in 1995, but the Las Vegas Thunder, of the International Hockey League, was. According to the Sin Bin, the Knights jersey will be inspired by that minor league franchise, utilizing its will also V-shaped color striping. The Golden Knights’ secondary logo, the sword star, will be on the crest.

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are bringing back the Screaming Eagle on red as a continuation of the Rock The Red era. You can see the mockup and the team’s possible third jersey next season here.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets are going grey and blue, flipping their inaugural jerseys. This one should be a treat.

These new sweaters are expected to drop before Thanksgiving. The date per @SportsLogosNet is currently set for Monday, November 16. Which jersey are you most looking forward to seeing revealed?

Screenshots courtesy of NHL/Adidas

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