The entire SB Nation Hockey network has been partaking in a seasonal series of posts describing the ugliest hockey jerseys in their franchise’s history. For examples, see On the Forecheck’s example for Nashville and St. Louis Game Time’s for St. Louis. Today is our turn at All About the Jersey.
At first, I did not know if I could really participate in this. The New Jersey Devils may be difficult to watch on the ice but they have been a sharp looking team since 1982. As much as I do not care much for it, many fans love their original red, white, and green colored jerseys. I am sure they will enjoy the team wearing them again as they get the crud kicked out of them by play Washington on Friday. I think their style from the early 1990s until the past few years was absolutely perfect. I miss the bottom striping on the current uniforms, but the colors are still ace. Above all else, the Devils have had the bedeviled “NJ” since coming to the state. It is truly The Best Logo in the NHL and arguably in all professional sports in North America. How can I call any of these jerseys the worst when they are objectively attractive?
Then I read the fine print: to name the worst jersey in the franchise’s history. The Devils did not start as the Devils. There were two legitimate options to name Two very similar possibilities in the Kansas City Scouts and the Colorado Rockies.
Both teams shared the same color scheme until the team moved to the Garden State in 1982. They both wore a color scheme with a dark blue with a mustard-like yellow and a ketchup-like red. Both squads dressed in red pants to contrast with the dark blue base of the jersey and their socks. The yellow and red certainly popped as they looked garishly laid out on the base.
However, a closer look shows some differences. The Scouts had shoulder striping that went down the arms to the numbers. The Rockies dropped that and kept the shoulders bare with the blue base, as indicated at SportsLogos. Replacing the stripes was a “C” styled like the state flag patched onto each shoulder. The Scouts’ yellow striping had a thin red line through the middle and were spaced apart to allow the dark blue base to separate them. The Rockies put the red and yellow stripes together and did not mix the colors. I would not say the Rockies jerseys looked that much better because of those changes. It did help it make it look less garish.
The biggest difference is obviously in the logos. The Scouts’ logo is not a good one. In a white circle with a red outline, there is a native on a horse looking at something in the distance. I do not know what it could be. Based on how the Scouts performed, it was not a victory in the NHL. Someone thought this represented scouting. I guess? The only indication that this is representative of Kansas City is a notable “KC” wordmark in yellow hanging out next to the horse. For the sake of modernity or perhaps some attempt at “pizzazz” the ‘K’ and ‘C’ are smashed together. It would not look so bad if the whole logo was just the KC. But it sticks out like a sore thumb next to a rather realistic drawing of the horse, which sticks out like a sore thumb because it is a detailed, realistic drawing that inspires no action or real meaning that is on a white circle on a dark blue jersey. It is not a good logo. Nothing about it really says “Scouts,” it does the bare minimum to point out what city they are representing, and it is too busy to be stylish at all.
The Rockies have the advantage in this comparison in logos. It is a far simpler style and design. It is not cartoony or inspiring of action, but it is representative of what the team is and where they are from. It is the ‘C’ and style from the state flag filling in the a graphic of a mountain. Clearly it is Colorado. Clearly it is a rocky mountain. Clearly, it is the Colorado Rockies. The simple style makes it easy to represent. It is somewhat memorable. Or at least, it has been remembered by some people with the power to do things involving hockey teams today. When John McMullen was honored on the Devils’ Ring of Honor (when’s the next inductee?), the team had a patch with the Devils logo with the 1980s colors in the form of the Rockies’ rock. When the Avalanche announced a third-jersey for 2016-17, the logo is quite reminiscent of the old Rockies’ logo. It was a clear inspiration. It is a good logo. Not as good as the Devils’ logo, but it is pretty good.
For me, the logos really make the difference in terms of which jersey in the history of the Devils’ franchise was the worst. While both teams shared similar designs with ugly colors with shades and intensity that did not go well together, the Scouts’ logo pales in comparison to the Rockies’ logo. Neither jersey looks all that great on their own. Even some tacky Christmas sweaters would have been an upgrade. But the logo makes the difference. It is a big reason why the Scouts, in general, are mostly forgotten - and I can totally understand that. Nobody is asking for that style to return and nobody should. The Kansas City Scouts’ jerseys were the worst, the ugliest, the most garish, and so forth in Devils franchise history.
Do you agree that the Kansas City Scouts’ jerseys were the ugliest in Devils franchise history? If not, why do you think Colorado Rockies’ jerseys were uglier? (Because I know you’re not going to come to this site and tell me that the Devils jerseys are ugly, so I will not even ask you.) Please leave your answers and other fashion opinions about the past fashions of Our Favorite Team in the comments. Thank you for reading.