TOP 10: Best NHL Jerseys with ZERO WINS

TOP 10: Best NHL Jerseys with ZERO WINS

The answer is clearly no. Or is it? In November 2022, the Buffalo Sabres launched a new third jersey, a remake of their black uniform from 1996 with a logo commonly known as the “Goathead.” For reasons I don’t understand, by the way, because, yeah, this looks exactly like a goat

And not at all like a buffalo. Sure, okay… but I’m getting off track. Point is, the Sabres started the season 8-11 going into that first game with the black jersey and had only just snapped an 8-game losing skid. The St. Louis Blues, on the other hand,

Arrived in Buffalo riding a 7-game winning streak. Then the Sabres skated out in black and it was like a whole different team. Jeff Skinner found the back of the net just 18 seconds into the game and the team notched three more goals in the second period.

Rookie Jack Quinn then capped off the night with a pair sending the Sabres to a 6-2 win over the Blues. Black was looking good on Buffalo and it kept looking good. Two weeks later, it saw them to a 6-3 win over San Jose, a 6-0 shutout over the Kings

And another 6-3 victory over Detroit. That was 4 straight wins, scoring exactly 6 goals while wearing the black third jerseys. Could they make it 5 against Minnesota? It was a tight, back and forth game, but Rasmus Dahlin saved it with two and a half minutes left in regulation

Taking a 5-5 tie into overtime. Gold number 6 was still in reach. With only 19 seconds left until a shootout, they did it. A Victor Olofsson slapper capped the win with 6 goals in each of the first 5 black jersey nights. So the Sabres let it ride,

Wearing black in back-to-back games for the first time since 2006, trying to go 6 for 6. But that did not go well. The streak came to a dramatic end as Buffalo was shut out by Philadelphia, 4-0. So did the black jerseys have anything to do

With the Sabres scoring exactly 6 goals a night in 5 straight games? Well, no, probably not. But it was an interesting run that could leave you wondering… what if? And it got me wondering… what are the best NHL jerseys that have never won a game?

For years, I have been the keeper of a very nerdy document. There are a lot of stats geeks out there, but I might be a bit unusual. This is my NHL Uniform Tracker, a spreadsheet containing a unique type of hockey data…

Jersey matchups for more than 35,000 NHL games and counting dating back more than 32 years. It’s how I can quickly and confidently make a list of NHL jerseys that have never won a game. Just consult the spreadsheet and add a quick filter. To be fair, there aren’t that many.

Your typical home and away jerseys are off the table. Teams play so many games in a season, they’re bound to win at least a few both at home and on the road. So really what we’ll find here are one-off designs intended for special events and outdoor games.

But I don’t really want to use statistics to judge a sweater that’s only been worn one time. For that reason, this list will only consider jerseys that have seen action in at least two games. And with that, let’s count them down. The first-ever NHL Stadium Series game happened on January 25, 2014

At Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Kings wearing grey for the first time, playing host to the Anaheim Ducks in orange, also for the first time. The uniforms were trimmed in slanted stripes, elongated numbers and crests with a gimmicky chrome treatment. Really, it just looked like someone playing

With the emboss effect in Photoshop. And under those bright stadium lights, the Kings were shut out by the Ducks, 3-0. But they would get one more chance in the greys. A rematch on the final night of the regular season. The bad news? The Kings blew it in a shootout

Leaving the Stadium Series sweater completely winless. The good news? They won 16 more games after that en route to their second Stanley Cup championship. So the greys were quickly forgotten. Number 10 in our countdown is the L.A. Kings’ 2014 Stadium Series jersey. It was never worn again after that season

But grey did come back for the club’s 50th anniversary a few years later. February 23, 2019. The puck dropped on part two of a Stadium Series showdown, an outdoor rematch in the Battle of Pennsylvania and a rare color on color game. The Philadelphia Flyers wore orange with the Pittsburgh Penguins in black,

Both teams opting for tonal color palettes lacking any sign of white. It was a great looking game with a wild ending. The Pens blew a 3-1 lead late in the third and the Flyers put it away in OT. And when these Metro Division rivals came back together a month later in Pittsburgh,

The home fans got an up close look at the black and yellow jerseys. Although, sadly, Philly only brought their white away sweater preventing an indoor rematch of those outdoor jerseys. Unfortunately, the Pens still got a familiar result, blowing a lead

Late in the third and allowing the Flyers to complete the comeback in OT. And with that, these uniforms were never seen again. Here at number 9, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2019 Stadium Series jersey. Next up, another trip to the Stadium Series

As the Nashville Predators hosted an outdoor game for the first time on February 26, 2022. To mark the occasion, they wore this the only NHL jersey ever to put a marketing slogan on the chest. The Preds’ opponent was a team coming off back to back Stanley Cup wins

So the deck was already stacked against them. The game was close and Nashville even got on the board first. But in the end, the Lightning prevailed, 3-2. But Smashville would get two more chances to turn it around. In fact, its next appearance —against St. Louis—made NHL history.

It was the first time a Stadium Series jersey and a Winter Classic jersey from the same season went head to head. Nashville fell to an early 3-0 deficit but battled back to tie it at 4 going into the third.

In the final minutes, Robert Thomas grabbed the lead for the Blues, who then sealed it away with a pair of empty netters. That left only a rematch with the Bolts down in Tampa. But it wasn’t meant to be that night either, as the Preds were smashed 6-2.

Coming in at number 8, the Nashville Predators 2022 Stadium Series jersey. It was a cool, groundbreaking design but it just couldn’t come out on top. As the NHL’s newest expansion franchise, the Seattle Kraken had little history to reference in their second season as Adidas planned its second round of Reverse Retros.

So the team looked instead to its city’s hockey history and came up with a design based in part on the Seattle Ironmen from 1951. They kept their own modern colors and logo and applied a throwback striping pattern. What resulted was a great jersey that never found a win.

It debuted on November 13, 2022, against Winnipeg where the Kraken blew a 2-1 lead on the penalty kill with only 6 seconds left in regulation. Then less than a minute into overtime Mark Scheifele finished the Jets’ comeback. The Kraken wore that jersey three more times that season,

Falling to Florida, Edmonton, and finally Boston, but ultimately would still go on to clinch their first ever playoff spot. Landing at number 7, the Seattle Kraken 2022 Reverse Retro jersey. A great look for the city, but bad luck for the team. Later in the same season,

The Washington Capitals were bound for the 2023 Stadium Series in Raleigh. For years, fans had been asking for a jersey with the team’s secondary logo, a bald eagle shaped like a W, affectionately nicknamed the “Weagle.” For this particular outdoor appearance, on February 18, 2023,

The Weagle wasn’t just present on the jersey, it was omnipresent— a super-sized bird with a wingspan that stretched to the sleeves and beyond. The Caps delivered in a big way on that jersey. But on the ice, not so much. They lost to Carolina, 4-1.

Then a few nights later, they showed off the jersey to the home crowd hosting the Red Wings, where they lost again. Sitting at number 6 in the countdown, the Washington Capitals 2023 Stadium Series jersey. It was a short, rough ride for a bold and inventive uniform

Here at the halfway point, we head to St. Louis where the Blues kind of did the unthinkable with their first Reverse Retro jersey. It’s red. Very red. And maybe that was a bit of a distraction for players so accustomed to seeing their teammates in blue.

It was first worn on February 4, 2021 in a loss to the Coyotes, which ended the Blues’ 4-game winning streak. The Blues went red one more time a few weeks later, hosting the Kings and this time, couldn’t muster a single goal shut out by L.A., 3-0.

The ‘90s redesign this jersey was based on is a nostalgic favorite among fans and that original even came back for a couple of nights later in the season with better outcomes, too. So at number 5, the St. Louis Blues 2020 Reverse Retro jersey. Staying with the Reverse Retro theme here,

The Vancouver Canucks original design was nicknamed the Sprite can for fairly obvious reasons. It was a play on the team’s 2001 third jersey, the gradient effect being a novelty at the time. The Canucks planned to wear the jersey 4 times,

But rather than spreading them out across the short season like other teams, Vancouver booked a Reverse Retro homestand. Four games in one week with a fresh look. And to top it off, an exciting contest as the Canucks planned to give away a Reverse Retro jersey to one lucky fan

Every time the team scored a goal. February 19, 2021. The Canucks were completely shut out by the Jets, 2-0. A couple nights later, they finally got on the board but blew an early lead and had to force overtime where they lost again.

They dropped the next two games to Edmonton, including another shutout, dooming the giveaway with a jersey jinx and leading to headlines like: “Canucks can’t even give away their cursed ‘Reverse Retro’ jerseys.” You have to admit that was a little funny. At number 4 in our countdown,

The Vancouver Canucks 2020 Reverse Retro jersey. It may have looked like a lemon-lime soda but it sure left fans with a sour taste. In the number 3 spot, we’ve got 3 different jerseys all from the San Jose Sharks, who seem to have awful luck with special sweaters.

On February 21, 2015, the Sharks got their first chance to host an outdoor game, suiting up at Levi’s Stadium. The tri-color style was created in concert with their in-state rivals from Los Angeles, but it was the Kings who came out on top that night.

The Sharks wore their Stadium Series jersey two more times indoors over the next few weeks, losing to Ottawa and Chicago. The following season, San Jose was celebrating 25 years in the NHL with a revival of their inaugural season uniform. And despite a largely successful season

That took them all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, each and every time the Sharks suited up in that classic Pacific teal, they could not come away with a win. They dropped all five games, including two in a shootout. Then in 2021, another chance with that throwback shark,

A Reverse Retro in grey. But they managed to drop all four games in four different fashions. They lost in OT. They lost in a shutout. They lost in a shootout. And then they just plain lost. The grey seemed to do these guys no favors.

That’s why at number 3, it’s a three-way tie in San Jose: the Sharks 25th anniversary throwback, 2015 Stadium Series and 2020 Reverse Retro jerseys. Memorable designs with forgettable results. We’ve got one more Reverse Retro jersey in our countdown. The Anaheim Ducks paid tribute to their first-ever third jersey

From 1996 with Wild Wing bursting through the ice. They switched from jade to white to give the design a fresh feel. It was easily one of the most anticipated designs of the 2020 Reverse Retro collection and one of the last to debut.

When it finally did hit the ice on March 16, 2021, it was a stunner. In the midst of a disappointing season, the Ducks managed to put 4 goals on the board in the first period against the high-flying Colorado Avalanche—and in Denver! But Anaheim couldn’t muster anything more

And they couldn’t keep the puck out of their own net either eventually getting snowed under, 8-4. When they finally wore the Wild Wing tribute at home for the first time on April 24, it was more of the same, losing 5-1 to the Golden Knights.

Number 2 in our countdown is the Anaheim Ducks 2020 Reverse Retro jersey. an exciting 1990s reboot that ended up completely pointless. Before we get to the big finale, I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank all the members of the Icethetics channel

With a special Stick Tap to the ICONS. Your support is hugely appreciated. And finally, at number one there can only be this one. In March 2013, the Vancouver Canucks celebrated a jersey revival more than a century in the making, bringing the classic look of the Vancouver Millionaires into the NHL.

It was a gorgeous, bright spot in a season shortened by another lockout. And despite scoring first, an incredible 6 seconds into the game, Alex Burrows and the Canucks then allowed the Red Wings to score five straight and ultimately lost that one 5-2. But the sweater wasn’t done yet.

The Canucks wore it again the following season for the 2014 Heritage Classic, and once again, a disappointing ending as they fell 4-2 to the Senators. March 26, 2015, was a big night. The actual 100th anniversary of the night the Millionaires routed the old Ottawa Senators, 12-3

To sweep their first and only Stanley Cup championship. They had one more chance to capture a W while wearing the big V. But they would not be on this list if they did. Vancouver, of course, lost to Colorado in a final showdown of burgundy versus burgundy.

In my opinion, this remains the best NHL jersey never to win a game. The Vancouver Canucks’ 2013 Millionaires throwback. So often what we love about hockey sweaters has little to do with how the players wearing them perform on any given night. A great design is a great design, even when it’s a loser.

Thanks for watching this Icethetics Top 10. I’ll be back with another one soon, counting down the best jerseys that never lost a game. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it. That’s all for now. See you next time.

This is a no-win situation.

Can a jersey design ever affect the outcome of a hockey game? Seems unlikely. But over the years, the NHL has seen a handful of great jerseys never worn in a winning effort.

From Stadium Series defeats to Reverse Retro flops and a few others in between, let’s countdown the best of the losers—10 jerseys that never picked up a W.

▪️ CHAPTERS ▪️
00:00 – The “Goathead” Revival
02:30 – Intro
03:32 – Number 10
04:34 – Number 9
05:36 – Number 8
06:54 – Number 7
07:56 – Number 6
08:50 – Number 5
09:46 – Number 4
10:57 – Number 3
12:30 – Number 2
13:48 – Number 1

This video showcases best NHL jerseys that lost every game in which they were worn.

Featured teams include the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, and Washington Capitals.

Referenced in this video is my NHL Uniform Tracker, which contains jersey matchup data going back to the 1991-92 season. If you’d like to take a look, here’s a link to my Google Sheets document: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VBIId4gCzV54dTRzIQcbkWu4WAKyHEwoMVRUjtIIPWc/edit?usp=sharing

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