Sharks Jersey Rankings: Why Original Teal Sweater Is San Jose's Best

Editor's note: The Sharks have been in existence for 28 years and have worn a variety of jerseys in that span -- teal, black and white. NBC Sports California ranked the five best sweaters since San Jose first took the ice in 1991. We conclude our series with the best-ever Sharks jersey: The original teal sweater.

It's finally that time.

We've been giving you our top-five jerseys in Sharks history all week, and today is the day we finally reveal our No. 1 selection. 

Without further ado, the best jersey in San Jose Sharks history is … the original teal sweater.

They say in life it's all about a first impression, and the Sharks made a profound impact on the NHL with the team's initial teal uniforms.

They debuted right along with the franchise on Oct. 4, 1991, as San Jose lost 4-3 in Vancouver against the Canucks. 

Teal was a color the NHL was lacking at the time the Sharks joined the league, and the first release sold like hotcakes, instantly becoming one of the best-selling sweaters in the NHL.

The team's original logo, featuring the Shark biting through the stick, was also a cult classic that even made an appearance in a classic hockey movie that spawned one of its in-state rivals.

Although merchandise was flying off the shelves and the team sold out every home game at the Cow Palace, the success on the ice was not there for the first year of the expansion Sharks.

The Sharks finished with just 39 points, which put them 35 points behind the next-closest team in the Smythe Division and was the worst mark in the NHL.

San Jose did bring back the jersey as an alternate for the Sharks' 25th anniversary season in 2015-16, much to the delight of hockey sweater enthusiasts everywhere. 

The team made slight changes before the 1997-98 season, switching to a darker shade of teal and modifying the name on the back from being straight and outlined in black to an arched, single-color format. 

[RELATED: Sharks jersey rankings: Why original white sweater is second-best uniform]

Overall, the team made three playoff appearances in the seven seasons they sported these threads, including a pair of conference semifinal appearances. 

If you're somebody that isn't into nostalgia, then clearly our top two choices would not agree with you. But jerseys across all major American sports were better in the 1990s as far as I'm concerned, so our top two selections are a perfect fit.

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