The Chicago Blackhawks are among the most iconic sports franchises in North America and their uniforms have been voted as the greatest in NHL history.
Over the past five weeks, hockey fans on NHL.com had been voting for their favourite uniforms from the past 100 years and the league announced the final results Tuesday. The Hartford Whalers (1979-1992), Anaheim Mighty Ducks (1993-2006), Quebec Nordiques (1979-1995) and Minnesota North Stars (1978-1981) rounded out the top five.
While the game of hockey continues to evolve, the Blackhawks uniforms have remained virtually unchanged since 1959.
“If you line up NHL jerseys, the Blackhawks stand out,” said Hall of Fame goalie Tony Esposito, who played 15 seasons in Chicago. “I don’t know why, the color maybe? The big Native American head? It’s clear, it’s precise, it’s not helter-skelter. Maybe that’s what I like, the clarity of it. The red jersey is so bright, and I think that’s what makes it stand out.”
Added current Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews: “I think everyone always has viewed the logo as a classic logo that’s timeless, almost, and obviously that has a lot to do with the history and tradition of an Original Six franchise. It’s special for me to play in a city like Chicago, where there’s that history of great players and teams that have won Stanley Cups and then you add the fact that they have that traditional look on the ice and you kind of get that excitement every time you wear the jersey.”
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