Every Atlantic Division Team's All-Time Best and Worst Uniforms

Brand identity is a crucial part of building any sports team, but especially in the NHL, where many fans rightfully treat their jerseys as sacred.

Every team has had its share of good jerseys, but also one or two duds over the years. So, in the dead of the offseason, let's take a trip down memory lane to look at each team's best and worst uniforms in franchise history.

Before getting started, however, let's quickly go over a couple of things. First, this series is inspired by a recent piece from The Athletic going over the same concept, so be sure to check that out as well. Second, links to every jersey mentioned will be provided to give a visual reference without cluttering things up.

With that out of the way, let's dive right into the Atlantic Division.

Boston Bruins

Best: 1981-95 Road

Perhaps best known as the jersey that Happy Gilmore wore, this Bruins look embodies everything an Original Six uniform should strive to be. Clean, simple and immediately identifiable as Boston, it's just a great design all around. Fortunately, the Bruins' new primary home uniform is almost identical to this one, so they'll look very sharp on the ice come this fall.

Worst: 1995-2006 Alternate

This jersey, often called the "Pooh Bear", was the Bruins' first full-time alternate in over 30 years, and it shows. The bear on the front looks more confused than fearsome, and the odd "stripes" just make for an overall strange look. At least it managed to stick around longer than some of the other infamous alternates from the 90s.

Buffalo Sabres

Best: Current Home

As good as the black-and-red "Goat Head" jerseys are, it's hard to compete with the Sabres' gorgeous home uniforms. The decision to go back to their roots for their most recent redesign was a stroke of genius, as the royal blue and gold complement each other perfectly. A solid contender for the best jersey in the league today.

Worst: 2013-15 Alternate

On the other hand, this is a solid contender for the worst uniform in NHL history. The overall composition of the jersey - which features a yellow front, a navy blue back and gray numbers - is absolutely atrocious. Maybe the Sabres' playoff drought is punishment for this assault on our eyeballs.

Detroit Red Wings

Best: 2016 Stadium Series

The Red Wings are probably the most conservative team in the entire league when it comes to their brand, but they can make some good alternate looks when they really try. Instead of the traditional winged wheel, this jersey features a stylized "D" logo with a white sash across the chest. This definitely won't be everyone's pick, but it's a great look in our humble opinion.

Worst: 2021 Reverse Retro

Remember that part about how the Red Wings can make good alternate looks when they try? Well, this is what happens when they don't try. This is literally just a plain white jersey with tiny silver stripes on the arms and bottom, about as bland as one could possibly get. It looks more like a practice jersey than anything that should be worn in an actual game.

Florida Panthers

Best: 2006-07 Alternate

The Panthers' current look is very solid, but it's hard to match the ferocity of their original logo. They slightly tweaked their wardrobe throughout their early years and switched between blue and red as their primary dark jersey, but for our money, the red jersey they had just before Reebok took over as the league's uniform provider is their best.

Worst: 2009-12 Alternate

We'd hesitate to call this uniform awful, but it just doesn't fit the Panthers' identity at all. If not for the logo in the center, this would look more like something the Columbus Blue Jackets would wear with the two different shades of blue.

Montreal Canadiens

Best: Current Home

The Canadiens have had essentially the same red jersey for the past century, and it's hard to blame them with how gorgeous it is. The red jersey with a horizontal blue stripe in the center is possibly the most iconic look in NHL history, so no need to fix what isn't broken.

Worst: 2008-10 "Barber Pole" Centennial

Montreal brought out some... interesting looks to celebrate its 100th anniversary, and this was definitely the weirdest of the bunch. It's a fun glimpse into a past where these kinds of uniforms were common, but also a reminder of why that era is long gone.

Ottawa Senators

Best: 2011-17 Alternate

Interestingly, this jersey is actually a nod to the original Ottawa Senators franchise, which was a founding member of the NHL but folded in 1934. The "O" logo with the red and off-white stripes behind it looks very nice, but it's the history behind this jersey that gives it the nod.

Worst: 1999-2007 Home

The Senators debuted this jersey as an alternate in 1997 before promoting it to their full-time dark jersey two years later, but if you ask us, they made the wrong decision. The weird striping and the forward-facing logo, which is oddly over-detailed and has eyes that seem to follow you, just don't work.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Best: 2021 Reverse Retro

The Lightning are unfortunately stuck with primary jerseys that look like an imitation of the Toronto Maple Leafs', which is especially upsetting with how good their earlier looks are. Fortunately, they threw their fans a bone with this glorious Reverse Retro jersey, which is essentially just a blue version of their original black jerseys. If the Lightning want to go to this look full-time, we would not complain one bit.

Worst: 2018-22 Alternate

This jersey is just way too dark. Black base, black numbers with gray outlines, gray logos and name plates, there's just no color on this whatsoever and it makes for a really dull look.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Best: 2019-23 St. Pats

For a quick history lesson, the Maple Leafs were known as the Toronto St. Patricks from 1919-1927, and they thankfully haven't forgotten about their roots. They busted out these white-and-green jerseys around St. Patrick's Day every year (go figure), and they make for an excellent throwback to celebrate the occasion. The Leafs have introduced a new take on the St. Pats look recently, but this one is still the best.

Worst: 2021 Reverse Retro

The decision to heavily feature gray, a color that the Leafs have never worn throughout their entire history, was certainly an odd one. Add in the blue logo and numbers on a primarily blue jersey, and it's just an underwhelming look. It's tough to "reverse" a past jersey when the Leafs essentially only have two colors (and they certainly did better than the Red Wings did), but this could've used more time in the oven.