Ranking every Blackhawks uniform, from the barber pole to the Veruca Salt collar

August 20, 2024

You hear it all the time, that the Blackhawks’ jerseys are among the best in all of sports.

But which ones?

The classic reds? The whites? The old barber poles? The black-and-whites? Any one of the jerseys specially made for each of the Blackhawks’ 746 outdoor games? They’re not all pretty.

We convened a panel of Blackhawks fans and pundits to assemble the definitive ranking of the Blackhawks’ uniforms over the years. Joining Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus were Puckin’ Right Chicago podcaster Shalyn Brady (@shalynbrady13), Deadspin’s Sam Fels (@FelsGate), Second City Hockey’s Dave Melton (@_DaveMelton), The Rink’s Jeff Osborn (@PuckinHostile), Let’s Do That Hockey podcaster Chris Watkins (@yolo_pinyato), and The Score’s Jay Zawaski (@JayZawaski670). Each panelist ranked the eras and specials from 1-13, with 13 points awarded for a first-place vote, 12 for a second-place vote and so on.

The jersey is always the focal point, but we took into account the entire uniform. It only takes a poorly designed sock or a tan pair of shorts to ruin a look. Thankfully, the Blackhawks have never worn those grotesque green jerseys during an actual game, so we didn’t have to include them. We also didn’t dissect every little tweak and lumped together very similar looks over a longer era to make the list more manageable (for example, 1937-55 and 1955-present).

Here’s our list, starting with the biggest crimes against fashion and working our way up to the true beauties.

All design images used with permission from nhluniforms.com.

13. 2017-19

Highest ranking: Fifth (Watkins)
Lowest ranking: Last (Melton, Powers, Zawaski)

Melton: Did they fire the person responsible for these yet? The pilgrim-looking collars on the red jerseys ruined one of the best uniforms in pro sports.

Brady: It felt bad to put these dead last, considering the majority of the jersey is the same as the 1955-present era, but these collars were BAD. I’m glad they realized that and changed them last year, or else they’d go around playing games looking like women from the 1800s.

Zawaski: Oh, the dreaded Pollyanna collars. A concept so terrible, they scrapped it after two years. Cut to a meeting room. Sleeves rolled up, Chinese food on the table, clearly early in the morning. Adidas Exec No. 1: “OK. I’ve finally got it. Why don’t we take this glorious, historic, perfect uniform and completely ruin it?” Adidas Execs Nos. 2-10: “Brilliant! Nailed it!”

Osborn: Adidas. That’s all one has to say. Their weird obsession with changing the collar had to cost them. These jerseys are the “new coke” of Blackhawks lore. The rational person in me cannot believe that they screwed the collars up this bad so they would have to liquidate the style and force fans to update again just two years later. Not only was the team declining, but they were forced to wear these sweaters. No wonder Artemi Panarin and Joel Quenneville gladly left. Only way I would own one of these is if it came off the clearance rack

Watkins: I recently saw the white jersey on Griselda’s “Dr. Birds” video and just thought the newer ones looked significantly better with a hoodie and jewelry on, which is how I wear my jerseys anyway.

12. 1935-37

Highest ranking: Third (Fels)
Lowest ranking: Last (Lazerus)

Lazerus: Tan shorts. That is all.

Melton: Maybe the tan shorts looked OK on black-and-white TV but this looks like a mismatch of colors in a non-grayscale setting.

Watkins: Hypocritically, while I can’t ignore the still problematic logo, the chevron on the side of pants is too cool to overlook.

Osborn: I realize that these are very close to the 2009 Winter Classic, but those pants are hideous, especially with these socks. They look like cloth diapers and completely draw the attention away from the focus. This is one time when the lack of outline around the numbers helps. The red-faced logo is outdated, which should also take points off.

Brady: These jerseys are cool, but that’s about it for this ensemble. Why the tan shorts? What was the purpose of that? Use tan as an accent color, but for the love of God, we’re not going to brunch on Sunday, people.

11. 2016 Stadium Series

Highest ranking: Sixth (Lazerus)
Lowest ranking: Last (Osborn)

Lazerus: The whole run of outdoor-game unis from 2015-17 was one big meh.

Watkins: I like the addition of more black to the white jersey, but this is a bridge too far.

Brady: I really, really didn’t like these jerseys when I first saw them. The awkward black chunk across the top and the way the stripes are spread out on the sleeve were chunky and strange. But, I really like how large the name and numbers are on the back, and the addition of the four stars on the white side of the collar are pretty cool. I feel like they’re simple enough, but they also could’ve done better.

Osborn: This looks like a practice sweater with a fancy collar and patch. The tall thin letters and numbers give off a strange vibe.

Melton: I can’t lie, these jerseys are somewhat ruined by the abysmal performance from the Blackhawks in that game.

10. 2014 Stadium Series

Highest ranking: Third (Brady)
Lowest ranking: Lazerus (12th)

Melton: This jersey probably gets the unfair boost of being worn while Chicago played Pittsburgh in a snow globe at Soldier Field. The all-black uniforms juxtaposed with the sometimes-whiteout conditions were a fantastic look.

Brady: Not only are these the jerseys the Blackhawks wore when they won their only outdoor game, but they were the first time they wore majority black jerseys since 2009. I like the reduction of red on the end of the sleeve, and the addition of red and white stripes that extend all the way down to the bottom of the jersey. And Jonathan Toews had a three-point game, so they should bring them back forever.

Zawaski: I’d always been a big fan of the black third jerseys, but all of a sudden, they seem very “2000s” to me. What bugged me about this kit is the weird jagged edges on the sleeves and bottom. It looks like something I’d design in a video game after too many White Claws. I could also live without the shiny logo, but whatever. It’s a theme, I guess.

Osborn: The traditional modern era black alternates are my favorite sweaters. They somehow found a way to take a near-perfect sweater and turn it into a tacky replica. The “special” high resolution logo was supposed to be an improvement but did the opposite. Pass on any Blackhawks logo without the stitching. This is a glorified screen print.

Fels: These were essentially just the original third jerseys again, so whatever. And the only good thing about those thirds is they would hit the ice to Back In Black, which we can all agree is superior to Ted Nugent. Speaking of things that need to change…

Watkins: Ninety-nine percent of black jerseys suck, because they wash out the primary colors of the team’s logo and are just boring overall. Most jerseys consist of strongly contrasting colors (the blue and orange of the Knicks and Bears, or the red and green of the Wild) so the only good black jerseys are the Raiders, Nets and White Sox.

9. 1937-1955

Highest ranking: Fifth (Powers)
Lowest ranking: Last (Brady, Watkins)

Watkins: The jerseys at the end of Fred McLaughlin era are an awful combination of all the Blackhawks jersey program’s worst sins: The striping pattern of a late-night Skinemax viewing session; the painfully microscopic logo; and of course, the most blatantly racist representation of Chief Blackhawk in the logo’s controversial history. The stripeless home (or road?) whites have some redeeming qualities, but burn these post-haste.

Melton: The “barber pole” jerseys are phenomenal and it remains a disappointment that this design was never utilized in one of the Blackhawks’ plethora of outdoor games. But the white jerseys from this era are just so boring.

Brady: There’s way too much happening here, man. The numbers on the back should have been kept all white, the random stripe on the bottom outlined in black throws off the whole look, and the extra black stripe in the middle isn’t necessary. These are bad. Please never bring them back. Ever.

Osborn: We OCD people need to have our stripes even and equal. This one starts to resemble the Ottawa Senators way too much and the number on the back gets lost.

8. 2017 Winter Classic

Highest ranking: First (Watkins)
Lowest ranking: Last (Fels)

Brady: Why do they keep giving us outdoor games, seriously? These are literally the same jersey as the 2015 Winter Classic. Instead of all white on the bottom, they switched it to all black, and the logo and the tomahawk are throwbacks. That’s about it. This game was also really painful to watch, so there’s nothing special about them for me. They just bring me sadness.

Zawaski: The return of the haggard warrior. I like the concept of the tomahawks running along the sleeve stripes, but I didn’t love the black helmet idea. Had the helmet been white, it would have rated this one higher.

Osborn: This is the sweater where they should have had the modern logo. The black “tail” looks misplaced, but they made up for it by placing the crossed tomahawks properly on the sleeve stripes. Again, OCD. The black helmet made for the better contrast when you see them fully dressed.

Watkins: The best version of the Blackhawks jersey is the Glohawks edition by design outfit Frank151 but short of a dramatic redesign, the 2017 Winter Classic has the best combination of aesthetics: the contrasting black collar, lower placement of the sleeve logo and the removal of the black panel at the end of the sleeves. Anyone who argues differently is secretly a Red Wings fan.

7. 2015 Winter Classic

Highest ranking: Fourth (Watkins)
Lowest ranking: 11th (Fels, Osborn, Powers)

Melton: Not so different from the regular uniforms they’ve been wearing, but that’s sort of the entire problem; these look too much like the road whites they’re wearing during indoor games.

Brady: These jerseys are extremely similar to the away whites of the present era, but the addition of the jersey tie in the front mimicking the 1955-65 jersey is a nice touch. I also like how the sleeves are simple, just three stripes with an alternate tomahawk covering them, set lower than the away whites. These are clean. I like them.

Osborn: The 2015 and 2017 sweaters have two major components wrong: the Indian head logo. They should have put this modern logo on the 2017 sweater and vice versa. I prefer the crossed tomahawks with this color layout but they are laid out slightly too high on the stripes. All in all, 2015 through 2017 were designed with minimal effort while on cruise control. Very disappointing based on the material available.

Zawaski: It’s beautiful, but I’ve seen it before.

6. 2009 Winter Classic

Highest ranking: Second (Brady, Osborn)
Lowest ranking: 10th (Watkins)

Osborn: Almost everything about the 2009 Winter Classic was perfect, except for the final score. They made the wise decision to abort the tan pants, which was exactly where they needed to focus. I also think that the Winter Classic logos should be on the chest like they are here, not the shoulders.

Watkins: Don’t know if this came before the Ottawa Senators jersey of the same ilk, but the tiny logo and dark color palette don’t do it for me.

Brady: I don’t look highly upon the tan uniforms, but, this jersey is the one exception. I think it’s because the shorts and socks became mainly black with tan highlights, and the khaki vibes cooled off. But these ones are classics, and they did the remake well from the originals.

Melton: The tan color looked better as a stripe on the jersey and socks than as the primary color of the shorts. A decent look, but there were several better designs for Chicago’s outdoor games.

Fels: Pretty classic look, though the Winter Classics should have had tan shorts and gloves.

5. 1920s era

Highest ranking: Third (Watkins)
Lowest ranking: Ninth (Lazerus)

Melton: Giving these a slight nod over the 2019 Winter Classic ones because I feel like the white jerseys over the black shorts would look excellent if re-created today.

Brady: I actually don’t mind these. The one thing that bothers me though is how the logo doesn’t sit below the white stripes (which, there are too many of, by the way) and isn’t centered in the middle of the jersey until the late 20s. I am kind of digging the majority white with black stripes, though. I wonder what they would’ve looked like with white shorts, too.

Zawaski: It just pops. I’d love to see the Hawks try out these stockings. I’ve only seen these in black-and-white photos, but I’d bet they looked as good back then as they do now.

Osborn: Too many stripes. That’s the sound of men working on the chain … gang. Straight out of a silent film where they should have iron balls chained to their ankles while they pound railroad spikes into the ground. They correctly alleviated the problem on the ’19 sweaters by toning the stripes down.

Fels: Again, these are basically the same (as the 2019 Winter Classic). I’m pretty sick of any team using black, but the Hawks get away with it because it is a main color. The white stripes also give them something of a “Tron” effect, and I’m here for that.

Lazerus: The stripes up top just kill it for me. It’s too much. And it really doesn’t work in white.

Watkins: Both the all-black jersey and the black with the white panel look extremely clean and modern for a design from a century ago. Also, it’s harder to make a red-face logo in all black, which to me is a big win.

4. 1991-92 (75th anniversary)

Highest ranking: First (Fels, Melton, Powers)
Lowest ranking: 12th (Brady, Watkins)

Fels: Nothing beats the barber poles. Truly unique in hockey, and should have been the third jerseys forever. Also this is when Roenick and Chelios really came into their own, Keenan was a total nutjob, and people my age couldn’t escape.

Watkins: So many stripes. Also, even though it would have been historically inaccurate, they should have considered updating to a white nameplate, a la the Flyers.

Melton: An excellent design in the early ’90s and one that would be a perfect retro look to use as an alternate jersey now. Why these haven’t been used in nearly three decades remains a mystery.

Brady: Literally the only reason these are second to last is because last place is taken by the originals of this remake. There are too many stripes to work with here, though I admit I do appreciate the logo. There really isn’t a good way to make these work.

Zawaski: It’s virtually identical to the jerseys of the ’30s, but I think the 75th anniversary patch and the nameplate give it the extra nudge. Remember, these came out in the early ’90s, when teal and purple and all sorts of “non-traditional” colors were being introduced. The idea of “throwback” wasn’t a concept back then, so it was a bold reminder of the Blackhawks history when the league was looking more “Saved By The Bell” than Original Six.

3. 1955-present (white jerseys)

Highest ranking: First (Zawaski)
Lowest ranking: Eighth (Watkins)

Zawaski: The varying, current iteration of the Hawks sweater is my favorite. It’s evolved a little bit over time, but the general idea has remained the same, and why fix what’s not broken? I prefer the more haggard-looking Warrior head to the more modern, streamlined version, but they’re both awesome. The modern crossed tomahawks are perfect, especially on the road whites, which are, and will remain, my favorite Blackhawks sweater of all of them. I wish they’d switch back to the home whites. If you get a chance, look at an authentic home white up close. The colors pop brilliantly.

Watkins: The Hawks have somehow pulled off the double fault of having a completely cluttered sleeve on the most boring road whites this side of the Lightning and the Kings. Yes, I get the historic tradition of these “iconic” jerseys, but the addition of the black band at the bottom of the sleeve only compounds the mistakes of this edition in comparison to the far superior Winter Classic whites.

Brady: I think the whites work so well for me because the colors that surround it stand out that much more. The red and the black stripes on both the sleeve and the bottom of the jersey give it some life, and the logo and tomahawks have pop. Small detail, but I also love how the numbers are outlined in red on the back of the jersey. It’s a nice touch.

Osborn: I’m not a big fan of white sweaters. I’d prefer the NHL go with some more primary color vs primary color matchups.

Fels: Again, for someone of my age, this is what we grew up seeing at home, and that was the only place we saw them because the Hawks weren’t on TV. So anytime you saw them it was an event.

2. 2019 Winter Classic

Highest ranking: Second (Lazerus, Powers, Watkins)
Lowest ranking: Sixth (Fels)

Lazerus: The exception to the black-jerseys-are-lame rule. Every time I see these, I like them more. Bonus: Whenever the Blackhawks wear them, the United Center scoreboard is kept black-and-white, and it looks sweet.

Watkins: An update of the 1920s version with a better reallocation of the striping. The fans would never go for it, but if they ever wanted to transition away from the Chief Blackhawk logo, this would be the way to do it.

Brady: It was difficult to place these above the original 1920s era jerseys, but I genuinely think the Blackhawks did a great job remaking these. The reduction in white stripes across the chest, centering of the logo and majority black socks to match are what did it for me. I also like the Winter Classic patch on the shoulder rather than the chest, and the tribute patch to Stan Mikita gets me every time. So these win (even if the team didn’t).

Osborn: The major issue with these sweaters are the way they fit. They have a flare at the hips which makes them look like you’re wearing a very short skirt as a sweater. Otherwise, the stripes aren’t too gaudy, the socks were well done, the pants are minimalist. They look clean and tough. Maybe this shouldn’t be part of the criteria but the modern fabrics make a difference over the ’20s era ones. Unfortunately, the green Winter Classic patch slightly clashes with the rest of the uniform so I took points off for that, as well. I understand the location and significance but it demands too much of the attention from my eyes. Find a way to make the patch not so green. All that said, I love this uniform and it looks great with all black goalie gear.

1. 1955-present (red jerseys)

Highest ranking: First (Brady, Lazerus, Osborn)
Lowest ranking: Sixth (Watkins)

Brady: These jerseys are the best in the league for a reason. The red is vibrant and the logo is the main focal point (as it should be). The color schemes fit well, and while the jerseys didn’t change much over the years, the addition of the black jerseys in 1996 really put it over the top for me. Those jerseys are so clean, and I wish the Blackhawks kept them as alternates.

Zawaski: While I prefer the white jerseys, I don’t want to sell the absolutely brilliant home reds short, either. They’re nearly perfect, and the fact that probably 80 percent of the people in the United Center are wearing them on a nightly basis validates that theory.

Osborn: This may be perceived as the lazy answer but the traditional uniforms are classically voted as some of the best uniforms in all of sports. Great color combination, the Indian looks imposing (yet respectful), the crossed tomahawks on the shoulders are the perfect accent piece. Based on the color palette, the third black sweater is a perfect alternate to the red-and-white primaries. I am a huge fan of the black alternate version and would much prefer that they used it in a regular rotation. Leave out any suggestions of the green, yellow or orange feather colors as primaries because that is blatant sacrilege.

Fels: Don’t fuck with tradition. It should be mentioned we all recognize the racist overtones in every Hawks uniform, but the classic red would work with just about any logo. Even after being a season-ticket holder for 12 seasons now, there’s still something about seeing these live that makes your heart skip a beat.

(Photo of Steve Thomas during the 1991-92 season: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

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