Oilers alternate jersey sparked debate the rankings couldn’t ignore

The Edmonton Oilers unveiled a fine alternate jersey on Sept 20. One that featured classic colors with a lighter blue and a script Oilers wordmark. Overall, it looks like one of the better and more vintage alternate uniforms in hockey.

Still, Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, and Julian McKenzie of The Athletic had a different opinion on, and panned it in their ranking of the alternate uniforms that teams unveiled before the 2025-26 season began. It ranked eighth out of 10 teams, in front of only the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators, both of whom deserved to be last.

But eighth for the Oilers? No. Not even close, to be frank. While their No. 1 team, the Detroit Red Wings, would be hard to beat here, the No. 2 team on the list, the Seattle Kraken, was a joke. 

In case you haven't heard, the alternate black jersey, which isn't even part of their color scheme and never was, glows in the dark. Yeah, that's counterintuitive, unless there's a new rule that manifested into existence that teams can now play hockey in the dark. The Kraken's jersey had no business ranking anything higher than eighth. 

Edmonton Oilers alternates should have ranked way higher in The Athletic's rankings

The Washington Capitals, with the "Screaming Eagle" in their current team colors, finished third -- another team Edmonton should have finished ahead of. Then came the Minnesota Wild in fourth with a beautiful throwback, and one that could have given the Oilers some trouble.

The San Jose Sharks took fifth with an ode to the 2000s, but not their best throwback uniform out there. Edmonton's alternate, given its old-time look, should have topped it, too. Same with the Los Angeles Kings, who finished in sixth. Los Angeles went with a throwback, but in their current colors, which marks them down a few rungs.

The New York Rangers, coming in at No. 7, also should have finished higher, and may have been neck and neck with the Oilers. So, the better ranking would have had Detroit, Minnesota, New York, and Edmonton fighting for a top-four spot.

LA would have fared better in fifth, with the Sharks in sixth, the Capitals in seventh, the Kraken in eighth, the Penguins in ninth, and the Senators in tenth. But unfortunately, uniform opinions are subjective, with some fans and analysts craving innovation while others fall into the more traditional, vintage, and throwback camp. 

Some teams the Oilers are wearing this vintage alternate against have promise for unforgettable uniformed matchups, including games vs. the Flames, arguably the Oilers' biggest rival. That one could look unforgettable, along with the game vs. the Jets, should they fly in wearing their alternate, which closely resembles what the original Jets wore. 

In short, you can never truly judge a uniform until you have seen it on the ice. But when two classic-looking uniforms hit the ice together, you're usually in for a good-looking matchup.