NLL jerseys have taken some massive strides since the league was originally founded back in 1986. The most important aspect when designing a jersey is having a strong brand identity. Some franchises have phenomenal logos and color pallets at their disposal which makes the designing process a lot easier. Funny enough, there are teams in the NLL that have really good branding resources but still missed the mark when it came to designing the team uniforms.
Some teams on this list have found a way to balance elements from the past while implementing more modern design features fit for the future. All of that being said, the NLL is starting to feel like a true professional sports league and a lot of that is due to better presentation across the board.
Here is every NLL team’s best jersey ranked from worst to first.
NLL Jerseys Ranked
14: Georgia Swarm
It’s hard to believe that someone approved the decision for the Georgia Swarm to wear practice jerseys for game day. These jerseys are a major step down from what the team has worn in the past and I can’t understand why make the change in the first place. The decision to get rid of the teams’ honeycomb pattern and predominately yellow color scheme has taken all of the fun out of this franchise.
13: Calgary Roughnecks
I don’t even want to talk about this one. Calgary replaced its iconic red color scheme with this? This looks awful and takes all of the life out of Calgary. This jersey feels like a barebone template for an overseas manufacture.
12: Panther City Lacrosse Club
Holy cow did Panther City really drop the ball on these. It is hard for me to even put ino words what exactly I am looking at right now. White numbers? Purple stripe across the stomach? Random red star placement all over the place? This jersey truly is a travesty and should have never made it off the drawing board.
The only reason this uniform isn’t dead last is due to the fact that it probably doesn’t look half bad from the stands. Panther City has a phenomenal logo and color pallet at their disposable and it truly is a shame that this is the best they could come up with.
11: San Diego Seals
I really wanted to rank this jersey higher but morally I couldn’t. The Seals have perfect branding assets but the execution here is laughable. The jersey numbers feel too cartoony, the constant use of black feels out of place, and overall there wasn’t much love put into this uniform. The helmet and shorts work well together but then you add the jersey and the whole thing just becomes a mess.
10: Rochester Knighthawks
The Knighthawks really messed up when they decided to depart from the teams’ iconic purple and blue a couple years back. This new militaristic green uniform feels very bland and lifeless. Don’t get me wrong, this uniform set could look a lot worse. It is just a shame considering how great the Knighthawks uniforms were in the past that this is the best we could do with a rebrand.
9: Saskatchewan Rush
At least this NLL jersey attempts to stand out amongst the crowd. The color rush green is certainly a lot to take in but the jersey understands this and doesn’t throw in a ton of accent features to distract you from the fact this is a neon green jersey. I don’t love it but I can’t say I hate it. I do know that I would be sad if Saskatchewan decided to move on from this color scheme because I truly feel that the NLL needs an obnoxious team like this.
8: New York Riptide
I didn’t realize how much I like this uniform set until I compared it to every other look in the league. New York has a strong color scheme but a terrible logo which leads to conflicting interests when designing a jersey. From the stands, this jersey doesn’t look awful and I would argue that it looks good. However, once you’re looking at it up close all of its flaws become much more apparent. The logos aren’t great, the swirl around the numbers is weird, and it isn’t using enough teal.
7: Vancouver Warriors
This jersey falls to dead center of the pack for a few reasons. This look was certainly a very safe choice as it is clear the team didn’t want to take many risks when coming up with this design. The result is minimal jersey that feels somewhat generic that overall looks pretty good. I wouldn’t call this a bad jersey but I certainly wouldn’t call it elite.
6: Albany Firewolves
Unlike Vancouver, Albany decided to take some risks with this jersey and I think they most of them work. This look is very different compared to other NLL jerseys mostly due to the thin pipping along the shoulders as well as the parallel stripes on the shorts and sleeves. While I’m not in love with the Firewolves’ color scheme, I think this jersey is doing the best it can considering what the design team was given to work with.
5: Philadelphia Wings
Philadelphia really could have messed this jersey up with just a few minor tweaks. However, the Wings franchise really hit the nail on the head with this one. Even though this jersey looks complicated at first glance, it is relatively simple. Subtle gray wing pattern down the sleeve, simple stripe down the side, and the primary logo blown up on the chest. There was no need to throw in secondary logos or over use one color over another. This is arguably the most unique looking jersey in the NLL.
4: Colorado Mammoth
The main strength in this jersey is the iconic Colorado Mammoth logo. I would even make the argument that the Colorado Mammoths’ logo is one of the best in professional sports. The team has a really strong sense of its own brand identity and utilizes that strength with this minimum design. This look is very clean and to the point which not a lot of other NLL franchises can say.
3: Halifax Thunderbirds
Halifax being an expansion team had the luxury of not having to rely on the past when creating the teams’ identify. The result ended up being the creation one of the most electric brands the NLL has ever seen. This jersey feels very fresh with its bright colors, minimal branding assets, and phenomenal logo placement. Future NLL expansion teams should take note when designing jerseys.
2: Toronto Rock
The Toronto Rock jersey set feels like it should belong in a museum. This jersey takes the appropriate risks while still remaining true to the teams’ brand image. I cannot emphasize enough how much I love the decision to split the jersey colors down the middle using the subtle outline of the Canadian leaf. Similar to the Green Bay Packers, I don’t think the Toronto Rock will every be able to move past this jersey.
1: Buffalo Bandits
It doesn’t get much better than this. The Buffalo Bandits jerseys feel like a retro throwback brought to the modern day. Everything about this jersey is perfect and there isn’t a single thing that should be changed about it. This is what a box lacrosse jersey should look like and feel like.
