Rate The Alternate Jerseys: NHL Pacific Division

It's time to rate another sports division's alternate jerseys. Today's division is the NHL Pacific Division. This division isn't the most exciting division in sports jersey-wise, so I thought I'd get it out of the way early. Here we go...

DALLAS STARS

Originality: F

Aesthetic Appeal: D

Overall Grade: D-

Here's an idea for an alternate jersey: Let's make an exact copy of our already awful home jerseys, except make them white. Nothing says hockey like a large "Dallas" across your chest. These are just uninspired and lame.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

Originality: B+

Aesthetic Appeal: B

Overall Grade: B+

Although black alternate jerseys have been done over and over again by several different teams, I gave these a B+ for originality because they are just so untraditional. The chest patch looks more like a war patch for a country than a hockey logo, which I think is pretty damn cool. They can look kind of strange in action, and thus got a B for aesthetic appeal, but overall I think the Kings did a good job with these.

PHOENIX COYOTES

Originality: B

Aesthetic Appeal: A-

Overall Grade: B+

Here is another black alternate jersey in this division, and it's not even the last one to go over yet. I had to give it a B for originality because black and red has been done so many times, and yet Phoenix has somehow managed to do it in a relatively fresh and exciting way. The Coyotes have a very unique shade of red which I love, and I really like that they chose to stick with red pants for these alternates. They look GREAT in game action (especially with the C and the A's on them), and overall they have a very smooth, streamlined look. I like them about the same as the Kings' third jerseys, but in a different way.

SAN JOSE SHARKS

Originality: C

Aesthetic Appeal: B-

Overall Grade: C+

And here's yet ANOTHER black alternate jersey in the Pacific Division! Although, I have to give the Sharks credit, they were the first of the three to include a black alternate after the NHL changed its jerseys in 2007-2008. However, I give them the lowest marks of the three for two reasons: 1) These are essentially their main jerseys just with a different color, which is maybe fine for other sports, but in hockey, you like to see something new and different for a third jersey, and 2) The front chest numbers make the jersey really clunky, especially with the C and A's on the other side. These jerseys would have scored much higher in aesthetic appeal and overall if it weren't for those front numbers. But other than that, they are pretty good jerseys.

The Anaheim Ducks do not have a third jersey, probably because after they got done essentially stealing the Pittsburgh Penguins look with their new jerseys and colors a few years ago, they realized they didn't know how to make a new and original jersey for an alternate. Then the Pens trotted out their powder blue alternates, and the Ducks realized they couldn't pull off powder blue, and so they just gave up. Stay tuned for more divisions coming soon!