Chicago Blackhawks rookie Wyatt Kaiser recently was asked to be an early model for the team’s collaboration with the hockey fashion brand Just Dishin.
The 21-year-old Kaiser was up for it. He’s somewhat into that culture. He has a small collection of sneakers, mostly Jordans and Nike Dunks, so on a recent road trip, Kaiser donned one of the collaborative hats and T-shirts, which includes “DISHIN” in large print and a three-eye smiley face — the label’s logo — on a hockey player wearing the Blackhawks jersey.
Advertisement
Considering his generation and younger are the targeted clientele, Kaiser’s opinion of the clothing line matters.
“I liked them. The logo is kind of big and bold and flashy, but I didn’t mind,” Kaiser said. “It adds a little flare. It makes it a little different than it always has been. I like the idea, kind of throwing some different things.”
Here at The Athletic, with our NHL style rankings, we’re always up for different things, too. It’s why Kaiser and the collaboration made our latest top-10 list.
Adam Fantilli
McKenzie: There's something badass about this look for me. Maybe it's because it's a top-three draft pick dressed in a dark-green suit while exuding confidence. I think this is a good start for a debut entrant in our rankings.
Powers: Another one of the 2023 draft picks joins the rankings. Fantilli has had a couple of notable fits early this season. I especially liked this one. This color is real sharp. I thought the tie matched well, too.
Tomáš Tatar
McKenzie: Why so glum, chum? Tatar usually is of a much cheerier disposition in these photos. Maybe he was when he put this suit on. The green suit is great, but mixing it with the tie makes it a stellar style choice.
Powers: This shade of green does it for me every time. I think we've had a few players chosen with similar looks. This is a great look for Tatar.
Wyatt Kaiser
McKenzie: I dream of a day where we see more NHLers go to games wearing hoodies or any type of apparel that isn't a suit. I don't think we'll ever see NHLers come close to NBA players in terms of that style and swag, but we can always hope for originality. Maybe one day we can look back at Kaiser and call him a pioneer.
Powers: I talked to Kaiser recently about this collaboration. He's a pretty honest person and seemed to like it. We talked sneakers, too. He was wearing Air Jordan 4s in this pic. He said he has some Jordan 1s, Jordan 4s and Nike Dunks. I do think I surprised him by telling him how many sneakers I had. His collection is a bit smaller.
Moritz Seider
McKenzie: This is the best combination of suit and winter beanie/tuque I've seen all season. So many others have tried ... but Seider got it perfectly right with this outfit.
Powers: The more I look at this fit, the more I wonder if I should have voted it higher. I love the pattern on the coat. The black turtleneck accenuates it, too. Great overall look from Seider.
William Eklund
Powers: This is the one fit Julian and I disagreed on most this week. We both liked it enough to include here, but I loved it and he just sort of liked it. For me, it was the uniqueness. You don't see a ton of corduroy suits. It looks so comfortable. The dress shoe doesn't seem to work for me, but I like the look overall.
McKenzie: Corduroy very much is in. I happen to wear a lot more corduroy lately. I just wanted more color from this outfit. The gray didn't strike me the same way it did for Scott, but I do like the corduroy suit as a concept.
Max Domi
Powers: I've been pushing for a Domi fit the last few rankings, but he's been beat out by other teammates. Julian and I finally agreed on one this week. Domi often goes for the turtleneck with his suit, but he opted for the shirt and tie here. He sticks with Leafs-like colors. The Nike Blazer '77 Vintage sneakers look good with this, too.
McKenzie: Scott's man finally makes the list! I dig the dark-blue suit with the light-colored tie (he could straighten it a little) mixed in with the white Nikes and the accompanying black swoosh. When you add the plaster on his finger, it screams "hockey player a la mode."
Logan Cooley
McKenzie: If you want to make our rankings, do a great job of combining your attire with your Nike Dunks. Cooley is 19 years of age, and he knows the deal already. Good on him.
Powers: We add another young up-and-coming player to the rankings. I like the mix of business and play here with the sharp blue suit and Nike Dunks. The color combination works well.
Yanni Gourde
McKenzie: I didn't think Yanni Gourde was this sharp of a dresser until this week. He could emerge as an early favorite of mine if he keeps this up. The icy blue, three-piece suit is a killer combination that we couldn't ignore.
Powers: Gourde had a couple of fits we considered this time around. He's another player who seems to have a deep closet. We decided on this three-piece suit. The color is fun, and Gourde seems to be enjoying himself. The pinstriped shirt and tie pattern complement the look.
Matt Duchene
McKenzie: I thought Carhartt only made shirts, pants and beanies (or tuques). I think of Carhartt like "Dickies," but for a newer generation. So, to see a Carhartt suit is absolutely wild for me. And to see Duchene pull it off is pleasantly surprising. He just missed the No. 1 spot, but I really dig his suit.
Powers: I love that if you Google "Carhartt suit" that Duchene pops up. This is apparently a custom-made suit and not actually produced by Carhartt. It does include Carhartt's clasic mustard color and a sewn-on Carhartt patch. He's worn the suit a couple times over the last few years, but it's creative and looks good on him.
David Pastrňák
Powers: Give this man his flowers. This floral suit is so much fun. It feels like spring/summer wedding wear, but you've got to respect the person who will pull it out at any time of the year. The yellow tie is a nice touch. I may have gone with a different shoe, but the fit is probably difficult to pair unless you're going with sandals.
McKenzie: "Give this man his flowers" is a brilliant opening line, and I can't beat that, Scott. Well done. Pasta wins this week because his style is sort of campy while still being stylish.
(Top photo of Adam Fantilli: Dave Sandford / NHLI via Getty Images)