Top 10 Best NHL Jerseys of All Time

These NHL Jerseys Will Always Bring Back Legendary Memories.

Forever Iconic

There are 32 teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), equally divided in the Eastern and Western Conferences. Each of the best NHL jerseys is unique in its own way, with some crests more recognizable than others.

That’s due in large part to the success of certain teams, as a winning history is led by individually great players whose names and numbers are indelible in the minds of the fans.

Start with Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 with the Edmonton Oilers. Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and St. Louis Blues. Then Alex Ovechkin’s No. 8 with the Washington Capitals as he’s on the precipice (as of this early 2025 writing) of surpassing Gretzky’s all-time goal record of 894. Sidney Crosby’s No. 87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins represents a contemporary of Ovechkin with a great career of his own.

Connor McDavid’s No. 97 with the Edmonton Oilers. Connor Bedard’s No. 98 of the Chicago Blackhawks, Nathan Mackinnon’s No. 29 of the Colorado Avalanche and Auston Matthews’ No. 34 with the Toronto Maple Leafs are all among the best-selling NHL jerseys each season.

If you’re into hockey history, there’s Gordie Howe’s No. 9 with the Detroit Red Wings, which was the same number worn with tremendous distinction by Maurice Richard of the Montreal Canadiens and Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks. Bobby Orr’s No. 4 of the Boston Bruins (and later the Chicago Blackhawks) is among other greats. 

There’s the worldwide appeal as well, as the NHL, along with the other major pro leagues in North America, has been dedicated to growing its brand on other continents. The league, through its Global Series, has played preseason and regular-season games in venues including (alphabetically) Australia, Austria, China, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Ukraine, among other locales. Given the larger number of non-Canadian/Americans in the league this shouldn’t surprise.

The league also broadcasts to many of those same venues, hawking both the product and the merchandise during the games.

Here’s some info about the iconic jerseys in the history of the National Hockey League…

What Are the Official NHL Jerseys?

Fanatics is making the official NHL hockey jersey beginning with the current (2024-25) season, the first of a 10-year agreement. These aren’t the days of yesteryear when each team in the National Hockey League had two sets of jerseys (one home, one road).

Enter the era of the “alternate jerseys,” where the teams have any number of jerseys used throughout the season. As was mentioned, this was all done to sell more stuff to the fans.

There’s been advertising patches on the jerseys (and helmets) as well

All these different looks may be confusing to those fans who make NHL picks and predictions.

Do NHL Players Get New Jerseys Every Game?

Concerning new jerseys (and not to be confused with the New Jersey Devils), there are certainly “extra” best NHL jerseys available each game in case there’s a tear or (perish the thought) blood as an occupational hazard. There’s also the quick turnaround jerseys when a new player joins the team on short notice.

What Is the Rarest Jersey Number in the NHL?

NHL merchandise would have a hard time selling a “0” jersey, as it has only been worn by two players. Apparently, player-tracking software has made wearing such an “odd” number difficult to embrace. Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 is the only number retired across the league.

Any Final Thoughts?

Fans of the National Hockey League could easily go broke buying all the jerseys that are available, including NHL all-star jerseys. Jerseys may be custom-made with any current player. Add in retro jerseys of the previous greats (see above) and there’s no shortage of apparel.