Pink All Over the Rink & More
Sunday · Feb 21 · 2010 | 9:46 PM PSTI know it's hard to care about anything but Olympic hockey right now, but there is minor league jersey news to catch everyone up on. So let's get started.
Everblades wearing pinkMy current hometown team, the Florida Everblades held their Pink in the Rink event last night.
Shockingly, I couldn't find any decent photos from the team's website to share. So you'll have to settle for the best my iPhone can offer. Shot this (right) during warm-ups before the game.
A friend of mine said it looked like the Everblades accidentally washed their jerseys with a red sock. It was her first ECHL game.
Also interesting, though I wasn't able to get a picture, the Kalamazoo Wings were wearing blue jerseys with oversized McDonald's logos on them during the pre-game.
Any Michiganites out there that can shed a little light on this? Surprising to see a team go with a warm-up jersey like that on the road.
For the record, it was a great game. Blades battled to a 4-3 shootout victory. Unfortunately, I was not up on my ECHL rules and didn't realize their shootouts are five rounds, not three. Cheered a little prematurely when Colin Nicholson scored in Round 3 for the 2-1 advantage. Oops.
Mudbugs wearing pinkIn the last minor league report, which was exactly a week ago, the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the Central Hockey League were big news as they had two ridiculous specialty jerseys on deck.
They've worn both since then, including this Pink in the Rink night jersey, twice this week. It's probably the worst pink-infused jersey we've seen (and we've seen a lot) but the Mudbugs were able to pull out wins both nights.
If you're just dying to see what the back looks like, here's another photo. For the record, if it looks familiar, the Lightning wore that exact numbering and lettering style between 1995 and 2001. Just saying.
Mudbugs go Mardi Gras!The Mudbugs also wore specially-themed jerseys to ring in Mardi Gras last weekend. Just as terrible as expected. Here they've opted for the Predators' font for the numbers and nameplates.
And once again, if you just have to see more angles of this jersey, the Mudbugs are happy to provide photos.
As much as we mock them, it is fun to see the ridiculous things minor league teams will wear on the ice in honor of a good cause. By the way, bidding on those Mardi Gras jerseys ended earlier this evening. So sorry, but you can't have one.
Hitmen wearing pinkSince we can't get enough of pink jerseys, the Calgary Hitmen have us covered. On Sunday, March 7 they'll go pink for Hockey Mums Fight Breast Cancer Night.
The cancer awareness promotion began in October and runs through next month. So if you are going to bid, I'd be ready to start high.
And for what it's worth, all the information you could possibly ever want about this event, including how to bid on these special sweaters, is just a simple click away.
Cyclones celebrate RedsThe ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones celebrated their Salute to the Reds night back on December 5.
Icethetics reader Andy just sent in a photo (right) of what the jerseys looked like. Imagine if the Cincinnati Reds played hockey. Probably what they'd look like.
If you want a better look, there's also this picture of the Mark Voakes modeling the sweater — possibly just before getting his mug shot done.
I couldn't find a detailed write-up on the Cyclones' website so I don't really know what the deal was — whether the jersey were auctioned off and what charity benefited — can't say.
And finally, Icethetics reader Chip writes in to let us know that the Edmonton Oilers are re-activating their dormant AHL franchise for the 2010-11 season, but this time in Oklahoma City. So that will be another new logo and set of uniforms to look forward to when JerseyWatch 2010 kicks off this summer.
Chip says he hopes the yet-to-be-named club will get the Blazers moniker that has existed in some form since the 1960s and, most recently, as a team in the Central Hockey League. Any thoughts on that?
Reader Comments (14)
I'm sure Bret Hart would like those Hitmen jerseys.
The Hitmen doing pink is kind of appropriate, though, considering their roots:
Namesake:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4ow2Juu7nMo/SWtxcxbWczI/AAAAAAAANZk/tb0sqVFkAIA/s400/wwf+bret+hart.jpg
Jersey from 1996/97:
http://pics.classicauctions.net/classicauctions/auctions/37/241.jpg
and put the two together ....
http://www.angelfire.com/me2/HartFoundationHitgal/images/calgaryhitman.jpg
And despite them being a hated rival, I have to admit that their latest implementation of special edition pink jerseys is pretty darn well executed, especially when compared against what other teams have been wearing.
I really, really, really, hope the Hitmen go to those full time. They need to bring back the pink.
Darn, I was going to post about the Hitmen originally wearing pink. I always thought it looked awesome and contrasted nicely with their name & logo. Seriously though, could a team in Calgary have a better owner than a famous native like Brett Hart? Too bad he no longer owns them...
Hopefully the Oilers won't screw up the OKC Jerseys as badly as they did with their own franchise..
What do you mean "dormant" franchise? Isn't their AHL affiliate the Springfield Falcons?
Springfield is currently the Oilers affiliate, yes. But Springfield is privately owned and their affiliation expires at the end of this season. The Oilers own an AHL franchise outright that was previously the Toronto/Edmonton Roadrunners until 2005. They've always held the ownership rights to that franchise and have only now decided to reactivate it as the new Oklahoma City team. Springfield still has a team for now but their affiliate status is up in the air.
As someone who works int he news business here in Edmonton, I've heard rumblings of the Roadrunners being reborn in OKC. If you recall, the Roadrunners were brought into Edmonton during the lockout year but killed off after just a season because the Oil's ownership didn't feel that the city could sustain two pro-level teams, instead opting to bring the WHL Oil Kings as a junior-level affiliate.
As for AHL farm teams, as others have mentioned already, the Oil have the Springfield Falcons, but after coming up short in the stands and on the ice each season since their inception, they're now relocating the team to OKC in hopes of actually making something of the franchise.
i know its for a good cause and all but honestly, how many pink in the rink nights does this world need!!! its been done!!! just play hockey
Just play hockey?? I don't think this is the right website for you.
@Josh/Adam: The pink was actually specifically resurrected for the club's 15th anniversary; they've worn it once already, at the 15th-birthday celebration featuring special guest Bret Hart. It's subtle, is the key: an all-pink uni like some clubs have worn is an assault on the senses. This is especially important when you're a season-ticket holder like me, and you have to see fans wearing them about the Saddledome on a regular basis. ;)
Unfortunately, the Hart group, which also included Theo Fleury, somehow ran afoul of the Flames organization simply by showing up, back in the days when NHL clubs were a little more hostile to junior clubs they saw as competition (the Oilers forced the Ice to move from Edmonton to Cranbrook by refusing to let them use Northlands Coliseum instead of the inferior Agricom). They couldn't even use their chosen logo the first year, until everything got sorted. Eventually, the Flames just bought the Hitmen outright, as the investors associated with Graham James decided they wanted out when he was arrested in 1997. They promptly changed the colours to black, green, and red, and the rest is history.
Will this OKC team play in the Thunder's arena? Also: any word on the Oil doing a white version of their vintage blue / orange's ?
The CHL Blazers shut down due to arena conficts and internal squabbling with the NBA's thunder. OKC has always had a great minor league hockey following and I'm hoping that continues. Early candidates for names include Oil Kings, Oil Barons, Roadrunners, Blazers, and Oilers. I'm personally pulling for Flying Cumiskey's.
I highly doubt they'll have two teams in their system named the Oil Kings (we've already got the WHL's Oil Kings here in Edmonton and owned by the Oilers) because it would just be confusing and always require management and fans to clarify everything. Pretty much the same thing goes for the Oilers name too.