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Saturday, March 30
Updated: April 4, 6:30 PM ET
 
The 10 best third jerseys

ESPN.com

Wednesday Night Hockey on ESPN wants to know what you think is the best of the "10 Best" throughout the NHL season. Each week, WNH will assemble its 10 best selections of a particular theme and post them on ESPN.com for users to vote on their favorite.

Tune in to the special broadcast of Wednesday Night Hockey on Friday, April 5, for the Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) to judge the 10 best third jerseys in the NHL.

During the game, ESPN's hockey experts will pick their favorite and compare their choices with how ESPN.com users voted.


Alexei Zhitnik Denis Savard


Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres, who changed their team colors from blue and gold to black, red and silver in 1996-97, debuted their third jersey in November, 2000. While keeping with the team's modern look, the uniform's front crest also pays tribute to the franchise's past with a crossed- sword look emblematic of the team's original logo. The team's current buffalo-head logo is featured on the shoulders of the third jersey.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks first introduced their third jersey in the 1996-97 season. While a number of clubs have gone with third jerseys that feature a different look from their regular uniforms, Chicago went with a simpler look. Their third jersey maintains the look of their home and road uniforms, but with black, used mostly as an accent color on their other jersey, as the primary color of the sweater.


Colorado Oilers


Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche first wore their third jersey on Oct. 31 this season in an ESPN Wednesday Night Hockey telecast against St. Louis. While the main jersey color of maroon is similar to their road jersey, the accents of this uniform -- such as the striping, diagonal lettering, and lacing below the neck -- are more in line with traditional hockey jerseys of past eras.

Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers debuted their third jersey on Oct. 27, 2001. Navy blue with silver and white striping, the jersey also features a unique crest that depicts a drop of oil in the middle of an almost comet- like gear. One of the consultants in the design of this jersey was Todd McFarlane, creator of the Spawn comic book series and an Oilers part-owner.


Kelly Buchberger Nashville


Los Angeles Kings
The Kings unveiled their current third jersey during the 1999-2000 season. While featuring the look, style, and colors of the current Los Angeles uniforms, its color (purple) and the crown crest on the front evoke memories of the Kings' uniforms from their early days in the NHL.

Nashville Predators
The Predators first donned their third jersey on Nov. 21 of this season. One of just two teams to use a gold uniform (Boston's third jersey being the other), this jersey features a more animated version of the team's saber-toothed tiger logo on the front and tiger skull logos on the shoulders.


Wayne Gretzky Alexei Yashin


NY Rangers
The Rangers introduced their third jersey in 1996-97. Using a darker blue than their traditional uniforms, this jersey also features a stylized Ranger shield crest on the shoulders and a crest featuring the Statue Of Liberty, one of New York's most recognizable landmarks, on the front. This jersey style was also used by the club as the uniform style for its current AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Ottawa Senators
After their original red-and-white third jersey became the team's permanent road jersey, the Senators came up with a new third sweater for the 2000-01 season. Featuring the same animated Roman Senator logo of the first third jersey, this sweater uses black (the color of the Sens' original road uniforms) as its primary color with red and gold striping. The gold striping on the sweater also features a black arrow-like design pattern.


Mario Lemieux Curtis Joseph


Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins were among the first teams to utilize a third jersey back in 1995-96. That third jersey eventually became the club's road jersey. In 2000-01, the Pens came up with a new third sweater. This one paid homage to the past, bringing back the team's original Skating Penguin- Golden Triangle logo. The jersey also features gold and white diagonal striping on the sides and the sleeves.

Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs first began using their "old school" third jersey during the 1998-99 season. The uniform, done in the style of classic Leafs uniforms of the past right down to the vintage-style Maple Leaf logo, were instituted that year since it was the final season of play at historic Maple Leaf Gardens. The sweaters proved popular and were retained by the club as their third jersey in subsequent seasons.






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