TFD: Guest Post Part II -- Rocket and the five best NHL jerseys

Here is Part II of Rocket's far-reaching and hard-hitting series on best and worst hockey jerseys in the NHL. Right now, we deal with the best. Rocket?

(Updated with links to the less obvious jerseys, for those too lazy to do a Google image search).

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All right, in the last post I gave you the worst jerseys in the NHL. Now I give you the best. Please do remember that these results were determined my many fine scientific minds who conducted months upon months of research. They are thus irrefutable and your own opinions on the subject do not matter. They will be listed in order from merely great and awesome to the truly sublime.

5. Phoenix Coyotes (although not the third jersey)

If you read the last post you probably picked up on the fact that many of the uglier jerseys are also some of the newer jerseys. At one point in time, Phoenix would have easily fit on that list, if not had sat on the very top of it looking down at the rest of the pretenders to the "ugly throne" with disdain. But someone in Arizona finally made a rational and well-reasoned decision (for the first time ever?) and decided to get back to basics with a simple and dignified color scheme and symbol. Red and white with a coyote that looks like an actual animal and not the product of a meth addict's fevered dream was just plain smart. I am not sure that any other team has ever gone from so bad to so good in their jersey choices in the history of sports. However, it should be noted that the black third jersey is terrible.

4. Calgary Flames (third jersey)

3. Washington Capitals

Many teams in a lot of sports have the red, white, and blue color scheme. None do it better than the Capitals (and one yet-to-be-named team). The Caps have a very tortured jersey history. The first incarnation, with all of the stars and stripes can be given credit for trying to stake it's own claim in the crowded hockey jersey world. But, ultimately, it was just too busy. Then, in the Jaromir Jagr/Adam Oates years the team went way too far in the other direction. Those jerseys eschewed the bold colors for a muted blue, white, and gold scheme that somehow managed to be both too busy and boring at the same time.

Nowadays, the Capitals have found the perfect balance. The colors are still bold, but they balance each other nicely without overlapping into each other's territory. Heck, if they can make an unfrozen caveman like Alex Ovechkin look good then they must be doing something right.

2. (tie) Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens

This is a no-brainer. If you don't like these jerseys you should have your eyes poked out because you do not deserve the gift of sight. One thing that very few teams seem to realize is that it is not only possible to get away with white plus one color, it is often much, much preferable to two or three or even more colors. The Red Wings and the Leafs figured that out a long time ago and they always look good on the ice, regardless of the talent level of the team itself. While the Canadiens have white plus two colors they nonetheless have such an elegant and distinctive design that their jerseys also deserve the title of "classic." While I generally find it distasteful to own a jersey of a team one doesn't root for, I can easily make an exception for anyone who wished to own one of these truly great and historic jerseys.

Call me a homer if you must, but anyone who won't acknowledge that these jerseys are amazing is, at best, ill-bred. While the jersey technically does not adhere to the white-plus-one-other-color simplicity principle of great looking jerseys, it's subtle incorporation of red in the "Wild" under the white Minnesota script is clear proof that the designers of this jersey get it. The team itself has been underwhelming as of late, but when they look this wonderful it becomes hard not to want to root for them. This is as good as it gets, folks.