I first became aware that hockey existed in the mid-1990s and some team called the Detroit Red Wings were one of the first that I heard of. And it made sense, since the Wings dynasty was brewing, so ESPN constantly talked about them when they bothered to discuss hockey.
The first thing that jumped out at me were their uniforms and the iconic winged wheel is one of the first, if not the first, logo I remembered that belonged on a hockey jersey alongside the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens.
And what do these three teams, for the most part, have in common? Yeah, their uniforms have barely changed, or at least their primary threads. For me, as a self-proclaimed "uniform monitor," that's huge. It means they're a recognized brand that doesn't need to be refreshed every now and again except for minor updates to keep up with subtle jersey upgrades.
But that's often on the manufacturer either changing their templates or if the NHL signs a deal to outsource the uniforms. Like, minor changes between Adidas and Fanatics threads, if you need an example.
Detroit Red Wings uniforms rank near the top because they're iconic and timeless
Fast-forward from the mid-90s until today, and not much has changed for the Wings jerseys. When teams started experimenting with dramatic redesigns during that same era, the Red Wings stood idle, knowing they didn't need a complete rebrand.
In the 2000s, when pro teams across the four major sports leagues experimented with darker colors and, for some strange reason, black accents and piping, the Wings again held idle. And in the 2010s, when so many teams across those same four pro sports leagues (NHL to a lesser extent) either came to their senses and stopped with the madness or rolled with even stranger looks, the Wings again held idle.
That alone tells you something. Teams that don't need a rebrand every few seasons, like the Wings, are confident in their brand because it works. And, in most cases, it's why you can call their uniforms among the best not just in hockey, but among the NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA.
As for others who've rebranded within the last 10 years like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and San Jose Sharks, just to name a handful, have something in common. Those rebrands harkened to something that resembled originality.
That's the way it should've been the entire time but, for one reason or another, those brands never stood the test of time, or else their teams wouldn't have gone with a rebrand in the first place. The Wings never had to do that, and it's why you often see them ranked very, very high when outlets decide to concoct a ranking or two.
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