Jordan Wohl, Staff Writer
Photo//Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports
The NHL and Adidas are currently in their sixth and second-to-final season together as uniform partners. The partnership is the second time the NHL has partnered with one company to produce uniforms for all member teams, with Reebok being the first to do so in 2007.
In six years, Adidas has designed 195 different uniforms across 32 member teams. There will be a few more jerseys released in the next twelve months. But for now, let’s look at the best and worst of the partnership:
Now here’s where the fun begins.
After ranking all 195 jerseys, I wanted to get an idea of which teams had the best Adidas jerseys overall. To determine the ranking, I factored in three equally-weighted rankings: most jersey designs, average rank per jersey (subjective), and best logo (based on a survey by The Athletic of 1,440 fans earlier this year).
FINAL OVERALL RANK
(Most Jerseys + Highest Average Jersey Rankings + Best Logo)
(Click Team Name for Best Adidas Jersey)
Final Thoughts
The best of the Adidas series of jerseys are remarkable- some of the best hockey jerseys in history. Adidas’s chapter in hockey culture will be defined by being the first to get all teams an alternate jersey, and then doing it a second time.
All that being said, we know that the NHL is looking to Nike and CCM first to produce jerseys next year and only time will tell how the next vendor does. Although CCM would have a higher quality fabric and a likely more player-friendly jersey, getting Nike would legitimize the sport as one of the top tier leagues in American sports.
On top of legitimacy, Nike’s global reach, expansive design team, and reputation for championing alternates in their other sports would be a treat. That would be my first pick without seeing what any of the contracts would look like.
If you want an idea of what CCM and Nike hockey jerseys look like: most IIHF international teams like team USA, Canada, and Sweden all use Nike as well as the University of Michigan hockey teams. CCM is the official jersey of the CHL and AHL currently. Athletic Knit (AK) also makes a really nice hockey jersey; they’re the official jersey of the ECHL.