You're Wearing That? - Think Pink

You won't find any pictures of pop stars in this article, nor will you see Corey Hart. However, this is the Pink Episode of You're Wearing That?, and that means we'll be seeing a lot of pink jerseys. I want to be up front and say that teams who wear pink jerseys to raise funds for breast cancer research is a great idea. Hockey fans are a passionate group, and the ladies that play and watch hockey are some of the best women on the planet. With hockey teams onside with the charitable organizations that work to help breast cancer victims and survivors, hockey has shown that is a game that reaches across demographics. Good on all these teams who have shown their mettle in helping everyone out. Ok, let's take a look at the pink jerseys worn by a number of teams.

February 27 saw the OHL's London Knights join the fight against breast cancer. The Knights broke out these pink jerseys and socks for their game that night. They are pretty decent looking jerseys, and the rear font is easy to read, so those are highlights. However, London would look better if that sock pink matched the jersey pink. Just my opinion, though.

February 7 saw the ECHL's Ontario Reign and Alaska Aces break out some special jerseys for their game. Ontario went with the pink-themed jerseys to help the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, while the Aces went baby blue in their alternate uniforms. I really like Ontario's look. It's clean and crisp with the white background, and the little ribbons on the socks are a nice touch. Well done on a great jersey, Reign!

The OHL's Belleville Bulls went pink to help out the Canadian Cancer Society on February 14. Before you click on the link, get your sunglasses on. Here are the Hot Pink Bulls from Belleville! Honestly, those jerseys aren't that bad at all. I like the bold colour. And to prove that it wasn't all that bad, the Bulls raised just over $47,000 for charity! Well done, Belleville residents, on supporting your team and the charity!

The ECHL's Columbia Inferno seem to have a "Pink in the Rink" game annually, and I applaud them for their efforts. Ok, the used to have one annually until they took a voluntary suspension from the ECHL. In any case, when they played the games, this is what the Inferno looked like. Again, good contrasts between the colours, and a very decent looking jersey.

The ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones participated in a pink-themed game on January 23 this year. In searching the Internet, though, it seems like there was no media there to cover the event. However, I did scrounge up one picture, and it appears the Cyclones were decked out in all-pink. They look sharp, though.

February 16 saw Dartmouth's women's team don the pink jerseys. All the teams of the ECAC wore pink uniforms that weekend, and all made pretty good statements. The NCAA has never been so pink, but Dartmouth's Shannon Bowman looks classy in her pink uniform.

Harvard's Liza Ryabkina shows that this pink jersey craze in NCAA women's hockey isn't a one-time thing. The Harvard women, along with the other ECAC teams, wore pink last season as well to help promote awareness for charity.

There are a few teams from the NCAA that have slid down the scale of awesomeness. The first example is the University of Wisconsin-Superior, and their pink jersey effort on February 7, 2009. Really, though, do these look pink? That pink could be so much bolder. At least it's not a black jersey, though. I'll credit them for trying.

The NCAA had Quinnipiac wear black-and-pink on February 13, 2009. Personally, the jersey colours should be swapped - more pink, less black. These aren't the greatest, but they certainly aren't the worst.

In what happens to be one of the worst efforts I have ever seen to promote a charitable idea, NCAA's Clarkson went pink on February 20, except they really didn't wear much pink. Stripes on the socks? That's it? If this was grade school, I'd expel Clarkson for its effort.

The OHL's Erie Otters came out sporting a pink jersey early in the season. On October 25, 2008, the Otters took to the ice in this jersey. Not bad, but it looks like they are wearing some sort of vest over a blue jersey. It's still a bold colour of pink, though.

The ECHL's Idaho Steelheads came out in ribbon-themed jerseys in 2008. These pink-ribboned jerseys look pretty good. The Steelheads helped to raise funds to benefit breast cancer care and treatment at St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute. Great jerseys for a great cause in this writer's opinion.

The CHL's Laredo Bucks - constants on these articles - also sported pink this season. January 9, 2009 saw the Bucks take to the ice in these pink-themed jerseys. If the Bucks sold out their rink on "Pink In The Rink" night, they would donate $10,000 to WINGS. WINGS (Women Involved in Nurturing, Giving, Sharing) is a non-profit organization that provides top-quality, comprehensive breast cancer treatment services to uninsured and underinsured breast cancer patients. I'm happy to say that while the Bucks were just short of a sell-out, the Bucks donated the money to WINGS anyway. Well done, Bucks. The hockey gods reward that kind of generous giving.

The QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads went with a ribbon-themed jersey as well. October 24, 2008 saw the Mooseheads don these ribbon-wrapped jerseys, as seen on Logan McMillan. October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the Mooseheads raised funds and support for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. I actually like these jerseys, but I still think that the ribbon should stand out. Either way, though, good on the Mooseheads.

The OHL's Mississauga St. Michael's Majors have done a few pink-themed jerseys. In 2007-08, the Majors wore these pink-themed jerseys. It seems a little off with blue being the primary colour, but a decent effort. However, on November 10, 2008, the Majors played the Ottawa 67's in these pink-themed jerseys. That looks better than the previous effort. St. Mike's wasn't done there, though. February 13, 2009 saw the Barrie Colts battle the pink-clad Majors. With pink being the major colour in those jerseys, they are the best of the bunch. Don Cherry was on-hand to drop the puck and help support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Well done, St. Mike's!

The ECHL's Phoenix Roadrunners went pink to support research, but I find fault with this effort. The jerseys are solid, but why can't teams match the socks with the promotions? I mean, they cost approximately $10. If you're going to wear a special jersey for the promotion, the least you could do is match the socks.

The AHL's Iowa Stars got in on the act last season before they became the "Chops". They sported these jerseys on March 15, 2008 to help raise funds for the John Stoddard Cancer Center. Again, I feel there is too much black in the pink promotional jersey. Is it really a pink jersey at all? I can't find fault with raising funds for a good cause, but the jersey could be better.

Ok, so we've seen a bunch of teams wearing pink, but there have been some other decent promotions that have happened, so I'll touch on these now.

The AHL's Manitoba Moose played host to "Old-Time Hockey Night" on February 28, 2009 where kids from around Winnipeg and the neighbouring communities were encouraged to submit applications to have their team's jerseys worn by the Moose in an AHL game. The winners of the contest were the Southdale Lakers, and the Moose played host to the Peoria Rivermen while wearing the Lakers' jerseys. This is a great community-driven idea, and I commend the Moose for having fun with it while attracting younger fans. Well done!

On February 13, 2009, the ECHL's Gwinnett Gladiators opted not to go pink. I know - shock and awe! Actually, the Gladiators select one charity per year and devote a night to raising funds for them. This year, the Gladiators selected Relay For Life, and they fashioned some impressive jerseys for the event. The back of the jersey had names of some of the people in the Relay For Life, marking this as one of the coolest jerseys for charity I have seen.

January 31, 2009 saw the IHL's Kalamazoo Wings take to yellow ice, not pink ice, for their promotion. Co-sponsored by McDonald's, the Wings donned uniforms similar to this guy's attire, and played on yellow ice. Said defenceman John Glavota, "I've got to be honest with you, a lot of the guys weren't too crazy about them, but I thought they were fantastic. When we came in, I'm like, 'These aren't that bad. These could be the best I've ever seen.'" All I know is that no one should eat yellow snow, and the ice looks a lot like... well, you know.

The ECHL's Idaho Steelheads get another appearance in this article thanks to their work with St. Luke’s Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Services (SLIERS). The hockey team joined forces with SLIERS to help raise funds for the non-profit organization, and they wore special jerseys for the event. SLIERS provides outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy services, and is instrumental in helping thousands with their therapy needs. A great jersey for a great cause, and the team should be celebrated for their efforts in helping a great organization like SLIERS.

Lastly, we present a rarely-seen NHL jersey. It had been decided that the Quebec Nordiques needed to rebrand themselves for the 1996 season. They opted for something meaner in a new logo, and went with a new colour scheme as well. Had they not been moved to Denver, Colorado, the Nordiques would have skated with this look in 1996. They are certainly different, and they take some getting used to, but they are alright. Your thoughts? Are these good, or do they get the dreaded "EPIC FAIL"?

So there is a look at some more fun promotions. I like these articles because they are fun, and, if you're looking for jersey ideas, they hopefully inspire the inner designer in you. Without a doubt, though, all of the charitable organizations that were helped with the above promotions deserve the support and funding they receive, and I commend the teams for helping out. Hockey truly is a community game, and this is a prime example of that community, close-knit, family element in hockey.

For more You're Wearing That? articles, check the "Highly-Clicked Links" drop-down list to the right!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!