The 5 best and 5 worst NHL jerseys of the last decade

The 5 best and 5 worst NHL jerseys of the last decade

It's been an exciting and confusing 10 years for NHL fashion, and cheap handbags not just because hockey fans' Jersey Fouls have become the subject of academic discourse on blogs.

First, the NHL welcomed three expansion franchises with their hockey jerseys own distinct looks: The Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2000), the Columbus Blue Jackets (2000-01) and the Minnesota Wild (2000-01). Two of those franchises are represented in the lists below.

In 2007, the Reebok EDGE Uniform System revolutionized the hockey sweater with a sleeker design, less water retention and more flexibility. They've continued to evolve, although not to the point where the hideous piping seen on jerseys like those of the Florida Panthers has been phased out.

The introduction of the RBK Edge sweaters caused a nhl jerseys momentary interruption in the League's third jersey program, but it was back in full force later in the decade with a slew of "retro" and "heritage" jerseys. Among the best: The Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders dipping back into the 1980s; and the Winter Classic sweaters of the Penguins and the Blackhawks.

There were plenty of hits ... and while none of them swiss military watches reached the pinnacle of awful that was the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Wild Wing jersey from the 1990s, there were plenty of misses, too.

Here are the 5 Best, followed by the 5 Worst, NHL Jerseys evening gowns of the Last Decade. Please suggest your own, or debate our picks, in the comments.

First, a disclaimer: The jerseys had to debut wedding dresses during the 2000s, and there was more weight given to reinvention than recollection. In other words, we were most interested in teams that went in bold new directions rather runescape gold than ones that slapped a commemorative patch on a previously worn sweater - with one obvious exception.