For NHL teams, third jerseys are huge cash cows. That’s because gullible hockey fans (like myself) will go out and buy the third jersey replicas the day they are released, even though they already own their teams’ “regular” jerseys.

On top of that, historic franchises (like the Rangers or Maple Leafs) can change up these third jerseys every couple of years—or whenever they need a fresh infusion of cash—without being accused of “messing with tradition.” Because, hey, they’re just the third jerseys, right?

Well, there is an upside to this type of cash grab: it brings a little more creativity to NHL uniform designs.

Teams are more likely to take risks with third jerseys because they know that, if people hate them, they can change them after a couple seasons. Sometimes, the results are not good. But sometimes they are.

Since this is the first weekend of the NHL season—a time for hope and optimism—I’m going to focus on the positive today and bring you a list of the 9 best third jerseys you will see in the NHL this season. Maybe I’ll bring you the worst third jerseys another day—after the shine of the new season rubs off a bit (after a couple more career threatening concussions).

9. Columbus Blue Jackets

For the longest time, I thought everything about the Blue Jackets’ branding was stupid. That’s because their original jersey’s featured a freaking bug on the front, giving the distinct impression that the “Blue Jacket” was some kind of take on “Yellow Jacket”—you know, like the wasp that’s the mascot of Georgia Tech sports teams. Of course, “Blue Jacket” is actually a reference to Columbus’ rich Civil War history. Eventually, the franchise wised up, realized the bug logo was kind of confusing, and changed up their designs. Then they came out with these sharp third jersey’s featuring civil war cannons to really drive the point home: history, not bugs. (Good work, Columbus.)

8. San Jose Sharks

Personally, I think San Jose’s regular unis are among the best in all of pro sports, let alone hockey. So if I were a Sharks fan (and I’m not), I wouldn’t even want to see a third jersey. However, if a third jersey they must have, this one is pretty good.

The designers were smart and followed the most important rule for hockey uniforms: less is more. The Sharks’ alternates don’t have any of that silly piping down the front, or swooshing panels under the armpits. It’s just crest, arm stripe, lace-up collar. Like feng shui on a shirt.

7. Colorado Avalanche

There are two types of uniforms in the NHL: classic and modern. The Red Wings’ simple sweaters epitomize the former and, for a long time, the Avalanche’s regular sweaters have been the standard-bearers of the latter. However, more recently the Avalanche have added a classic design of their own to their arsenal of sweaters. And with it they prove that, basically, when it comes to designing uniforms, they can do no wrong. (I especially like the tricolor striping on the sleeves.)

6. Pittsburgh Pengins

Most people probably don’t realize that Pittsburgh’s original 1967 uniforms were navy powder blue—and that an actual penguin was nowhere to be found. In fact, the famous skating penguin was not introduced until 1969; however, the uniforms didn’t go from blue to black until 1980.

The good-looking third jersey Pittsburgh will be wearing this season is very similar to those 1969 models. The only difference is that the powder blue and navy blue have swapped places.

5. Washington Capitals

In evaluating the NHL’s third jerseys for the purposed of making this list, one of the things I was decidedly not looking for were nice-looking jerseys that are merely throwbacks. My thinking was, yes, they may be awesome, but they’re not really “alternatives” to the regular jerseys since they’ve been worn previously. So I said I wouldn’t include any such designs.

Then I decided to make an exception for the Washington Capitals because their throwback third jerseys are just so much better than all the nonsense they’ve been wearing on a regular basis for the last 15 years. So I guess that makes me a flip-flopper. Maybe I should run for office.

4. New York Rangers

The Rangers’ third jersey’s (introduced for the 2010-11 season) don’t really deviate too far from their traditional, iconic sweaters. But then, I think that’s the beauty. The diagonal lettering reads “New York” instead of “Rangers,” the blue is darker, and the red is deeper. Not much a difference, but damn do they look good.

And no, that is not Luke Wilson. That’s former captain Chris Drury.

3. St. Louis Blues

The Blues may never be able to shake the ignominy of this awful monstrosity (easily one of the worst regular uniforms in the history of the NHL). However, this sharp third jersey has helped them put their awful past behind them.

2. Minnesota Wild

I’ve never liked the Minnesota Wild’s primary logo and uniform design. I know it’s irrational, but the fact that their colors are green and red—Christmas colors, for God’s sake—really pisses me off. And don’t get me started about that panther silhouette/wilderness vigniette crest.

So when I heard they were coming out with a third jersey a couple years ago, I thought “oh Lord, here we go.” Then they revealed the jersey, and I was dumbfounded. I think it’s totally awesome.

You’ll notice that they’ve removed red as a primary color and emphasized the yellowish off-white—that, I think, was the most important move they made. However, I also really love to vintage-looking “Minnesota” script across the chest. Add to it the bulky stripes and the lace-up collar, and Minnesota finally gets a hockey jersey worthy of their love for the sport.

1. Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks have the best-looking third jerseys in the NHL today. They keep the classic warrior-head logo while adding some excellent vintage touches.

Normally it would be a pretty big gamble for a team with Chicago’s heritage to mess with their uniform design. Luckily, Chicago got a free-pass to test a new jersey when they got to hose the Winter Classic a couple years back. People loved the jerseys they wore that day so much, the team decided to make it permanent.

Smooth move, guys.

It seems there is a movement afoot on Twitter to persuade new Detroit Red Wing Mike Commodore to wear #64 on his sweater this season. Of course, that would make him Commodore 64, just like the famous home computer released in 1982. And the best part is that Commodore has said he will consider it. Ah, the power of Twitter!

Anyway, all this got me wondering: what other professional athletes have uniform numbers with cool significance? So I starting looking into it, and here’s what I dug up, in list form.

14. Sidney Crosby (#87)

Ordinarily, there is nothing especially interesting about choosing your birth year as your jersey number. However, Crosby was not just born in 1987; he was born on 8/7/87. Even if you’re not a numerology geek, you have to admit that’s kind of a cool birthday. Also, his first contract extension back in 2007 was for $43.5 million over 5 years, which comes out to $8.7 million per year. I’m willing to bet the last four digits of The Kid’s phone number are 8787, too.

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13. Al Oliver (#0)

Al Oliver was a heck of a ballplayer—2,743 career hits, 219 HRs, .303 lifetime batting average. He broke in with the Pirates late in 1968, and played with them until he was traded to the Texas Rangers before the 1978 season. It was in Texas, in 1980, that Oliver began wearing the number 0 on his uniform. I guess by that time he was a big enough star that he could get away with it.

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12. Kevyn Adams (#42)

When hockey player Kevyn Adams first made it to the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1998, he chose to wear #42 on his sweater. This was a reference to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, in which the number 42 was said to be the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Man, Kevyn Adams was a nerd!

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11. Gilbert Arenas (#0)

Gilbert Arenas—aka “Agent Zero” or, more recently, “Convicted Felon”— chose to wear #0 on his back when he was a freshman at the University of Arizona. The number was meant to be a constant reminder that zero was the number of minutes many expected him to play. Of course, the three-time NBA all-star proved his critics wrong. However, since moving from Washington to Orlando at the start of 2011, Arenas has been wearing #1 in honor of his favorite player, Penny Hardaway.

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10. Carlos May (#17)

Carlos May was a left-fielder for the Chicago White Sox from 1968-1976. He is believed to be the only baseball player ever to wear his exact birthdate on his uniform. Yep, that’s right, Carlos May was born on May 17, 1948.

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9. Jordin Tootoo (#22)

The right winger for the Nashville Predators may be the only professional athlete to ever have his (real*) name be his number, and vice versa. Get it? Tootoo and 22? If anyone can think of anyone else for whom this is the case, please leave a comment below. (And here’s another little piece of Tootoo trivia: Jordin is the first ever NHL player of Inuit descent. Next time you’re at the bar with you’re buddies talking sports, use that nugget to win yourself a beer.)

*In contrast to #2 below.

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8. Jim Otto (#00)

Back in the 1960s, pro football was serious business, so the leagues generally didn’t allow silly jersey numbers. However, in 1961 the AFL made an exception for future Pro Football Hall of Fame center, Jim Otto. He was allowed to take the number 00, for which he became famous, since it was a pun on his name. (Remember kids, “aught” is an old-fashioned way of saying “oh.” Thus 00 can be pronounced “aught-oh,” like “Otto”).

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7. Wayne Gretzky (#99)

The story of Gretzky’s #99 would be boring if he didn’t turn out to be the best hockey player that ever lived. You see, he originally wanted #9 (in honor of his boyhood hero, Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe), but it was already being worn by his teammate on the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. So the Great One chose 99 instead, which was only fitting, since he went on to supplant Howe as the undisputed face of the sport. He probably wasn’t quite 11x greater than Howe, but he might as well have been.

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6. Alexander Mogilny (#89)

For Russian sniper Alexander Mogilny, 89 wasn’t just any old number. It was a number that he would forever associate with freedom. That’s because ‘89 is the year Mogilny defected from the Soviet Union to come play in the NHL.

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5. Steve Heinze (#57)

If you’re name is Heinze, you pretty much have to go with #57, don’t you?

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4. Andrei Kirilenko (#47)

No, that’s not evil Soviet boxer Ivan Drago from Rocky IV. That’s Utah Jazz “small” forward Andrei Kirilenko. Obviously, his initials and number together yield the nickname AK47, like the Soviet assault rifle. However, Kirilenko, while a solid player, is not quite as dangerous as his moniker suggests. He’s averaged 12.4 points and 5.6 rebound per game through 10 years in the NBA.

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3. Jaromir Jagr (#68)

It turns out Jaromir Jagr was more than just a ridiculous afromullet with great hockey skills. He also had a political conscience and a sentimental streak. His number 68 stood for 1968. That was the year of the “Prague Spring”—a period during which reform-minded politicians tried to liberalize communist Czechoslovakia, only to have their efforts squashed by a full-on invasion by the Soviet Union. 1968 was also the year Jagr’s grandfather died in prison. Kind of makes Sidney Crosby’s number seem a little vain, doesn’t it?

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2. Chad Ochocinco (#85)

I know I made the claim that Jordin Tootoo was the only player whose name was his number and vice versa. But Chad Ochocinco doesn’t count. You all know the story. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson wore #85. Then he decided to change his last name from Johnson to Ochocinco, which is “8-5” in Spanish. So, yeah, technically his name is the same as his number, but he had to file a lot of paper work to make it that way.

1. Eddie Gaedel (#⅛)

This is easily the greatest uniform number in the history of professional sports, and the number’s significance is actually quite obvious if you know anything about the St. Louis Browns’ Eddie Gaedel. You see, Gaedel was a 26-year-old man with dwarfism who made MLB history on August 19, 1951. That’s the day he strode to the plate—all 3 feet, 7 inches of him—to take the only at-bat of his career. Obviously, given the tiny strike zone in play, Gaedel walked on four consecutive balls. He was then replaced by a pinch-runner on first base, ending his career as the shortest player in the history of the league with a 1.000 lifetime On-Base Percentage. Because of diminutive stature, Gaedel didn’t get a whole number on his jersey, but instead the fraction ⅛. The whole thing was a publicity stunt conjured up by Bill Veeck, legendary owner of the St. Louis Browns and, later on, the Chicago White Sox.

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Here is a look at some of Hollywood’s finest sporting their team’s colors.  Enjoy!

Sports jerseys are a funny thing. Those who choose to buy them shell out $200+ for an authentic jersey of their favorite player and wear it all over town with intense pride. Then, when the player leaves town, changes his number or doesn’t pan out they cast it aside like a used condom. They literally flip the switch from love to hate in the blink of an eye. From there, the jersey inevitably finds it way to an impoverished country in Africa or your local thrift store. Since we are fairly sure most of our readers don’t reside in Africa, we’ll concentrate our focus on the ones that end up in the thrift store.

9. Partially Burned Cavs Jersey
Little did the makers of LeBron James’ Cavaliers jersey know that they would need to fortify the fabric with a flame retardant to ensure longevity. Alas, post “Decision,” that is the only thing that could have possibly saved the thousands of torched LeBron jerseys in the state of Ohio.

On a side not, government bailout money remains the only thing left to ensure longevity for the thousands of retardants residing in Cleveland.

8. Mike Piazza Florida Marlins Jersey
The love affair with Florida and Mike Piazza was clearly fleeting, as it only lasted one week before he was traded to the Mets. However, for five magical games and 18 wondrous at-bats, the hopes and dreams of South Florida hung on the performance of one Mr. Michael Joseph “Mike” Piazza. Actually, that’s not true. Florida barely noticed and a week later he landed in the Big Apple, but not before the Marlins marketing department rolled out a run of Mike Piazza jerseys…probably. And I’ll bet they’re at a thrift store near you right now! Maybe.

7. David Beckham LA Galaxy Jersey
Even the thought of writing about this makes me yawn, much like my reaction to the news that David Beckham was coming to play soccer in the USA. Better known stateside as the husband of that Spice Girls chick, Beckham came… saw… and got conquered. I think he got paid a bunch of money and probably hung out in some sweet Hollywood clubs, but that’s about all that happened. Well, now he’s gone, but those jerseys remain the only sign that he was ever even here.

6. Ryan Leaf Jersey
Ryan Leaf was a colossal dick. I mean, on draft day, these were his words: “I’m looking forward to a 15-year career, a couple of trips to the Super Bowl and a parade through downtown San Diego.” Well, it’s almost 15 years later, and he may well end up with a 15-year career selling insurance or something, he’s probably attended a couple of Super Bowls as a spectator, but who knows or cares if he has been to a parade in downtown San Diego. But on a positive note, if he ever wants to relive the old days he can get a killer discount on his old jersey at the Salvation Army.

5. Darko Milicic Jersey
The people of Detroit have had it hard lately. Not only are they stuck in Detroit, but the economic crisis hit them square between the eyes with Ivan Drago-like force. Luckily, in 2003, they were given a lesson in disappointment that would help prepare them for what was to come. His name was Darko Milicic and he was the Piston’s first round pick that year. He went second overall and after him, in order: Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. His failure was enough to make you want to flush your Milicic jersey down the toilet, but clogged pluming would only add to your problems, so you gave it to a homeless guy. But he didn’t want it either and now it’s in a downtrodden Detroit thrift store collecting dust and moths.

4. Duke Lacrosse Jersey
Most people don’t want to wear anything that loudly pronounces, “I support those who allegedly rape strippers!” Sure, there are you outliers that do, but for the most part people shy away from things like that. Even though the Duke players accused of stripper-rape (as opposed to regular rape) were exonerated, the court of public opinion isn’t very good at following up on sensational news stories and most people figure the allegations were fact (thanks Al Sharpton). To these people, Duke Lacrosse equals stripper-rape. To strippers, Duke Lacrosse jerseys equal no lap dances. Therefore, in the Carolinas, the result is a lot of Duke Lacrosse jerseys at Good Will outlets and a steady pace of lap dances in the strip clubs.

3. Rod “He Hate Me” Smart Jersey
Ah, the XFL. It’s a shame the league didn’t make it because for all of its flaws, it did bring us some solid memories like Rod “He Hate Me” Smart. According to www.all-xfl.com (who is still paying the internet hosting for that?) his nickname was chosen because he used that to get pumped up before the game. He looked at his coach and said, “Yeah, he hate me.” Then he looked at his opponents and said, “They hate me, and they are going to hate me more when I run all over them today.” Well Rod, I hate to tell you this, but we loved you. However, your Las Vegas Outlaws jersey was a bit played out after about 2003, and so it had to go. Feel free to hate us for that.

2. Jamarcus Russell Jersey
Raider fans don’t let go easily. I mean, think about it. They still root for the Raiders. They are die-hard, so you have to be especially terrible to get them to ditch your jersey. Well, Jamarcus Russell is especially terrible. One of the greatest first overall busts of all-time (remember, Ryan Leaf was the #2 overall behind Peyton Manning) Russell took an already terrible organization to new lows. Next, he will do the same with Taco Bell.

1. Randall Gay Jersey
Perhaps it was a gift from a well-meaning aunt. Maybe it was something you bought as a joke when you were wasted at the stadium. Or perhaps it was some other bizarre circumstance that led to you owning a jersey that said, in big capital letters, “GAY” on the back of it. Whatever the case, you decided that it wasn’t sending the message you wanted the world to hear when you walked into a room, so you ditched it. And now it is the problem of the thrift store as it hangs alone on the rack, awaiting a flamboyant homosexual on the lookout for an ironic outfit to wear out to “Flame,” the hot new nightclub on the outskirts of town that you are completely unaware of. But until then, it waits…and waits…and waits…

Since when did a military appreciation night become a tribute to Cherry anyways?

The jerseys were meant to resemble the wild, outrageous suits Cherry has become known for wearing during his Coaches Corner segments on CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada, and they definitely drive the point home, but perhaps your typical military camouflage colors would have made much more sense under these circumstances.

However, Cherry, the fans, and players of both teams had fun with it, and each jersey worn during the game will be signed by the popular Canadian figure and auctioned off with all proceeds going to Soldier On.

For the sake of the soldiers, one can only hope there are enough individuals with poor enough taste to buy these monstrosities.

Here is an interview with Don Cherry

What do you think? Have we missed or included any jerseys that you think should  or should not be there?