Over the years, as the NHL fan base ebbs and flows, the jerseys designs and styles for each franchise change. Why do they change so often? Its simple: Keep it fresh, keep fans watching, and keep people buying. The NHL is notorious for trying different stunts each year to get hockey into the lives of more people, the jerseys are just one of their chosen instruments.

Without much further adieu, here are hockeyjerseyguide.com’s top five picks for best all time hockey jersey designs. Let us know what you think:

5: Vancouver Canucks (2000 – 2001):

The Canucks have seen a wide variety of color schemes and logos over the years but their latest iteration is their best yet. An homage to native Canadian history the icon is the likeness of a whale in the shape of a C. The blue, green, and white color scheme is much easier on the eyes than their older orange, black, and white scheme. The Canucks jerseys made it into the top five because the jersey they came up with in 2000 far exceeds any of their earlier designs.

4: The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993 – 1994):

The Mighty Ducks have been trying to ruffle their feathers a little bit lately and toughen up their image but when the team was first introduced in 1993 they were straight out of a family film. This franchise, and the jersey design with it, represents one of the cheapest money grabs in the history of sport. Disney purchased the team and built their stadium in Anaheim, only a short drive from their California park. The jersey was based on the children’s hockey film The Mighty Ducks and an exact replica of it would be used in the sequel D2: The Mighty Ducks. This one makes the top five due to the contradiction between blatant Disney self-advertisement and team talent and skill. These guys weren’t pansies, they were good.

3. Detroit Red Wings (1932 – 1933):

The Red Wings have been part of the NHL from the beginning but they weren’t always symbolized by the winged wheel. Before 1932 the team was known as the Detroit Falcons and wore a jersey with nothing but red and white stripes and text. The team changed its image for the 1932 season and hasn’t changed it since. The winged wheel has become one of the most iconic NHL symbols and the city of Detroit is lovingly known as hockey town.

2. Toronto Maple Leafs (1927 – 1928):

Like the Red Wings, the Maple Leafs were part of the original six. They too were not the same team we know and love today. The team went through a few different changes between 1910 and 1927. They couldn’t seem to make up their minds between the three team names: The Arenas, the St. Pats, the Maple Leafs. The jerseys were different for all three as well. St. Pat’s color scheme was entirely different from the other two, green and white. It wasn’t until 1927 where the team finally made a decision and cemented itself into hockey history as the Toronto Maple Leafs. They went with the blue and white scheme and borrowed the maple leaf logo from the earlier Pat’s jerseys.

1. Montreal Canadiens (1917 – 1918):

The most iconic team in NHL history is the Montreal Canadiens. They have been in it from year one and remain a force to be reckoned with today. The jersey has been worn by the likes of Gump Worsely, Guy LaFleur, and Patrick Roy and it has remained pretty much the same over almost 100 years. The Canadian flag took the idea of using the Maple Leaf from the Canadians and the Maple Leafs. This jersey makes top 1 because it is the only jersey design that has withstood the test of time and has been around since the very birth of the NHL.