With close to 6 million votes cast over the period from Nov. 28 to Dec. 31, 2017, the Chicago Blackhawks (1959-present) have been selected by fans as having the Greatest NHL® Uniform of all time.
A slight update to their previous look, the Chicago Black Hawks entered the 1959-60 season with a new logo and a patch moved up the sleeve to the shoulder of their jersey. The new logo, based heavily on the previous logo, still featured the profile of a Native American head, but with bolder lines, redesigned feathers and a thick beige outline around the entire logo.
Chicago enjoyed success quickly with the new look, winning its first Stanley Cup® Championship in nearly 25 years in 1961. Although the overall design remained the same, the uniform was slightly modified during this span, with minor changes to the logo and collar. The Chicago Blackhawks® also changed their name while wearing this uniform, removing the space between ‘Black’ and ‘Hawks’ in 1986.
“If you line up NHL jerseys, the Blackhawks stand out. I don’t know why, the color maybe? The big Native American head? It’s clear, it’s precise, it’s not helter-skelter. Maybe that’s what I like, the clarity of it. The red (home) jersey is so bright, and I think that’s what makes it stand out,” said Blackhawks great Tony Esposito, who wore the uniform for 873 regular-season and 99 Stanley Cup Playoff games between 1969-84, en route to his 1988 Hockey Hall of Fame induction.
“I think everyone always has viewed the logo as a classic logo that’s timeless, almost, and obviously that has a lot to do with the history and tradition of an Original Six franchise,” said Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. “It’s special for me to play in a city like Chicago, where there’s that history of great players and teams that have won Stanley Cups and then you add the fact that they have that traditional look on the ice and you kind of get that excitement every time you wear the jersey.”
Throughout the past five weeks, fans visited NHL.com/GreatestUniforms to vote for the Greatest NHL Uniform of all time. The Greatest NHL® Uniforms selection process featured NHL uniforms from all eras in a head-to-head matchup format. Sponsored by Visa Canada, the site took users on a stunning visual history of the League, with an interactive gallery page providing a robust look at NHL franchises from the past 100 years and the uniforms that defined them. From Stanley Cup® champion teams to the all-time greats, the teams and their uniforms were brought to life with beautiful photography, digitally recreated logos, and detailed descriptions of each uniform design and history.
* Information provided via NHL Press Release
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