Hockey jerseys, more commonly known as "sweaters" in hockey circles, have always been the most creative and eye-catching uniforms in the four major American sports. In recent years, third jerseys, in addition to the traditional home and away sweaters, began to pop up in the NHL with hopes that die-hard fans would dip into their wallets and spend insane amounts of money on the new threads.

Twenty NHL teams now have third jerseys, and, to say the least, there are some odd looking uniforms in the NHL now. Some are great though. The Pittsburgh Penguins third jerseys were so cool last year that they permanently replaced the old home and away sweaters. So, here is my list of the good, the bad and the ugly NHL third jerseys.

The Good...

Chicago Blackhawks — They are exactly the same as the classic red and white sweaters, only black. Not too bad looking, just not as classy as the originals.

Colorado Avalanche — The laced neckline is very cool. The jerseys are basically an ode to the original six N.Y. Rangers, with a diagonal "COLORADO" going from the right shoulder to the left hip, not bad at all.

Florida Panthers — The Panthers' sweaters are fine in general, and so is their third. It's the same as the regulars, only it's red. They aren't spectacular, but they aren't bad.

Minnesota Wild — Brand new for the 2003-2004 season, the Wild's thirds are awesome, better than the regular sweaters. They also have the laced neckline, which helps with the simple, retro look they were going for. NHL marketing specialists, take notes; the simpler the better.

N.Y. Islanders — They are orange with blue trim, need I say more?

Philadelphia Flyers — These are also orange, and they maintain that classic Flyers logo.

San Jose Sharks — Again, so cool that they are better than the everyday sweaters. The shark devouring the hockey stick is one of the best crests in the NHL, and on this simple black sweater it looks extremely sharp.

Toronto Maple Leafs — Retro equals cool when it comes to thirds and this retro-Maple Leaf look is the best third jersey in the league.

The Bad...

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim — The retro attempt is admirable, but it just looks way too AHL to be cool. Keep the duck hockey mask logo, it's what makes the regulars so good.

Buffalo Sabres — The effort to bring back the crossing swords was a good idea, but they just look too cartoonish. Bringing back the old blue and yellows would be a good idea.

Columbus Blue Jackets — Cool looking, but they look like all-star sweaters. I'm not sure I understand.

Edmonton Oilers — These have all the essentials for a good third: simple, laced neckline, great looking crest. I just hate them because they deviate so much from the classic Oilers sweaters.

Los Angeles Kings — The Kings jerseys are just terrible in general.

N.Y. Rangers — Putting the Statue of Liberty on there was a good idea, but making it a little more retro would have been better.

The Ugly...

Boston Bruins — The bear head crest looks too, well ... real, and the zigzag lines make matters worse.

Calgary Flames — Okay, so they are the cowboys of the great white North, but the flaming-nosed horses make these look more like Pantera shirts than hockey sweaters.

Dallas Stars — Easily the worst in the league. The crest is a longhorn embedded with a constellation. I have a hard time believing that people will actually buy these.

Nashville Predators — The sabertooth tiger crest is awesome. The mustard-yellow color of the jerseys is not. These are a close second to Dallas.

Ottawa Senators — The senator on the crest looks like he's constipated, and all the arrows make these thirds a confusing mess of material.

Vancouver Canucks — I like the fairly new whale 'C' logo, but the blue-to-red fading is just too much. Remember, keeping it simple is the best!

Check out the third jerseys of the NHL at the online store at www.nhl.com.

Mike Szwaja is a junior in communications. He can be reached at sports@dailyillini.com.