With our NHL Reverse Retro predictions revisited from the Eastern Conference, we now shift our focus to the Western Conference, particularly the Central Division. The Central had several great looks to choose from, and most of the division delivered with their jerseys. We will take a look back at our initial predictions for the uniforms and compare the prediction to the actual jersey.

Chicago Blackhawks:

Predicted: 2009 Stadium Series

Actual: 1940 Black

Chicago has had multiple variations of the iconic chief logo throughout their history. With our prediction, we predicted the original logo with the words “Chicago Blackhawks” written in an exterior circle with an older Blackhawks logo on the inside was making a comeback. With this logo, the prediction was the 2009 Winter Classic uniform from their matchup at Wrigley Field. However, the team brought back that logo, but a different design around it.

The jersey itself, essentially, is a black version of their uniforms from 1940. Black takes center stage as the primary color with red shoulders and stripes and white trim. With white letters and numbers on the back, the jersey itself is a decent look. It may not be the best or flashiest Reverse Retro in the Central or NHL, but it is very simple and delivers on a classic look.

Colorado Avalanche:

Predicted: Nordiques

Actual: Updated Nordiques

The Avalanche has stuck with their primary logo for a large part of their tenure in Denver, and there wasn’t necessarily a lot to choose from in their current home. However, there was one easy option for the Avalanche to pick, and that was to go the Carolina route and honor their former home in Quebec. The Nordiques uniforms are an iconic look and NHL history, and, much to the delight of hockey fans everywhere, the Avalanche resurrected the jersey with some changes.

The team didn’t use the powder blue as the primary, but rather a white jersey with several touches to honor both Quebec and Colorado. The fleur de lis on the waist of the jersey are maroon instead of the conventional blue, relating to the color scheme of the team’s recent history. The numbers contain touches to each team’s history as well, with maroon outlines and powder blue insides. With the Nordiques jersey back in the fold, Colorado easily has one of the best Reverse Retro jerseys in the NHL and Central, and hockey fans are thrilled the look is back.

Dallas Stars:

Predicted: 1999 Road Jersey

Actual: White 1999

Dallas had some fairly decent choices available for their Reverse Retro. With their black alternate unveiled before this, it created extra speculation as to where the team was going with the jersey. The team’s Winter Classic uniform was a huge hit with their fanbase, so that very well might’ve been in play. However, we predicted the team was going back to its Stanley Cup win in 1999 with the green and black jersey from the Mike Modano era. The team’s jersey did channel the 90’s, but with a brand new concept.

The jersey has white as the base color with green and black stripes in the star formation. With the same crest, the jersey has the concept down. However, the team went way overboard with the white, with the color taking the underside of the star-shaped stripes and the crest itself. If the team used black underneath green and white stripes, that may have been better here. Also, the original Stars logo barely stands out against the white, making the jersey look like Stormtroopers. As a result, Dallas had the right idea but just made one branding error that prevented this jersey from being perfect, making it an “almost.”

Minnesota Wild:

Predicted: North Stars

Actual: Wild North Stars

Minnesota didn’t have much to choose from for their Reverse Retro. The team stuck with the same logo for the large majority of its history, so it was expected to see Minnesota channel back to the days of the Minnesota North Stars. With this in mind, we predicted the team was going to go full retro with their jersey, bringing back the North Star colors and logo. However, the Wild decided to cross the old and new franchises together to make a brand new jersey.

The jersey features white as the base color with the North Star color scheme coming back. The yellow and brighter shades of green are arranged in a way that is similar to the jerseys from the 1970s, with green shoulders and green, white, and yellow stripes near the elbow and green on the ends of the sleeves. The crest of the uniform, however, is particularly unique with the Wild meeting the North Stars’ colors, and it provides a unique twist on Minnesota hockey history. While it would have been nice to see a North Stars patch on the shoulders or some other touch, the jersey honors both the past and present and does so pretty well.

Nashville Predators:

Predicted: The Original

Actual: Gold Originals

Nashville has an interesting history with its uniforms. Although it has stuck with the same base logo throughout its existence, the color scheme has seen an overhaul or two. That overhaul has led to a weird current jersey rotation. The predominantly gold color scheme makes for, according to fans, some of the worst jerseys in the Central and NHL, leading to several possibilities for their Reverse Retro. However, with Nashville having a predominantly yellow color scheme, we predicted that the original blue, yellow and grey jersey was making a comeback with the original logo. However, the team brought that jersey back, but with a modern-day twist.

Gold is the primary color of the jersey instead of navy, and the jersey is styled to match the new color scheme. The white runs down the sleeves with blue piping on the outside of the white and facing inside the sleeve. White also runs down the sides of the jersey heading toward a navy stripe at the waist. Making a comeback is a slightly altered version of their original logo, as navy blue takes most of the originally gold sections and gold takes the eye. Add a revival of the fossils logo from that time, and Nashville crosses the past and present together very well, possibly to a point where it is the best jersey in their rotation.

St. Louis Blues:

Predicted: Clown Jerseys

Actual: Red Clowns

St. Louis was also a team that had an easy choice with its Reverse Retro. The team had revived its jerseys from the 1990’s with the red and yellow stripes, as well as the trumpet logo, during the 2019-20 season. The team wore that uniform three times during the regular season, and it was a fantastic look. The jersey received rave reviews across the NHL, and it seemed like a natural pick for the Reverse Retro series. The team did indeed choose to bring that jersey back, there is one major change.

The overall layout is the same, but the base color of the jersey is red instead of blue. The yellow stripes remain in the same formation as before, but the blue takes the waist and sleeve stripes at the end. The Blue Note logo with the “St. Louis” text also remains from the original jersey. The jersey itself looks fine, however, it all comes down to how the equipment will work with it. If there’s too much red there as well, it may look very overbearing, but if the Blues do it right, this jersey can look phenomenal on the ice.

Winnipeg Jets:

Prediciton: Retro White

Actual: Grey Retro

Winnipeg had something special working with their throwback jersey before this announcement. The callback to the original Winnipeg Jets was a smash hit with Jets and NHL fans alike. With its white base color with navy blue and red complements, the jersey worked perfectly together, and it can be said that the jersey was one of the best in hockey at the time. Even with a new version released for the 2019 Heritage Classic, Winnipeg still did well with that jersey as well. However, the Jets’ third time around with the logo was not the charm, as their jersey underwhelms compared to the first two.

Some of the major components of the first two jerseys remain. The navy blue and white remain from the originals, as well as the iconic crest from the days of the WHA. However, the team threw a wrench into things with the use of grey as the base color of the uniform. After putting that in, the Jets made the “Winnipeg” text the circle around the plane in the logo a powder blue, similar to their current alternates, over the red color, further distancing themselves from the original crest. While the idea is there for the jersey, the execution isn’t great with the nostalgic feeling of the old Jets away from it. As a result, the change in color scheme just doesn’t work with the old-time look, and therefore can be considered a miss here.

With our Central Division predictions revisited, the Pacific Division is the only division remaining in our NHL Reverse Retro series. Stay tuned as we revisit our final predictions from this NHL Reverse Retro Series!