When the Vancouver Canucks introduced their new jerseys this season, my first reaction was that it was ugly and had too much happening. I looked at it and thought the designer must not have been able to decide what to include and just threw everything into the mixing bowl to produce this thing. It had the orca logo, the vintage hockey stick logo, and it had “Vancouver” plastered right across the top (which I thought was hideous). However, after having a few months to digest the new jersey and having seen the players wear them on the ice, I’ve grown fond of it (yes, even the “Vancouver” part). Now the time has come to retire my old jersey and buy a new one. I’ve been thinking about which one I want, either home or away, and I’ve decided that I like the away jersey better. Which brought to mind another question: what about all the other jerseys in the league? If not Vancouver, which other jersey could I see myself getting? So I present to you now my thoughts of all the new 2007/08 NHL RBK EDGE jerseys, starting with the home team (with the rest following in alphabetically order, by city name).

Vancouver Canucks I had always been fond of the non-white version of the Canucks’ jersey in the past because it didn’t look as plain. However, with the new jerseys, I actually prefer the white version (away) over the non-white version (home). The colour scheme actually looks nice now (compared to my initial reactions) and I like how the orca logo is the same, yet different (colour-wise). I even forgive the “Vancouver” part.

Anaheim Ducks I’m not a fan of black jerseys so I instinctively like the away jersey more. The jersey is simple, the logo is sleek and attractive, and the colour stripes at the bottom are well-angled (I don’t think I would have liked this jersey as much had the stripes been strictly horizontal).

Atlanta Thrashers Both jerseys are nice but I like the away jersey more. The blue colour of the home jersey actually looks nice in real life, but I’m not sure about the “ATLANTA” down the right arm. Maybe if they made it the same on the left arm, it would be better. I prefer symmetric designs.

Boston Bruins The jerseys of the Original Six are always classy and I’m glad last year Boston did away with the version with a bear on the front. That was ugly. I like both jerseys and I also like the tie-strings (which several other teams have incorporated).

Buffalo Sabres The first thought that came to everyone’s mind when Buffalo unveiled their new logo last year was, is that a slug? It was certainly a departure from their previous logos. I still don’t like it. With that aside, however, their jerseys are nice. A good colour scheme and nothing too fancy. If I lived in Buffalo, I’d get either jersey.

Calgary Flames Whenever I see a game played at the Saddledome in Calgary, all the fans seem to have on the Calgary Flames jersey. It’s a total see of red. Calgary’s got a couple of good jerseys; I wasn’t a fan of their third jersey with the snorting horse. Again, the tie-strings are a nice touch. The Canadian flag and the Alberta flag seemed like a nice touch, but considering Calgary isn’t the only Canadian team in the NHL, it just doesn’t feel like it means anything. If, say, the Toronto Raptors had a Canadian flag on their jersey, that would make more sense. And again, having the Alberta flag doesn’t really mean much, since Edmonton is also from Alberta. Plus, it’s blue and it doesn’t fit with the colour scheme.

Carolina Hurricanes A simple jersey, with the home and away versions looking almost like exact mirror images of one another. The only thing I don’t like is that block pattern and the waist. Oh, that and I don’t like the log itself.

Chicago Blackhawks Another of the Original Six teams, Chicago’s jerseys are traditional and easily likable. I’d probably take the away jersey because the waist trim looks nicer. But first I need to check to see if the logo of the indian is P.C.

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche jersey has remained relatively the same (not counting their third jersey with “COLORADO” diagonally across the front) since their move from Quebec. I like the away jersey because of the blue/gray trim from the neck to the waist, but both jerseys aren’t bad.

Columbus Blue Jackets Incorporating the Ohio flag in their logo, I would guess this jersey is popular in Columbus. However, it just doesn’t appeal to me and the jerseys look kind of plain. If I had to pick one, I’d wear the home jersey.

Dallas Stars The stars changed their home jersey this year by replacing the logo with the city name and changing from green to black. I don’t like it. For that, I’ll pick the away jersey, although it could use a bit more green in the sleeves.

Detroit Red Wings I like the away jersey and the home jersey looks nice, too, but I would try to incorporate some white in the shoulder area. Other than that, Motor City’s jersey is just fine.

Edmonton Oilers The blue home jersey with the copper trim is very visually appealing, especially with the original Oilers logo (and not that metallic oil drop that was used on alternate jerseys of the past). The away jersey could have used some type of waist trim to make it less plain.

Florida Panthers The logo is too cartoony for my liking and the home jersey looks like neon-coloured mess. I don’t like either jersey at all.

Los Angeles Kings The Kings’ home jersey is one of the few black jerseys I like, partly because of the purple. The sleeves and shoulders are well designed. The only thing I don’t like is the city name trimming the waist. They should have used a coloured trim in the same design as the band by the elbows.

Minnesota Wild Doesn’t their home jersey look like a vintage jersey? It’s got that vintage-feeling design. I don’t like the circular design on the front. The away jersey is another story, however. I quite like it, from the colour scheme to the overall design.

Montreal Canadiens One of my favourite jerseys in the NHL, the Canadiens’ jerseys are instantaneous likable. It’s very traditional, but still feels updated. The logo on the home jersey seems to sit a tad higher than I’d like and the home jersey could use one more white trim at the bottom of the waist, but otherwise it’s great.

Nashville Predators Thank the hockey gods Nashville got rid of the mustard mess from last season. It was positively gross. This season, they’ve gone back to the blue/silver/yellow colour scheme and it works. I always thought the Predators had one of the better logos in the league and it looks great on their home jersey. Their away jersey incorporates the city name and shrinks the logo a bit and it still looks good. I’m glad they decided to go with the silver band from the shoulder all the way down the arm to the wrist. For some strange reason, it makes the jersey look fast to me.

New Jersey Devils Another one of the jerseys that hasn’t changed since its debut, except for an update to the trim colours. I don’t think this jersey needs any updating because when I look at it, it invokes memories of Stevens, Neidermayer, Brodeur, and 3 Stanley Cups.

New York Islanders Nice colours and a nice logo make this an attractive jersey. It has an effective waist trim and the shoulder logo works (albeit odd and plain). Much better than the fisherman logo they used one season. My preference is for the home jersey.

New York Rangers The home jersey could use some shoulder patterns like the away jersey, but it looks alright. The logo doesn’t appear anywhere on the jersey, which I think was a mistake. They could have easily put it on the shoulder to add more appeal.

Ottawa Senators The Senators changed their logo this year, updating their traditional-looking logo to a more updated look. I like the new look and I also like the new jerseys. The O shoulder logos add something up-top but again, this is another one of those jerseys that could do with a waist trim pattern.

Philadelphia Flyers For a long time, I never knew what the logo of the Flyers was supposed to be. I always thought it was a puck with wings. I was partially correct; It’s the letter P with a puck in it and wings. The logo has never changed and the jersey has hardly changed either. I don’t like the black jersey but the white one looks pretty good. This is one of the rare jerseys where I don’t find any fault in not having a waist trim pattern. I like the colours and the wrist area. Overall, the jersey is clean.

Phoenix Coyotes The new logo is a vast improvement over the original. It’s not as busy, which makes it look more sophisticated. The home jersey colours compliment the logo quite nicely, as do the shoulder patterns on the away jersey. I also like the elbow trim design.

Pittsburgh Penguins I wasn’t a big fan of the triangle bird logo they had in the mid/late 90’s so I was happy when they went back to the full hockey-playing penguin logo. It reminds me of the days of Mario Lemieux, who was my favourite player growing up. I like the home jersey because the penguin in the gold triangle works with the black background and the colour design in the arms is nice. The away jersey is almost a mirror image and it also looks nice.

San Jose Sharks What the hell did they do to the logo this year? And what the hell is that colour blotch on the head of the shark? It was a good-looking logo until that happened. The orange trimming all over also makes the jersey look like crap. The only thing I like is the shoulder area of the away jerseys (although I can’t say the same for the home jerseys).

St. Louis Blues Like the Nashville Predators’ jersey, I like the yellow trim from the neck to the waist. The logo is also pretty nice. For the Blues, I like the home jersey because it’s got a nice colour scheme and I like the white patch near the shoulders. The arms are also well designed on both jerseys.

Tampa Bay Lightning Tampa Bay’s got a pretty sharp logo and it really stands out on their home jerseys. the design in the wrist area looks good and the shoulder logos add just enough to make this jersey one of the better ones in the league.

Toronto Maple Leafs Ahh, the Leafs. I’ll try to be impartial. The jerseys are simple. Too simply, in fact. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think they were practice jerseys. This no creativity in these jerseys and they made them even worse this year by removing the waist trim. Add some things to the shoulders and waist and the jersey would be improved easily.

Washington Capitals Washington went back to their original logo with an updated look and I like it. A colour scheme rehaul accompanied the logo change and I’m impressed. I like the white bordering of the logo on the home jersey and the away jersey just can’t duplicate this effect.

Many of the jerseys are pretty nice. The Original Six jerseys have stood the test of time and some of the newer jerseys are also pretty good. There are some obvious ugly ones (Florida, San Jose) but overall, I like the new RBK EDGE jerseys. With that said, here are my top 5 jerseys (not including the Canucks):

1. Montreal Canadiens
2. Nashville Predators
3. Pittsburgh Penguins
4. New York Islanders
5. Atlanta Thrashers (away); Edmonton Oilers (home)