CHARLOTTE, N.C. – When asking hockey fans “what is the first thing that is synonymous with hockey?”, there is usually a wide array of answers. Some will say the fights, some will say the atmosphere, but you will find many fans saying “hockey jerseys” as their answer. Going to hockey games, usually people will see a swarm of hockey jerseys at arenas across the hockey landscape. Some will be of the home or even the away team, and some may be affiliates of that certain team they root for. When it comes down to it, people love hockey jerseys from their team or even just by the design. 

For minor league hockey especially, special-themed jerseys or even jerseys to copy their NHL clubs are always fun to look at if you’re a fan of minor league hockey. That got me thinking, “what are the best-looking jerseys in Charlotte Checkers history?”. So here we are, here are the top three Charlotte Checkers jerseys of all time (in my opinion of course).

3. 2010/11 – 2012/13 Home Jersey

Full transparency, there will be a heavy lean to the Charlotte Checkers’ affiliation to the Carolina Hurricanes on this list as the team had their best looks during this time. The first one on the list goes back to the 2010/11 season where the Checkers had a home jersey that was the Hurricanes’ road look for a vast majority of the mid-to-late 2000s to early-2010s. The warning flag’s going around the bottom of the jersey is just an amazing look and clearly showed who the Checkers were affiliated with without looking at the shoulder patches.

This overall look is a solid 9.5/10 if you’re looking for a solid affiliate jersey. The piping around the shoulders matched what the Hurricanes had from the late-2000s to the mid-2010s. Plus the logo on the center of the jersey ties so well with it. A very clean look for the Checkers back in 2010 to 2013.

2. 1995-96 Riley Cup Throwback

Now this jersey, this screams 1990s-inspired throwback. Back in 2015 the Checkers wore a throwback jersey to honor the 1995-96 Riley Cup team. The team in 1995-96 beat Jacksonville 4-0 to win the ECHL title when the early Checkers teams started their foundation in the ECHL.

Just by looking at the jerseys, there’s a clear indication of how the early Charlotte team was inspired by their connection to racing with part of the ownership group having the Petty family involved. The Checkered flag pattern around the bottom is a very nice touch along with the light blue, orange, and white. It ties in really well with the logo of the polar bear holding the hockey stick with more of a checkered flag pattern around him.

While these are modern jerseys to honor a throwback jersey, one would have to consider these a 1995/96 jersey overall. A very nice 9.7/10 when it comes to honoring a team from the ’90s in these original colors and designs.

1. 2010/11 Alternate Jersey

The best jersey in Charlotte Checkers’ history has to be the 2010/11 Alternate Jerseys. Once again these replicate, at the time, the Carolina Hurricanes’ original black alternate jersey. The black warning flags at the bottom tie in with the jersey very nicely. The stripes on the sleeves and the socks look spectacular with the color combos of red and silver together on top of the black jersey. The number font on these just pop so well with their color style.

What really makes these jerseys the best is the Checkers’ alternate logo on the front to match what the Hurricanes did by using the alternate logo on the alternate jersey. The polar bear holding the hockey stick with the Hurricanes’ warning flag just adds to the overall aesthetic really well. The logo combined with the jersey color and look is beyond perfect for a team that was affiliated with the Hurricanes at the time. Overall, a much-deserved 10/10 on the overall appeal of this jersey.

Do you agree? Disagree?

What do you think of this Top Three list? Is there one that was missed? Maybe not in the right order? It’s really fun to see what fans think and what jerseys might have been overlooked for lists like these. People will have different opinions but overall these lists can be fun to do. Let us know what you think of this list and what jerseys you would add to it.