Seasonal fashion for Giants this year: Grinch-inspired gear
Bah humbug, even Vancouver Giants players can’t find peace and harmony over festive spirit. Then again, reaching consensus over which specialty jersey is their best ever is tough sledding.
The Giants began wearing unique uniforms when they switched to their Vancouver Millionaires look for a Nov. 21, 2008, game, which also featured a visit from the Stanley Cup and a host of former NHLers to the Pacific Coliseum, including Dave (The Hammer) Schultz and Gerry Cheevers.
The Giants’ latest outside-thenorm ensemble sees them sporting Grinch-inspired gear for Friday’s game against the Spokane Chiefs at Langley Events Centre and Sunday’s Teddy Bear Toss game at Rogers Arena against the Tri-City Americans.
We’ve asked players and team staff, here and there in the past, about which look they preferred. We’ve always received a variety of responses. It was the same when we did it again this week with the current squad.
We precluded this group from picking the upcoming Grinch outfit so they didn’t feel like they needed to hype it up.
Defenceman Bowen Byram picked the Ugly Christmas Sweater from Dec. 11, 2015, as his current favourite. Defenceman Alex Kannok Leipert split his love between those jerseys and the Star Wars tribute gear the Giants fashioned on Dec. 4, 2015.
Defenceman Dylan Plouffe and winger Jackson Shepard both opted for the Star Wars look. Plouffe also acknowledged the Vimy Ridge-themed gear from Nov. 3, 2017 because “it meant something,” and Shepard gave a nod as well to the bright yellow Vancouver Blazers jersey from Nov. 15, 2014.
Winger Tristen Nielsen liked the blue with giant V crest the Giants sported on Dec. 1, 2012. Goaltenders David Tendeck and Trent Miner selected the Millionaires attire.
Other notable Giants specialty uniforms over the years include: the old-school Canucks blue and green with the Shamrock logo jersey they wore Nov. 10, 2016, as a tribute to late Canucks icon Pat
Quinn; the cream-coloured jerseys with the “lazy cross” crest to honour First Nations hockey and the Alkali Lake Braves on Sept. 20, 2013; and the Gordie Howe No. 9 logo to celebrate Mr. Hockey’s 85th birthday on March 1, 2013.
“It’s just fun. It’s a little something for the crowd,” Kannok Leipert said of the specialty jersey nights. The Giants captain added: “They (the uniforms) are meant to be out there and over the top and we definitely succeed at that with this year’s (Grinch uniforms).”
Shepard added: “It’s something new. It spices things up a little bit. We can all get into it.”
And Byram explained: “It’s a special event night, but we’re still trying to win a hockey game, so that’s our biggest focus.”
The specialty uniforms are usually a brainchild of Giants senior vice-president Dale Saip and assistant general manager Peter Toigo. The uniform production is farmed out to a company that makes them in six to eight weeks, and the gameworn jerseys are sold to the public via auction after.
Toigo says the proceeds from this year’s Grinch sale will go to the CKNW Kids’ Fund.
For more information, check out 32auctions.com.
ICE CHIPS: The Giants played the Royals Wednesday night at SaveOn-Foods Memorial Arena in Victoria. ... The Giants signed 2000born forward Holden Katzalay of Vancouver to a Standard WHL Player Agreement on Wednesday. He joined the Giants on a tryout in late November after starting the season with the BCHL’s Surrey Eagles. In 27 games with Surrey, Katzalay recorded 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points. He has since appeared in three games with the Giants, earning four penalty minutes in that span.