History of the NHL’s Winter Classic Jerseys

One of the most popular aspects of the outdoor Winter Classic games are the team's jerseys, throwbacks to a franchise's heyday or notable eras in the team history. Here's a look at the sweaters that have become a part of the game again.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Dec 18, 2016

History of the NHL’s Winter Classic Jerseys

Buffalo Sabres, 2008

The Sabres went back to a design used from 1978-89 through 1995-96 for the first Winter Classic game, revisiting the buffalo over crossed sabers logo on a white jersey.

Pittsburgh Penguins, 2008

As part of the league's first Winter Classic, the Penguins went back to their color scheme from 1967 and quickly adopted the the retro jerseys as alternates for the following season.

Chicago Blackhawks, 2009

The Blackhawks went back to 1936-37 for inspiration in the 2009 Winter Classic, going with a black jersey with beige and red horizontal stripes.

Detroit Red Wings, 2009

The white-based jerseys are a throwback to those worn circa 1926-27, including an old-school logo on the chest with a current 'winged wheel' on the shoulders. "The Old English ‘D’ served as the hockey team’s very first logo and is widely recognized as a symbol for our city and its sports teams,” Red Wings GM Ken Holland said.

Philadelphia Flyers, 2010

The Flyers' jerseys bear a striking resemblance to the 1967-72 version worn at the team's inception. "Flyers players will proudly wear special retro jerseys which reflect a look of our early years which evoke very special memories of playing against the Boston Bruins, including our first Stanley Cup victory," Flyers founder Ed Snider said at the unveiling.

Boston Bruins, 2010

The gold uniforms harken back to those worn by the Bruins for their first Stanley Cup in 1929, as well as some other historic nods—including a variation on the original spoked 'B' and laces on the jersey as a throwback to the Big Bad Bruins of the 1970s.

Pittsburgh Penguins, 2011

The Penguins went light blue-on-navy for this jersey, which features several different elements from the franchise's uniform history—including the ever-popular skating penguins logo. "We wanted to create a uniform that celebrates the rich history of Penguins hockey, but with a new look," Keith Leach, Director of Merchandising for Reebok said.

Washington Capitals, 2011

The Capitals didn't have to go too far back to capture the nostalgia of these 1970s era throwbacks. Despite a few modernizations, the jerseys were popular enough to come back as the team's alternates the following season.

New York Rangers, 2012

The retro style of these Rangers duds pay tribute to the Original Six tradition, featuring colors from the team's 'Heritage Jersey' and a vintage shield inspired by the franchise's original 1926 logo.

Philadelphia Flyers, 2012

These bright orange numbers combined a number of elements for the Flyers. "Our new jerseys... combine the classic Flyers orange and black with our iconic Flyers Crest," said Peter Luuko, then the team's president. "We believe these new jerseys represent our past, present and future."

Detroit Red Wings, 2014

The Red Wings' getup for the 2014 game featured a striping pattern and arch Detroit wordmark inspired by the late-1920s Detroit Cougars and an early iteration of the winged wheel logo, circa 1930.

Toronto Maple Leafs, 2014

The Maple Leafs contributed to a color-on-color matchup with a look inspired by the team's 1927 jerseys, the first time the franchise had worn blue.

Washington Capitals, 2015

The Capitals' 2015 garb is more of a collection of tributes to pro hockey in Washington. The deep red symbolizes the team's roots in the city, while the shoulder stripes go back to the 1930s. Add in the oversized 'W' on the chest and you get a unique-yet-familiar look.

Chicago Blackhawks, 2015

The Blackhawks didn't stray too far from the their current look with these 1957 throwbacks, with the jerseys getting a few retro tweaks, most notably the colors on the shoulder tomahawk logo.

Boston Bruins, 2016

For the 2016 Winter Classic, the Bruins looked back to their 1924 uniforms for inspiration, including the logo, striping pattern and numbers. A crewneck collar was developed for the jersey, giving it a more literal 'sweater' feel.

Montreal Canadiens, 2016

Montreal went pretty far back to their roots for this display, specifically to the 1924-25 season. The updated jerseys feature the team's slightly altered version of their world champions crest.

Chicago Blackhawks, 2017

blackhawks-2017-winter-classic-jersey-crawford-1600.jpg — Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images

The Blackhawks’ 2017 Winter Classic uniform “is inspired by the playing era of legends Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. The uniform stands as an homage to the legends of the past while preserving the classic aesthetic of the franchise by using details from uniforms of the late 1950s and early 1960s.”

St. Louis Blues, 2017

blues-2017-winter-classic-jersey-pietrangelo-action-1600.jpg — Jimmy Simmons/Icon Sportwire

The Blues’ design harkens back to the franchise's first season, 50 years ago in 1967. "we are proud to pay tribute to our original uniforms and the franchise pioneers who first wore them in 1967,” Team owner Tom Stillman said.

Buffalo Sabres, 2018

The uniform is meant to recall the Sabres’ 48 years of history, including a slightly modified version of the charging buffalo crest. It includes three secondary logos: a buffalo shoulder patch, a pair of crossed swords and a script wordmark.

New York Rangers, 2018

rangers-2018-winter-classic-jersey-shattenkirk-1600.jpg — Courtesy, New York Rangers

The navy in these jerseys replaces the team’s usual royal blue color as a nod to ‘the roots of the game outdoors,’ while the stair-step font is inspired by the Rangers lettering of the 1920s.